This one is coming out a bit later than usual, but that's ok, because the important thing is that you are able to look back and see what we've talked about this year. Our group is still recovering from all the sickness we experienced over Christmas Break, and Omicron is just sweeping across America faster than the latest broom. lease stay safe out there yall. Also, get a sense of humor because I'm going to guess that you aren't laughing and that joke was literal gold.
So last week we looked at a simple passage (super well-known, too) within the context of a story I shared. So about 6 years ago I worked at a bio-analytical lab as a kind of hyped up stockboy (no, I didn't do any bio-analyzing). While there I met a guy we'll call Eddy, who was about the same age as me. I was one of a few Christians in the workplace, but only two of us spent much time talking about our faith. Well, Eddy was what the church might call a seeker. He would regularly ask questions about our faith and about the Bible, and we would talk to him about those questions. But, I never took the opportunity to unpack the Gospel. 1. He never directly asked about it, 2. I didn't want to be accused of imposing my faith on him and making future conversations awkward, and 3. I always assumed I would have an opportunity in the future. One Monday morning I came in to work and Eddy wasn't there. No one knew why, and honestly we didn't think much of it because people miss a day of work all the time (sickness, emergencies, etc.). It wasn't until a couple days later that we found out the sad truth - Eddy had been killed in a car accident over the weekend. Just like that, he was gone. He knew a little bit about the Bible from our conversations, and he knew a little bit about God, but I don't think he ever heard the Gospel message about Jesus.
At the end of the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says this to His disciples: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
The will of God, for me and for you, is to go and make disciples. Breaking that down: we are to tell people about their need for a Savior and about Jesus, the Savior. Those who repent and believe we are to baptize into the church and teach them to obey what God commands in the Bible.
These are some simple bullet points for sharing the Gospel:
1. People are stuck in sin and are destined for death.
2. Jesus (who is God in the flesh) came and died for our sin so that we could be forgiven.
3. When we believe in Jesus, we repent (turn away from) of our sin and follow Him.
4. All those who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead will be saved.
5. Stuck in sin - sin earns death - Jesus died for sin - we believe in Him and are saved
I never gave Eddy a chance to believe and follow Jesus. Is it possible someone else told him about Jesus? Yes, it is possible. But I didn't follow the mission I've been given by Jesus - which is to make disciples.
The truth is, we have no idea what tomorrow holds. We don't know how much time we have left and we certainly don't know how much time our friends have left. SO LET US NOT WASTE OUR TIME.
I have two questions for you:
1. If you died tonight, do you know where you're going?
Take a long second to think about that. If you were to die tonight, do you truly believe that you're going to be with God forever?
2. If your friends died tonight, do you know where they're going?
I am willing to bet that all of you have some non-Christians friends or family. The Bible teaches us that those who do not believe in Jesus will be separated from God forever. So, what is keeping you from talking to them about Jesus? Is it fear that they will stop being your friend? Worry that it will be awkward? Uncertainty about what to say or how to start the conversation?
We can't let these things get in the way of talking to people about Jesus. He is their only hope, and God has placed YOU in their lives to share the Gospel with them. Our mission is urgent, because we just do not know how much time anyone has left. If you know that your friends or family are not believers, you have to at least give them a chance to believe. Below are just a few suggestions for ways to start the conversation or prepare for a conversation about faith in Jesus:
1. Ask what the other person believes. This gets a spiritual conversation going, and can very easily lead to you sharing what you believe. The bonus of this is you get to see their perspective and their response can show you how much they've thought about this kind of thing.
2. Ask "What do you think happens when we die?" Once again, it gets the conversation started with their perspective, opening up opportunities for you to respond with your perspective.
3. Ask them if there is anything you can pray for them for. This doesn't always go well, but most people are willing to accept prayer. This can also be a subtle way of letting them know that you have faith in a higher power, even they don't explicitly know Who you are praying to at first.
4. The blunt approach: Ask if they would be willing to hear about Jesus, or just jump right in to talking through the Gospel.
5. Share your testimony, your story of believing in Jesus. Try to keep it shorter than about 5 minutes if you can, and then as they ask questions (and hopefully they do) you can go deeper into certain areas. Always bring it back to salvation through faith in Jesus.
6. Ask if they would be willing to read the Bible with you. I've seen some people in our church do this with great success - people might be more willing than you give them credit. The cool thing about this approach is that you get to read the Bible alongside them, and they might ask questions that you had never even considered - leading to a pursuit of the truth and discovery of knowledge about God. This approach allows the Word of God to speak for itself.
7. Pray continually for opportunities to talk about Jesus (especially with specific people in mind), then look for those opportunities and DO NOT IGNORE THEM. When we pray about it, our eyes are more open to see opportunities as God brings them to us.
8. Look for different illustrations to use in explaining the Gospel (Romans Road, The Chasm, The Judge, CRU has some great illustrations to use). These can help you to know what to say or to better explain what you're trying to say in a conversation.
9. Bring someone with you. Making disciples is not a solo-mission. We don't have to do it by ourselves, and we're actually not even called to do it alone! The example set for us by Jesus was to go in pairs and work together. So find another Christian to go with you and work together in making disciples.
10. Read the Bible. The more we know about God and His Word, the easier it is to talk about Jesus with others. Start small, just share a verse you were reading recently and talk about how God impacted your life through that verse. It doesn't need to be an hour-long conversation for it to have a lasting impact on your friends and family.
I am praying for you all and my hope is that you will be steadfast in your faith and diligent in the mission we have all been given.
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