Dear Friends,
The author Mark Cahill, a traveling evangelist, has titled one of
his books, The One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven. He goes on to point out
this one thing you will be unable to do is to share your faith with
unbelievers, for there won’t be any there.
The only time you and I have to share our faith in Jesus is this
side of eternity, and I wonder how we are doing. I, for one, confess that I
know I am not as intentional about sharing my faith as I once was. Maybe I have
lost some of the passion I once had when I was first saved, and maybe it is
because I am not around as many unbelievers as I once was before I became
a pastor. In any event, I am praying for a greater zeal for witnessing in
whatever remaining time I have on planet earth.
The great preacher of yesteryear, Charles Spurgeon, asks a
penetrating question. “Have you no wish for others to be saved? (If not)”,
“then you are not saved yourself.” The One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven,
Mark Cahill, p 55. Now I wouldn’t go as far as Spurgeon to say you are not
saved if you never witness, but I do believe a lack of witnessing can be
an indication of a lack of spiritual maturity.
Would that more of us would be like the great missionary David
Brainerd, who was consumed by one ambition and that was to win souls for
the Kingdom. He wrote in his diary, "I cared not where or how I
lived or what hardships I endured so that I could but gain souls for Christ.
While I was asleep, I dreamt of such things and when I waked the first thing I
thought of was winning souls to Christ.” George Whitefield shared a
similar ambition, when he wrote, “If God did not give me souls, I believe I
would die.”
Evangelism must never become a special task for special people at
special times, but it should be the normal task for all the church- all the
time. It is a ministry for God's rank and file. Each one of us needs to be
alert for opportunities to witness to others about our love of our Savior.
Peter writes, “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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously
against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter
3: 15-16).
Danny Lehmann, author of Beautiful Feet: Steps to a Lifestyle
of Evangelism, writes, “There is a difference between speaking truth
in love and loving to speak the truth. Too many would be followers of Christ
are lost because someone bludgeoned them to death with the truth. They may have
spoken the truth, but they failed to do it in love, and so the lost remained
lost, and the soul became hardened to future witnessing efforts.” We need
to love people into the Kingdom with both our lives as well as our lips, and
there is a need for both of these evangelistic approaches.”
Danny told how his friend Ray Comfort, another traveling
evangelist, promised to give $1000 if anyone could ever catch him without a
gospel tract on his person. Once an inspiring opportunist grabbed Ray after he
got out of a swimming pool- hoping to be an instant winner. Ray smiled and
pulled out a plastic - wrapped tract out of his swim trunks (Beautiful
Feet, Danny Lehman, p. 15)
Ray Comfort is always ready to give a reason for the hope he has,
and likewise we should be ready as well. We don't need to pray for
opportunities to witness, for they are all around us. We need to pray for
boldness to seize and speak a word for Jesus. And yes, don't be caught without
a witnessing tool. So, get out that plastic bag, insert a “4 Spiritual
Laws” or whatever witnessing tool you use and get on with the task of gossiping
the gospel. And remember, you are either a missionary or you are in need of a
missionary.
Yours in faith,
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