For the last few weeks we have been asking the question 'Church, Why Bother?' We looked at what church is and what the point was. Last week we saw how Jesus empowered Peter and although Peter had made a mistake, God still used him & his faithfulness.
This week we are going to look at how God empowered the church to spread the gospel. We are going to look at people in the Bible who shared God's word in bold faith. I want to remind you all that it's OK to be bold in your faith, because ultimately we answer to God. Day after day we should be looking for ways to share Christ with our friends.
Let me tell you about one of my first time I shared Christ with a friend. In high school I had a friend who didn't go to church. Her mom was either Catholic or Protestant but her dad was Jewish. It seemed to me that she wasn't really religious. I invited her to my Friday night youth group. I had thought that if I bring her, that she would have a place to explore who Jesus Christ was, and I wouldn't have to be the one to "share Jesus" with her. I was kind of afraid because I hadn't really done it before.
I didn't realize until we got there that group had been canceled. I was kind of bummed out, but I was determined that she would hear who Christ was and had someone to talk to about it. So we sat there in the parking lot of the church and I got to share my faith with her. I got to answer her questions to the best of my ability. I felt like God was speaking through me. I thought it was becoming more real for her, and she was seriously considering asking Jesus Christ into her heart.
As far as I know, she never did accept Jesus into her heart. She ended up following the Jewish faith with her dad. She decided not to follow Jesus, but it was after our night of talking that she become more serious about her own faith and sought to own her faith. In talking to her years later, I found out that even though we weren't really ever close friends and hadn't seen or really talked to each other in years, she tole me that whenever she talks about her life and the people who have made an impact, I am mentioned. Even though she chose not to believe in what I believed, and even though I wasn't an expert or anything, God used me to make an impact in her life.
God can use you, just like He used me. All it takes is a willingness to share your faith. God will empower you and If you try, God will use you in ways you cannot imagine. Join us for Crash tonight as we will explore this truth.
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