I. Introduction

A. Illustration – I’d like to start out this morning with a parable written by the late Mike Yaconelli, founder of Youth Specialties (“The Little Boy Who Wanted to Fight Fires,” The Wittenberg Door, Feb-Mar 1976, pg. 32 – as cited by Rev. Steven Bell, Mainstay Ministries). Once there was a little boy who ever since he could remember wanted to be a fireman. The shrill of the siren and the deep rumble of the racing fire-truck had filled his dreams almost every night. Deep in his heart there was a longing to someday be able to help people; to save people from the ravaging grasp of a fire. It was not the whim of childhood fantasy. His was the unmistakable call of destiny. Growing up never changed his mind. To be sure, he had gone through the indecision and doubts of adolescence, the well-meaning questions of friends and family who “wondered whether he could be happy as a fireman.” But he never wavered. He was to be a fireman. He was to put out fires. Oh, how he longed for the day when he would no longer be a spectator, but could participate actively as a firefighter. Now all he could do was watch. Then the big day arrived. He was accepted at one of the best fireman schools in the country. For three years he immersed himself in his schooling. He spent hours honing his skills on practice fires. He studied firefighting theory long into the nights. His teachers were world-renowned. But still, after all these years, he had never fought a real fire. As graduation approached, he realized that long-awaited moment was within reach. But suddenly he began to have doubts. For the first time in his life, he was unsure, afraid, and worse yet, questioning whether he ought to be a fireman at all. It was then that one of his professors suggested he travel to Europe and study under one of the greatest fireman theorists of all time…. The not-so-little boy decided to travel to Europe, and for two years he exhausted himself in the dedicated study and became one of the most brilliantly educated firemen in the world. But all he had ever done was put out practice fires. Once again, graduation loomed before him. And once again, he was haunted by indecision. He knew all about fires and could tell anyone how to fight one (but he was hesitant, perhaps a bit frightened, to actually get personally involved)…. It was then that he was offered a position to teach at one of the most respected fireman’s schools in the country. He accepted. And for 25 years, he taught with honors and received recognition worldwide. He died last year and when they read his memoirs, they came across a strange passage written while on his deathbed. “I lie here today reviewing my life. I still remember my dream, my passion to be a fireman. More than anything else, I wanted to put out fires… but I realized something today. I have never put out a real fire. NEVER.

B. Context – There are many folks in this room today who, because of fear, have never fulfilled the most basic call of the Christian faith – leading someone to faith in Christ. But there’s hope for all of us. Let’s read about it in 2 Corinthians 5:14-6:2, and I’m reading from the New Living Translation.

II. Scripture Passage

A. 2 Corinthians 5:14-6:2 (from the New Living) – (NEW SLIDE) Whatever we do, it is because Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live. (NEW SLIDE) 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them. (NEW SLIDE) 16 So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now! (NEW SLIDE) 17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! (NEW SLIDE) 18 All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. (NEW SLIDE) 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message he have given us to tell others. (NEW SLIDE) 20 We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, “Be reconciled to God!” (NEW SLIDE) 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (NEW SLIDE) 6 As God’s partners, we beg you not to reject this marvelous message of God’s great kindness. 2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you, on the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.

III. Sharing Our Faith Is For Everyone!

A. We’re all pretty good at making the right statements about our burden for those who don’t know Christ and how much we want to share our faith. Some folks here have taken classes in personal evangelism and learned just about everything there is to know about witnessing. But only a few have done any personal witnessing in the recent past. It’s hard to do, because we have to lay who we are personally on the line and we’re vulnerable to rejection and even attack. But some of us need a major attitude adjustment if we’re going to become effective witnesses for Jesus Christ. One thing I want to be quick to say is this: I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone. My prayer is that God will use this time to convict us and to help us become much more effective witnesses in our daily lives.

B. Do you remember the last time you felt compelled to do something? When all of a sudden you got a strong urge or felt an inner pressure to do something right away? Most of us are compelled to act because of our convictions. Yes, there are times we do things when we’re compelled by fear or other things, but most of the time it’s our convictions that drive us. (NEW SLIDE) The primary motivators in our lives are those things we’re absolutely, positively convinced about. When we’re convicted about something, when we fully believe in something, we’re highly motivated, compelled, to act.

C. For example, I’m very motivated about my job. Not only do I believe that it’s what God has called me to do, but I also am motivated to meet the needs of my family. I have very high standards for myself, and when those are combined with my workaholic tendencies and the needs of my family, I become extremely motivated. On the other hand, I am much less motivated about my yard. I like nice looking yards, but I don’t like to do yard work. Of course, that’s what teenagers are for (just joking), but if the grass gets a little long and the roses go untrimmed for a while, it doesn’t bug me that much. I want my yard to look nice, but I also have many things to do that are much more important to me.

D. (NEW SLIDE) You see, the bottom line is that we’re all compelled to act based on our convictions. Many of us have been convinced about the need to share our faith, but not convicted. You understand what I mean? When we’re convinced, we know in our heads that we should do it. When we’re convicted, we’re compelled in our hearts to do it. There’s a difference between knowing in our heads and being compelled in our hearts. Kind of like the difference between saying that Jesus is here with us and really knowing that He is here! That’s what we’ve been focusing on the past several weeks – Jesus’ presence with us. When we begin to understand in a fresh way that Christ is really here with us we will each be impacted powerfully and our convictions to live for His glory will be renewed! Worship comes alive as we recapture our first live for Him. Loving each other becomes a priority. We become motivated to live holy lives. We’re more eager to serve, to minister in His name with His power under His direction. We submit ourselves more and more to the authority of Scripture. We begin to offer up authentic prayers to the living God. We begin to delight in introducing Him to others. All this happens when we truly and completely know with every fiber of our being that Jesus Christ is here with us.

