Our Attitude Towards Muslims Is Important  
                           Gen. 17:18

Middle Eastern Proverbs:

            Even a hungry wolf will not bite its neighbor
            If you don't have a mirror, look at your neighbor.
            A good neighbor is better than far away relatives.
            Don't take a house, take yourself a neighbor.

A.  What is your reaction when you hear the words Islam or
    Muslim?

    1.  One of the most important factors in our
        understanding of Islam is our own attitude towards
        Muslims.

    2.  There are many false stereotypes of Muslims and many
        Christians think of Islam as a threat and of Muslims as
        terrorists.  This perception is unhelpful and wrong.

        a.  Stereotypes

        -   In February 1993 a group of Muslim young men put a
            bomb in a parking garage under the World Trade
            Center in New York City.

        -   During the same month a group of Christian men and
            women in Waco, TX confined themselves in a farm house
            until the FBI burned the house down.

        -   Which group do you identify and associate yourself
            with the Muslims or the Christians?

        -   When a bomb goes off at the Oklahoma City Federal
            Building who are the first persons blamed, Muslims or
            Christians?  Why?

        -   How do you think Muslims looks at Americans?  Their
            opinions are shaped by TV soap operas, and Hollywood
            movies.  Which describes you?

        -   A ten year old Middle Eastern girl once asked, "When
            are the Americans were going to stop killing the
            Indians?"  Every week she saw movies of American
            Cowboys killing Indians.

        -   Most Muslims are Muslim by birth in a Muslim family
            and country. Are all Americans Christians because
            they are born in America?
                         
B.  Most Muslims are peace loving family people who are very     
    friendly and extremely hospitable.  Muslims can be some of
    the most loyal, warm, and faithful friends you have.
  
    An American who once lived in the Middle East said, "I long
    for friends in America like my Muslim friends."  

    Our own attitude towards Muslims has been one of our
    greatest hinderance to reaching them with the gospel.

C.  We live in a day when God is doing wonderful things.  The
    church of Jesus Christ is growing as never before.  The walls
    of Islam are breaking down and Muslims are coming to Christ
    all over the world.  Iran, Bulgaria, CIS, Turkey, etc.

D.  Remember Muslims are people for whom Christ died.  Islam is
    the world's second largest religion. It is the world's
    largest unreached religious group.  Apart from Christianity,
    Islam is arguably the world's most influential religion in
    terms of numbers, growth, power, and evangelistic zeal.

    1.  Islam is the world's fastest growing religion.  One out
        of every five people in the world is now a Muslim.  "For
        every African who turns to Christ, four turn to Islam."
        (Yusufu Turaki AEAM 1993)  

    2.  Islam is a great missionary religion.  It is the only
        religion, besides Christianity, that is evangelistic. 
        Muslims claim, worldwide there are over 1 billion   
        Muslims.

    3.  In 1984, worldwide, all evangelical missions spent only 
        1 billion 300 million dollars.  That same year, Muslims
        spent 1 billion 300 million dollars for evangelism in
        just 8 African nations!

E.  Muslims are our neighbors, as well as far away Arabs, Turks,
    Uzbeks, and others.  

    Whether we like it or not God has made us missionaries to
    Muslims. He has brought thousands of Muslims to our door
    steps.

    One day we will have to give an account for what we have     
    done with this opportunity.

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