Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Wednesday

Greetings Internet Campus,

Have you ever had the opportunity to tell other people about Jesus Christ...but couldn't? Is it that you didn't know what to say? Did you fear rejection? Was it a family member and you feared awkwardness between you? These are all common reasons to hold back...but God wants to help us with this!

Let's let Dr. Charles Stanley guide us...

Romans 1:14-16

14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

When you receive exciting news, what’s the first thing you do? If you’re like most people, you probably call someone who will share your joy. The apostle Paul told others about salvation for a similar reason.

God saved Paul on the road to Damascus, and the apostle dedicated the rest of his life to spreading the good news of the gospel. He gave his time, his energy, and ultimately his life because he was committed to telling people about Jesus.

Why would he do this? Paul felt a deep obligation. First, he was indebted to Jesus for salvation. But his motivation came from more than just his love and devotion to the Lord. He also felt compelled to offer hope to a world that desperately needed forgiveness (Romans 1:14).

And the message he gave them was this: God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world in human form. Through His death on the cross, Jesus paid mankind’s sin-debt in full. All who receive Him as their personal Savior will be forgiven.

Paul realized he needed to bring the gospel to the Greeks (who were cultured) as well as to the barbarians (who were not). In other words, he had to tell everyone. Some would accept the truth while others would reject it. The apostle himself could not save people—he wasn’t responsible for their reaction. His task was simply to tell about Jesus.

Do you feel the same indebtedness that Paul felt? Pray that God would give you courage and wisdom to share the gospel with others.

I pray that all of us would have the courage to share the truth and help others make the most important decision of their lives.

Pastor Brian

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