Urgent.

I've been reminded frequently over the past few weeks of the urgency that we have as Christians to spread the gospel. By spreading the gospel I don't just mean prancing around the city centre with a speakerphone telling everyone Jesus loves them. I'm talking about the fact that we have been called to tell people about what Jesus has done and called to live lives that show our understanding of what he has done.

Romans 1:16 - I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

I think so often I am just that: ashamed of the gospel. There is no other explanation for the way I shy away from telling people what I really think about Jesus, or what I really believe is going to happen when they die. I can excuse myself by saying that I don't want to scare them off, or I don't want them to get the wrong impression of Christianity, or say that I can show them Jesus' love much better in living a good life than in having a really awkward conversation. Whenever I make excuses like that I'm basically just saying that God is not powerful enough to use someone like me. I am not good enough a commincator, I don't have enough patience or knowledge and I definitely don't have the charisma to put across the gospel in a way people will understand and appeciate it for God to be able to use me.
This is utter tosh.
Gideon is the first person that comes to mind. The least of his family, who were the least in the whole nation. And God used him to win a battle. God can and will use anyone so why don't I let him use me?

Colossians 4:2-6 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be alwas full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone".

I really like this passage, and I have been struck many times whilst reading it about the importance of spreading the gospel. But one thing that struck me recently which I never really noticed that much before is that although he mentions our actions (v5) Paul very much puts the emphasis on using our speech and conversations as a tool for evangelism. This doesn't mean that the way we live our lives can't show people who God is as this is talked about in other places in the bible as well (see 1 Peter 1:12 for example) but I know I often put far too much emphasis on what I am doing, and less about what I am saying. In fact most of the time I never even think about actually going up to one of my friends and just talking to them about Jesus. The idea terrifies me! But we have been given a voice so that we can speak. And we have been given a message so the we can share it with others. And we have an almighty loving God who has commanded us to spread the good news so why don't we?

Prayer is one of the biggest tools that we have in evangelism, (one that I don't utilise enough) and apart from God directly answering our prayers I think that praying itself also gives us courage to speak because it reminds us that it is God's work we are doing, and who this God is.

We cannot know who will be in heaven until we get there, but this is not a reason to shy away from telling people about Jesus. If anything this should spur us on, and help us see the urgency of telling those who don't him. I used to think that maybe God might have put me in certain situations to maybe talk to maybe one or two of my friends about Jesus. But because of the human uncertainty and divine urgency of the matter I should "make the most of everyone opportunity" that God has given me. Talk to anyone that will listen, and even those who will not. Whenever I've gone out and just talked to someone about God I've never regretted it. And that itself should spur me on to tell more of my friends about Jesus, not just wait them to guess it, or figure it out on their own.