From the Pastor
A young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, “I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” The manager replied, “Son, take my advice: your job isn’t to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty.”
The same thing is true with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel. What does that look like? Sometimes it’s shown in how you respond to hard times and difficulties. Other times it is shown in your generosity and hospitality to those with whom you come into contact. It’s always shown when you demonstrate love to your neighbors, your fellow believers, and even your enemies. You make people thirsty when they see something in your life that they don’t have.
Maybe you’ve seen or heard the quote commonly attributed to Francis of Assisi: "Preach the gospel. Use words if necessary." Think about that. We can make people thirsty by showing them the difference Jesus has made in our lives but we must not stop there. We must help those people quench their thirst by using words to tell them about Jesus Christ. In his conversation with the woman at the well Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Our lifestyles can make people sit up and take notice but our words lead people to eternal life in Christ.
Ultimately outreach isn’t just events held at the church. It’s the opportunities you have both to show and to share the difference Jesus makes in your life. Look for those opportunities which God brings your way and give a reason for the hope that is within you.
Think about that,
RB