Posted by Darren Lim • Apr 11, 2022
The call at Missions Weekend to intentionally reach out and share the Gospel has always been my least favourite topic. While I acknowledge the responsibility each Christian has to share Christ to the least and the lost, I cannot help but struggle with actually doing it. This week’s sermon by Kris Kelley strips off the subtle consolation I tell myself in my heart of hearts, that “Mission is a ministry and is not for everyone”. His message challenges us to boldly and intentionally seek opportunities to share the Gospel with people we know for the sake of their eternal salvation.
As I sit here struggling to find the right words to pen down my thoughts – thoughts that are all at once stuck but also running threads in every direction – I ask myself: “If God is good, and the call of salvation so urgent, what is holding me back?” It makes me wonder how much I care for the souls of those I know. If it were an amazingly delicious eatery, I would have, without a doubt, shared with others. Of course, disclaimers would be added in case someone felt otherwise. You know, there could be isolated cases of inconsistent quality due perhaps to a junior chef on duty in the kitchen that day or a busy period with lesser attention to seasoning. That they would agree with me if they give it another try on a different day and time.
At this point, my thoughts, like water forcefully flowing through a crack in the dam, started rationalising that “I was sharing but just not outright. It was enough that I was leading others to God by the way I live my life as a testimony to Christ. There was no need to openly share that I believe in Jesus because it would be self-evident from my conduct.” While it is good to let our lives speak for Christ, it is not right if it becomes an excuse to stop actively seeking opportunities to have a conversation about our Lord and Saviour.
Honestly, the source of my hesitation was my fear that I would instead become a stumbling block to others in accepting Jesus in their life. Boldly declaring that we stand for Jesus puts a huge bull’s eye on us and everything we do comes under severe scrutiny. God forbid that others look at my conduct and ask if this was all there is to be a disciple of Christ and if that was all, they wanted no part of it.
I am encouraged as I turn to sacred Scripture. There is such an open transparency of all the ways that Jesus’ apostles had failed Him and came up short. Yet the inspired authors of the Gospel (some the very apostles who failed Jesus!) felt no reason to cover up their failings because God is sovereign. He uses the weak, the lost and the poor, failings and all, to further the message of hope and salvation. The apostles were the ones who should know better but instead they forsaken Jesus. In Peter’s case, after boldly declaring that he would gladly give up his life for Jesus while others may have forsaken Him, denied knowing Jesus thrice. In the end, being so disappointed with himself, he was ready to drop everything he had learned at the feet of Jesus and resume his old life of a fisherman. But God had used Peter as the rock upon which the Church was founded. I can just hear God’s revelation to Paul echoing in my ears – “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Today I resolve to make good by moving from a passive stance of praying for the five people in my list to one of an active participation that the Holy Spirit will work deeply in me to seek out opportunities to authentically share Christ with them. I will place my trust in Jesus, the perfecter of my faith, Lord of lords and King of kings to use my small life victories and failings aIike to draw others to Himself.