… so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
Summary: Marketing is an essential part of any business. A product must be attractive if people are to buy it. God’s appearance to people is seen in how believers act.
Larry and Chris were walking through the mall when they found the crowd. A group of people had gathered around something interesting. Over the heads of the people standing there, they could see someone in the middle of the crowd standing a head taller than anyone else. It was a young man wearing a microphone headset and standing under a bright light. Behind him, two large-screen televisions showed pictures of the utensils and food set out on the table in front of him.
The young man was selling a kitchen gizmo that made preparing healthy food fast and easy. He could turn five dollars worth of fruits and vegetables into a meal that would help you lose weight, keep your heart healthy, and give you more energy than you have ever felt before. The chrome-plated machine gleamed under the spotlights, the food looked delicious, and Chris and Larry were intrigued. The salesman had succeeded in making his product attractive.
The original Greek word for “attractive” is kosmeō. The intended meaning in this passage is to bring honor to the teachings about God our Savior. Not all marketing is about honor. The week before, Larry had been searching the ads for a used car. The ads sounded great, but every one he called on turned out to be a dud or to be owned by someone who had bought it a week before and was trying to make a fast buck. That kind of selling left a bad taste in his mouth.
The reason we do good for the sake of the Gospel is to honor our Lord.
What has Paul asked of us?
- temperance
- self-control
- sound faith
- love
- purity
- kindness
- integrity
- seriousness
- honesty
- being trustworthy
Some mock these traits and are not impressed. They are not the opinions we are concerned with. To those who are hungry for God’s love, these traits stand out like a lighthouse beacon on a dark night. They shine like the glint of sunlight on polished steel. They are a lifeline to those who are searching for God.
It is good to be able to share the Gospel with words. It is even better when our lives reflect the Gospel’s light directly into the eyes of those who see us.
Application: Actions speak louder than words.
Food for Thought: Everyone has a story to share. How does who we are and what we do affect how our story is heard by others?
Faithfulness and being trustworthy is important. After telling a parable about a dishonest stewart or manager Jesus made a statement in Luke 16:10. He said, “Whoever is trustworthy (Faithful), with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
In Mark’s gospel. after Jesus had spoken to the fig tree and it had withered He gave another principle. He said, “Have faith in God”.
“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his/her heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11: 22-24).
As you read the following two true news accounts, please reflect on these verses and how we might increase in our own Faithfulness as well as faith in God and His ability and willingness to use us.
Have a great day, and Be Blessed and a Bless to others as you seek to Honor the Savior.
Christopher is a Christian businessman who years ago had a dream. In his dream he saw himself speaking words of life to dead people, who returned to life at hearing the name of Jesus.
When he asked God about the meaning of his dream, he was led to a man by the name of Phillip whom he began to disciple. In the four years that followed, the two of them planted 11 churches. Then they received a training in Disciple Making Movements, which kickstarted them to facilitate the planting of 102 new churches with 113 new leaders. Every year Christopher invests profits from his business to fund pioneer church planting teams, and he has also helped 60 different church planters become self-supporting.
One day, Christopher and Phillip decided to travel for a week to visit various new churches, so they hired a man named Namir to carry them in his donkey cart. Over the course of their time travelling together, they had the opportunity to share the gospel with Namir and, remarkably, within just a few days, Namir had found peace with God and assurance of salvation.
‘Namir wasted no time in sharing the gospel with others’
Phillip continued to disciple Namir for some time, but Namir wasted no time in sharing the gospel with others, using his donkey cart as a pulpit. He tells the story in his own words:
“While working on the cart, taking people from one place to another, I tell them about Jesus. They don’t take me as a minister or evangelist; they take me as a cart driver, who tells a joke and is friendly to them. This way, I share Jesus with 60 people in a day. I will start the conversation with a topic that draws their attention, that is familiar to them. Then I tell them that I used to be a Muslim. I used to drink alcohol and was addicted to khat. I didn’t have peace. I tell them that I studied the religion I used to hate – that is, Christianity – then I ended up accepting it. And now I have peace and satisfaction.”
“One day, a lady told me that her husband beats her. He gives cattle as a sacrifice for an evil spirit, and they are getting poor. She asked me what to do. I told her that there is a solution and told her about Jesus. She said: ‘If he is going to be a solution, I am willing to follow him.’ She accepted the Lord and found peace and joy. So far more than 300 people have become Christ followers. While working as a cart driver, I have planted four churches, and these churches planted other churches. All of these are in Muslim regions.”
‘I have 904 answered prayers written down in this book’
“I set a day for fasting and prayer every week. Then I climb a mountain, whether I am sick or not, and have been doing this for three years. I pray for the people who are in different bondages, so that they get saved. I pray for the church planters and missions around the world. People often give me written requests and I pray that God will bless them with all that they need. I have got all the requests and answered prayers recorded. I have 904 answered prayers written down in this book. And when God speaks to me, I write that down too.”
Namir showed us his prayer journal, a painstakingly hand-written book with hundreds of pages, every page covered with names and prayer requests, and answers! He carries that book with him whenever he is driving his cart. Today, many people will wait at the marketplace for his cart, bypassing other more modern taxis, so that they can ask ‘the praying cart man’ to add their names to his book.
