One of the great joys of my life are those holy moments when
I am privileged to lead people to know the love of God, to receive the gift
of His grace. For some it is a dramatic moment of high emotion, with tears, and
then a flood of happiness. For others it is a dawning realization, a settling
of the truth about the love of their Father shown them through Jesus, that
takes root in their lives. The Spirit moves,
the heart surrenders, and there is new birth into the family of God. This moment is so significant that Jesus said that
there is “rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who
repents.” (Luke 15:10)
We know that He told us to go into all the world and preach
the Gospel, but do we do this work?
Or do we think that leading others to know Jesus is the specialized
work of missionaries and evangelists?
I see evangelizing poorly done and it makes me cringe. While
I admire the courage of that person who asks a perfect stranger if they know
Jesus, I also wonder if the question only produces embarrassment about 99% of
the time. I have seen clumsy attempts made to press leaflets into the hands of
reluctant persons and know how irritating that is to me. I would not buy
an appliance from someone who knocked on my front door, so why would I discuss how
I feel about my relationship with God with a stranger? You can introduce people
to Christ without embarrassing them, without resorting to threats of eternal damnation.
How?
Be prayerfully aware of spiritual need!
Jesus took His disciples through Samaria, among people
almost all Jews of the time thought were beyond God’s reach, and He told them “Open
your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35) Among our friends and in our extended families
there are those who are struggling with guilt, looking for meaning, wondering
about God. If we are sensitive we will see their need, which is the first step.
Pray before you speak!
Conversion is more than convincing someone to agree with you
about some things you read in the Bible. No one can be saved apart from God’s
work in the heart. We pray, consistently, expectantly, faithful for the Spirit
to shed light and bring revelation of the Truth.
Let your life speak more loudly than your words!
Prior to most every decision about buying something or
engaging a contractor, we read reviews and/or get recommendations from friends.
We don’t live in small communities anymore where everyone knows the kind of
work that someone does or if she is reliable, so we look for a ‘witness’ who tells
us about their experience. Most people
who come to Christ through your efforts will do so because they see an undeniable
quality of life and love in you. “I want what you have,” is the underlying
fact.
Know how to use the Scripture well!
You can take a person to the story of a lost son who came
home to a loving Father (Luke 15) and let it speak to your friend. You can point to the promise of new birth that
Jesus shared with a Nicodemus in John 3. You can lead them through key points that
Romans makes about the separation sin creates and the forgive God offers - (“All have sinned … Wages of sin is death,
Gift of God is eternal life.”) 3:23;
6:23
Sharing Jesus does not come in a formula or
with a “one-size fits all” speech. We
converse, weaving our witness with God’s truth, and the Spirit brings new life.
The most joyful Christians I know are those who are sharing their
love of Jesus with others – teaching, loving, inviting, integrating faith into
everyday life. It’s not easy work. It’s
a little like having children. Ask a parent. Children are costly, steal sleep
when they are babies and teenagers, make impossible demands of us, sometimes disappoint,
can be ungrateful – and – they love us, enrich us, fill us with warmth – all at
the same time. Praying with someone to
accept Jesus and seeing them born again is just the beginning. After that comes
the investment of making disciples.
The word from the Word is an invitation for us to join the
ongoing work of making Christ and His rule known in all the world.
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.
And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:19-20, NLT) "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8,
NLT)
The world is waiting, starting at your front door. Let’s go!
__________
You unravel me with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance from my enemies
Till all my fears are gone
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
From my Mother's womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I've been born again into Your family
Your blood flows through my veins
You split the sea so I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me so I could stand and sing
I am a child of God
Brian Johnson | Joel Case | Jonathan David Helser
© 2014 Bethel Music Publishing
CCLI License # 810055
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