Focal passages: Romans 15:14-21, 30-33
I sat on the edge of the bed in the summer of 1987, a nervous 16-year-old boy. My Bible was in my hand and my friend Gary sat beside me. On that night I shared with Gary the gospel that had changed my life. I had no training, no presentation that I had practiced, and looking back, I often think, I had no clue what I was doing. What I did have was a conviction that Gary was far from God, and I needed to do my best to show him his need.
So, with tears streaming down my face, I gave it my all. That is the first time I remember having any sense of a call to share the gospel with others.
Paul writes to the Roman believers describing to them that he was seeking to fulfill his calling to the Gentiles and sharing how he saw them as an offering to God when they believed the message he delivered. We also have a calling to share the gospel with others (Matthew 28:19-20).
That night with Gary, I needed to make Jesus the hero of my story.
Gary did not accept Christ that night, and I often wonder what happened to him. I pray that someone else has taken the time to try to reach him. The longer we walk with Christ, the further we get from those for whom Jesus died. Think about that, every day we live as Christians, we are prone to wrap ourselves in a cocoon of other believers.
Let me encourage you, much like Paul desired for himself, to purposefully seek out the lost in your daily lives and partner with others to be more effective in that pursuit.