Let Jesus Speak

How do you react when someone asks for your help? How do you respond when you hear a tragic story from an acquaintance? I’m not talking about the “major” tragedies as recounted and reported by the major news stories (i.e., the Greensburg tornado, the New Orleans hurricane, the Topeka flooding), I’m talking about your neighbor whose child or grandchild has died, or the friend of a friend who has lost their home to fire or flood, or your co-worker whose child has become involved in drugs or alcohol. Do we ignore the topic altogether or do we politely acknowledge the situation and move on to other trivial, less uncomfortable subjects?

The real question is, “how do I reach those for Jesus?” Talk about uncomfortable! I am not a great speaker. Evangelism has never been one of my strong points. I never seem to know just how to broach the subject of salvation or to tell them of Jesus. Just how do I convince someone to believe in Jesus?

John 4 tells of how one woman spread the news of Jesus to her entire town. After a brief encounter with Jesus, the Samaritan woman went back into town and simply told the people of her experience and they flocked to see Him. While many believed because of the woman’s testimony, many more believed when they actually listened to Jesus.

The verse that recently struck me in this story is verse 42,

They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (emphasis added)

Simple enough: if we simply let Jesus speak, they will know that He is the Savior! Paul said it this way, “…but we preach Christ crucified…When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 1:23a; 2:1-2). You have heard the expression, “You may be the only Jesus someone sees today”; well, if we let Jesus speak through our words and actions, people WILL come to know the Savior. So how should we react? How should we respond? If Jesus is truly the Lord of our lived, our actions and our speech will draw people to Jesus. Let’s be a people that practices what we preach.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17