Want a Challenge?

Want a Challenge?

Mark 16:15-18 “He said to them, "Go into all the world. Preach the good news to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who does not believe will be punished. Here are the miraculous signs that those who believe will do. In my name they will drive out demons. They will speak in languages they had not known before. They will pick up snakes with their hands. And when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all. They will place their hands on sick people. And the people will get well."

Matthew 28:19-20 “So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end."

This is the challenge that Jesus left for His disciples – “Go into ALL the world . . . . “ – “Preach the Gospel . . . . .”Make disciples of ALL men . . .”

Today’s church, more often than not, says – “That’s the evangelists job – not mine.

What about you? What do you say?

St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and where necessary, use words.” He understood what very few people understand even now, and that is that our faith, our Christianity, is a way of life as well as a faith. Very many Christians today say simply, “I believe, I have said the sinners prayer, I am therefore saved and will go to heaven.”

They have done their part and anything else is somebody else’s job – NOT MINE. Some, very sadly, even ask – “What is ‘saved’? Saved from what? For what?”

All the best messages in the Bible were simple.
• Moses was told to ‘hit the rock’ (not to beat it to death – just to hit it once) and there was water for all of the Israelites, and their flocks too.
• Naaman was told to go bathe 7 times in the Jordan. Not 3,5, or 9 times, but 7 and he was healed of leprosy.
• Joshua was told to walk round the city of Jericho 7 times and the walls fell down and gave them the victory.

Have you so lost your love of Jesus, your first love when you were first saved, that you won’t even mention His Name for fear of upsetting someone? There is a simple massage for you to give to people. It’s so simple that many will look completely mystified when you pass it on to them. Others will be so grateful it will bring tears to their eyes and to your eyes too.

“I have a message for you. Jesus loves you!” Say it with me - “I have a message for you. Jesus loves you!” Easy wasn’t it?

So here is a staggeringly simple challenge for ALL of us today. If every member of every church brought along just ONE person each year – then every church would at least have the opportunity to DOUBLE its membership every year. So then – here is your personal challenge “If every member of THIS church brings along just ONE new person each year, then your church might just double in size.”

Think about it. Pray about it – ask the Lord to show you who to ask. Then, like the Nike advert says - just DO IT !!

There’s a song about this – a very simple yet powerful song :-


Jesus Jesus Jesus, there's just
something about that name.
Master, Saviour, Jesus, like the
fragrance after the rain

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all heaven and
earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms all will pass away
But there's something about that Name!