Sometimes I think that Christians just want to let the lost find Jesus on their own. They figure that if unbelievers are ever interested in the Scriptures that they’ll just pick up a Bible on their own and discover the Gospel truth. Other Believers are convinced that if they just live enough like Jesus that the lost will come to a realization that they need Christ and will ask us all kinds of soul-saving questions. The reality is that such interactions rarely happen.
As Christians, we should be convicted that everyone is lost because of sin (Romans 6:23). Everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23) and are separated from God because of their sins (Isaiah 59:2). The only way that the lost can be saved is to believe in Jesus (John 8:24) and to do what He commands to be forgiven of their sins (Mark 16:16). The Apostle Peter tells us plainly in Acts 2:38 that those who believe are to “. . . Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Without Jesus those lost in their sins will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). It’s important for Christians to be mindful of the eternal condition of the lost.
In Mark 16:15-16 and Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gives the Apostles the mission to share the Gospel. Oftentimes there are those in the church who think that only evangelists, missionaries, preachers, and the like are responsible for sharing the Gospel. Acts 8:4 gives us every indication that Christians in the church believed that it was their personal responsibility to share the Gospel. Every member of the Lord’s church talked about the Gospel everywhere they went.
Unless we make connections with the lost, those lost will most likely never be saved. How can we start? Let me suggest that we should each make a practical list of 10 people in the immediate area. These should be people that you come into contact with on a regular basis that need to hear the Gospel. Your list can include friends, family, coworkers, clerks, attendants, police, firefighters, or really anyone.
Next, pray for those people on your list everyday; pray for them to be open to talk about Jesus and to one day be receptive to the Gospel. Pray for wisdom and boldness to share your faith. Be courageous and share your prayer list on a Sunday night during our prayer time. If we have their addresses, we could each sign a card with a personal note, to send as a group, to each of them. I would then suggest giving your lost friends one of our monthly invite cards to an upcoming agape fellowship. Quite possibly they might be interested in an invitation to one of our Bible studies or worship. You might even give them an online Bible study invitation card or a multiple choice Bible study that are both ready to share in the foyer.
If you don’t have a list of lost friends, family, and acquaintances yet, it is past time to start. Ephesians 5:16 reminds us to always be “making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Here is a space to start your list.
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