The Words That Matter Most

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Spiritual Discipline • The Big 10

The Words That Matter Most

Sharing Your Faith — The Great Commission

Looking back on my life before Christ, I can count the people who talked to me about Jesus on one hand. My grandmother prayed for me. My mom prayed. My Sunday school teacher shared the Bible with me. But in high school, in college — nobody. Not one person sat down with me and said, "Hey, you need Jesus." Then a man I'd never met before — a Gideon — took his lunch break, came to our Navy base, and started handing out Bibles. He didn't know my name. He didn't know my story. He just showed up and gave me the Word of God. Five days later, I gave my life to Christ. That man will never know, this side of heaven, what he did that afternoon.

"How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?"
Romans 10:14

There it is. Someone has to tell them. And that someone might be you. You might be the one person in someone's life who ever talks to them about Jesus. You might be their Gideon.

I know there are two big reasons most of us don't share our faith more. The first is: I think someone else will do it. Maybe. But maybe not. You and I may be the only person standing between someone we know and eternity without God. That's a weight worth carrying.

The second reason is fear. We're afraid they'll think we're strange. Afraid they'll laugh. Afraid they'll unfriend us on Facebook. I want to say something honest about that: let them laugh. Because one day, at the final judgment, you don't want to be standing there and have someone look at you and ask, "You knew me. You knew what was coming. Why didn't you say something?"

Here's the good news: you don't have to have all the answers. You don't have to be a theologian. You just need to know the heart of the message — and it's really not complicated:

The Heart of the Gospel:
All have sinned and fallen short of God's standard.
The consequence of sin is separation from God — forever.
The solution: Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins.
The decision: Turn from sin and ask Christ to be the Lord of your life.
Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9

That's it. You know enough to change someone's life. Ask God to make you brave. Ask Him to open your eyes to the people around you who need to hear the good news. And when the moment comes — and it will come — open your mouth and tell them about Jesus.

Next Step: Carry a COTR gospel card in your wallet or phone case. When opportunities arise, you'll have the message right there. Ask God each morning: "Show me one person today I can encourage in their faith journey."

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