Remember to Remember

In Michaels Green’s book. “Evangelism in the Early Church.” He explains that the reason Christ spread His definitive Gospel so quickly was due to the constant conversing of believers who just had to tell someone. “Gospel Gossiping” Yes, the rumors were true, Jesus the Christ changed my life. 

Why is it that I can fall into the lie that conversing about Christ is difficult? Perhaps because it is placed into a box of effective evangelism. Here are your models, verses to memorize… go master these illustrations and your good to go! It’s enough to intimidate. 
Evangelism is more than arithmetic.

I think there are deeper causes.

Paul was a fireball. Every breath and pen stroke testified to his commitment to not forget. To never forget what Christ had done for him. Read any letter and it is steeped in passionate pleading for the salvation of everyone, Jew and Gentile. He remembered Christ’s lack of discrimination and that moment of blinding light and forgiveness. 
In Romans he says “I am proud of the good news!” such a stark contrast to the leaders of the early church spoken of in John 12, “ many of their leaders put their faith in Jesus, but they did not tell anyone about it…And besides, the leaders liked praise from others more than they liked praise from God.” By keeping silent, am I treasuring the praise of man…more than the praise of God? When did I become this? When did I loose sight of what Christ did for me and when did I forget?

I can’t say that these men’s experiences were less powerful than Paul’s. Because no matter what I think, these leaders still accepted Christ in a time where even the mention of His name could lose them their lives. Did I even face such danger in my conversion? But something happened. They forgot. Suddenly their encounter with God was turned into a stale memory. It wasn’t exciting anymore.

I think so many of us walk around as emaciated Christians, not just in the realms of Bible Study and theology but because we have forgotten the most effective tool in our tool box of conversion essentials…a memory.
A moment in our life when mercy called our names and swung open the shallow doors of our independence; a moment when you could hear His voice and you wondered how and why it had taken you this long to get there. He came for you. 
I remember my moment. It happened in my room on my floor, alone. Christ flew into my heart and I was rendered helpless to an onslaught of love and forgiveness. 
When was yours? 

These moments are the ones that stir our hearts. We remember. We remember what He did, and wows…wait, He is STILL doing stuff. 
Often times our evangelistic pursuits are built on a shallow surface of Bible jargon and good words to say. But to really cause people to dive-bomb into the well of living water, we have to give them a taste of it ourselves. What is more impacting than a person who is itching to tell you about this amazing man who has given them a home they couldn’t afford, children to a barren womb, favor from a professor. These are tastes and these are real and relatable and these are the things that we cannot forget.

Yes, the rumors are true. Jesus has saved me.

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. I don’t think it’s as difficult as I make it out to be. ::Deuteronomy 4:9::