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Tag: #Boldness

Boldness to Share Your Faith Begins with Humility

Written by amerrill on . Posted in Blog. No Comments on Boldness to Share Your Faith Begins with Humility

When you become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), God wants to give you a brand-new perspective, a promising future, and an everlasting hope. One important byproduct of this awesome transformation is a new wardrobe as well! What I mean is this: You exchange your old, dirty, raggedy clothes—which represents your former and sinful ways—for clean, gleaming, new clothes—which represents your justification and sanctification through Christ.

But instead of trendy styles or expensive fabrics, Colossians 3:12 explains what your new clothes are made of: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

As a new creation in Christ with a new mission in life—to share Jesus and the Gospel with others—you now are to be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These qualities are worth far more than an entire closet filled with designer suits or fancy dresses. I want to focus on humility because I believe it is a huge precursor to having the boldness to share your faith with others.

Where does humility come from?

When we as human beings are so prone to pride and egotism, how do we cultivate true humility in our hearts? James 3:13 reveals that “humility comes from wisdom.” You might be thinking, Okay, so how do I get wisdom? We find this answer in the book of James as well:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (1:5)

It’s surprisingly simple: pray for wisdom and it will be given to you—and out of that wisdom, humility springs forth.

C. S. Lewis wrote in his book Mere Christianity, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” When we think of ourselves less, it takes away the concern for our possessions, our reputation, and our safety when we endeavor to share Jesus Christ with someone. Paul’s declaration in Acts 20:22–25 is a beautiful example of this truth. He wrote,

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.

After Paul spoke these words to the Ephesian elders, he got down on his knees and prayed with them as they wept. What a heart-wrenching scene! Paul said good-bye to beloved friends and fellow workers in ministry, knowing he would never see them again. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that hardships and prison awaited him. And yet he forged ahead with his God-given task, unconcerned for his own future or safety. He considered his life worth nothing; his singular mission was to share the Good News.

Paul is an astonishing example to us all of humility and total surrender to the Lord’s will in order to bring the Gospel to lost souls. May we as Christians become completely humble as we endeavor to share our faith with those around us.

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, which has four campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Soul Winning Made Simple

Written by amerrill on . Posted in Blog. No Comments on Soul Winning Made Simple

The word evangelism can conjure up a variety of images and thoughts ranging from world missions to flashy televangelists. Many faithful church members would answer, “Evangelism? Oh, that’s something our preacher does on Sunday morning.”

Well, yes . . . and no.

Many years ago I heard one of the greatest definitions of evangelism, and to this day it has stuck with me: evangelism is nothing more than mouth-to-ear resuscitation!

What a great yet simple description. The Gospel of Jesus comes from your mouth to someone else’s ear—and brings life to a spirit who, without Christ, is dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1).

With typical mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or CPR, you don’t have to be a doctor or medical expert to administer it. Anyone can do it with the proper training. It’s the same thing with sharing the Gospel! You don’t have to be a preacher or possess a master’s degree from a Bible college. Any believer can share the Good News—effectively—with the proper training.

[Photo credit: U.S. Pacific Fleet on Flickr.]

I’ve written a book called Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith, to reassure you that evangelism doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating—and you can participate in it every single day of your life once you have the right tools. Once you do, you will be able to win souls for the Kingdom of God.

What do I mean by that? Well, let’s take a look at what the Bible says about winning souls.

“Win as Many as Possible”

Although we don’t see the exact term “soul winner” in God’s Word, it most likely comes from two different Scriptures. The first is Proverbs 11:30, which says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.” The second comes from 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, where Paul wrote about humbling himself toward everyone so that he could “win as many as possible.” He wrote:

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Four times in this passage Paul used the word win. He was using his influence and background to persuade and convince those around him to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord. He was competing for their souls. Do you think this came easily and without a fight, resistance, or conflict? I don’t think so. While recapping his life, one of Paul’s last words was that he had “fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 2:4).

The Battle is Real

Winning souls basically means to lead people to a saving knowledge of the truth. Think of the expression “winning someone over.” In that sense, you are convincing someone of something or gaining his or her support. Or consider the saying “winning someone’s heart.” This has a more intimate meaning of gaining a person’s affection or causing them to love you exclusively.

If you are winning souls, then you are a soul winner. I’ve often wondered why so many people back away from this term. Maybe it’s because the word winning constitutes a battle or conflict. I realize our society has fallen into a “can’t we all just get along” mentality, but the Bible says that there’s a war going on. Not a war against people, but against the dark forces in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:12). And these powers are doing everything possible to win this war. That same passage of Scripture, Ephesians 6:10–17, also says that we must put on the full armor of God. We wouldn’t need to wear armor if a battle wasn’t going on, right?

Here’s the thing: the church is not a “bless me” club meant to provide comfortable seats and feel-good messages for its members. Christian fellowship and community are absolutely important. But what’s more important is the church’s role to equip its members with the knowledge of the Word of God…so that we will boldly engage in the war that is taking place over the souls of mankind.

How Can We Become Bold to Share the Truth?

Written by amerrill on . Posted in Blog. No Comments on How Can We Become Bold to Share the Truth?

