Okay, I was wrong. Not everyone shares my interest. My friend asked me, “Isn’t that what you’re here for—to be able to turn them around? If I come across anyone who asks me, I’ll just bring them to you” Frankly, I was disappointed in my friend’s response, and felt he was “passing the buck.”  I realize that “my job” is to prepare the church to minister to the community. If he hadn’t learned that lesson—then I was remiss in my duty—or we both were—with me not finding a methodology that worked, and he not learning the lessons of Scripture.

Then I remembered what Peter wrote in his letter to the church: “…you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it” (1 Peter 3:15).  Peter’s letter was written to “the church,” not just pastoral leadership. And he taught us that we are a “holy priesthood” and “living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple.”  We share the responsibility to evangelize the lost, and the only way to do that is to be able to converse and communicate what God actually expects of us.

Christianity is based on the belief that the Bible is God’s Holy Word, and the Word teaches that only those who have confessed their sins, repented of their waywardness, and have prayed and asked Jesus Christ to be their personal Savior and Lord (Romans 10:13) will gain entrance into heaven (John 14:6).  But “how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them…that is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring Good News” (Romans 10:14-15).

We are the world’s messengers—beginning with our family, neighbors, friends, and co-workers. To witness to the people God has placed in our paths, we must be able to share Christ’s love and compassion.  To do that, we must first gain the trust of the person with whom we share our hope in the gospel. And that requires knowing what they believe and respecting the individual to make a personal choice after having heard an explanation for our “Christian hope.”

It is my prayer that you will enjoy our new Summer Worship Series: Christianity and the World’s Religions—and prepare your own “answer for why we believe.”

Kevin David
Senior Pastor
Cornerstone Covenant Church

–

CC licensed photo by mtbjohn