Good Morning!

Yesterday, I went to the St. Cloud Mayors Prayer Breakfast. Si Robertson of the “Duck Dynasty” television show was the headline speaker. I also went to an evening show that was more of an interview format. Both were very good. Of course, he was entertaining with all his stories. I’ve found that people from the South are very talented with their word pictures and ability to weave subplots in an out of the main story. Certainly, Uncle Si is a master.

What he is also a master of is sharing the gospel. Judging from what he says, he intentionally shares it with whomever he sees and whenever he can. I can’t say that about myself. Sure, I share the gospel, but not just in idle conversation as I’m talking to strangers. What is it about these people who do this?

I’ll tell you what it is that I see. I see people that understand just how big a deal Jesus is and how utterly dumbfounding it is that he even bothered with them. I don’t remember exactly how the line went, but Si referred to himself as “a scum bag like me.” I tell you what, this isn’t a testimony to his own life nearly as much as it is an appreciation of the contrast of himself and Jesus Christ. None of us can say any different about ourselves. We all are scum bags. If you think that’s an exaggeration, I suggest you haven’t come to grips with the holiness of our Savior.

I also see that people like Si not only see the importance of Jesus with regard to their salvation, but they see the importance of Him in their lives today. I see them appreciating and earnestly seeking continual transformation towards holiness. This is only possible when one has the proper perspective of ourselves in relation to Jesus. Yes, I am saved, but is that it? No, it’s not. My sins are forgiven, yes, but do I still sin? I certainly do. Am I comfortable with that, or do I despise the sin in me? And if so, what am I willing to do about it? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of it? Does it matter when I realize that my entrenched sin is keeping me from getting closer to my God?

I tell you how this works. I have sin that God shines a light on. It bothers me, yes, but unless I do something about it, I start noticing it less and less. That’s called drifting. But if I do something about it, that sin can be conquered. Guaranteed. That brings me closer to God. He’ll then shine his light on another area of my life. Maybe that will be another old sin that I didn’t pay attention to. Maybe it will be a new sin. In any case, God will keep shining light on new areas as we conquer the old ones. If we understand this properly, this process will be incredibly exciting – far more exciting than we can imagine!

Evangelism is a natural result of this transformation. As God shows us just how powerful he is to change us, we really start understanding how incredible he is. I tell you, we will want to conquer sin, and at times will want to prove that we can do so on our own with our own willpower. What we will ALWAYS discover is that under severe scrutiny and brutal honesty, we aren’t able change ourselves at all on our own. For the better, that is. I can freefall into sin all by myself, but I can’t get myself out of it. That takes submission to Jesus.

That realization – the submission to Jesus and his transformation of my life – is extremely exciting! We see this happen with new converts, don’t we? New Christians are fired up! You can’t get them to shut up about it! But, then, you start hearing less and less over time. Yes, that person may be involved with church and all that, but rarely does someone keep that same passion that they once had. As a result, it becomes rare that they share the gospel with others.

I’m speaking truth, aren’t I?

But…..it doesn’t have to be that way. We have plenty of sin to get rid of. The more we allow Jesus to transform our lives, the more transforming we see we need. The more we submit, the more we will be amazed at what God is doing for us. In our amazement, we naturally tell others all about it. And the more we do that, the more we find we share all this with others – even complete strangers. And you know what you’ll find happen then? You’ll see transformation start to happen in THEIR lives. Jesus in you will pour into them and they will change. It won’t be long before you will start telling people about THAT! “Hey, let me tell you what Jesus is doing in my life. And, while I’m at it, let me tell you about what he’s doing it the lives of a WHOLE BUNCH of people I know!”

Yup. That’s why some people share the gospel more than others. You can be one of those people, and so can I. When I listen to people like this, I want to be like them. I want what they have. I’m willing to bet you do, too.

Father, spur us on. Please, please, don’t let me get complacent in my life. Make my sin so uncomfortable that I simply must let you have your will with me. I want to share the gospel with everyone. Amen.

Copyright © 2018 Scott Powers