The Gospel of John records one of my favorite commands in the Bible: Tell others about Jesus! It is as simple as that. In John’s first chapter we see that Andrew spends a day with Jesus, listening to Him teach and minister. Can you imagine what that would have been like? It must have been so powerful and overwhelming that his immediate response was to get his brother and take him to Jesus. Andrew tells Peter, “We have found the Messiah. He brought him to Jesus.” (John 1.41-42a). In that moment, Andrew did two things. 1) He proclaimed Christ. 2) He took his brother to Christ.
The next day, Andrew and Peter became followers of Jesus. Andrew was not the only one to tell a friend about Jesus. We also see in this chapter that Philip found Nathanael, told him about Jesus, and took Nathanael to see Christ! What do you think happened? Nathanael became a follower of Jesus!
It is an age-old principle to life: we share with others the things we love the most! Just ask any Mac person what they think of PCs and you’ll catch my drift.
My question for you is simple, “Do you love Jesus enough to share Him with others?”
When I was serving as a youth pastor a few years ago, one of my eighth graders, Cade, brought a friend to youth group. It wasn’t uncommon to see new faces but the circumstance for this particular student stands out in my mind. Cade had been working with his friend, Josh, for about a year. Cade had told Josh about Jesus. He told him that he needed a personal relationship with Him. After a year, Josh decided to come to church.
That night, I received an email from our first-time visitor. He asked me, “Is it true I need a relationship with Jesus? How do I have a relationship with Him? Is He already in me if I believe in Him and God?”
I shared with Josh about our sin problem and how Jesus took our punishment so that we may have eternal life with God. The next day I followed up with this young man. He told me that he had accepted Jesus Christ as His Lord and was excited to learn more!
It had been a year in the making, but because of Cade’s diligence and love for Jesus, another person accepted the free gift of life that we call salvation. Four month’s later Cade passed away in a tragic accident. His passing rocked the community we lived in but even greater; his passing had an eternal impact in the Kingdom of God. Following Cade’s passing we hosted a memorial service at the church. During that time we shared the Gospel and witnessed dozens of young teenagers come forward to make a profession of faith in Jesus as Lord. Cade’s life lined up with the words he spoke and people paid attention.
Sometimes we don’t know what to say or how to say it. I believe that’s why Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. That is why Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus. That is why Cade brought Josh to church. They had discovered something so incredible that the only way to express it was to share the experience with someone else! My challenge for you is simple: Share your love for Christ with someone today and bring them to church this Sunday.
Upside Down Faith 