When I was nineteen years old, I preached at a little church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The church only had about forty people, most of whom were elderly. Of those forty members, only one was younger than me. I would love to say we had a youth group, but in reality, it was more like a “youth kid.”

I was just starting college in Missouri, so I had to drive about two hours every weekend to get to the church. At this time I was a very shy, mild-mannered, and meek guy. I was the kind of guy who didn’t want to offend anyone. People who know me now are shocked to learn this, but it’s the truth.

Smoking in the Church

Every time I drove to Fayetteville, I was terrified of the three elders of the church who awaited me. I referred to them as the “smoking elders” because all three of them smoked cigarettes. They burned through them by the pack. And what’s worse, they actually lit them up inside the church building. (Yes, I said inside the church building!)

Their smoking always bothered me. I knew it was an unhealthy habit, and the fact that they were church leaders indulging in plain view of the church wasn’t helping us out at all. Who wants to go to church and smell cigarettes as soon as they step in the door? Many, many times I wanted to talk to them about it, but I couldn’t. They intimidated me.

Preach the Truth

One day the director of a local orphanage called me and asked if he could bring the kids to church. “Of course,” I replied. “Come over and we’ll have lunch for you, too!”

He brought about ten kids, which increased our church attendance that Sunday by 25 percent. After the service was over, we all moved downstairs to enjoy our lunch together, but the director pulled me aside and asked to speak to me. Once we were out of sight and away from everyone else, his demeanor changed. He got right in my face and started poking me in the chest with his index finger.

Dead serious, he said, “Preacher, I’m gonna tell you something. Every single day these kids fight the temptation to drink, swear, and smoke. The last place I ever thought they would see a bad example was in the church! You better start preachin’ what people need to hear and not what they want to hear.”

Then he said, “We will never come back to this church again.”

Though his words were harsh, they were a necessary wake-up call. For the rest of that afternoon, I was racked with conviction. My church had served as a bad example to those kids, and it was all because I didn’t have the guts to say what needed to be said.

[Photo credit: factoids on Flickr]

Boldness Unleashed

That evening, as I arrived for our Sunday-night service, I prayed earnestly for God to grant me boldness to do just what that man had said. To preach what people needed to hear.

During my prayer, I felt the power of the Holy Spirit rise up within me and fill me with courage and purpose. Before I even entered the church door, I knew I would finally be able to speak what God had placed on my heart. When I got up to preach that night, I threw away my prepared notes. I stood up there and let them have it with both barrels.

I don’t remember everything I said during that message, but I do remember saying at one point, “If God had intended for you to smoke, he would have put a chimney on your head! Smoking won’t send you to hell, but it will sure make you smell like you’ve been there!” I stressed the fact that we shouldn’t be smoking in the first place, let alone inside the church of Jesus Christ, because doing so would undoubtedly set a poor example for others in the faith.

Truth be told, I was surprised at myself. I never knew I could speak like that. And many in the church were just as surprised as I was. The point being, God unleashed a boldness in me that was completely contrary to my nature.

Fired in Fayetteville

The very next Sunday morning I made my drive from college to Fayetteville. I was preparing to deliver the message when one of the three elders pulled me to the side.

Calmly he said, “Dudley, we’ve decided to let you go.”

“Why?” I asked.

He said, “For financial reasons.”

“Financial reasons? You only pay me $50 a week!”

“I know, but we just can’t afford to keep you.”

I tried reasoning with him, saying, “I’ll tell you what; I just want to preach. What if you paid me $5 a week? That would at least cover the gas. Would that be in the budget?”

He firmly answered, “No, we’re letting you go. Today will be your last day.”

I immediately felt that same boldness rise up in me again, except this time it was twice as strong! For the second service in a row, I threw my sermon notes away and let them have it again. They definitely didn’t want me to come back after that message.

I will never forget what the orphanage director said to me on that Sunday afternoon in Fayetteville: “You better start preachin’ what people need to hear and not what they want to hear.” If I had a photo of him digging his finger into my chest, I would have it framed and sitting on my office desk to this day. It changed my life.

Fire in Your Bones

Today you may be just like I was at age nineteen—timid and frightened to say what you know in your heart is true. God can empower and embolden you to proclaim truths you never thought were possible. He will change the lives of others before your very eyes.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 nkjv)

Sharing the hope of the Gospel with as many people as I possibly can is my life’s burden and passion. Do you feel this compelling call as well? Pray and ask God to fill you with boldness and courage to speak up. Pray and ask Him to dissolve concerns about what others might think of you or say or do if you tell them the truth.

You don’t have to be a full-time preacher or pastor to get involved in God’s mission to save the world through His Son Jesus. If you ask Him, God will instill in you a burden for sharing your faith. Just as the prophet Jeremiah proclaimed in Jeremiah 20:9, the Word of God will become like a fire in your heart and in your bones that you won’t be able to hold in even if you tried.

 

Taken from the book, Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith, © 2018 by Dudley Rutherford. Used with permission by Worthy Books, an imprint of Worthy Publishing Group, a division of Worthy Media Inc., All Rights Reserved.