You can find the video here: https://www.facebook.com/RichlandNaz/videos/263201731378969/
Hey everybody – We’ve talked in the last few days about things that might be difficult in sharing the Gospel. Probably the response I hear most to my question about what is the hardest thing in sharing the Gospel; What do I say, what if they reject me, What if I don’t say it right? Or, how can I say it effectively?
Can I just say this…you don’t need to memorize someone’s 5 points to salvation or the “Romans Road” Scriptures – those things help but that’s not where you need to start. You don’t need to speak eloquently, you simply need to be you. You are the only You God has made, and you are you for a reason. All you simply need to talk about is what God is doing in your life. That’s right – how is the Holy Spirit helping you right now get through this strange time.
Maybe that’s what we share in the comments today. What is God doing in your life today that is making a difference in you – for those around you. Share that with me today!
So, I want to go back to Saturday’s devotion. There’s a part of the Scripture I want to look at a bit closer.
Acts 2:37-41 (NIV) When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Do not get me wrong, Peter, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, gave this phenomenal evangelistic Gospel message. But there was something more there, those who heard asked a question. And it may be a question that you and I hear from time to time. And maybe, because of our current circumstances, we may hear it more often - “What must we do?”
When you live the life of a disciple, you have the Holy Spirit living in you and through you. He’s going to show through, people are going to see you aren’t frightened, you have a peace that goes beyond understanding, you are able to look at all of this goings on, and somehow you’re not affected. Now we know that last part may not be true – we are all affected by the circumstances around us, but we do have something different about us. Or I will say we know someone who makes a difference in us – Jesus.
But with all of this, it’s only when we are plugged into the Holy Spirit when we have access to the resurrection power of the Jesus flowing through us. And that’s what happened that day, those people plugged in.
Now, we all know how a lamp works right? It only lights up if the cord is plugged in to an electrical outlet and the electricity is on, running through the wires of the house. Then you have to turn on the lamp. The last time I checked a lamp cannot plug itself in and turn itself on. At least when the toaster and I had this conversation this morning we had a good laugh about it.
And that’s the same as Christians. We cannot have the power of Jesus’ resurrection flowing in us and through us unless we are plugged in to the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we need to be plugged in too - we need the power of the Holy Spirit to fuel and light the work that God has for us to do in His kingdom.