INVITE

Nothing can take the place of a one-on-one relationship. There’s just something special about having a friend that you can talk with about anything. Maybe you have several of those types of relationships. That’s great. You know what I’m talking about!

Sometimes, God leads people into our path that we know we are special, that the Lord wants us to have a special relationship with, and we simply need to take that first step…

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9 (NLT)

At The SPRING Student Center, I have felt that way with several kids. Yesterday I sat down with one and the Lord just started talking to that person through me. Wow. That was cool.

Take a chance; listen to God speaking and go with the flow. Invite someone into relationship with you. And remember, you are an ambassador of Christ. That’s where the focus of the relationship is to be.

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READY

If you have knowledge of something, know how to do something that will benefit every single one of your friends, do you tell them or do you simply write it in a journal and leave it to them in your will?

There once was a teacher who was instructing his students. He explained to them that their knowledge was like light…it illuminated the darkness of ignorance. He told them that they had a duty, an obligation, to share that with others. That teacher’s name was Jesus. Here’s what he said…

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

His example is clearly meant for us as well. We are to gather knowledge from the Word of God and show forth the light of that knowledge by following it’s instruction, by living the way it outlines for us and sharing that knowledge with others around us.

Of course, the way we share that knowledge verbally is also outlined in God’s Word. He tells us

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1 Peter 3:15 (NASB)

Emphasis on the gentleness and reverence. “In your face”, “holier-than-thou” type thinking and acting will not cause someone to want to follow Christ.

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BEYOND

If we live a life beyond reproach, one that nobody can find fault with, do you think that could cause someone to ask us, “Why” or possibly, “How”?

Think about someone that you know who seems to be a really good person. Do you respect them? Would you possibly ask their advice? That is the type of life we should be living in order to attract others to our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything we do should point to Him, the sinless sacrifice who died in our place, for our sins.

Look at this example from the life of Abraham. His wife, Sarah, had just died and he was in a foreign land. He wanted to bury her and so inquired of the leaders of the place where he was. He offered to buy a piece of land from one of the local citizens. Here is the response to his offer and Abraham’s counter offer…

¹¹“No, my lord,” he said to Abraham, “please listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead.”

¹²Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land, ¹³and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. “No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there.” Genesis 23:11-13 (NLT)

Now that seems a little crazy to us in this day and age. It’s usually the other way around. The seller says, I’ll take a certain price for the land and we offer less. Here Abraham, not wanting people to think he was trying to get something for nothing, offers to pay the full price. He wanted to be above reproach.

Doesn’t that remind you of Jesus? He WAS beyond reproach as He lived a sinless life and He paid the full price, His life, for our sins.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 to,

Abstain from all appearance of evil.

And in Acts 24:16 he tells us to do our best to

“maintain a blameless conscience both before God and before men.”

Living a life beyond reproach for the glory of God the Father and your Savior Jesus Christ is one of the best ways you can be a ‘witness.’

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EMULATE

When we see someone that is highly respected, we want to emulate that person. It seems like a natural desire especially when that person is devoted to a life of helping others. Take for instance Mother Teresa; she was highly respected by many for her life and devotion to others.

There was a prophet named Ezra who learned that the people of Israel had intermarried with people that God warned them was forbidden. Instead of ranting and raving at the people to change their behavior, Ezra got on his knees and prayed...

“O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens. Ezra 9:6 (NLT)

Ezra prayed for the people that were doing wrong and included himself as a wrongdoer even though he had not committed the specific sin of intermarriage. As a result of his prayer the people were humbled…

While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women, and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him. Ezra 10:1 (NLT)

They asked Ezra what they should do to make up for the sins they had committed. This is his response:

¹¹So now confess your sin to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do what he demands. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from these pagan women.”

¹²Then the whole assembly raised their voices and answered, “Yes, you are right; we must do as you say!” Ezra 10:11-12 (NLT)

Ezra won them over to the Lord’s side by example. He prayed earnestly for them and the people responded by following his humble example.

Is there someone that you want to come to the Lord or turn from their ways of sin? Live a holy life so they can see it and humbly and earnestly pray for them.

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EXAMPLE

A lot of times people in the church think that leading someone to find Jesus as their Savior is all about going through the Four Spiritual Laws, The Roman Road or some other method that they have been taught.

I’m not saying those things are bad, but I do believe that the most powerful thing we can do is to live a life modeled after Jesus Christ and worship God in heaven with all of our hearts.

Worship through song is one way we can show others how we feel about God. It is a very powerful form of worship.

Do you think that music can defeat our enemies?

Look at 2 Chronicles 20:21

After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:

“Give thanks to the LORD;

his faithful love endures forever!”

²²At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.

When the armies of Israel arrived at the scene, “Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.” (v. 25)

Music that has the aim of glorifying God in heaven can and will defeat the Enemy.

Can music lead others to belief in Jesus Christ?

Turn to Acts 16:25

²⁵Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

The result of that singing was the jailer and his entire family being saved and baptized (v. 33)

Our focus on praising God, even when in adverse circumstances, can cause others to wonder and inquire about our joy. That opens up the door for us to share about our relationship with Jesus giving the other person the opportunity to know Him as their Lord and Savior.

Worship the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

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