Source: Christopher, Phillip and Namir, interviewed by Jerry Trousdale for his book ‘Miraculous Movements’
UK: Stories of answered prayer spread hope during Covid-19
Stories of answered prayer are bringing hope to millions of people during the current lockdown.
The Answered Prayer Campaign was launched in the UK on 25 January and went viral in the first 24 hours, with posts containing the hashtags #answeredprayerchallenge and #makehopevisible reaching 1.3 million people. It is a joint initiative of Premier Christian Media and the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer. Founder Richard Gamble said they want to gather answered prayers from Christians across the world, “to demonstrate that Jesus is alive and relevant today as he ever was.”
Evangelical Alliance director Gavin Calver was one of the Christians who have shared their stories of answered prayer. He recalled one answered prayer as a child that would shape his faith for years to come.
“The prayer that was answered most powerfully that I can remember, was as a nine-year-old boy at Spring Harvest,” he said. At this Christian conference, after a teaching on prayer, “they said if there is anyone in your circle who wants to pray for healing, then do that. Immediately, my friend James ripped off his sock and said: ‘I want healing for my verruca to go.’ I remember thinking that I didn’t want to put my hand on his foot!”
“Nonetheless, we prayed and as a nine-year-old, believing that the Lord can do anything, I prayed that Jesus would take his verruca away. When I opened my eyes, I could not believe what I saw, as the verruca had disappeared. The faith that has grown from that encounter has led to me praying for all kinds of things, because I believe that God can change stuff.”
Source: Richard Gamble, Gavin Calver
Thank you, Jeff.
Interesting stories!
Who we are and what people see validate the message we share. It is however critical to share the message. Both are essential. If we have a glowing reputation and high integrity, but never share the gospel – that is just as bad as sharing the gospel but having bad character. I see them as flip sides of the same coin. I think Acts 1: 8 has both aspects included. Being a good ambassador of Christ means we are compelled by Christ’s love to live for Him in an attractive way and to share with boldness. 2 Corinthians 5: 14 – 21. We are to make the teaching attractive. That means we do have to teach.
Rich,
I hope what I wrote did not come across as suggesting we do not have to share our faith in words. You are right that living the Gospel and sharing the Gospel are two sides of the same coin. Well said! 🙂
No, what you wrote was excellent. I was just adding my thoughts… but I certainly did not think you were suggesting otherwise.
How does who we are and what we do affect how our story is heard by others?
Years ago when I was a new believer in Bible Study Fellowship. The Lord hooked me up with a man whose job was to help me work through my questions regarding all this christian, bible stuff being revealed to me for the first time. I had been transported into a new world and Jim was helping me get a grasp on this previously unseen reality God had awakened my spirit to. I remember my biggest concern was what were we supposed to do with all these truths we were learning? We couldn’t keep all of this to ourselves, how were we going to tell others? Jim would always bring me back to the now of that time, and tell me, “ just keep studying and in time God would make that clear, right now, study.”
I joined a bible based church, did lots of stuff, Sunday school teacher, weekly home bible studies, new members classes, deacon board and weekends knocking on doors and inviting people to our church. I enjoyed all these but nothing compared to what God had in mind for me.
BSF had drilled APPLICATION, APPLICATION, APPLICATION into my studies and I continued with this in my home studies as well. I had a lot of cleaning that needed to be done, but eventually things began happening outside the church. People began asking me why I was different and I would tell them about Jesus, or they would ask what could they do for me to pay me back for all I had done for them, and I would tell them about Jesus. I would have conversations about Jesus with people I had never known, God would just bring them to me and speak through me..
God opened my eyes to the bottom line of why I have studied His word and why I was being left here. I AM HERE TO SERVE HIM, PERIOD. Not in my imperfect power, but in His perfect power, Christ in me. He told me, nothing is by accident. Everything, every meeting between me and any other person has been arranged by Him. Every person I see in need, and move to help is because He has made me see the need and in His power I am moved to help.
He told me not to worry about telling people they are sinners, in need of salvation to avoid judgement, He is taking care of that by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have died so that Christ might live in me, so allow the Holy Spirit to present John 3:16 to the person and explain why this truth applies to them. I have watched men cry as the perfect, words from God came out of my mouth and they caved in to the reality of their sinfulness, and need for Christ in their lives.
Followers of Christ are to study and APPLY Gods word to themselves, knowing their purpose is TO SERVE GOD, who is Sovereign, Omniscience (All-Knowing), and at creation by His foreknowledge, predestined every event of our lives. We are to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to others through us in the words they understand and will lead them to exercising their freewill regarding their salvation through Christ. Allow God to handle everything.
Romans 8:29-30, John 16:8-12, Galatians 2:20, John 3:16
Ron,
Thank you for sharing more of your journey with our Lord. The emphasis on applying God’s Word is such good advice. Thank you!
Very powerful testimony Ron, wise balanced message from Acts 1: 8, Rich.
Thanks so much.
Jeff,
We are so blessed to be children of our God who is bigger than our finite brains can ever imagine, yet will communicate with us on our level and use the willing as His instruments to spread His message to others.
Many Blessings to you Brother,
Ron