Jesus...that's all people need

It is so simple and yet we try to make it so difficult. We have plans and formulas and "tricks" on how to get people to get to the point we think they should be at with Christ. We have the sword method, the Romans Method, the list goes on & on. What method did the apostles use? They unfortuneately (???) did not have all the eloquence and scripture that we do, so...what did they do?

Simple...they shared with the world what Jesus did for them. Paul summed up what he taught beautifully in I Corinthians 2. (I am not a big fan of the Message version, but on advice of a friend, I used it as a comparison and I really like the way it worded these two verses -- same meaning, just different times) Anyway, read below to see what Paul taught...

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

(NIV)

1-2You'll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God's master stroke, I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified.

(Message)


Do you see that? He ON PURPOSE kept it simple...he told people who Jesus was and what He did. How many times do we miss that??

We need to stop and relize we hold in our hands something so awesome. In the words of Jeff Walling, we have the "cookie"! In my house, that would be equivalent to having the "pie"! Everyone who knows us, knows Clay loves baking pies and he is VERY good at it...homemade EVERYTHING!! When he started this, the teens started telling everyone; they told him he needed to sell the pies. And of course, he decided to sell them as a fundraiser for the mission trip. It has been crazy!! One person taste the pie and they buy one, then they have someone taste the pie and they want one...and on and on...he is closing in on making 200 pies now since March!!! How?? Well, we taught and recruited the teens and our friends in a fool proof method. We spent hours in a classroom learning how to make the pies sound good enough to eat. NOT!!!!! People just talked about how much they enjoyed the pie. They let people taste the pies that they had... and ...some things are just too good to be passed up!

How good is your God? How much has Christ changed your life? If you are just going through the motions of living in Christ, you may have forgotten what Jesus did for your life. I don't mean the reality of living forever with Him in Heaven. (as if that is not enough) I mean the life, you know, abundant life, He gives me now. The peace I have even in the worst of times. The love I feel toward people. What would your life be like without Christ?? What if you did not have that hope and the assurance that "someone" had everything under control?? If you, as a Christian are sleepwalking, wake up and realize what God is doing everyday of your life!!

We don't need a method...we don't even have to worry about the end results. God can take care of that. All he asks of us is to share how he is working in our lives. But first, we have to wake up and think about how He is working! Practice by sharing what God is doing in your world with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead of talking about the stupid issues of the day, or what you disagree with, talk about how awesome God is and how He is moving. When we start talking to each other and our faith becomes an everyday part of our lives, it will flow out to everyone without us even realizing it. And pretty soon, when you're loving people (for real: not with an agenda), someone will ask, WHY?? Then we can tell them about the God who loves us so dearly, that we can't help but love others!

All we have to do is share that hope and love. We just need to share our lives with people so that the overflow of Jesus will pour out on them and they will want what we have. If we are not overflowing with Christ, then I don't believe we are living in Him as fully as we can. God doesn't need us to sell Him. Their are no quotas in Heaven. All we need to do is love Him and love His creation.