Do you have a Convincing Story to Tell....

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," He defined the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the place where God's will is done. That obviously includes heaven, and Jesus prayed that it would one day include earth -- which it will. The easiest way to see the kingdom of God extended on earth is for human beings to make God's priorities their priorities. When we act, think, and speak like God, we are manifesting His will in our presence. In that place, in that moment, the kingdom of God has come on earth.

The same was true of the early disciples. A small crowd gathered around Jesus before His ascension. They heard His command to spread the gospel around the globe, making disciples and baptizing people from all nations. Surely this seemed like an overwhelming task for a handful of followers, but they obeyed. Their personal experiences with Christ undoubtedly motivated them to share the good news, and they also must have gained confidence from Jesus' promise of His presence and power.

The only “best” way to evangelize is to tell someone the whole gospel message and call him or her to faith in Christ. That may mean building a relationship first, or not. It may mean writing a letter to a family member or sharing the gospel with a friend over coffee. It may mean preaching a sermon in a church or hosting an evangelistic Bible study in your home or anything other way you can think of to share the gospel. 

We, too, should be taking Christ's command seriously. One of our highest callings as believers is to tell others about Him. As was true for the early Christians, our own experience with the Savior is the most exciting and convincing story to tell.

The message is what matters. The method, as long as it reflects the truth and is spoken in love, is somewhat flexible. So when you engage those whose opinions are diametrically opposed to yours, be respectful. But remember who you represent. We aren't here to champion our own opinion, but to lift up Christ and his Truth!            

Evangelism: Every Believer's Calling

Every believer has a story. Oftentimes, the more we surrender to God, the greater our ability to see His hand in our life. And the more we watch Him work, the stronger our desire to share with others all that He has done.

If we want to effectively share the gospel with people, then we need to engage them. What did the master evangelist Jesus do as He talked with the woman at the well in Samaria? He engaged her in conversation. It was give-and-take. He spoke . . . He listened. She shared her heart with Him . . . He revealed truth to her.

When we share the gospel with people, it is a dialogue—not a monologue. It is not just talking; it is also listening. It is offering the appropriate passages from Scripture and statements from a heart filled with love so that person can come to believe in Jesus Christ.

No one ever will be argued into the kingdom of God. They are going to believe because the Holy Spirit convicted them of their sin. Our job is to simply bring them the essential gospel message.

We, too, should be taking Christ's command seriously. One of our highest callings as believers is to tell others about Him. As was true for the early Christians, our own experience with the Savior is the most exciting and convincing story to tell.

Blessings,

Raj Kosaraju