Go make disciples. That was the command Jesus left with his disciples (which includes you) before he ascended to heaven to be with the Father. The timeline of Jesus’s life looks like this: He was born of a virgin, lived thirty years in relative obscurity, ministered publicly for three years, was crucified on a Roman cross, was dead and buried in a borrowed tomb, rose from the grave, and forty days later he ascended from earth to go be with God the Father.
At the time of his ascension, many of his disciples were gathered with him and he gave them a command that we now call The Great Commission:
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-18
There it is. The last thing Jesus taught his disciples. You can bet that if he saved it for last, it was important. As a follower of Jesus, one of your greatest opportunities and responsibilities is to make more followers of Jesus.
But, if you are like many other Christians, the idea of sharing your faith can feel pretty scary. The idea that Jesus has called you to be a missionary in your own community can feel down-right daunting.
So, what is your plan to reach your neighbors, friends, relatives, classmates, and co-workers? Do you have a plan?
No one is planning a mission trip to reach the people around you
You need one, because there is a good chance that no one is planning a mission trip to reach the people who live around you. When Jesus gave the Great Commission, it was not a command to go on mission trips. It was a command to go and make disciples.
There is nothing wrong with going on mission trips. You should go on many of them. But, there are people in your life who need Jesus and who need you to share the gospel with them. They may be family members or friends you hunt with. It could be the barista at the local Starbucks or your kid’s softball coach.
I don’t know who the people in your life are who need the Lord, but I do know that God has put you in their life so that you can share hope with them.
I know that it can be scary to consider yourself a missionary to the people in your life, but you need not let fear keep you from fulfilling your gospel calling. Here are some steps you can take to become a missionary in your own community.
- Go to where people are. If you want to make a difference in your community with the gospel, you can’t do it from inside your house. In 21st century America you can almost live your whole life without leaving your home. But, if you are going to be a missionary in your community, you’ve got to be around people who need to hear the gospel. Go to those places and get to know people who need Jesus.
- Make friends. No one likes to be a project. Build relationships with people. See them for who they are, image-bearers of God who deserve real friendship and love. Yes, you are going to share the gospel, but people are more than projects for evangelism.
- Find your niche. I have a friend who practically feeds his whole community. What he has learned is that in his community, the best way to build relationships is to feed people as often as possible. The result? He’s become a Christian resource for his community, not just for the people in his church. Find your niche. Figure out the place where you can best serve and get to it (But, if you don’t know what your niche is just yet, don’t let that stop you. Go do something until you find your niche).
- Pray for people and offer to pray for people. Yes, you can pray for someone without them knowing about it and that is a good thing. However, few things have opened more doors for gospel conversations for me than offering to pray with and for people. When I ask for prayer requests from servers at restaurants or gas station attendants, I get lists of items and I often get to invite them to church or share the gospel or just leave a tract.
- Be prepared. What are you going to use to share the gospel if an opportunity presents itself? Do you have a tract handy or a copy of the Bible? Prepare for how you will share the gospel so that when (not if) the opportunity arises, you will be ready. If you don’t know how to share the gospel, ask your pastor, email me and ask me, or consider one of these options: 3 Circles(https://www.namb.net/evangelism/3circles/), The Story Film (https://thestoryfilm.com).
- Be intentional. The truth is that the gospel rarely comes up in conversation all by itself. If you are going to share the gospel, you’re going to have to do it on purpose. Most people don’t walk up and ask you to tell them about how they might be saved. But most people are genuinely interested in hearing about how God has changed your life. Be intentional. Steer your conversations toward Jesus and then be courageous enough to tell others about the hope that is within you.
- Start small. If you don’t feel comfortable today leading someone to Jesus, that doesn’t mean that you should just do nothing. Start small. Invite someone to church with you. Offer to pray with a friend. Take cookies to a neighbor and attach a Bible verse and an invitation to your church. Something is almost always better than nothing. It’s OK if you aren’t Billy Graham. Just be you and do what you can do today.
There are people around you every day who need to hear the life-changing gospel of Jesus. You are the missionary that God has called to those people. No one is planning a mission trip to your community because you are already there. They are trusting you to do gospel work in your own community.
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Start by writing down your salvation story (some people call it a personal testimony). If you are a Christian, you have a salvation story, and your story is powerful. With just a little bit of work, you should be able to share your story in two minutes or less. You story has three parts:
- Your life before Jesus.
- Your experience with Jesus.
- Your life since Jesus saved you.
Remember, your testimony is not the gospel, but it is a powerful tool to help you share the gospel. When people hear your testimony, it may help them to understand that the gospel is not just a story, it really is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).
What is the gospel? Paul explained it,
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:3-5
When you share your testimony, you have an opportunity to tell people that just like Jesus died for your sins, he died for their sins as well. And just like you called on Jesus for salvation, they too can call on Jesus.
It can feel scary to share your story, but it shouldn’t. It is OK if you do not have all the answers. Just tell what you know. Be like the man who Jesus healed from blindness in John 9. He was bombarded with questions about Jesus, and he could not answer all the questions, but he told his story: “I was blind, but now I see” (John 9:25).
You can tell you story. God wrote your story. You can trust him to help you share it.
Now, go find someone and tell them all God has done for you.
Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash
