I can still remember like it was yesterday the Sunday I walked down the aisle of a church to receive Jesus as my Savior. I was too young to really understand what the Lordship of Jesus is all about, but I knew I did wrong and needed Jesus to forgive me and save me from my sins. It was the pastor who helped me come to faith.
Do you remember the person who led you to Jesus? Was it a pastor or other church staff member? Was it a family member? Was it a work colleague? Was it a neighbor? Was it a friend?
However you came to faith in Jesus, I know that God used a person to help you because that’s part of His plan in spreading the good news.
Have you ever thought about where you’d be if you had never come to a saving faith in Jesus? I can only imagine how my life would have been different, but I can say it probably wouldn’t have been very pretty. Maybe you’d say the same thing as well about your life without or before Jesus.
The second half of our LBF mission is “…and to lead our neighbors to do the same.” The “same” is about helping people experience LIFE in Jesus and that starts by believing in Jesus. We at LBF desire to fulfill the great commission found in Matthew 28:18-20. It’s our desire to be a people who help nonbelievers come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this for more than a year now. It’s what motivated me to provide “Share Your Faith” training to our church just before Easter of 2015 and then again earlier this year. If you’re like me, you need help in overcoming your fears in talking to others about Jesus and about your faith.
The truth is, our American culture has marginalized churches and Christians to the point that the classic gospel message is not respected or allowed an unbiased hearing. Plus, I think that Christians in general are afraid to share their faith because it brings back memories of judgmental people, forced presentations, talking to strangers, and trying to persuade people against their will.
So I bring this up now because I’ve taken a good, long look at how people come to faith in 2016. And LBF will soon be introducing some new ideas and programs to reach people with the message of Jesus.
In the meantime, I want to encourage you to invite your unchurched family, friends, and work colleagues to church. Better yet, bring them! Every Sunday is a good Sunday to bring someone – you just never know what God is already doing in their hearts and lives. And you may be just the person who has the wonderful privilege to see this person invite Jesus to be their Savior and Lord. Now wouldn’t that just make your day a joyous one?
