Presbyterian Devotions: Sharing the Gospel

Acts 26:28       Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" 

I really admire Paul. He never wasted an opportunity to tell the people that he encountered about Jesus and how to be a Christian. Even when he faced leaders and governors, kings and an emperor, he used the meeting to talk about Christ and not his own precarious situation. That’s what makes Paul such a hero in my book. His Christianity is undaunted by circumstances; his faith in Jesus never falters.

This is why I also admire the Christian Church in China. Each day, Christians over there face harassment and opposition, injustice and imprisonment, and yet they keep meeting secretly for Bible studies, worship, and prayer. They are remarkable Christians and put us Western church goers to shame. If we were faced with one percent of the opposition that Chinese Christians encounter on a daily basis, we would back down and make our faith private. We consider it as being impolite and even bigoted to share our Christian beliefs with others of different faiths; Chinese Christians cannot afford that philosophical luxury – nor would they ever want to.

So, here’s the challenge for us today: if God grants us an opportunity to share our faith with the people we encounter, whether it be in the street, at our work, in our homes, or even online via Facebook and Twitter, will we boldly witness for Christ or fearfully choose to ignore it?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we will encounter and meet up with many people today, some of whom You have placed on our path so that we might share Your Love, Your Gospel, and our faith with them. Keep us from being afraid and help us to apply our faith in loving and effective ways. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is of Graystone Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. When John and his family first came to Knoxville, he preached there for six weeks. In October, Graystone celebrates its 120^th anniversary. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link:  http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5002097480_6095c74e91_b.jpg