I was really touched by something Matt Chandler said at The Village a couple of weeks ago. I saw that the transcripts were online, and I wanted to post some parts that really spoke to me. In my home group this past week, I mentioned my current struggle was really how/when to talk to most other people in my life about Jesus without crossing a line in their mind. I am not perfect by ANY means, but being where I am now and looking back to my former life I see some others in my life doing things that I was doing then, making me want to ask them if they have been saved. I have a feeling a lot of people would say yes: maybe because they think that they are, or maybe they just wouldn't want to have that conversation with me. But I don't see the evidence that they have been. They don't seem to want to talk about anything with me, about the things I'm learning and want to share and talk about. When I bring it up, it's glossed over and not acknowledged. In my mind, how can they truly be saved if they don't want to talk about the Lord?
Mark 16:15-17 says "And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;'"
I need to get over my fear of talking about my faith with others. My hope is that I can take this babystep, to use Matt Chandler's words that made me think of several people in my life, to plant a seed in their mind that might one day blossom and lead them to the gospel and to the Lord. So here are some snippets that I wanted to share...
"You've got this call to not take your eyes off of Jesus, not to take your eyes off of His life, His death, His resurrection; that we should meditate on those things; that we should surround our lives with those things; that we should sit under teaching that points towards those things; that we should listen to music and books that make much of those things...
...the argument goes that if you preach the gospel as the Bible outlines the gospel, then people will use the gospel as an excuse to walk in unrepentant sin. So look right at me: that is absolutely true. But insomuch as people do that, they simply reveal that they do not understand nor do they believe the gospel. How do we know that? Because there is a way to walk in step with the gospel. So what does this mean? I want to show you how the purpose of the law shifts for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. The law is a diagnostic, it shows us that we have a disease; Christ becomes the healer of that disease; and upon our healing from what the law reveals is broken in us, the law then becomes a wooing into the fullness of life and joy that God has invited us into in Christ Jesus.
So let me walk you through how it should work. It will vary in our lives, but at some point these steps are in the heart and mind of all believers. The law begins to bear weight on my rebellion. The law reveals that I am a liar - I don't just lie, I'm a liar: that's why I lie - that I'm a thief; that I tend to covet; that I have a tendency to love other things more than I love God; that I am in stark rebellion against the God of the universe...
...so here's what I want you to consider: for some of us, the diagnostic of the law will show us today to be terminal. You have not put your faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You have put your faith in something else. You have put your faith ultimately in you in one of two directions. You have put your faith in you that you're just going to live life to the fullest, and you know what's best for you, and you know what's going to bring you the greatest amount of joy and God should obviously be cool with you because you're not as much a bum as other people you know. Or you have put your confidence in you under the cloak of outward religion and church activity. So you don't really have a relationship with the Lord, you just do what you think the Lord says so that you can avoid Him and create your own righteousness for you to glory in.
For some of you, that's exactly where you are, and I need to herald to you today that the offer of a former life, the offer of a new birth, new life and legitimate righteousness is offered to those of you who would put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. But there are others of you today for whom the diagnostic would read that you are pure and spotless and blameless, but for whatever reason, you are digging your heels in and fighting against your own fullness of life and your own joy: because you view the law of God as a weight to judge you rather than a light to lead you into life. The thing I can point out about this text (Galatians 2:11-14) is it appears that Peter hears Paul and repents. So it's my hope coming in today that you might be able to hear...
...but you don't want to: you're digging in your heels and God's wooing you into greater joy, but you're just refusing to go. You just can't have that: YOU know better, YOU'RE smarter than God. I'm telling you: you're out of step with the gospel. You're not believing the gospel enough. May the Holy Spirit, in His mercy, dial you back into the only hope you have - Christ and Him crucified."
I love you all, and more importantly: JESUS LOVES YOU. I pray every night with Andrew, our loud, for all of the people in my life to be believers and walk in step with the gospel, as Matt said. My intent is not to push anyone away with this, but it's just been heavy on my heart and I really felt the Lord pushing me to share it.
Have a blessed day!!
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