Whether you are new to the family or if you have been a Christian for a
while, getting to this place took one thing -
someone had to tell you about Jesus.
It could have been a friend, family member, or a preacher but, it was a
person. God has used people to get his message out for a long time now. In the Old Testament they were called
prophets and priests. In the New
Testament they were called disciples and apostles. Today, we are called
ministers. Yes, WE. We are all called to tell others about Jesus. We are
the ministers of the gospel.
There
are many ways to tell others about Jesus; although, my favorite is a method
used by a Catholic Saint who was quoted as saying, “Go into all the world and
preach the gospel, and, if necessary, use words”. Francis of Assisi (c. 1182 – October
3 1226). This is a nod to living the
gospel daily so that others see Jesus in you.
President
and chief operating officer, Dan Cathy, of Chick-fil-A,
has a unique way of opening a new restaurant. When the time comes, the
company goes out of its way to find Chick-fil-A fans in the area. Regulars at
other locations and people who stop by the construction site eager about the
opening get invited to a special dinner the night before the official opening.
After serving the crowd a free dinner, Mr. Cathy gives them 10 coupons for free
meals and deputizes these "raving fans" to act as Chick-fil-A
ambassadors. They promise to spread the word and hand out each coupon to a
different person, someone unfamiliar with the restaurant. (info from http://www.fastcompany.com/resources/customer/chickfila.html)
You
don’t have to be an employee to be an ambassador for the fast food company,
just love the food. It’s the same with
sharing the Gospel – you don’t have to be a licensed pastor, a canonized saint,
go picket on the corner or go put up a billboard. Just loving Jesus is all that’s needed. In
fact, most people, come to know Jesus because of a person’s life experience
with Jesus rather than the reciting of scriptures.
Another interesting practice
from Chick-fil-A is its unique style of customer service. At the end of each transaction at Chick-fil-A,
you don't hear, "You're welcome," "Glad to help," or
"Come back and see us." You hear these two words: "My
pleasure". It's distinctive and
classy, the sort of service you expect at a much fancier and expensive
establishment, like Ritz Carlton, which is where Mr. Cathy says his father got
the idea. http://www.fastcompany.com/resources/customer/chickfila.html
Again, WE also can put into
practice our Heavenly Father’s idea of serving with pleasure. Romans chapter 1
tells us we have not only the authority but, the privilege to go tell others
about Jesus. Through Christ, God has given us the
privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them,
so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. (NLT)
And from Daniel 4:2 we hear a phrase we should all adopt as our attitude about
sharing Jesus with other: “It is my pleasure to tell you about the
miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me."
It doesn’t take much to
share Jesus. God will provide the
opportunity. If you think about it, I’ll
bet you can think of one thing Jesus has helped you with or through. How would
you tell that story? Put it into words and be ready to share it. Below is a Salvation
prayer and a few scriptures you can keep in your wallet or purse. No, that’s
not cheating! Where does the Bible say we have to have every verse memorized
before we share Jesus? Where does it
read we can’t use notes, or practice what we might share if we are given the
chance?
The instruction we are
given is living as well as sharing Jesus and is listed as the fruit of the
Spirit in Galatians, chapter 5: “So I say, walk by the Spirit … the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no
law.”
Take some time today and
reaffirm your commitment to living a life pleasing to God by working as His
ambassador with the daily attitude of, “My pleasure”.
Encouragement from
Jesus
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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” From Matthew 28 (NIV)
Click here to hear a wonderful song by one of my
favorite singer/songwriters urging others to believe in Jesus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M3_p2i6bH0&feature=player_detailpageSALVATION PLAN - SHARING JESUS
God’s plan of salvation is shown in all of the New Testament’s teaching on Jesus and His disciple’s letters to the early churches. But the main points are these:
Believe - John 3:16
Confess - Matt 16:15
Accept - Eph 2:8
Submit - James 4:7
Sealed - Eph 1:13
Here is a sample salvation prayer:
Heavenly
Father - I want to turn my life over to you. I know I have sinned and I ask for your
forgiveness. I BELIEVE that Jesus
died on the cross to pay for my sins and was raised again. I CONFESS that I need a Savior and I ACCEPT Jesus as Savior and Lord
of my life today. I SUBMIT my
life, my heart, and my soul to you oh Lord. I believe I am saved and I am SEALED for eternity. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus name I
pray - AMEN.
