Bring a Friend
Sharing Christ
What is God’s mission?
God is on a Mission. His mission is to find his lost children. We have all left God and we are lost.
Isaiah 53:6 says that “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” (NLT) And Luke 19:10 says that “The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.” Luke 19:10 (CEV)
Jesus seeks to bring us back into a relationship with him.
So, he calls us back to him: “O my rebellious children, come back to me again and I will heal you from your sins. And they reply, Yes, we will come, for you are the Lord our God.” Jeremiah 3:22 (TLB)
And he knocks at the door of our heart: “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Revelation 3:20 (NLT)
In his patience, he waits for us: “But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NCV)
What part do we play in God’s mission?
He wants to use us to reach others. 2 Corinthians 5:18 says, “All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between us and himself, and God gave us the work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him.” (NCV)
We are responsible for telling people about Jesus. Ezekiel 33:8 says, “If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.” (ESV)
“If I don’t tell people the Good News, I am in real trouble.” 1 Corinthians 9:16 (ERV)
God has wired us in such a way that we are able to reach the people that we interact with on a regular basis. It is no mistake that we live where we do. God put us there because he has uniquely created us to reach the people that surround us.
He has even been shaping our life experiences to make us who we need to be to reach the people he’s determined for us to reach. Psalm 139 says, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (NLT)
How do we share Jesus?
We need these three things to share Jesus:
The first, is our story. God has made it so that our account of how we met Jesus and how he’s changed our life will resonate with those that we have contact with on a regular basis. The Bible tells a story of a man who was possessed and tormented by many evil spirits. But one day, Jesus came to where he was and set him free. Mark 5:18-20 tells us what happened as Jesus prepared to leave:
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. (NLT)
Jesus sent the man back to his family so that he could share his story with them, and that’s what he did.
Our story should include these four things:
- My life before Jesus
- How I came to recognize that I needed Jesus
- How I gave my life to Jesus
- How Jesus has impacted my life
The second thing we need to share Jesus is the good news: Here’s a short passage that contains the good news: “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” John 1:12-13 (NLT)
And the third thing we need is an opportunity. Colossians 4:5 says, “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.” (NLT)
God gives us opportunities each day to share Jesus. We need to pray each day and ask God to show us these opportunities and then look for them. It may be a co-worker going through a difficult situation at home that you are able to pray for. Someone may ask you what you did over the weekend. You can then share that you went to church, and that can lead to a conversation about your faith in Jesus. You may even say out of gratitude, “Isn’t God good?” that may start a discussion between you and others, about God. There are many ways to share Jesus with others.
How do we get started?
Here’s how you start. Make a list of at least five people that you would like to tell about Jesus. Then ask God to guide you in how to approach them. Then look for the opportunity to share your story and the good news with them.
