(Written by: Doug Sandy)
“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:38 (ESV)
Confession: I have never considered myself a “closer” – someone who lives to boldly “seal the deal”. Perhaps part of my reason for this is that I don’t like pushy salespeople. I don’t want to be considered one of them in business, and certainly not with the Gospel of Christ. When helping others make decisions, I prefer to provide information and let them come to their own conclusions.
The uncomfortable fact as demonstrated by Peter on the day of Pentecost, is that sharing the Gospel sometimes calls for a little bit of in-your-face confrontation. After making a call for repentance, he continued to challenge and exhort the crowd. He was pushing hard and didn’t give up. As a result, about three thousand people were saved that day.
As I am preparing for the upcoming mission trip, I am working on my skills to set forth spiritual challenges. I’m trying out phrases like “Is there any reason why you shouldn’t repent now?” and “Would you like to make Jesus your Lord today?” In addition, I’m asking God to show me how to develop my own style for exhortation. While I hope that I don’t come across as pushy, I’m willing to leave that concern with Jesus. Eternal salvation is just too important.
I’m already seeing changes. In a recent conversation with someone I just met, God gave me (and another person with me) the opportunity to quickly move into spiritual topics. Although the new person was not ready to receive salvation, I left her with a challenge to attend our worship time. We parted the conversation on good terms, with her referring to me as “Christian Doug” – I can’t think of a better compliment.
Today, I want to close this blog with a spiritual challenge for you. I don’t know if you have considered the truth of who Jesus is – if not, I challenge you to read the book of John in the Bible and find someone you know who can answer any questions you might have. If you already consider yourself a follower of Jesus, I challenge you to join me in exhorting others for Jesus. It’s not as hard as it seems. Really.
Prayer Requests:
- Finalizing purchasing lists for sports, English, and workshops.
- Effective coordination with team from LifePoint church in Nevada
- The Family Bible Church team will reflect unity and the love of Jesus
- Czech students will come to a personal relationship with Jesus
- Health for the team
- Financial support.