Many are the faithful and passionate cries of Christians to serve God – or so we think! In the recent years it has been a lot of emphasis on Christians to serve God. As young as a 4 year old girl, she can serve in the dancing ministry in the church. And as we mature in age and spirituality, more doors start to open for us, doors so many in numbers we find it hard to choose which one to enter. Some doors we are so keen on entering it we don’t even think twice before deciding, some doors we put them as of second importance, but yet there is a door many would want to AVOID entering...
Or they would rather pray it wasn’t open in the first place...
There are all kinds of ministry we could make ourselves available to in the church. Many would want to join the Worship ministry for it is one of the “top” ministries. There are also the Children Church ministry, the Multimedia ministry and the list goes on. Many would want to serve in either one of these.
The “E” word is kind of a taboo topic in the churches nowadays. If a question is thrown out at the church today asking, “How many of you would want to serve God?” many hands will be raised and a string of woo-hoos and cheers can be heard rattling the gates of Heaven. If the question goes on to ask, “How many of you would want to serve God by EVANGELIZING?” and boom! a bomb of silent drops in the congregation and everyone goes silent. The woo-hoos and cheers are quickly reinstate by stares and sudden hushes. Sadly, that is the fact nowadays, and it is a growing concern in the army of God.
People’s excuse (yes, I say without apology – EXCUSE!) are often, “I’m not ready.” “I don’t know how to share.” “I’m too young.” “I’m too old.” and what I can say as the most RIDICULOUS – “I’m not CALLED to evangelize.” and the list of excuses sees no end.
How can a Christian call themselves a Christian if they are not even able to hear God’s third call for them in their lives? The first call is the call to GO to Him, the second is to FOLLOW Him and the third is to GO FOR Him.
Matthew 4:19
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Was Jesus not clear ENOUGH when He said that to His disciples? Or was He meaning something else? Was He only telling that to Peter and his brother Andrew?
Many Christians would rather just assume that that verse was only meant for the people that Jesus was speaking to. By thinking that is all but a wise guess, it is a way of COOP OUT for many Christians not to evangelize. How can one say he loves God and not having a heart for souls?
Don’t ALL pastors, missionaries, apostles, teachers of the Bible, reverends and ministers main aim is to evangelize? So how can a Christian say he wants to serve God but yet do not realize that there is a NEED to evangelize in everything we do?
Let’s look at one of the most famous Scripture of the Bible:
Matthew 28:19-20:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Above is the Great Commission given by our Lord Jesus Christ before He went up to be with God. It would be of a foolish thing to say that this Commission was given ONLY to pastors and ministers! Foolish!A commission is something entrusted to be done. Imagine you received a commission from the Sultan of Selangor to empty his palace’s rubbish bins everyday, surely you would be hysterical about it and go do it immediately. Surely you’d be more than happy to tell your friends that the SULTAN gave you a job.
But why do we overlook the Commission given by someone who is way larger than any sultans? Why do we OVERLOOK the Commission given by the One that saved us and called us to repentance, the One that laid down His life for us, the One that we proclaim WE LOVE HIM? Why do we overlook the Great Commission given by Jesus?
Are we too blind to see the need of evangelism in the world today? People need to hear the Gospel rather desperately. If no one goes out and spread the Gospel, many lives would be lost and we hold accountability to it. If no one took the courage to share to us the Gospel, would we be saved?
Paul says in Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the Gospel of God’s grace.” He realizes that there is more to than just running in the race, he realizes that he has to also testify about Jesus. He goes on to say,
1 Corinthians 9:16
Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!
Evangelizing is a call that goes out to ALL CHRISTIANS. Young or old, male or female, short or thin, big or small, it is a CALL for ALL.
Do not think less of yourself! I tell you, have no confidence in yourself BUT have confidence in God! He in you is great and mighty, He in you can do wonders beyond your imagination, He in you can give you the words to speak, He in you will help you to evangelize.
Matthew 9:37
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.
Proverbs 10:5
He who gathers crops in the summer is wise, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
So let us all start to see the need for people in the harvest field. Do not just pray for God to send out people into the harvest field but pray to God for Him to send YOU into the harvest field!
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Matthew 28:19-20:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
EVANGELIZING IS YOUR CALL ! ! !
If you think you are not ready to evangelize, read my previous post title-ed “Naked ???” to know more about evangelizing.
Let's Go Fishing,
Zlwin Chew
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