May Beacon

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Acts 1:8

Do you remember the last time you shared your faith with someone?

An elevator operator in Nashville said, “I’m just a nobody telling everybody about somebody who can save anybody.”  It sounds like the man was humble, bold, and confident in his Savior.  I wonder if he had an impact on a lot of people?

Here are some startling statistics according to nationwide surveys conducted by the Barna Research Group regarding evangelism:

* 9 out of 10 American adults (86%) cannot accurately define the meaning of the “Great Commission.”

* 7 out of 10 adults have no clue what “John 3:16″ means.

* Barely one third of all adults (31%) know the meaning of the expression “the gospel.”

* Only about half (53%) of born again Christians feel a sense of responsibility to tell others about their faith.  

The last statistic is a real contrast to Bill Bright’s maxim.  The founder of Campus Crusade for Christ said, “I have made this my practice, and I urge you to do the same:  Assume that whenever you are alone with another person for more than a few moments, you are there by divine appointment to explain to that person the love and forgiveness he can know through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Jesus called followers to reach out to others.  In Mark 1:17, His directive to Simon and Andrew was, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Maybe He has tugged at your heart in a similar way.

We hear Peter’s evangelistic challenge in I Peter 3:15 when he said, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect…”

Is that your maxim?  Evangelistic efforts begin with our hearts firmly set on Christ.  He must have His way in our lives.  Knowing of Him will do nothing to spur us on to tell others.  But truly knowing Him personally can motivate us to want the same for others.  

We must be prepared to share Christ, and do so in a manner that will draw others to Him.

Dr. Ron Rand did a good job teaching on evangelism when he recently visited our church.  I was taught by his helpful instruction.  I also caught some of what this evangelist shared with us.  The man has a heart to share Jesus with others.  He had many stories to tell because he had told ‘The Story’ many times.

Some hearts were stirred, and people are wondering how they can be used to share the gospel.  Hold on to that ‘fire’ and bring it with you when we meet this summer.  We will begin an Evangelistic / Prayer emphasis on June 3rd at 6:30 p.m.  Maybe you can tell us about the last time you shared your faith with someone.

                                                                                                                                                     Pastor Lerud