What do you do in your circle of influence?

Christians tend to think that if you aren't witnessing for Jesus than you are not spiritual or doing evangelism and therefore not following a command to make disciples and so forth. Yet I find that those who have this mentality lack the ability, so many times, to relate to their fellow person. TO be human and to give of themselves without having to inject Jesus into a situation all the time. Often times there are those who have been burned by the church so if a Christian comes by with Jesus on their lips they often run the other way inside no matter how much service the Christian is offering to help. They help becomes a hindrance. Flip it around and have a Christian put in assistance for someone and then talk about Jesus OR allow your character to show that it is very different than the casual person can tell a tremendous story to someone.

I find often that when a person has Jesus on their lips too often they tend to be more of a hindrance than a help because then tend to be so heavenly minded they are no earthly good. When a Christian cannot relate to their fellow human what good is it for them to proclaim Jesus?

Now, on this board I have noticed some posters who post message about making sure you are RIGHT with JESUS. It sounds so spiritual and yet it can come across as condescending and the person doesn't realize it. The question really should be - 'What are you doing to the world around you to let the Glory of God shine through you' This doesn't mean are you witnessing for Jesus. This means are you going out of your way to help someone that is way out of your comfort zone and if there is a door open you can tell them about Jesus? If that door isn't open you are there to reveal your changed heart that will cause them to take notice?

John

Greetings John

I just thought I would share that I have posted many messages asking or seeking to ask "Am I right with JESUS?" I do so because it is a question that is on my heart daily and I find that I ask HIM in prayer often. I share these things as HE gives leading in the hope that if there is another(perhaps only one) that finds themselves in the same place as I do myself they might be pointed toward JESUS as well.

I think if we are living out our relationship with CHRIST daily for all the world to see then the things of HIS KINGDOM will never be far from our speak, thoughts or hearts. For myself I am not sure I have ever known anyone in this world who is truly "to heavenly minded" at least not anyone who is seeking to really live in submission and obedience to CHRIST. Perhaps it comes down to what is your definition of having "JESUS on your lips to often?"

Thanks for sharing and allowing me to do so also. :)

God bless
mj

The problem you are going to run into with your thinking is that you are looking in the mirror so much that you constantly question everything about yourself. This is an analogy to being right with Jesus. This can actually affect your self esteem as well.

There comes a time when Christians should see God in their prayer closet and in the company of other Christians. Personal bible study and group bible study and use those times to meditate on God's Word to change your heart and mind. Then, when it comes to living in the world it should be a natural progression of giving of yourself to your fellow person. I don't mean telling someone about Jesus to every person you see. I mean doing something good that someone doesn't expect and when the times are right share a little bit about Jesus in the conversation. When you find yourself getting a bit shy about Jesus in public then it is time to take that the prayer closet and search your heart.

Too often we get so caught up in our own selves and if we are right with Jesus that we condemn ourselves and think we are not good enough. Well, are we every good enough? Stop carrying the law on your back and live in Grace and show love with others.

John

Greetings John

I agree we can get to caught up in self when our focus should always be on CHRIST JESUS. I also agree that all talk and no walk is truly a dead one. I believe as you said that it is very important to show by action love to others as CHRIST gives leading but I also believe that it is vitally important to share JESUS with others, again as HE gives leading. There are times HE bids me to speak and times I have to bite my tongue to keep the flesh from doing so :) I think the key is to be in submission to HIM daily, walking with HIM daily so that I can and will obey HIM.

As far as examining my own walk daily I believe it is in the WORD and we are instructed to do so and I have no problem doing that. I don't look at others and wonder if they are that is between them and GOD but for myself it is a must. I have no problem with questioning self actually, self is sinful and will always attempt to lead me from JESUS,(lean not on my own understanding) and I have no issues with self esteem. I know I fall short the glory of GOD(as you said are we ever good enough?) its a fact so I trust in HIM to be all that HE is and not self. What I mean when I said I examine my heart is I seek HIM for those things that are not of HIM and I allow HIM to do the pruning work in my life daily that needs to be done so that I might be more like HIM. It's never about what I can do. I have struggled with that in times past but GOD is freeing me of that heart more each day and I am thankful. I don't see it as having the law on my back but for me its about walking with HIM daily and trusting HIM to do the work that needs be done and then responding to it.

