Are We (am I) Missing It?

We live in one of the most affluent countries in the world, some would the most affluent. As a result of this, we (I) tend to view the Gospel and the spreading of it in light of this affluence that surrounds me. I sat with a dear friend a bit today, it was hot, unusually hot for this time of year, the sweat dripped down my back and I was just sitting. Air conditioning kept going through my mind. I thought how great it would be when later I get to go home and enjoy it. This friend didn't have ac, this friend lives in a development that is comprised of mostly low income or subsidised housing. Many I know and they are slouches and didn't put themselves in this predicament, it kind of just happened. Maybe there was an injury, maybe it was a layoff, or a death in the family, maybe they served our country, maybe they immigrated to our country for a chance to be free. I imagine the stories are as varied as their backgrounds are.
I got to thinking, actually it has been on my mind all day, am I missing it, is the affluent church of our culture missing it altogether? Are we so consumed with ourselves and "doing church" that we have neglected the very heart of God and His Gospel? One can hardly read any portion of Scripture and not run across the undeniably compassionate heart God has for the poor and needy. There is so much irrefutable evidence towards this that I honestly don't know how we (I) can sleep at night and not come under such heavy conviction from the Holy Spirit. Why am I not more broken for the last, the least and the lost? Especially considering that this was once my story?
Isaiah 41:17 "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them."
Jeremiah 22:16 "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? declares the Lord."
James 1:26-2:19

Gospel centered friendships

"Friendship evangelism", when you hear that term what comes to your mind? I think, at least for me, the name gives it away and implies what is most important, friendship. That until you become someones friend the evangelism part of the equation has no place in the relationship. Funny thing is, the evangelism part rarely, if ever, becomes a part of the relationship. It also kind of implies that my friendship is really going to be the tipping point for this person to finally become a Christian, that they have put it off all these years just waiting for me to come along and befriend them. The humbling reality to this is my friendship won't do anything for their spiritual condition.
I was speaking with a friend the other day and this person was expressing with great passion their desire for some young people to know Christ in an experiential way. They were expressing the need to "get into their lives" to "let them know they care" before they could "earn the right" to share the Gospel. The following was my encouragement to them: "Having such a passion in your heart for these young people is so strong sometimes that it drives us. It drives us to involve ourselves in their lives. The danger is, and I can speak from personal failure in this area, is to attempt to be their friend and never get around to the Gospel. We feel, and God has wired us this way, that we need to get inside, deep inside their heart, to fix them, to help them with all their struggles and get them feeling good about themselves first, then we hope to get on to God. The reality is that we are all in desperate need of God, in all our ugliness or beauty, in all our mess or in our complete togetherness, that in God's eyes we are all wretched sinners who need to repent, surrender, humble ourselves and cry out for His mercy and salvation. We must show them their desperate need for Jesus the Christ as Lord, God and Savior. We must become increasingly more passionate about the Gospel and their need, we do this with grace and gentleness, lovingly, embracingly, relationally, but our passion for the Gospel must grow, pray that God will give us a deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper, passion for His Gospel and the spread of it till we all see Christ and not us.
"I know you share this passion, that without Christ we are nothing and we have nothing and we have nothing of value to offer. I only desire to warn you of a trap I myself fell into, that is not seeing their true need."
As I look back on it it doesn't seem all that great to read, when I wrote it I thought, "wow, that's great God." So in an attempt to summarize let me just say maybe we should rearrange the title from Friendship Evangelism to Gospel Centered Friendships or Evangelistic Friendships that in hopes that it rearranges our mindset to get it in the proper sequence.