More than Supposed To
Engage is a word with many uses. Each involves action. Engage is the theme of our three-year course of action that involves a very simple plan. Jesus explained the plan in a parable about a master who prepared a great feast and instructed his servant with these words: “Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.” Luke 14:23 (NIV) You engage with people each day. Please engage them with a purpose. Compel them to come in so that God’s house will be full. You know people who need what they will find here. Invite them.
Your Jerusalem
“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, NIV) How far do we need to travel? Where is the land that holds the best opportunity for us to spread God’s word? There must be some place to talk to people about Jesus Christ, a place to reach so many people and make a big impact. Where is your Jerusalem? Don’t look far away toward distant lands, just look around. Right here, right where you live. The opportunity to witness for Him is here and now. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47, NIV)
Embrace the Awkward
In the 1979 film “The Jerk” white comedic actor Steve Martin was asked to tell the story of his character Navin Johnson. Martin started by saying, “It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child….” And those words began the movie detailing the ups and downs in his life. Each of us has a story. Each of us is born a sinner. But who we are, where we came from and how we came to find Jesus are all variables that make up our unique story. We need to be able to verbalize our own conversion story. Everyone needs salvation through Jesus. Telling our own story to others helps build relationships and may very well lead them to finding Jesus, too.
Adventure of a Lifetime
It can be very easy to watch a new believer become baptized, then not give any thought to how that person will learn to become more like Jesus. It is our job to help them realize the road does not end at baptism but begins there. In Timothy 4:13 (NASB) Paul challenged Timothy to devote himself “to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.” This tells us studying the Bible is one of the most important means God has given us by which we can grow in our relationship with Him. He has also given us prayer and the church to help us accomplish the same goal.
The Heart and Mind of a Disciple
Jesus made it perfectly clear to His disciples what they should do to spread His message of grace and salvation after He was gone. “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 made it clear in his command and those same words speak to what Christians must still do today. We are to share our faith and live our lives in such a way that we can explain to nonbelievers the amazing changes Christ Jesus made in our lives.
Followers
The goal for any believer should be to move constantly into a closer relationship with God. The best way to achieve this goal is to follow Christ, not just admire Him. Jesus calls us to be His followers. Mark 10 tells us about the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything he owned and follow him. The young ruler considered it too high a cost to bear. There is a price to follow Jesus. It takes dedication and sacrifice, but the eternal rewards far outweigh any earthly rewards we can have.