Equipped for Evangelism to God’s Glory
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-16)
So brother or sister, how do you hope to spend your summer? What do you have planned? God willing there will be some respite and times of refreshment where you can enjoy God's beautiful creation with family and friends. But what do you have planned beyond vacation, family reunions, children's sports/activities and so on? Lord willing this summer we will have a few evangelism outings as a local church. This corporate evangelism is an opportunity to take the gospel of Jesus to our neighbors in our nation. It requires prayer and planning and being equipped. Something all of us ought to desire is this: to grow in Christ and eagerly go for Christ. We ought to have the gospel of Christ God has entrusted to us on our hearts and minds always (Romans 1:16). A few of us will be trained and go overseas taking the gospel to the nations. But many others-most of us-- will be here in our nation declaring the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ and the grace and mercy of God to undeserving sinners to neighbors in our nation. Who has the Lord already put in your life you are sharing the gospel with? Whose salvation do you long for? For some of you, it is your spouse whose salvation you cry out to God for often. For others it is your children- the precious sons and daughters God has blessed you with. For others in our church it may be a brother or sister, or maybe your mother or father or another relative. Perhaps some of you have a dear coworker, new or old neighbor, or decades long friend who God has put in your life. Maybe you have had the opportunity to befriend and engage in spiritually meaningful, eternity-minded conversations with many of these in the past. Maybe you are praying for courage and opportunities to engage this way in the summer. Praise God for all of these opportunities and the real people God has put in your life who you know and know you. And no doubt this summer God will put many more people beyond those we presently know in all our lives. If they are Christians we can encourage them in the faith. If they are not we can declare the hope found in Christ alone! Maybe you will meet a young husband and wife with their young children at the park. Maybe you will get some new neighbors. Maybe you will meet a new family at our church. Perhaps it is a family on your child's sports team or park district activity. Only the Lord knows but it is never an accident. Believe that Christian!
In his book The Weight of Glory C.S. Lewis wrote with thought-provoking and rare eloquence on the gravity of people around us--our neighbors whose futures and glories we should deeply care about:
"...the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations.It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors."
Indeed. There are no mere mortals. We regard no one according to the flesh (2 Cor. 5:16)
Are you prepared to make the most of every opportunity with those who desperately need Christ and the liberation that God in Christ alone can bring? Are you coasting half-heartedly right now and in need of some fresh holy fire of the unrivaled truth that comes from God's Holy Word? Join us Sunday at 9:30 a.m. as we seek to be equipped to evangelize this summer. Lord willing , we will look at three ingredients every faithful ambassador of Jesus Christ needs to make the most of this summer to the glory of God.
Join us this Sunday, May 18 at 9:30 a.m. downstairs or pre-service discipleship as we discuss the importance of being equipped to evangelize to God's glory! Soli Deo Gloria!