You Never Know Until You Ask
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"Go therefore and make disciples..."
(Matthew 28:19)
We are at our best as a church when we are engaged in taking the Gospel, the good news of Jesus, to a world that so desperately needs Him. Part of our Monday staff meetings where I serve as pastor (Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin, TX) is listening to updates from each other on the ones we have shared with the previous week. It is always a blessing and an encouragement to hear. Last Monday, we listened as our Director of Women's' Ministries, Jenifer Wakefield, shared about speaking to a waitress in Georgetown while she and her husband, Gary, were eating dinner. Their waitress was 6'2" tall, and Jenifer asked if she was a student athlete. She said she played basketball in high school. Jenifer then asked if she could pray for her, since they were about to pray over their meal. Tears welled up in the waitress's eyes, and they had a great conversation. Then Jenifer gave the waitress her church business card and cell phone number and said, "If you need anything, let me know. Food, clothes washed, anything." The next day, the waitress texted Jenifer and said how much she enjoyed talking with her.
You never know what people are going through until you ask them. Most of the time, if we ask how they are doing or offer to pray for them, the response is favorable. I know that there are some upset souls who do not want you to talk to them about God, Jesus, and salvation, but please know that there are many who would enjoy talking to you about spiritual matters. Think about how God could use you if you put yourself out there and sought to reach out to someone and befriend them in Jesus' name. Of course, you will have those who will say they are not interested or do not want you to pray for them, etc. But rest assured, out of ten people you reach out to, for every one who says no, the other nine will be more favorable.
The Gospel is only good news if lost people hear it in time. If they do not hear a clear Gospel presentation and they die, that would be a tragedy. God puts you in the paths of those He wants you to share Jesus with. Their response is up to them, not us, but our obedience is certainly up to us. Our role is to share Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. God does the heavy lifting!
The Great Commission is listed in all four Gospels and the Book of Acts: Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47-48, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8. The one we are most familiar with is the one in Matthew's Gospel. But they all have the key component of actively going. It is a praiseworthy thing to invite people to our churches so they can hear the Gospel preached by our pastors. But the real thrust behind the Great Commission of Jesus is that all believers not simply invite others to come and hear; He expects all of us to go and tell. As we go and seek out the lost, God will give us opportunities to tell them the great news of Jesus and His love. I don't want to sound cavalier at all, but our job is not to convert anyone, but simply to share with everyone. Only God can convict and convince people of their need for the Savior. Witnessing is a lot like giving our tithes and offerings: God commands that we do it, and He provides the ability and resources to do what He commands. But ultimately, it is up to us if we will step out in faith, humble ourselves, and simply obey God.
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Pastor Gregg Matte on Leadership, Balance, & More
Pastor Danny welcomes to the show Pastor Gregg Matte, lead pastor of First Baptist Church of Houston, TX. Pastor Gregg shares a bit about his story, his ministry, and his thoughts on leadership, work-life balance, and more.
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