Ryan: Cool. Is this one of those commemorative 10 commandments coins?
Me: It's a gospel tract. It has the 10 commandments on one side and the gospel on the other. The bible says that the purpose of the commands are to show us how desperately we need a savior. The gospel side of the coin explains how we can be saved from our sins and receive the free gift of eternal life with the Lord. If you died today, Ryan, do you know where you'd spend eternity?
Ryan: Oh yeah. I've been a Christian all of my life. I grew up in a Christian home. I actually led my wife to the Lord when we were dating in Korea. I'll show her this coin. She will like it.
Me: Korea? Wow! What were you doing there?
Ryan: I just wanted an adventure, so I went there to teach English. That's where I met my wife and ended up leading her to the Lord when we were getting to know each other. I went to ORU and have attended Victory Christian Center and Church on the Move.
Me: That's great. How often do you share the gospel with others, Ryan?
Ryan: Not often. I don't really like to confront people about it. A lot of the non-Christians that I knew at ORU would say how much it turned them off when people would try to witness to them, so I don't usually bring it up with people unless I feel led.
Me: Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, "Follow me and I will teach you how to fish for men." You can't take anything with you to heaven, Ryan, except other people. Jesus wants us to be fishing. Well, it's been good to meet you! I'm sure I'll see you around here. Have a great day!
Ryan: Thanks. You too. I'll give this to my wife. She'll love it!
I didn't get into a long discussion with Ryan, because he was working. But, as I left I couldn't help thinking about all of the people who will never hear the life-saving gospel because some are too afraid they will "turn someone off" if they care enough to talk about someone's eternal destiny.
If a family was in their home while it was burning down and their lives were at stake but they didn't even realize it, would you be too afraid they would be turned off or upset if you went and banged on their door and yelled at them to get their attention and warn them of the danger to their lives? Of course not. If a blind man were walking toward the edge of the Grand Canyon happily enjoying his walk but oblivious to the horrific death looming just steps away, would you be too afraid he would be upset at you or turned off if you ran over to him, grabbed him, and warned him about the need to turn around to avoid certain death? Of course not. If a doctor had a life-saving cure for swine flu but didn't want to say anything about it for fear that he might upset someone or turn someone off if he approached them about it, would we be outraged? Of course we would. And these examples only affect people's temporal lives, not their eternal destinies.
We have no idea how much time people have left. The person we pass by today may not have another day. This may be the only chance they have to hear the gospel and consider their eternal fate before it's too late. Who will care enough or love enough to warn them? Will you?
The Apostle Paul was so concerned about the eternal fate of those around him that he did not worry about whether he was going to turn someone off. He knew their lives were literally on the line. Paul told the Christians to whom he wrote, "I urge you to imitate me [and] my way of life in Christ Jesus ... (1 Cor. 4:16-17)."
What is the example of the "way of life in Christ Jesus" that Paul urges believers to imitate? In 2 Corinthians 5:10-11, Paul exhorted the Corinthian Christians as follows: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" to obey the gospel and be saved.
How did Paul try to persuade men? Here's how he described his approach: "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20)."
Can you hear the passion and urgency in Paul's voice? He pleaded with men to be saved as though God Himself were pleading through him. He implored or begged men to be saved, knowing the terror to come on the Day of Judgment for those who die in their sins.
I pray God will grant me and Ryan that same passion for souls, that same urgency that God placed on Paul's heart and that Paul begged other Christians to imitate in order to walk in the "way of Christ Jesus." After all, Jesus considered our eternal destiny such an urgent matter that He personally stepped down out of heaven to do something about it Himself. He went out of His way to seek and find us. To grab our attention. Jesus preached repentance in every city He visited. Matthew records that from the time that Jesus came back from fasting in the wilderness following His baptism until the time He reached the cross, He began to preach and to say, "repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand! (Matt. 4:17). Paul imitated Jesus, pleading with men everywhere he went. Paul urges us to do the same while there's time left.
Are you imitating Jesus and Paul in your daily walk? Do you care enough about the eternal destiny of those around you to plead with them and implore them to be saved and follow the Lord as though God Himself were pleading through you? Begin begging God today for the love, boldness, and ability to begin stepping out in faith, following Him, and learning to fish for men.
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