Thanks again for the topic and sharing.
God bless
mj

just-in

Let me turn this around on you now. In what you have brought forth, have you practiced these things? It is so easy to quote the scripture but have you practiced these things? How have you influence your circle of influence with the Kingdom of God whether you have shared the Gospel or not. Some people can take these saying and feel just weird and awkward because we spend more time talking about them and using our terse tone of speech to convey them to others while neglecting to let them reign in our own lives and act them our naturally in the Spirit. It is a reason why many leave Church.

John

Can't seem to delete multiple postings, sorry!

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Western Christianity has a very large emotional and doctrinal investment in the concept of "come as you are" and "just as I am" Christianity. When they sell you on the idea of becoming a Christian it is packaged as easy, simple, and free. Do we wonder why it is so hard to tell the difference between Joe Sixpack and Joe Sixpack Christian?

The real gospel on the other hand is a gospel of evidence. How the book of James annoyed Martin Luther and others since with his insistence on an expectation of performance to prove one's faith! "Show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by my works," says our dear brother James (2:18) setting the stage for centuries of heated discussion.

To me it is completely logical that my works do not earn my salvation, but also logical that if I have faith there should be genuine evidence. I believe God has a legitimate expectation that my faith, with its works, will set me apart from those who live without a relationship with God.

So there should be things I do consciously in my circle of influence that portray God's love and holiness to those around me. My life should declare these things, and occasionally my lips should confirm that which people already see.

I alluded to the unpreached gospel. By that I mean the gospel of Matthew 25, beginning around verse 31. It is here that Jesus judges the world. All are before Him, coming to Him to be judged. The sheep are directed to the right, the goats to the left. (Draw your own political inferences here)

But what strikes me is that He is not asking about when or where you "accepted Christ." This does not seem to be the line of division He is looking for. Rather He is looking for evidence, and specifically evidence that people were treated as if they were Christ Himself. "I was hungry and you fed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, in prison and you visited Me."

Both the sheep and the goats express the same wonderment- "When did we see You hungry, naked, in prison?"

The answer is the same, that He was in each one we encountered, that how we treated everyone we met was how we treated the Holy one of God!

So..... in my circle of influence there really is just one. Jesus. He is in every one, and I have no authority to regard any human being that I interact with as less than Jesus himself.

Once in a while I get a chance to actually tell the gospel story, someone comes along who really wants to hear it. Those moments are particularly precious, because they don't come every day. Each day I watch for them, but I do not share the Savior's message without permission.

On Sunday morning I set up my sidewalk Sunday school, but I don't say anything other than a greeting to those who walk past. Once in a while God has one or two sit down and with that permission I present something from the Word. But most people don't stop. It makes me think of all those who gave Jesus a passing glance, or turned their backs when He demanded that His true followers would eat his flesh and drink His blood.

But the gospel I preach and the one to which I respond is the one taught there in Matthew. I certainly believe that one needs to make a decision to follow Jesus, but if there are no works, how can a man know whether he is a believer? You might come as you are, but you walk forth wearing a new garment, and when the Holy Spirit seals you with a new heart, you will not look like the people of the world, nor act like them.

People do not understand that they cannot make one disciple of Jesus by just sharing the Gospel. Sharing the Gospel is like sowing the seed. Once the seed spouts it has to be guided by a proper church to water the plant often. Many evangelists miss this part and they think they are doing a complete ministry.

Jesus said in Acts 1:8 that when you receive Baptism of Holy Spirit you will be my witness. To be witness means our being itself will be a witness for Christ just like how the being of Christ itself on this earth manifested eternal life (1 John 1:2). But many Christians only bear witness which means only their lips talk about Jesus without any life witness.