photo by john swain
How in the world did we get to this place? Without a fresh movement of evangelism we will watch our children's generation sprint into hell, our culture rot and our churches wither. We have been robbed of the greatest joy of following Christ, and it ought to make us angry. It ought to make every Southern Baptist stand up in determination and take back from the enemy what he stole-the heart-pounding, purpose-filled life, the call to follow Jesus into people's lives with good news.
I have the best job in the world. I get to be good news, tell good news and teach good news every day, everywhere I go. But it's not just my job. It's my life. Nothing else fills you with passion, joy and expectancy like sharing the good news of Christ. It's just flat-out fun.
My daughter recently became engaged. Our family is excited about this union and having this young man be a part of our family. How difficult do you think it has been for me to tell people about my daughter's engagement? Do you think I have been afraid to tell anyone? Have I been too busy? Or felt like it was someone else's job or not my gift? Of course not. I have wonderful news to tell. A wonderful man loves my daughter and has committed his life to her. I can't wait to talk about it!
That's how evangelism is meant to be. A wonderful man loves my daughter… and my whole family, and the entire world-even me. And He has committed His life to us forever, even to the point of dying for us. Yet now He lives with life, passion, purpose and ultimate love to give. His name is Jesus, and I intend to tell everyone I can about what He has done. Why would I not? Should I be afraid to talk about Him? Of course not. Only the devil himself would try convincing me to stay silent. Is that what he is doing to you? Well, don't put up with it anymore.
Now, I won't tell just anyone about my daughter's engagement. I'm not going to run down the street shouting it at random to strangers. I will tell it to friends. Evangelism is the same way. That's why it's so important for us to make new friends who don't know Christ and stop spending all our time with other Christians. We are a mission force not a club. When we do this, God brings such joy into our lives.
Almost everyone, if approached right, will talk about Jesus. Many people are only one friendship or even one conversation away from becoming His follower. So how can it be that so few Christians ever witness? Why do we keep the good news to ourselves? Some friendships take months to form. But if we will care about people and listen to them, other friendships will form instantly.
Dennis sat by me on a flight from Atlanta to Nashville. He was a soldier on his way home from Iraq. God gave us an immediate connection, because I work with chaplains at the North American Mission Board. I asked Dennis if he'd ever talked to a chaplain.
"No, but I sure need one," he said. I told him God must have put me there to be his chaplain. He shared with me his guilt over having killed so many combatants in Iraq. He held up his hands and said, "These hands are covered in blood. How could God ever forgive me?" He was amazed when I told him Exodus 15:3 says "the Lord is a warrior." I told him he was protecting my family and others and had nothing to be ashamed of. When I told him the good news that God would meet his real need and give him a new life, he received Christ-just as we landed.
It was amazing to watch this soldier--and new brother in Christ--reunite with his family and tell his wife he had just accepted Christ as his savior. I called my wife while I watched him embrace his family, told her the story and said, "Honey, it doesn't get much better than this!"
And it doesn't. It's time for you to get in on the fun. Make a friend. Tell your story. Tell God's story. As we do this, our lives will become an adventure and our churches will be filled with power. It's time to make evangelism good news again.