Pope John Paul II reminds us that
"if we go back to the beginnings of the Church, we find a clear affirmation that
Christ is the one Savior of all, the only one able to reveal God and lead to God." In
reply to the Jewish religious authorities who question the apostles about the healing of
the lame man, Peter says: ‘By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you
crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well....
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among
men by which we must be saved‘ (Acts 4:10, 12). This statement, which was made to the
Sanhedrin, has a universal value, since for all people—Jews and Gentiles
alike—salvation can only come from Jesus Christ (Mission of the Redeemer, 5).
Shout It From The...
Everyone needs to hear the Good News and be
reconciled to God. There is no way that we can make it to God on our own (cf. Matthew
19:25-26). All are lost in sin. The well-dressed man driving his Mercedes and the
alcoholic lying on the street in tattered clothes each share the same problem: they are
lost without Jesus Christ. When they each have heard and rejected the Gospel, they have
only one major difference between their lives: the rich man will live a more comfortable
life in this world before going on to an eternity in hell.
Jesus tells us that "there will be more joy in
heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no
repentance" (Luke 15:7). The rejoicing in heaven is equally great for each sinner
that returns. Every soul is of equal value in the eyes of God: "Then Peter began to
speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation
anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’" (Acts
10:34-35). It doesn’t matter if they live in a mud hut in Africa or a mansion in
Beverly Hills. It doesn’t matter if they are seen as the model citizen in their
community or as the most feared criminal. The rejoicing in heaven is great for each one.
For this reason, we shouldn’t focus our efforts to spread the Gospel merely on those
that are materially less fortunate. Our challenge is to permeate all of society with the
saving message of the Gospel.
God Has a Plan
Spreading the Gospel is to be considered a normal part of
the Christian life. It is not to be considered exceptional or extraordinary. Pope Paul VI
said that God desires to use everyone to spread the message of the Gospel: "Finally,
the person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize others. Herein lies the test of
truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the
Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and
proclaims it in his turn." (Pope Paul VI, On Evangelization in the Modern World, 24).
John Paul II adds, "The Lord is always calling us to
come out of ourselves and to share with others the goods we possess, starting with the
most precious gift of all—our faith. (Pope John Paul II, Mission of the Redeemer, 49)
Truly, each Christian should be used to bring others to
Christ. Many people tell me, "I don’t know if I can evangelize. I’m not
very outgoing and I hate talking to crowds." Sometimes they say, "I don’t
think that I can evangelize. I could never approach strangers on the street." Not
everyone has the gifts or the call for preaching or sidewalk evangelism. But the person
that is good with crowds and strangers might not be very good at talking with close
friends and family members about the Gospel. The people who do not see themselves as
outgoing may do very well in ministering to the sick as an Eucharistic minister or
teaching a vacation Bible school class. If you are willing to be used to spread the
Gospel, God is able to use you. You are God’s perfect, chosen instrument to reach
some people with the Gospel. You are his first choice. God has given you specific gifts
and abilities. He will use you to reach others.
The Holy Spirit Empowers You
The great commissioning in the Gospel of Mark shows that
the power of the Holy Spirit is given to the believer to fulfill this great task:
"And these signs will accompany those who believe..." In fact, every place that
the New Testament records the "Great Commission" it includes the promise of the
power of the Holy Spirit to help us in this task. To be successful, we must rely on
God’s power to work through us. If you feel inadequate to be an evangelizer, you are
actually in a very good position. The person who is confident and relies upon their own
learning and abilities will be much less effective than the person that relies upon
God’s grace and power.
I remember the first time that I was to lead the parish
prayer meeting. I was at church in the afternoon. I became worried and began to pour out
my heart to the Lord: "Lord, what am I doing? You know that I can’t do
this!" I heard God’s answer clearly: "I know you can’t, Greg. But I
can. So long as you remember that and rely on me for help, everything will be just
fine."
Perhaps you are still thinking, "Who, me? How I am
going to tell someone about Jesus? I don’t know very much about the Bible or the
teachings of the Church. Who is going to listen to me?" This used to be one of my
main concerns. I shied away from witnessing to others because I felt that I didn’t
know very much. One day, while I was praying, I heard the Lord say: "Greg, it’s
not your knowledge or understanding that is going to bring others to me, it’s my
power that will bring them. Are you willing to tell others what you know about
me?" "Yes," I answered. "If you are willing to tell them what you know
about me," God continued, "then I will send those that need to hear it."
In the coming weeks I was amazed at how many people were
brought across my path to hear about God. What was most amazing was that they needed to
hear things that I could tell them! I always read the Bible during my prayer time. I would
read something like Psalm 91 which talks about God’s protection. Soon after, someone
would be telling me about their fear. I would witness to them about how God desires to
protect us and his promises in Psalm 91. If they had come a few days earlier, I would not
have known what to tell them. God is a good coordinator in this sense. He knows just what
you know about him; knows what he has done for you and what he is teaching you. God will
bring people into your path for whom you can act as a teacher and witness.
I talk to a lot of people about God. If I find them in
the grocery store, on the subway, or in a park, I’ll ask them: "Do you know that
God loves you? Did you know that you can live with him forever in heaven?" As people
open up and talk, I take notice of what they are saying. I particularly take notice of
what is said by those who don’t go to church or who profess not to believe in Jesus
Christ. Many of them offer objections and excuses. They say, "I’m not going to
church because you Christians are all hypocrites." Or they say that the evangelists
are the biggest phonies of all (they don’t know that I am one), especially those on
radio and television.
You see, most non-Christians have found a way to put
Christianity in a tidy little box and put it up on the shelf. They are not hearing the
Word of God in a church on Sunday; they don’t listen to it on the radio or on
television. But when God sends you to them, they don’t have a little box to put you
in and dismiss you. They know you as the mechanic in the next bay in the garage, or the
neighbor over the back fence or another parent of a child in the sixth grade class. When
you befriend them and love them with the love of God, their heart is touched and opened.
Most people aren’t looking for scripture scholars,
theologians, or polished public speakers. What they need is someone like you that
can speak honestly from the depth of the heart about the greatest need in their
life—their need to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and be reconciled with their Creator
God.
Decision
To fulfill your Baptism and Confirmation promises, you
have an important decision to make. Will you give God permission to use your life for the
spreading of the Gospel? I’m not asking you to become a priest, a nun, or a religious
brother. I’m not asking you to be a foreign missionary, a sidewalk preacher, or a
door-to-door evangelist. I’m asking: Will you give God permission to use you to
spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ? If you give God this permission, he will use you.
Most likely, very few of the circumstances of your life will change. You will most likely
still live in the same house, work at the same job and drive the same car. You will still
have the same family. But, there will be a new meaning and purpose in your life. You will
begin to live the Christian life with a greater anointing of the Holy Spirit.
If you give God permission to use you to bring the Gospel
to others, he will use you to reap a harvest of souls in our day. There will be people
that will reign in heaven with God forever instead of suffering in Hell because you said
"yes."
Please notice that I am not asking you if you feel
qualified or adequately prepared to share the Gospel. I am simply asking this: Are you
willing? If you are willing, God is ready to use you. Simply say, "Here I am
Lord—Send me." He will do the rest.
© 1999 Greg Trainor, Holy Spirit
Missionary Association. HSMA.net
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Read other articles of spiritual
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