Today we’re going to talk about how we are better together. We are commissioned by God to reach out together. Growing spiritually stretches us to reach out to others. It is usually pretty easy to love other believers. We are not just called to love those who already know and love God. We are to love those who are still lost. Love cares about the destiny of others. We say it often and loudly that we want no one from our world to go to hell. We want to make it easy for them to get to heaven. We want it to be easy for them to find and follow God. Here are some ways to make that happen.
In Col 4:5-6, Paul shares four ways we can become intentional about introducing others to Jesus.
1) Be wise in how you act. Actions really do speak louder than words. I know all of you are polite, patient, optimistic and encouraging all the time – it is just others we know who are judgmental, frustrated, arrogant, irritated and rude.
2) Make the most of every opportunity – each day you have opportunities for divine appointments, make yourself available to God daily.
3) Make our words kind and pleasant. People are attracted to love, and love is like honey – besides attracting things, it makes things sticky. We want those who come to Christ to stick. We want lasting fruit, the kind that remains.
4) Give a good answer. People are looking for answers, and we may not know them all, but we have access to the One who does. As we share Christ we can do it in a manner that propels them toward Christ, instead of repels them.
When it comes to sharing the gospel, there is no more powerful tool than hospitality. From the Old Testament example of Abraham welcoming the 3 holy visitors, to Paul’s admonition in the New Testament, we are commanded to be hospitable. What comes naturally to some, is work for many, but should be a natural part of our lives as believers. Entertaining is different from hospitality. We are not inviting people over to impress them, or to make them feel obligated to reciprocate, but merely to show the love of God. It is a great way to make friendships and show acceptance to those who don’t know Christ yet. We are on this earth representing Jesus, and hospitality is a great way to get to know people, and to have them in a home filled with peace, so that the love of God in us, can draw them to the feet of Jesus.