“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
Sharing the gospel with strangers, our neighbors, our friends or family can be intimidating! I definitely get it. From the pulpit, I could share the hard truths and present the gospel all day long, but when it’s one-on-one, the butterflies (or Satan) get going in my stomach. My problem is that I make it about me and not about God, His will, and what is truly best for that other person. Do you do the same? I get concerned about how they will react. Will they reject me? Will I lose the relationship? Will it escalate to a big confrontation? I minimize the truth of God, that “there is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). I put to the back of my mind the horrible consequences of sin that “these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46). The reality is they are missing out on their best, most fulfilling, most joy-filled life right now as new creations in Christ, being fully reconciled to God.
God must first draw those who are lost to Himself. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (John 6:44) As I shared Sunday, the best way to correct this imbalance and reach the lost is on our knees! “Fundamentally, then, the personal element in true soul-winning work is more of a service of pleading for souls than a service of pleading with souls.” L.S. Chafer (True Evangelism) Join me in prayer that in 2021 God would use His local Body of Heritage Bible Church believers to:
12 Professions of Faith: That’s one real person per month that passes from death to eternal Life.
9 Disciple Making Relationships: Of the twelve led to the Lord, nine would enter into disciple making relationships to grow deeper in their faith, ideally through the person who God used to lead them to Christ.
6 Baptisms: Of these nine new disciples of Jesus, six would take the step of obedience to publicly declare “I am a follower of Jesus Christ!”
As we pray for the 12…9…6… this year, here are seven ways you can specifically be praying for yourself and one another to bear much fruit.
Pray God Will…
- Open doors to share His Gospel
- Give us boldness to share His truths
- Give us His words that will reach the heart of the people
- Draw people to Himself
- Give us spiritual awareness of those around us
- Remove our fears
- Do exceedingly more than we could ask, think, or imagine!
