Making
Jesus Known
“’Let
us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus, of Nazareth? Have
you come to destroy us? I know who You
are—the Holy One of God!’ But Jesus rebuked him saying, ‘Be quiet and come out
of him!’” Luke 4:34-35A
“Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
have command you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19,20
People
today love sports and are quick to talk about their favorite teams. Super Bowl Sunday had 111.3 million people
watching according to CBS New. Even
though that wasn’t a record, there were still a lot of people watching and
talking about a sport. 75 percent of
Americans claim to be Christian (Newport 2015) . Yet, Christianity
Today reports one in five non-Christians claim to not even know a Christian. (Stocker 2013) When I hear stats like that, it reminds me
how important it is to get excited about Jesus and live for Him. It’s so important that we tell people about
Jesus by our words and actions. When I
look at the above scriptures there are a few important things to notice that
should help motivate us to share our faith with others.
The
Devil and his Demons know who Jesus is.
Take a moment and let that sink in.
They also know that Jesus could destroy them and what will happen to
them in the end. Jesus came to save
people, the demons don’t want people to know Jesus and be saved. Because they know the truth about Christ,
they can also distort the truth about Him.
That is why it’s important for us to proclaim that truth, so those
around us know it. Media, the internet,
and even education can and are, influenced by the Devil. Truth is hard to come by, but the truth does
set people free.
Many
think that it’s only a job for pastors or missionaries to proclaim Jesus to
others, but that is simply not true. The
scripture is clear we are all to be out there proclaiming the gospel to
others. We may not all be called to be
pastors or missionaries, but we can all talk about our love for Jesus like we
do our favorite sports team or even our favorite hobby. If we all got excited about Jesus, like fans
of the super bowl, think of the impact it would have on the world. Remember that often times it’s our friends
that have the biggest impact in our lives.
Jesus
is always with us and the Holy Spirt is in our lives. It can be scary at times
to tell people about the Lord. Many will
say, “I don’t know what to say”, but because we have Jesus in our lives, he
will direct our path and words if we let Him.
When I was younger, I remember telling people about the Lord in ways
that, some might say, were not theologically correct. I still lead people to Christ, because God
used me and guided me. Even if your
words are not perfect, Jesus, through the Spirit, can use those words to make an
impact in the lives of those around you.
Jesus is with you, take strength in that.
The Devil wants you to be scared, so that you will be silent and think
you can’t do it, that way the Devil will keep your friends out of heaven.
Many
of us worry that we don’t have answers to questions that will come up. As you grow in Christ you will discover that
you never will have all the answers.
That will keep you in the word of God seeking more growth. When people ask you a question you can’t
answer, that is an opportunity for you to learn more and will strengthen your
relationship with them and God. Tell
that person you will seek the answer and do just that. For many people salvation process that can take time.
It is also why we must teach others to observe all that Christ has
command us. The mission field is right
outside the door.
References
Newport, Frank. 2015. http://news.gallup.com/poll/187955/percentage-christians-drifting-down-high.aspx.
December 24. Accessed February 6, 2018.
Stocker,
Abby. 2013. Christianity Today. August 19. Accessed February 6, 2018.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/august-web-only/non-christians-who-dont-know-christians.html.
All Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible copy write 1995, The Lockman Foundation,
La Habra, CA
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