Evangelize

When I was in Boot Camp, there was a saying printed on all the doors leading outside. It said, “Hit the ground running.” My drill sergeants explained that whenever you “hit those doors” you move with a purpose. Get to where ever your going and you accomplish the mission, then get back home.

I hated this while I was at Basic. Because I wanted to walk and the only time we “walked” we were marching. All the other times we were running with a purpose. When I graduated I thought I was done with this purpose and unfortunately I was re-introduced to this concept at Police Academy. We literally had to run everywhere. Going to class…run. Going to range…run. Going to the latrine…run. No matter what I was doing I was going with a purpose. Jesus knew there was a deeper meaning to this concept and it was to keep us from being complacent. It is reflected in the passage of the Great Commission in .

“19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

We have to remember that this short life is a small opportunity to evangelize. I want you to think about something really quick. After our life is over, when are we going to be able to evangelize. Everyone in heaven will already be Christians and there won’t be another opportunity to try and save a soul. That time will have long passed. How moving and scary! This is why Jesus repeats this message several times in the New Testament. Look at Acts again. In when Jesus is speaking to Anaias about Saul. Jesus tells him to “go.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Actually, Jesus tell all his disciples to “go” He tells almost all that he healed to “go” and spread who healed you. He told the dead to “get up and go.” Jesus didn’t want us to get complacent and lazy in our speed. He wanted us to move with a purpose and that purpose is sharing the gospel. He wanted us to hit the ground running with the Spirit. He wanted us to just “go.”

In this Great Commission he tells us three very important concepts; First, Go! Second, evangelize. third return home. The first thing that Jesus tell us is “go” He is telling us all that we have to hit the door running and move with a purpose of sharing the gospel.

When we don’t obey Jesus’ commandment we immediately ignore his blessings. We tell Jesus “I don’t have time” I don’t have the funds” I’m not fit to be a missionary. We get accustomed to our lives and not the lives we should be living.

We have to remember that this short life is a small opportunity to evangelize. I want you to think about something really quick. After our life is over, when are we going to be able to evangelize. Everyone in heaven will already be Christians and there won’t be another opportunity to try and save a soul. That time will have long passed. How moving and scary! This is why Jesus repeats this message several times in the New Testament. Look at when Jesus is speaking to Anaias about Saul. Jesus tells him to “go.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Actually, Jesus tell all his disciples to “go” He tells almost all that he healed to “go” and spread who healed you. He told the dead to “get up and go.” Jesus didn’t want us to get complacent and lazy in our speed. He wanted us to move with a purpose and that purpose is sharing the gospel. He wanted us to hit the ground running with the Spirit. He wanted us to just “go.”

Secondly Jesus wanted us to share the Gospel. There was a study in Christian Churches that found that about 85% of modern Christians don’t evangelize. How shocking is this! The study found that Christians were too scared of talking about Jesus because they felt unequipped. These Christians stated they didn’t know enough scripture or “Christian things” to say.

Jesus gave the parable in - 37Then He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.”

It shocking relevant in today’s time. It’s also shocking that only few of us are ready to talk about the greatest thing that has ever happened to us. They are too afraid of talking about the one who bore their sins. They are too afraid of talking about their savior who gave them eternal life. They are afraid of talking about the one true god who loves them dearly. There are only few that go out in the world and share Jesus’ name.

I hear to tell you that you don’t need to know all the “christian” things to say. You don’t need to know all the scripture. In fact I know someone who has the entire bible memorized. Actually he can recite it in different languages and he is not a christian. In fact he hates God. Satan knows scriptures more than our best pastors and he continually rebels against god. So stop worrying about your knowledge and just be excited to share your story about Jesus.

Lets look at a story in Acts about Saul, or Paul.

“20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. “

Paul didn’t have scripture to memorize. He didn’t have a bible to reference to. All he had was his testimony. Meaning Christians have a divine presence compared to the world. We are different from the rest of the world, because we know that we aren’t from this world. Once we have a conversion, there is a difference about us. This is what’s more important than scripture. Your testimony of how Jesus saved you is far more important than remembering all this scripture for evangelizing. And what’s more important is you know the story better than anyone on this Earth. So when given the opportunity to share the Gospel, tell them your story and how it was Jesus saved you. It’s that simple.

We have to remember that this short life is a small opportunity to evangelize. I want you to think about something really quick. After our life is over, when are we going to be able to evangelize. Everyone in heaven will already be Christians and there won’t be another opportunity to try and save a soul. That time will have long passed. How moving and scary! This is why Jesus repeats this message several times in the New Testament. Look at Acts again. In when Jesus is speaking to Anaias about Saul. Jesus tells him to “go.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Actually, Jesus tell all his disciples to “go” He tells almost all that he healed to “go” and spread who healed you. He told the dead to “get up and go.” Jesus didn’t want us to get complacent and lazy in our speed. He wanted us to move with a purpose and that purpose is sharing the gospel. He wanted us to hit the ground running with the Spirit. He wanted us to just “go.”

We need to remember that we just need to go in the name of Jesus. It doesn’t matter how far we go as long as we go. It doesn’t matter if we go across the world or across the street as long as we go. And we have a purpose and that purpose is Jesus Christ. Let us all start being workers in the Lord’s harvest and ripe the good fruit. We all need to take this precious opportunity to share His name and rejoice that Jesus has saved us from sin. We can rejoice now that we are saved and why not take this joy that’s here now into this dark world. Trust me there is someone out there that will listen to you and your testimony. Someone out there is hurting right now and God is wanting to use you to help this person in need. Cease the opportunity ladies and gentleman!

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

The last part of this Scripture is returning home. The end of age is coming fast. Our lives are short and we will be returning home. When we get to heaven there will be a welcome home party. There will be much rejoicing because we have finished our mission. When we stand before God, we need to say Lord I went! I obeyed your commandment and I went in your name. I went into the world with a purpose and now I am home. So as you go out those doors today “Hit the ground running.”