This week I saw one of the saddest things I’ve seen on social media in a long time. A friend of mine was going in for surgery. He wrote, “If you choose to pray for me, please do not share it with me. It brings me stress. If you know me, then you know why. If not, get to know me and ask me why.”
It was sad not because of how I originally interpreted it. It was sad because I have known this man nearly two decades and not once have I ever talked to him about his relationship with Christ. Worse yet, I let him go into surgery without asking him where he stood.
In our Connect Group today at Trinity Baptist Church, we continued our discussion of Thom Rainer’s book I Will. This week we discussed Chapter 5: I Will Go.
The heart of our discussion today was around The Great Commission.
**** Matthew 28:18-19 ****
Then Jesus came to them and said, “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.”
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Jesus didn’t suggest we go out and talk to others about Him. He commanded it.
Sadly, Church is no longer the center of our lives. For many, it has become “just another place to attend”. Others see it as an optional place to visit, usually just on holidays, if at all.
The same can be said about Jesus. He is no longer the center of our lives and our purpose for living. Rather, He is part of a belief system we selfishly keep to ourselves for a variety of reasons.
When was the last time you walked up to someone and asked them, “Have you been saved?”
When was the last time you answered the question, “How are you today?” with the words, “I was saved by grace through faith, so I’m truly blessed. How about you?”
Chances are, like many of us, you’ve grown comfortably silent in sharing the gospel with others. You probably have a list of excuses for why:
1. You lack confidence in being able to answer questions or quote scripture.
You forget God called you to witness to others about Him within the circle or influences where He has placed you. It’s your job to plant seeds so others can know about Christ. It’s Christ’s job to cultivate those seeds through the Holy Spirit. Salvation is a team effort, and God can’t help others if you lack the confidence to get off the bench and play your part.
2. You simply don’t know how to start the conversation
… especially with people whom you only have superficial relationships with.
**** Acts 1:8 ****
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
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I loved when Josh Mudford said today, “We are doing too much living instead of letting the Holy Spirit live through us.”
I also loved his idea about asking the waitress when she takes your order, “Hey, we are about to bless our food. Before we do, is there anything going on in your life we could pray for you about?”
3. You’ve allowed your spiritual awareness to become distracted by other idols you deem more important than Christ.
One of the saddest things about our culture today is that we have allowed pride, idolatry, and the pleasures of the world to either make us feel ashamed about loving Christ or create apathy. We simply don’t have time to go to church, to share the gospel, or to serve others. The reality is, we can always find time for the things we care most about, and we can always find excuses for those things that truly aren’t important to us.
4. You have a fear of being ridiculed or rejected.
**** Proverbs 29:25 ****
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
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**** 2 Timothy 1:8 ****
So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
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5. You lack compassion to give others hope because you no longer remember what it feels like to live life without hope like you once did before you truly believed in God.
**** Acts 26:17-18 ****
I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
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6. You don’t fully have the conviction of Christ in your heart and are content not living out the great commission to share the gospel.
You may be completely unaware there will come a day when Christ denies knowing you because you denied truly knowing Him.
**** Matthew 7:22-23 ****
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
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The best way to overcome the excuses for not telling others about Christ is to get prepared to do so, and the only way to get prepared is to pray and study His word.