Key Verse: Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..."
"Repent, for the Lord is coming!"
Could a man walking down 125th street in Harlem, New York, with a smile as he pauses from his singing to say these words to a woman passing by represent the voice of God? He looked and sounded very West African. Yet, could he have been sent by God to the Great Metropolis, New York City, to invite people to experience and accept a life with Christ? I believe he could indeed represent the voice of God. After all, I believe that the Lord called me from the pavements of South Carolina to issue the same invitation to persons in the world. What is the graceful method of inviting persons to The Anointed One?
As a senior minister in an United Methodist Church within New York City, it is expected that the Scriptural way of salvation would come from the pulpit. In the Bible we discover that
pulpits are not necessary for salvation, but acceptance of the grace of God is the primary need. Paul left the comfort of the temples of Jerusalem and places of worship among the Jewish Christians to spread the gospel in the diverse places of the world. He did not sound or look like many of the people, who heard him. Understanding that Christ transcends culture, Paul offered salvation by grace through faith to everyone, regardless of their race, culture, gender, occupation or lifestyle. Wow!
Among people in New York, as with the Ephesians the invitation to Christ is the same, indeed. We are invited to turn to The Anointed One, and know that he is coming back for the completion of our souls. When walking the streets or standing in the pulpit, the invitation is the same - we just need to find graceful ways to extend it. Within a moment, or for thirty minutes, the invitation is the same, accept Jesus Christ as Savior, for He returns by the grace of God.
Each of us who know Christ are to invite everyone who knows not the Lord to get to, in fact, get to know HIM. When Christ comes, know Him.
1 comment:
So what, exactly is the "graceful method" of inviting individuals to a life with Christ? What are some examples of living "gracefully" in our daily lives? Since the only "bible" many unbelievers will ever "read" are Christians themselves, how can we use this methodology to not only share our faith but live it in such a way that the life becomes an invitation in and of itself?
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