Making an impact for Christ regardless of where you are

  • By Shelly Webb
  • January 28, 2010
  • 724
                        
When Christ gave the Great Commission it was pretty simple: “go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Despite the simplicity, some people make it complicated. They overthink the command and feel like if they’re not in a position to travel the world, then they can’t really make a difference. The goal of the great commission is that everyone hears the gospel. Not just everyone in Africa or India—but everyone in Millersburg and Berlin. Randy Kemper, local minister of the Welcome Church of Christ, believes that each person can be a witness for Christ, regardless of their position in life. “I believe that as Christians, we are all called to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior,” he shared. “Regardless of where we are in life, those around us who have not accepted Christ as their savior are watching. It doesn’t matter what we do in life, whether we are the owners of a large company, or are laborers, we should realize that what we do and/or say is making an impact on those around us. If we say we love God, then our actions and words should reflect God’s love.” Kemper thinks other people watch Christians closely to see if they’re “real.” People who are not saved need to be shown that serving Christ is serious and that Christians are true servants. “The world will watch us closely, and if our lives do not show Christ has a place in our hearts, then they will naturally believe that Christ is not to be taken seriously,” he said. “One example of how this works is the story of a golfer who went out on the golf course and a very popular evangelist played nine holes of golf with him. When they were through, the golfer came into the clubhouse and threw his golf bag down and told everyone that he didn’t like having religion shoved down his throat. When prompted to tell those around him what the evangelist said, he sheepishly said ‘He didn’t say anything.’ You see, just the evangelist’s presence, without even preaching to him, had an impact on the golfer. So it is with us. We are known by our lives and the world will judge us accordingly.” But how can we show instead of always having to tell about Christ to others? Kemper thinks there are many ways to show the love of Christ without shoving the gospel down someone’s throat. “I have challenged my congregation with this question,” he shared. “What have you done this past week that actually cost you something by helping someone in need? Far too often, Christians believe that it’s enough to say ‘I’ll pray for you.’ While prayer is a necessity, Christ taught through personal example that love is combined with prayer and action.” Kemper said it’s easy to help a fellow Christian in need but that we need to remember Christ taught us to reach out to those that aren’t serving God, too. “By helping those who have not accepted Christ as their personal savior, we are planting seeds that hopefully, someday can be harvested in the form of another lost soul who accepts Jesus Christ as their savior,” he added. Witnessing to someone about Christ isn’t always easy. In fact, if you’re too soft you may not be taken seriously, and if you’re too harsh you’ll definitely turn the person off. Finding the right approach is important, but making yourself accessible to non-believers is necessary as well. “Again, using Christ as our example, we are taught that we must be involved with those outside of Christ,” Kemper said. “If we limit our associations with Christians only, it will be very difficult to show those that are lost the love of Christ. Much more can be learned by those around us by what we do than what we say. If we say we love as Christ loves, then our actions should reflect that seven days a week, not just on Sunday morning. Our effectiveness will be very limited if we try to force Christ’s message down someone’s throat. And always remember, we have the good news of what Jesus did that saves people and we have the presence of who Jesus is to help people.” Praying and being in tune with when the Holy Spirit is leading you to speak to someone about Christ is also important. As Kemper said, “His presence will lead and guide you to certain individuals and hopefully, your life will serve as the shining light they need to see.”


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