The Price of Friendship

Today, I read an article on our state newspaper’s website, the News and Observer, about a woman who shelled our $25,000 to her veterinarian for saving her beloved pet dog Tony. Tony suffered from a ruptured disc. He underwent major surgery and spent 30 days on a ventilator in recovery. The $25,000 bill doesn’t even cover the expensive physical therapy that the dog will need to return to health.

Tony’s owner put most of the bill - $16,000 – on one of her credit cards and plans to have a yard sale to help cover the rest of the cost. The article stated that the bill showed how far her owner was willing to go to maintain a relationship.

First of all, I think it is tragic that our society has become so affluent that we can afford to treat our pets better than we treat human beings. Having traveled extensively in the past 10 years – and not to tourist destinations mind you – to see the way the rest of the world lives in light of this excess is astonishingly criminal! (I am by no means against capitalism. I am against the misuse of the blessings of capitalism.)

Second, I think of the many Christians I know of that would indulge in the same kind of, or similar, excess yet fail to give more than a mere pittance to God for building His Kingdom. Many American believers live in houses much larger than we need and drive $40,000 SUVs. We buy $150 tennis shoes for our children and entertain ourselves with $3000 televisions. Truly sinful!

Now, to my point…I wonder, what would happen if Christians placed this kind of value on human relationships - especially relationships with lost people? Is there a price too high to pay when it comes to reaching people with the gospel? Our pets become a part of our family, but we refuse to tell a neighbor, friend or co-worker how to become a member of God’s family?

Meditate on that thought…

Introverts Unite!

I am an introvert.

I know that being an introvert and an evangelist don’t seem to mix. Most people think of an evangelist as someone that can talk to anyone – and everyone. Clearly, there are some evangelists who are extraverts. But personality does not an evangelist make…it is the call of God that makes one an evangelist.

I have to work very hard at getting to know people. This often affects my ability to engage people in conversations which lead to sharing the gospel. I much rather stand before thousands of people and preach a gospel message than talk to people one-on-one about a relationship with Jesus. But I know that my calling demands that I engage people on all levels – including face-to-face.

I am in good company...

Many believers are introverts too. Not in their personalities, but in their willingness to engage people with the gospel.

Recently, I taught a FriendFluence class in our church. As we progressed through the class, it was apparent the most of the participants felt the need to share the gospel. They had invited people to church, special programs and events, and bible studies. But most had never actually presented the gospel to someone and invited them to trust Christ.

What are some reasons that keep people from sharing the gospel with people in their circle of influence?

Fear – Nobody likes being rejected. If we share the gospel with someone, and that person does not respond by receiving Christ, we tend the feel that they have somehow rejected us. Or, we may irrationally feel that their rejection of Christ may somehow push them away from Him and do more harm than good. This fear comes from a misunderstanding of our responsibility in sharing the gospel. In Ezekiel 3:19 we read, “But if you warn a wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.” In other words, our responsibility to others is to share the good news, not to convert them. We cannot convert anyone! God does the work of conversion.

Lack of Knowledge – Some believers feel they don’t know enough about the gospel to share it with others. I often wonder, how did ever come to Christ themselves? Surely they have some knowledge of the gospel if they have experienced salvation. This idea shows that they lack the motivation to learn and grow in their faith. If you don’t know something, what is keeping you from learning it?

Apathy – I have been dismayed and surprised at the lack of concern displayed by believers for people who don’t know Jesus. While we may be concerned for meeting their physical needs, we neglect their greatest need of all which is a relationship with Jesus Christ. We may hear hundreds of messages in our lifetime dealing with our need to share Jesus with others, yet fail to develop a burden for the unbelieving world.

There are probably hundreds of other reasons why we don’t share the gospel. The only way to truly overcome any of these objections is to go out and practice evangelism.

I have discovered that the cure for my gospel introversion is to keep sharing the gospel until all of my fears are assuaged. It’s like learning to ride a bicycle without training wheels. We may start out with a lack of confidence, a little help from someone holding onto the seat, a push, a crash and a bloody knee. Eventually, we will getup, dust ourselves off and remount the bicycle. Finally, after many tries and failures, we will ride free and easy. We will begin to look forward to riding over and over again.

If you are a gospel introvert – like me – face your fears, lack of knowledge and apathy or a hundred other excuses by getting to know someone that needs Jesus. Get to know them and share the good news as you get to know them.

Who is in Your Circle?

Who is in your circle?

I remember going to visit a couple once to share with them how they could be involved with supporting our evangelism ministry. They were faithful members of our church and upstanding people in the community.

As I was sitting in their living room, I asked the question, "What do you think keeps people from coming to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?"

The wife responded by saying that people were generally apathetic. As she continued to talk, she admitted that she really didn't know any lost people - that is people who have never trusted Christ as their personal savior. She said, "when I was working, I was around them all the time. Now I am around church people. in fact, I don't feel comfortable around lost people."

Here lies the problem with the average believer: they only know churched people. Modern Christians have no close personal relationships with lost people.

We have insulated ourselves in a cocoon of casual Christianity and therefore isolated ourselves from the lost world.

We must begin to build relationships with people around us in order to win them to Christ, build them in faith and send them back into the world to influence others.

Start by looking at the people that God has placed in your circle. They could be family, friends, co-workers or casual acquaintances. Ask God to give you ways to begin building friendships with them and use those friendships to share the good news. You won't regret it...