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Do You Believe That?

At Dare 2 Share our goal is to train and equip teens to better communicate the gospel. We desire to evangelize a generation to evangelize the world! Therefore, I want to remind you of the importance of sharing your faith every chance you get. You hold the cure to sin and death. You have the answer to family and friends who are lost and hurting. I invite you to get excited about sharing your faith and become bold. Ya know, it's not a coincidence that the last commandment that Jesus left us with before returning to the Father is the Great Commission.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

He has entrusted us with the most precious as well as the most powerful message ever known to this world!

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." (2 Corinthians 5:20)

I wanted to share with you a story that I stumbled upon when reading Let Me Tell You a Story by Tony Campolo. After reading this story, my entire perspective about sharing the powerful message of the gospel was completely transformed. I was deeply convicted, by the story and compelled to become more active to share how Jesus Christ changed my life.

In July of 1854 a man by the name of Charlie Peace was to be hung in London. He was a well-known criminal, whose choices had finally caught up with him. On the day of his hanging, a ceremony was held by the local church. As Charlie marched through the streets of people toward the gallows, the priest was reading from a prayer book saying, "Those who die without Christ experience hell, which is the pain of forever dying without the release which death itself can bring." At that Charlie looked back at the priest with a piercing look and shouted, "Do you believe that? Do you believe that?" The priest was shocked by Charlie's verbal assault and cautiously answered, "Well...I...suppose I do." Then suddenly Charlie said something amazing, "Well, I don't, but if I did, I'd get down on my hands and knees and crawl all over Great Britain, even if it were paved with pieces of broken glass, if I could just rescue one person from what you just told me."

Wow! That is harsh, but it should be absolutely true. We know that the consequence of life without Jesus is death, but if we really really believed this, we would be witnessing to every single person we come into contact with. I love the scripture in Romans 1:16 that says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." We know the gospel is powerful because it has transformed our own lives. We also know the joy that a love relationship with Jesus offers, therefore we should give others the same opportunity to experience abundant life. However they will never experience life abundantly without hearing the Good News of Jesus who died to set them free!

If you do not share the message, who will? If you are serious in your relationship with Jesus, then you must be sharing, there are no excuses. If you are living a life for Christ it will be evident to all people and they will begin to ask you questions, and God's Word tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 that you must:

"always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

However it is important to note that the Holy Spirit will work in and through you to share this message, and also through the person you are sharing with. Just remember there is no greater testimony than the truth that Jesus reigns within you. All you must do is share from your heart, and let the Holy Spirit speak through you. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 says:

"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

In other words, you don't need to have a fancy speech memorized, but a simple story about how God changed your life!

Lastly, I want to encourage you not only to share Jesus through words, but also through your actions. I know you have all heard the saying, "You may be the only Bible people may ever read," but it is the absolute truth. You are representing Jesus every second of the day, even when you think no one is looking. Therefore, you must always live in such a way that does not compromise the valuable gospel message. Everything from your thought life to social life must reflect His love and hope. Therefore, I encourage you with this scripture found in Matthew 5:16 "...Let you light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven." Many times people say they refuse to go to church or become a Christian because of all the hypocrites who call themselves Christians yet live another way. I urge you, please do not turn anyone away by your actions, let your words and actions be in sync! Let everyone see your inexpressible passion and excitement for the Gospel. Show the world that you would be willing to get on your knees and crawl across broken glass to share the life saving message of Jesus Christ!! We have been given the greatest responsibility as well as the greatest privilege to share the GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD!

Lord Jesus I pray that you would give me the boldness to share your message with everyone I come into contact with. Jesus I am willing to do whatever it takes to share this message with the world. I am ready Lord, but I cannot do this alone, I need you to guide me every step of the way. Help me not to waist one more minute, but see the vitality of sharing the gospel so people don't have to face hell.

Questions:

  1. What is holding you back from sharing the gospel?
  2. Can you think of one person who does not know Jesus personally? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to share the message today?
  3. Do your actions compromise or strengthen the gospel message?