we can find all kinds o f excuses to keep from go ing. We need to rethink our priorities, and to re evaluate our investment o f the 24 hours allotted to us each day. Christ commanded us to go for Him. He has gone to the cross for us. Seventh: Talk about Christ. I f you expect to reach men for Christ, you must talk about Christ. You will discover that not all people are ready to receive Christ the first time you talk to them. As a young lad, I used to visit my uncle’s peach orchard. Every two days, we would pick the ripe peaches, but leave the green ones. So it is in our witness for Christ. Some are ready to receive H im ; others are not. Do not argue with those who are not ready. Give them something to read, leave them with prayer, talk to them later — as the Lord gives opportunity — but keep on looking for those who are ready. They are all around you, thousands o f people waiting to receive Christ. Do not talk about peripheral things if you expect God to use you. Talk about the Saviour — invite Him to express His love and concern through you — encourage people to invite Him into their lives. Eighth: Expect God to use you. Go with the knowledge that men are hungry for God. Men are receptive to the gospel i f they are properly approached. They are not interested in peripheral things; they do not want “ religion” ; but they are interested in Jesus Christ. It was said o f our Saviour that He could do no mighty things in Nazareth because o f their unbelief. “ Ac cording to your faith be it unto you.” 8 Do you expect God to use you ? He will. Do you doubt that He will use you? He will not. Without faith it is impossible to please God. You may, perhaps, be skeptical. You may have been a Christian for years, but have never intro duced anyone to Christ. But on the basis o f 23 years o f personal experience, and the testimony o f tens o f thousands o f laymen, students and pas tors whom we have trained (more than 100,000 during the last year), I can assure you that fol lowing this formula will help you to do the most important thing possible to help another person— help him to know Christ! One final word o f encouragement for the skeptic and the discouraged: read Luke 5:1-11. What God did for Peter and the other disciples, He wants to do through you, if only you will trust and obey Him. References: 1. Ephesians 2:8, 9 ; 2. I John 1 :9 ; 3. Psalms 66:18; 4. Acts 1 :8 ; 5. Ephesians 5 :18 ; 6. I John 5:14, 15; 7. II Peter 3 :9 ; 8. Matthew 9:29. Dr. Bright is founder and director o f Campus Crusade for Christ International. . 01 ]
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me.” 4 We cannot expect to be fruit ful and effective for Christ unless we are con trolled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit involves allowing the Holy Spirit to control us, and to empower us, fo r a fruitful life and a fruitful witness. We need to remember two important words: command, “ And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” ;5 and promise, “ And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, i f we ask anything according to his will, he heareth u s: and i f we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know we have the petition that we desired o f him.” 6 Therefore, on the authority o f God’s Word, if you are willing to surrender control o f your life to Christ, and to appropriate the fulness o f His power by faith, you can be assured that He will hear and answer you. You can walk in the fulness and power o f the Holy Spirit’s control every day o f your life, as you claim God’s prom ises and live by faith. Fourtht Be prepared to share your fuith. By preparation, I mean, learn how to present the gospel so simply that a child can understand it. This can be done through the Four Spiritual Laws, or through a similar plan which explains who Christ is, why He came and how we can receive Him as Lord and Saviour. It is our re sponsibility as Christians to allow Christ to have control o f our lives, to walk around in our bodies, to think with our minds, to love with our hearts, and to speak with our lips. When we do this, He is the One who produces the spiritual fruit through us, just as the vine produces fruit through its branches. Anyone can learn how to share his love for Christ with others, and it need not take a long period o f time to do so. As you abide in Him, you will mature in Christ and will always be prepared to share Him with others. I f you want your loved ones to come to Christ, share Christ with them in the power o f the Spirit, but first make a prayer list. Begin to claim them for God in prayer. You have the authority o f His Word and His integrity behind His Word. You can share your faith in Christ with your loved ones and friends, knowing that His promise — that He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance7 — is true. Relate this promise to the promise o f I John 5:14, 15, that, when we pray according to God’s will, He hears and answers us. Fifth* Make a prayer liet of those whom you wish to Introduce to Christ. Sixth: Go to the people; do not wait tor them to come to you. One o f the greatest barriers to witnessing is the problem o f getting going. We are all busy, and
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