My Church Is… Contagious

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Ps Jody Sisley - Friday, September 02, 2011

Contagious Christianity

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Living your life in a way that shines Jesus well is about scattering seed.

Jesus tells the parable of the farmer who scattered the seed in Matthew 13 & Luke 8. 

The seed is the word of God and the soil is the condition of people’s hearts. As Christians we are meant to be the farmer, the one scattering the seed. We are not the ones who determine or try and change the condition of people’s hearts - that is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings conviction to people of their sinfulness. We are to scatter the seed to those entrusted to us in our world of influence.

So, how do we go about scattering the seed? Here are a few practical keys on being a contagious Christian and living a life that reflects Jesus well:

1. 1.     BE READY

Know what Christ has done for you, know what your testimony is and be ready to share it in a non-threatening way for those who ask you. Your testimony only needs to be a minute or two long and doesn’t need to focus too much on the life you had before Christ, we want to honour Him and not our past.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...” 1 Pet 3:15 (TNIV)

1. 2.     BE PRAYERFULLY SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES

Ask God to give you opportunities. You will be surprised with how many chances you get to share your faith. Jesus told the disciples that “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:2 (TNIV). He will give you people to talk to about Him.

1. 3.     BE REAL

You don’t need to be weird, or a ‘Super Spiro’ making things strange, be yourself. You have the light of Jesus shining in you, all you have to do is go out and let His love shine through you. Ps Terry Cahill at the Chaplaincy Conference said this last week: “In church your light doesn’t seem as bright because you are with other people of light, but when you go out into the world, the light of Christ shines more brightly through you”.

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Cor 4:5-6 (TNIV)

1. 4.     BE PATIENT

Don’t just jump all over people with the seed. Don’t throw so much at them at once that they are overwhelmed. Just be patient, take time to get to know people and allow them to get to know you. I could give you so many personal examples of how over time Christ has made a huge difference in a person’s life, just by me being patient and caring over time. Just be patient, God will work in them at the same time as you are building relationships with people.

1. 5.     BE INTERESTED IN PEOPLE

Nothing opens doors of opportunity more than a genuine interest in other people. Every person has a story, it’s a shame if the only time we are hearing their story is at their funeral. Be interested and get to know their story – you will be able to connect them with Christ in some way, you will uncover the basic human need within them to connect with their loving Father.

1. 6.     BE FAITH FILLED

Don’t try and hide the fact that you are a person with faith in Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to work through you and don’t try and hide that light, God will use it to help others know Him if you don’t try and hide it.

1. 7.     BE A SERVANT

Christ said in yet another parable: “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Matt 25:40 (TNIV). We need to be looking for opportunities to serve others, look for needs that you can meet. So many people who I have personally shown to Christ over the years have responded to Christ because there has been a need I have been able to meet in His name. Be a servant.

1. 8.     KNOW THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

In church we use the same message each week at the time of the altar call so that you can connect with the gospel and know how easy it is to explain for your family, friends and neighbours. It gives you the gospel in a concise way so that you can use it and easily explain it to someone who is seeking.

The Gospel put simply is these 5 points:

1. God loves you.

2. He has a great plan for your life.

3. Our sin messes up that plan because it causes separation between us and Him.

4. The good news is that Jesus Christ died a horrible death on a cross to deal with our sin, yours and mine. His sacrifice on the cross dealt with our sin once and for all.

5. If you say Yes to Jesus and ask Him to take charge in your life, you can freely receive forgiveness and God’s plan for your life is restored. Your future can and will be changed forever.

 

We have this very great promise from Scripture to hold on to:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” Rom 10:9-13 (TNIV)

 

A couple of Books I can recommend for further reading and learning are:

‘Just walk Across the Room’ – Bill Hybels

‘Sharing Your Faith with a Friend’ – Michael Green.