God Can Be Encountered Anywhere!
If you are a Christian, a child of Most Holy God, then you know the mystery of salvation, and within this knowledge, “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. . . .” (The Letter of Paul to the Romans 1: 16b NASB)
- Maybe you are a seasoned Christian—
- Maybe you are a believer who has believed for several years—
- Maybe you are a baby in Christ, feeling that you have so much to learn about Christ—
Despite where we might find ourselves in our years of walking ‘in Christ,’ the fact that we know the mystery of salvation—the way to come to know Christ Jesus as Savior—we are called to share what we know with others. Paul admonishes us to not be fearful of ‘messing up the Gospel message.”
God led the apostle Paul to write “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, . . .” (The Letter of Paul to the Romans 1: 16a NASB).
MAY WE TOO “not be ashamed of the gospel”
“for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. . . .”
God Can Be Encountered Anywhere!
We have a calling on our lives—from God Himself—to participate with Him uniquely in the Gospel.
- Are we taking our calling ‘serious’?
- Are we walking into each day (including this day right where we reside) seeking opportunities to share Jesus with another?
- Are we engaging others in Gospel conversations when the Holy Spirit leads? OR
- Are we shying away, afraid, scared we might ‘say it wrong,’ OR ‘do it wrong,’ OR ‘lead someone astray’?
To this end, I have just one question:
WHERE WOULD WE BE IN CHRIST IF THE ONE WHO LED US TO THE LORD FELT THIS WAY AND REMAINED SILENT?
The apostle Paul wrote to those believers living in Ephesus, encouraging them in what God would have them do within the days they were given to live.
I believe God would have Paul speak these same words to us, to the modern-day believers.
“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given,
(The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 3: 8-12 NASB)
to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,
and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;
so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church
to the rulers and the authorities in heavenly places.
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.”
In my church, we have a fish tank, one that contains maybe 200 fishing bobbers. Repeatedly, our pastor reminds us that the Southern Baptist Convention within Kentucky has identified that there are 55,000 lost, unbelieving souls, alive in Pulaski County, the county where we reside.
FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND LOST SOULS IN ONE SINGLE COUNTY!
My pastor repeatedly says: “Let us strive so that it’s impossible for a lost one to go to hell from Pulaski County.” Today, I am compelled to ask myself: How am I doing with the Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples? Am I eagerly engaging those I encounter daily, mentioning Jesus with those I meet, praying for those lost ones who I KNOW are not ready to face their eternity.
Child of God, it is our Savior Jesus who called His disciples to become “fishers of men.”
“Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea;
(The Gospel According to Matthew 4: 18-20 NASB)
for they were fishermen.
And He said to them,
“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.”
God Can Be Encountered Anywhere!
- Within our daily lives
- While doing our daily tasks
- When going from place to place
- Whatever our day-to-day tasks may be
We are encouraged, commanded even, to become “fishers of men” for Jesus!
We, who have received this powerful commission must be willing to share the ‘Good News’ of the Gospel message with those we encounter: our barbers, our tax preparers, our grocers, our children, our extended family, our students, our clients, our auto mechanics, our lawn keepers, our children’s friends and parents, to our WHOMEVER THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD LEADS US TO!
As God’s children, we cannot be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ as the Holy Spirit works through us. WHY EVER WOULD WE BE—ASHAMED?!!!
- We have been given a mission to ‘go tell the world’ about Jesus!
- We have been gifted with God’s Amazing Grace!
- We have to carefully handle this Gospel message God has given to us!
- We must become “fishers of men” for Jesus!
So—How will this ‘mystery’ be made known?
Paul wrote: “So that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church . . .”
- That’s you—child of God.
- That’s me—child of God.
That’s all of God’s children who make up the church of Jesus Christ our Savior.
THE CHURCH!
You & Me.
Oh my, what an amazing, audacious, powerful, and worthy calling our Father asks of each of us!
- Let us be humbled by our calling.
- Let us be serious about our calling.
- Let us be bold within our calling.
- Let us be doing what the Lord leads us to do.
- Let us be ‘casting’ our fishing line every single day.
As we are “fishers of men”—
- Does the way I follow Jesus reflect my relationship with Christ?
- Do my daily habits reflect my relationship with Jesus?
- Do my actions at work reflect my relationship with my Savior?
- Am I walking with Jesus, seeking opportunities to share Jesus with those I meet?
- Am I listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit &
- Am I obediently following?
May We Always Remember: God Can Be Encountered Anywhere!
The prophet Micah also wrote about the mystery of the wisdom, of the Gospel message, we have received through God’s Mercy and Infinite Grace.
“With what shall I come to the LORD
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
(The Book of Micah 6: 6-8 NASB)
- But to do justice,
- to love kindness,
- And to walk humbly with your God?”
Our remaining time walking on this earth is so brief, a vapor. Let us listen to:
- the voice of God’s prophet, &
- the words of the apostle Paul, &
- the lyrics of the melody “[DASH]” by Crowder & TobyMac & MOST IMPORTANTLY TO
- the very words spoken by our Savior Jesus—
WHO REMINDS US THAT WE HAVE SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME TO SHARE THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL THAT GOD HAS ENTRUSTED TO US.
CHILDREN of ALMIGHTY GOD—LET US BE BOLD IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK!