About 15 years ago, the metro-Detroit area Church conducted a campaign called E.A.C.H. (everyone a chance to hear). The goal was to united the corporate Church for one purpose… to share the gospel. Over 500 churches and ministries jumped on board. We heard incredible stories of multiples of people coming to know Jesus. It was one of the most powerful and life-changing events to hit that area of the United States ever. We had big gatherings to worship, hear testimonies, and to learn. Pastors and leaders trained believers to share the gospel. In this group were people who had NO theological training and did not have a lot of answers. There were seasoned Christians and brand-new Christians. Many didn’t really know the Bible. They taught us to share our testimonies – our stories – with others. We wore pins with two words… a word before Christ and a word after Christ.
I was very young when I came to know Jesus. But I was changed, transformed, just like those who were delivered from horrible things. Before I met Jesus, I was insecure (insecurity is passed down in my family lime) but after I met Him, He gave me confidence and assurance. He took away my insecurity. Before Jesus, I was a wanderer. I had no purpose and I didn’t have any life plans. After I met Jesus, He filled me with His purpose… a purpose I’ve lived with my entire life. The pins I wore reflected these life changes. One pin I wore said… insecure / confidence. Another pin said… wanderer / purpose.
Here’s the thing… Paul says to make the most every of opportunity. This is a mandate. But we often keep our mouths shut out of fear or rejection. We somehow think that we have to be Bible scholars to share the gospel. And we’re afraid of rejection. Listen to me… you may not know the meaning of deep theological terms like: redemption, sanctification, propitiation. Or you may not know very much Scripture, but we can share what Jesus has done for us. Of course, we should always be striving to learn more and seeking to understand doctrine, but right now, we need to use the opportunity God puts before us to tell people about Jesus. Trust me… your story is much more impactful than your ability to quote Scripture.
If we want to follow the mandate of using every opportunity, we need two things that are often lacking in Christians… passion and boldness. Passion can dwindle over time, so to keep it alive, stay in God’s Word. Read the stories of Gideon, David, Daniel, Stephen, Paul, the apostles. Read other stories as well. Hear what God has done in their lives… this is sure to make us passionate about Jesus. And boldness is not natural but it can be attained. In Acts 4, after Peter and John were released from prison, they went to where believers had gathered. Together, they prayed for boldness. When they finished praying, the house was shaken and they were given great boldness. That tells me that God wants us to pray for boldness. Pray for opportunities to share your story. Who knows what will happen? Who might be rescued from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light? Let’s use every opportunity.