The end of February marks the beginning of March Madness. You can rest assured that the longer a team stays in it the more FANS show up at their games. The louder the expression of their love for their team., the less unashamed they feel before games, and the greater the hope they have of hopefully bringing home that National Championship Trophy
These fans will paint themselves, wear their gear, and very frankly tell you why their team IS the best.
People love their teams so much they pack out arenas all across the country and while walking in they are screaming to everyone! Representing their team
In the United States, gallup shows that 78% of the country are Christian. 78%! But sadly, we as a whole are not declaring our Pride in our Savior, in The Lord, like we do in other things. People will give excuses as to why they do not show pride in Jesus, share Jesus, or be a light. “I don’t want to push my religion down other people’s throats” “I don’t want to offend” “It’s not necessary or it’s not the right time”
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.-Edmund Burke
This is happening all the time. We are not sharing our faith in a Savior ENOUGH and by doing so Evil IS prevailing. Look at the condition of the world today? In the day of “not wanting to offend” we have done nothing and people are starting to see EVIL grow and prevail.
2 Cor 5:1818 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,* so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
US! Not just the pastors, not just the spiritual people, not just the elders, US. Look at your neighbor and say US. We’ve been given the JOB of telling people they can have a relationship with God and He wants a relationship with Him. There is nobody else. He’s not using Angels, He’s not appearing himself, The Holy Spirit isn’t just showing up. PEOPLE….CHRISTIANS are the vessels He uses to spread how much He wants them BACK.
IT IS MADNESS FOR US TO NOT SHARE JESUS!
We’ve heard this before, but there is still a lot of people NOT doing it BUT even if you’re not a sports person and don’t care about a team I would ask you, what is it that YOU are sharing ALL the time that people KNOW they are going to hear from you? Are they going to know if they talk to you they’re going to hear….
Your business, Your job, Your grandkids, Your wife, Your life, Your troubles, Your church, Your new car, Your whatever? WHAT ARE THE THING YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF? IF IT”S NOT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, ISN’T THAT BACKWARDS?
We have also replaces sharing Jesus with sharing politics and personal opinion and church. NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE JESUS. JESUS IS JESUS and all of these things change AFTER Jesus. Church is NOT Jesus, Church is a place where other followers of Jesus fellowship and sharpen each other. We need to focus on HIM in what we share.
I. We need to share JESUS because we LOVE HIM MOST
a. If you are embarrassed to share your love of Jesus, then I question how much you love Him?
b. People that are fans will wear their colors in the middle of the other team
i. Going to Arkansas to watch KY play
c. People with great marriages, Newlyweds or people dating are very quick to talk about their husband or wife or romantic interest.
i. I LOVE SO AND SO on their notebooks
d. There was a time in your life where your love for Jesus was first and foremost in your life and you didn’t care if people knew. Where is that love at today?
i. Rev 2:4 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!
e. If your love for Jesus doesn’t drive you in your relationship with Him any more, then I’m going to tell you what I tell couples all the time. You need to date each other again
i. Spend more time with Him
f. The love for Jesus needs to grow so much that you can’t help but share Him with others.
II. We need to share Jesus because HE told us too
a. Mark 16:15 15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
b. The word “preach” means to proclaim or to tell someone the Gospel
c. Most people side step that scripture because they think they aren’t a preacher.
i. You are a preacher, even if you never step foot behind a pulpit
1. You may not be a Pastor, or Reverend, but a preacher is someone who proclaims or tells.
a. You ever notice you don’t have trouble passing along good news about yourself, your mom and dad
b. You ever notice you don’t have trouble passing along bad news about yourself, or others
c. You ever notice you don’t have trouble gossiping about other people
d. This wasn’t a request, this was a command, and if we don’t then we are walking in disobedience. IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN OTHERS SHOULD KNOW IT AND HEAR FROM YOU THAT JESUS LONGS TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
i. Election time – people start volunteering and make calls asking for your vote for their candidate because they believe in what the candidate stands for
e. Well what if they reject me?
i. A lot of people cringe when you tell them this because they think that telling people about Jesus is a weird thing
ii. He told us that we are to just give people the good news. He didn’t even say that we are to get people saved, but to tell people the good news about him.
1. People may even reject it, but you are doing your part by telling them
2. Rejection or acceptance is not the measuring stick of what you are doing being true or not
a. In fact Jesus told us that there would be people who don’t accept
i. Mark 16:15-16 15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
b. Just because someone says no, doesn’t mean you screwed up. It means they just didn’t accept.
c. You may be planting the seed or watering the seed
d. 1 Cor 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
3. Walking in obedience to sharing is the measuring stick of you being successful.
