LIFE NURTURED THROUGH EVANGELISM
Matthew 28:19 is another command, Go, make disciples. We can obey this command through evangelism
(aka, soul-winning). For me personally,
some of my evangelistic attempts have actually been subtly selfish, because my
focus was on me…I wanted to feel worthy…I wanted others to affirm my value as a
Christian…what others thought about me and how they responded to me was a
controlling motivation of my life…I thought it was the right thing to do. And as I focused on myself, I tended to focus
on methods to work up courage and to say the right words. Although sometimes I thought about God as a power to help me, I often
missed experiencing the miracle of Christ as a Person manifesting His life
through me to reveal His glory and truth to others.
But God
in His grace reveals that all methods have been put to death on the cross! We can rest in this truth…we can rest in
Christ alone! I believe with all my
heart that I do not need power to share the gospel…(hang with me here J!)…I need the presence
of Christ through my weakness! Jesus
says, "My grace is sufficient for
you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians
12:9). What freedom it is to realize
that even through my quivering voice and shaking knees I can manifest the very
glory of Christ!
One
approach to evangelism is to present the "plan of salvation" on a
tract or by memorizing Scriptures. This
is a wonderful instru-ment when used in the context of this very helpful
insight from Adrian Rogers, "No person has ever been saved by a plan of
salvation, but only by the Man of salvation." I really like that. Yes, there are many great evangelistic
instruments, but ultimately salvation is an encounter with the living God in
the Person of Jesus Christ…Christ is first revealed…"Look to Me and be saved" (Isaiah 45:22)…and then Christ is received…"But
as many has received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of
God" (John 1:12). A Christian
can witness (reveal) the life of Christ to everyone he or she encounters…this
is a miracle of God in a Christian. A
Christian cannot enable another person to receive Christ…this is the miracle of
God in the other person.
Stephen
Olford is a grand ol' pastor who nurtured me through lectures one week a year
for 8 years at Luther Rice Seminary. I
attended the seminary not to obtain a degree, but to be nurtured in the life of
Christ (by God's grace, I did receive a Masters of Divinity degree in
1998). Dr. Olford has written in his
book, The Secret of Soul-Winning,
"To try to copy Jesus in soul-winning is to fail miserably; for His
thoughts are not our thoughts; neither are His ways our ways. Only as we believe in Him and allow Him to
flow through us by His Spirit will men and women, whom He is drawing to
Himself, respond. The Lord Jesus is the
only successful Soul-Winner, and it is only when He is in complete control of
my life that I can hope to share in the fruit of His labors."
Thank you, Father, for loving me…and if I never again
witness to a single soul…if I never again crack my Bible…if I never again
breathe another prayer…You would still infinitely love me! Your pure acceptance of me frees me from the
bondage of focusing on what I do and compels me to gaze upon Christ and what He
has done! Gazing upon His glory transforms
me to experience Your nurturing me to genuinely and abundantly witness, read
the Bible, and pray…and to genuinely do all
the things You have wired me to love (watching fireworks with Joy each Fall
from our secret place on a hill, laughing with friends, talking with Mama,
climbing a mountain with my nephews, studying the comedy of Dick Van Dyke,
jogging in leaves, walking in snow, developing engineering solutions at work,
writing, etc) …all as fruit of the Life in me…no longer a burden, but a delight…all
nurtured through Your faithful love.
In Jesus' love,
amen.
©
2004 Gregg Gibbons