Get ready to tell your story
God has created us to do good works.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10
The closer we get to God, the more we resonate with this original design. We become the hands and feet of Jesus to do His will in the context of our world. At the top of His list is reaching those who are far away from Him. So there is something within us that turns to pure joy when someone places their faith in Jesus and becomes part of the family of God. That joy is amplified if we are able to be part of that process.
God in His infinite wisdom has called us to partner with Him in His plan to redeem mankind. God is all powerful. He could have enacted His plan in any fashion. He would have succeeded in any path He chose to share His message with us. I believe that it is an ultimate expression of grace that God allows us to be part of His plan. We sometimes look at outreach as the work of a servant (which it is – it takes a servant’s heart to be successful in outreach.) But I want us to see how amazing it is that God wants us to be part of His plan and that He has created us in such a way that we find an incredible outpouring of joy in it.
So we now have the opportunity to be a part of the most important task given to mankind – carrying a message that has the potential to change eternity for the hearers. There are two things that last forever – the Word of God and the souls of men. What can we do to place the Word of God into the souls of men?
When we think about it, it can be a little scary. What if I don’t know what to say? What if someone asks me a question that I can not answer? What if people react negatively to what I tell them? There is a lot of fear when we begin to open up and talk to people about salvation, eternity, and sin.
I’ve good news for you this morning. You do not have to be an expert before you share your faith. You do not have to know all the answers. There will always be questions you cannot answer, we do not know everything.
Now, learning the bible is important. I would encourage each of us to always go deeper into the text. To know the heart of God through his words. But very few people will be convinced to follow Christ, just because of our knowledge. Still to this day, the most effective way to bring someone closer to Christ is to tell your story.
Acts 1:6-86 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
7He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
- Your story is unique to you – you do not need to compare it to others
- Just tell your story
- How God made Himself known to you
- What you have seen God do
- How God has changed you
- Why you would never go back
- You can tell your story in parts
One thing brings people to the point of salvation – the person and work of the risen Christ. Sharing our story demonstrates that to those whose need to see Him for who He really is.
Take some time this week and think about your story. Give God praise for how far He has brought you and think about how you would tell that story to others.
