Conversations With God: “So, How Am I Doing With My Evangelistic Efforts?”

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

Conversations With God: “So, How Am I Doing With My Evangelistic Efforts?”

Lately, I have been thinking about how obedient, or disobedient, I have been to the last command that Jesus gave His disciples, and by extension, every follower of Christ. You will recall it from Matthew 28:18-20:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This passage is without a doubt, one of the most powerful and direct commands from the Son of God and it makes demands on us that we cannot escape. And why would we want to? We receive this command in light of the gospel narratives that introduce us to our King of kings and the life that He lived and died for us. The gospels are the word of life and at some point, led every Christian to come to terms with the God of creation, our unworthiness, and His incredible sacrifice made for us despite being His enemies.

Looking back to the days after my conversion, I remember my passion for the Lord and my zeal (sometimes overzealous) to make Him known to others. I was willing to be thought of as a fool by others and deal with rejection as long as I could speak or write to unsaved people about Him. I joined organized efforts to seek the lost and actively looked for opportunities to obey Jesus’ command – and loved every minute of it.

But now, 30 years later, things have changed. Yes, I still write about Jesus, but I write mainly to Christians. My efforts to grow the Lord’s Kingdom are focused more on the second part of the commandment (teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you) than the first part (make disciples), and I wonder why.

So, I decided it would be good to have a conversation with God, the Spirit. It is the Spirit who lives in me to teach and guide me through His truth as well as convict me of my sins. He will tell me the truth because He can do no other. Now, before anyone thinks that I have, “lost it,” or gone completely off my rocker, you need to know that the conversation I am sharing is completely fictitious. I know that if I actually had a full encounter with God, I wouldn’t be having a casual conversation about just anything. I would be either falling on my face in His presence with reverent fear and trembling, or worshipping Him with every ounce of my being – or some combination of both! On the other hand, having a conversation about my behavior and thoughts is actually not so unusual for me. I have a constant back and forth in my mind throughout the day as I battle the world, the flesh, and the devil. So, here is my conversation with the Spirit of God-

Me: I have been thinking about my evangelistic efforts lately and am not sure if I need to do something different than what I am doing. The Spirit: Well, what have you been doing?

Me: I’ve been writing articles to Christians about you and recording books about you. The Spirit: That is commendable, but have you talked to anyone who is not a Christian?

Me: I’m sure I have, but unfortunately, I can’t remember the last time I did. The Spirit: Not being able to remember certainly would indicate that either you have not spoken to anyone or that you have done little in sharing Jesus with non-believers. And that would lead us to the truth that you have failed to obey one of my most important commands.

Me: But, I have been very busy so it seems I never have the time to get focused on this. The Spirit: Yes, I see that you have been busy. Out of the 8,000 hours I have given you to live this year, you have spent about 2,970 hours sleeping, 1,320 hours reading and watching videos, 1,320 eating, 1,000 hours on writing your articles and recording books, 660 hours watching your evening streamed shows, 412 in hygiene, 165 exercising, and another 150 hours doing household chores. That left you with a grand total of 5 hours available to tell non-Christians the most important story that they could ever hear.

Me: Maybe I need to be more organized. The Spirit: No, I gave you the gift of organization- some might say I gave you too much of that gift. The truth is that you are squandering the time that I have given you to serve me on this earth. Remember, I have a perfect purpose in everything that I do and if you are still alive, it is because my work through you is not yet completed. I have created you for good works and what you have done with the days that I numbered for you is not good works.

Me: Well, the time that I spend reading is necessary for me to be a good steward of the money you have entrusted to me so I will not be a burden to others. The Spirit: It is good that you desire to be a faithful steward, but the fact is that you have allowed your quest for knowledge to supersede my command for you to trust that I will always provide for you. In addition, your curiosity to see into foolish worldly concerns have taken precious time away from the things of your Lord. You have wasted time on worldly concerns that should have been used for the Kingdom.

Me: Maybe I’ve just matured as a Christian to just focus on teaching. I mean, maybe people get to a season in their life where not sharing Christ with non-believers is OK? The Spirit: You are reaching for an excuse that simply doesn’t exist. I have never written anything in my book that would lead you to remotely think that is true.

 Me: But, how about the truth that You had the men of the Bible write about- that You have predestined people to be saved through faith in Jesus Christ? Doesn’t that give me some room to just believe all of your elect people will be saved without me doing anything? The Spirit: If you weren’t one of Mine and I didn’t know that your flesh was speaking right now, I would make today, your numbered day. The truth is you have no business entering into the secret things of God in order to shirk your responsibilities.

Me: So, if you have given me enough time to do your will and the ability to follow your command, why don’t I do it? The Spirit: This may hurt but I am going to hurt you so you can be built up. You don’t do it because you don’t love the Father, Jesus, and Me enough to do it.

 Me: But, I do love you! The Spirit: I know you do love Us, but it is not an exclusive love- it is a shared love. You have attempted to balance your love between Us and the things of the world, but you have been told it is impossible to do. Furthermore, you say that you want to tell people about Christ, but you procrastinate until you run out of time because you do not want to be rejected by people. You are fearing men more than you fear God.

Me: You have shown me my heart and I now see what you say is true. You alone are worthy of my time, my affections, my life’s goals, and my love. You have been gracious to save me from my sins and gracious in granting me both days and blessings in this world. There is no good thing that I have or have experienced that is not from your hand and were it not for your willingness to forgive me because of Christ’s work, I would be destroyed. The Spirit: Then let’s begin anew with a reminder from me: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:14-16).”

Your light, that is the sharing and living out the good news of the gospel, can be done anywhere with any person. That waitress at the table last night- you could have shown kindness to her; the lady at the drycleaners who has been serving you for years- you could have told her that she is so pleasant that you wondered if she was a Christian; that man who came to your home and serviced your A/C system- you could have said something about trusting Christ to keep your A/C going. You know other people who don’t know Christ and you don’t have to come on strong, you can just say something, and you will immediately find out if I am at work in their hearts.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year is coming. It’s time to rekindle your love for God and your love and concern for people by actively looking for daily opportunities to share the gospel.

And I will be with you every step of the way.

By the way, do you know of someone who is trapped in “religion” and does not know Christ? Here is a wonderful listen that can be of great help. It is called, “Religion To Christ.” See the links below

Title: From Religion To Christ, Written By Peter Jeffery And Read By Michael Lee

Description:  Tired of the many systems of religion that you have observed or been part of in the past? Are you ready to say goodbye to religion? The author Peter Jeffery, agrees! Doing “religion” is empty and will not get you to heaven. There is something more-something much greater. Take a careful listen through this podcast and discover what a real relationship with God actually looks like.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-from-religion-to-christ/id1687134464

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQg_lCngBTcjs_dXT1VYvYWA

Title: Rediscovering The Lost Treasure Of Family Worship. Written By Jerry Marcellino And Read By Michael Lee

Description: Family Worship was once the normal practice that most Christian parents led in their homes. Led by either parent, the children would be taught daily from the word of God, pray and sing songs. It was considered to be a vital part of the Christian life.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-rediscovering-the-lost/id1692401602

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgNq7asslVBsKyq0FC3arMs

A Call To Prayer By J. C. Ryle.  Although these words were penned more than 100 years ago, the need and application for today’s Christian is greater than ever.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-a-call-to-prayer-by/id1672880807

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjaXXgO8P1U-bBFkEMCwdYR

Title: All Things For Good Written By Thomas Watson And Read By Michael Lee

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Last modified: November 22, 2023