The Lord hasn’t called every believer to be an
evangelist; but Jesus clearly commanded all of us to be witnesses for Him. It’s
in black and white, (or red) if we read the gospels. Jesus wants us to share
the good news.
It’s simply a fact we can’t get away from. I would
like to challenge those readers who are reluctant to share the gospel, for
whatever reason, to step out your comfort zones and do what the Lord has
commanded. People hold back for many reasons, often fearing rejection: but when
you speak out, relying on the Holy Spirit, amazing things start to happen!
Key Point: When you rely on the Holy
Spirit, amazing things will start to happen
The instructions that we were given by Jesus
regarding being a witnesses are indeed very clear:
"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 28:19-20
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all
creation” Mark 16: 15
It has been my experience that many Christians can
get into the I will it leave to others type
of mentality. In
fact that’s not just for witnessing, it can be for many other things, like
attending church prayer meetings, giving finance to the church as we should and
serving in the church in some capacity. The list can go on and on as there is
much that we can do. James, the earthly brother of Jesus, described very
clearly in his book how we should be.
“Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but
does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and,
after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” James 1: 22-24
We are called to be ‘hearers and doers’. It’s important that we all ‘all’ try to do something out of obedience to Christ. Yes, out of
obedience. Not because He was ordering us to do a chore, but rather that we
obey out a love and gratitude for what He went through for us to purchase our
forgiveness on the cross.
When people give their last words on their death
beds, they are usually important and therefore remembered. These are the last
words that Jesus gave His disciples before ascending to heaven, so we have to
consider that they were of great importance to Him (and to us. Yes, Jesus does
command us to tell others about Him. There is no hiding the fact. Now you may
ask, "Why me, surely there other people who are more equipped than I am to
do that? After all I am not a pulpit or Gospel preacher”. In reality the number
of people who preach from the pulpit is very small. However, Jesus desires to
use you ‘you’ for His glory. He has
an amazing plan for your life ‘your life’
and part of that involves sharing the message of salvation.
Telling others about the Lord Jesus gives you the
wonderful opportunity, through the Gospel, to affect the lives of others for
good! Honestly, what could be better?
There are many ways that you can do this.
The fact is that we must do something in one way or another. Let me ask you a question.
If you haven’t been sharing Jesus for any reason, it’s not a problem, because
we can change that today. I ask you this. What is there that you can do?
Stepping out as a witness for Jesus involves
putting your faith into action. Remember that you don’t need to stand on a
street corner for hours with a megaphone and a sandwich board. Everyone can do
something that will forward the kingdom
of God. We just need to
be willing, make ourselves available to the Lord and He will do the rest.
We have the Holy Spirit who will always accompany
us when we do something for the Lord. He will empower you and help you. He will
give you the boldness to share if you ask Him.
Listed below are a few ideas that you could use in
order to follow the commands of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They are
all quite simple to do. Using any of
them will give you an opportunity to chat to people and show the love of
Christ.
- Tract distribution.
- Organise a meal / barbeque for friends and unsaved neighbours.
- Help at the local supermarket carrying shopping to cars.
- Get together with a team of people and offer to help people with their gardens and lawns.
- Hand out Christian newspapers on the streets.
- Complete some Christian street surveys with the public. These are non confrontational and fun to do.
- Hand out free hot dogs near the colleges at lunchtime. Free food will guarantee that you will have people to talk to!
- Distribute leaflets door to door for your church.
- Feed the poor and needy.
- Get out with an evangelistic team as a support. You will find yourself getting involved very quickly.
- Help out at ‘young mothers’ groups run at your church.
These are just some thoughts. Remember, Jesus
wants our obedience. We follow His commands because we love Him so much because
He gave everything for us.
What can you do for Him?
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