May 13, 2008
The
question I pose to you today is,
"Whose
responsibility is it to tell others about Jesus?"
The
answer is of course, all of ours.
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." Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
The
follow up question is often "What if I do it wrong, or they won’t listen
to me."
The
good news is that while we are responsible for the effort to share Jesus with
others, only the Holy Spirit can bring forth results.
What,
after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to
believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos
watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is
anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man
who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own
labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 NIV
It’s
up to God to provide the results; we simply lay the groundwork.
Some
of us will be prayer warriors praying for the lost. Some will be sharing through
caring for the needs of others. Some will share Him through lives well lived.
Some give generously to send missionaries into the field. Still others from the
pulpit or with one- on- one evangelism. Methods will vary as our gifts and
personalities vary.
Some
will be cultivators and break up the soil of hardened hearts. Others will plant
seeds of truth and nurture them. Still others will be involved in getting the
harvest ready. Still others invest in the lives of others through deeds of love.
You
may be called to fill any or all of those roles.
Regardless
though of our gifts, we must always be open to the prompting of Holy Spirit to
step out and tell someone about Jesus.
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, 1 Peter 3:15 NIV
Who
is the Holy Spirit telling you to share your love of Jesus with today?
Darrel
Mason
Please
look again at the six children we have left and if you can’t sponsor one;
please send a gift that we can put together with another’s gift to bless these
little ones.