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The Masks We Wear

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In our neighborhood, and I suspect in yours, in October the kids put on costumes and go trick-or-treating. Most kids wear the mask of their favorite comic book hero to hide their identity and hopefully get a treat.

The sad thing is that many of us adults do the same type of thing. We put on the mask of a pious Christian. We go to church on Sunday. We say all the right things. We pretend to be faithful. We pretend to be a “good Christian.”

The apostle Paul attacked this imitation of Christian living. In 2 Corinthians, he says that “unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity like men (and women) sent from God.” Paul is telling us to take off our masks. To stop trying to deceive others. To stop trying to cover up our sins.

God can see through the masquerade that keeps us from walking openly with Him. Its only when we open our hearts and allow Christ to make us the kind of people He wants us to be that we can stop pretending to be someone were not and truly let the world see Christ through us.

Our Motivation

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II Corinthians 5:14 explains what I call Gods rescue operation for mankind. The apostle Paul writes that Jesus Christ “died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them, and was raised again.” That, my friend, is the incredible rescue operation that took place on the cross when Jesus died for our sins!

God rescued us from ourselves – you notice it says – so that we would live no longer for ourselves. That really is the main enemy that we face. Satan is an enemy, yes; the world is an enemy, too. But the worst enemy is our very own sinful flesh.

Living for ourselves is selfish living. And selfish living leads us away from Christ. It leads to all sorts of problems in our lives. Yet, thankfully, Jesus Christ freed us from our past, gives us joy in the present, and hope for our future.

So what does this have to do with witnessing? Everything! The love of Jesus – His sacrifice in dying on the cross – is the biggest motivation for us to tell others about Him!

So think about the reality of Gods rescue operation in your own life. Then ask the Lord to help you tell your story — to your world.

Worship

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Its no accident that the first of the ten commandments says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Jesus also told us in the gospel of John that we should worship the Lord our God, and serve Him alone. The apostle Paul tells us that worshiping God pleases God. The book of Hebrews says that worship also draws us near to God, and Him to us. By worshiping the Lord, we acknowledge His true perfection and power.

So what does all this talk about worship have to do with evangelism? Why everything! If we want to be authentic Christians who make a difference in our world, we need to worship! In public and in private – with our whole lives! Romans chapter 12 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.”

As you worship God, He will reveal His character in you. When you give Him His rightful place in your life, He will be able to use you! Hell increase your compassion for the lost. And youll want to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone you meet. So worship God today and He will prepare you for great things and your cup will run over with the fullness of the Holy Spirit and youll be a blessing and youll reach out to others in a winsome way.

Fear God, Not Man

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Here’s a question for you. Are you afraid of God or man? It’s a question we should all ask ourselves from time to time, especially when it comes to evangelism. We need to be more concerned about what God thinks of us rather than what people think about us.

In I Cor. 9, the apostle Paul says he uses whatever evangelism method works for the particular group of people he’s sharing with. Paul didn’t care if some think he’s strange, or sacreligious. He says, “I am free and I belong to no man.” In another passage he writes, “If I serve men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Don’t fear man. Respect, yes. Fear, no. It’s a tough command to follow, but so important! Sometimes it helps me to remember that no matter what others think of the way I’m presenting the Gospel, the Bible says that it’s priestly work. Yeah, priestly work!

Paul himself writes about “the priestly duty of proclaiming the Gospel.” I love that. So however you go about sharing the Good News, remember you are doing priestly work. Whatever your method, (as long as it is ethical) don’t worry about what the world says. As you replace your fear of man with a fear of God, you’ll be even more empowered to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and that helps people everywhere.

Flexible Methodology

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Have you ever had a creative idea for sharing the Good News, but then shied away from it because it seemed too crazy? I’m here to tell you that even the apostle Paul used non-conventional ways to spread the Good News Gospel so, don’t give up too quickly, okay?

In I Corinthians 9, Paul says, “I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible. To the Religious, I became like a religious person to win them to Christ. To those under the law, I became like one under the law …I became all things to all men so that by all possible means, I might save some.” Paul had a clear conviction. His passion, his personal attitude was, I will put no obstacle in front of the Good News. He’s saying he’ll preach the Gospel no matter what, because that’s what God has charged him to do. When it comes to methodology, he’s flexible. He did whatever it took, within reason, to present the Good News to the people of his day.

The truth is that if your method is ethical and moral, you can use any method you want. Methods aren’t important – it’s the message that’s sacred and essential. So do whatever it takes to communicate God’s love and grace to people in your world and God will use you.