E. In a nutshell, what I’m saying is this: (NEW SLIDE) The conviction that Jesus is present in our church compels us to introduce Him to others. When each one of us practices the presence of Christ in our lives, we delight in introducing Him to others in our circle of influence who don’t yet know Him. It would be fair to say that in recent decades most North American Christians haven’t had the conviction that Jesus is really present in the church. We understand that truth in our heads, but we’ve got to grasp it in our hearts and act on it. Are you more aware of Christ’s presence in our worship than you were a few weeks ago when we started this series? All of us should be. If not, what are the obstacles that are keeping you from allowing the Holy Spirit to help you sense His presence?

F. This is such a critical issue. Why? Because when we are truly convicted that Jesus is here with us, then we begin to pray more and more for friends and family members and neighbors and co-workers who don’t know Jesus personally, and we become increasingly anxious for them to know Him. Remember that genuine conviction always moves us to action. And I believe that, as we recapture the truth that Christ is always present with us, we’ll all feel increasingly compelled to introduce Him to others, even delighting in doing it.

G. So how do we do it? How can we effectively share our faith with others? How can we help them begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? There are lots of ways, and some of you know more of them than I do, but what I want to talk about this morning is living a lighthouse lifestyle as a very effective way of naturally introducing others to Jesus. We’ve all got to allow ourselves to become convicted enough that we will in some way begin the process of evangelism. And it is a process. (NEW SLIDE) Being a lighthouse involves three parts: praying for others, caring for them as Jesus would, and when opportunity arises, sharing your faith. All of us have got to move beyond mere interest in seeing others come to Christ to having a conviction so intense that we’re compelled to take action. We can all pray for others. We can all care for others as Jesus would. We can all share our faith once those relationships have been built. We can all become intensely convicted of our need to introduce Him to others.

H. John the Baptist lived that kind of intensity. He was consumed with his task of preparing the way for the Lord. He wanted people to know Jesus. John didn’t care about what people thought of him. His all-consuming passion was to prepare the way for people to come to know Jesus. When John met Jesus, it intensified his own sense of inadequacy. He knew who he was and who Jesus was. But John was still deeply burdened by those who needed to know Jesus. Look at it this way: John was so passionate that in many respects he became a spiritual sideshow. But all the people knew his message because of his passion – a passion that burned even more brightly after he met Jesus.

I. One question all of us have to ask ourselves is this: is Christ’s presence so real to me that I have an accurate view of my own humanity? Am I aware that I’d be lost without Christ to the point that I’m convicted by the desperately lost condition of those around me who don’t know Jesus? I’m not talking about the kind of casual conviction I have about my yard. I’m talking about all of us allowing ourselves to experience the presence of Christ in such a real way that we’re compelled to introduce others to Him. That’s where it’s at. That’s what Paul was talking about in our Scripture passage. As the Greek puts verses 14 and 15: For the love of Christ constrains, presses us, judging this, that one for the benefit of all died, therefore all died: and on behalf of all he died, in order that those living no longer to themselves might live, but to the one on behalf of them dying and being raised. Did you catch that? (NEW SLIDE) When we no longer live for ourselves, the love of Christ compels us to an overwhelming love for Christ who died for us. That’s a powerful truth, and one that tells us that we’ve got to allow His conviction to move us to act on behalf of those who don’t know Him.

J. Verses 17-18 in the Greek: Wherefore if anyone is in Christ, a new creation: the old is passed away, behold has become new: and all this is from God the one reconciling us to himself through Christ and giving to us the ministry of reconciliation. Or, as the New Living puts it, What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! 18 All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. (NEW SLIDE) This task, this ministry, is one of sharing our faith with others, letting them know how Christ’s presence has transformed our lives. We participate in this ministry of reconciliation by proclaiming what God has done and seeking to lead people to receive the gospel so that God can do His work of reconciliation. That’s an awesome truth. We are His ambassadors. We can pray for others, care for them as Jesus would, and share our faith with them when the time is right.

K. All of us can delight in being allowed the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others. Begin to live a lighthouse lifestyle. (NEW SLIDE) Pray for God’s blessing on some folks whose souls you’re concerned about. Show Christ’s love through some caring acts. Pray for and look for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them. Maybe even invite one or more of them to church. All of us can pray. All of us can show Christ’s love. All of us can share our faith as the Holy Spirit leads us. Let’s all learn the great delights of introducing Jesus to others. If we realize that Christ is truly present with us all the time, then we will do it.

L. Thom Rainer, in his book Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, told this story. Gloria S. was ready to take her life. Years of drug abuse, failed relationships, and multiple rejections had taken their toll. Prepared with countless prescription drugs she saved for the purpose, Gloria turned on the television to keep her neighbors from hearing. The channel was tuned in to a Billy Graham crusade. At the bottom of the screen was a telephone number for anyone needing help. Gloria called the number before she took the pills. The counselor recognized the seriousness of Gloria's situation. She directed Gloria to a nearby Wesleyan church were someone would be able to help her. Gloria decided to put off her suicide and attend the church the next day, Sunday. Just before the worship service began, Gloria met the pastor. "Billy Graham sent me," she told him. Sometime later, Gloria was able to give this testimony. (NEW SLIDE) "Billy Graham saved me from killing myself, but my church showed me how to be saved from my sins. The love of the people was incredible. I never knew someone as dirty as me could ever receive love again. The people accepted me just as I was. I have seen Jesus. He is in the faces of all these people who love me" (as cited on PreachingToday.com).

IV. Conclusion

A. Please bow your heads and close your eyes out of respect for God and for each other’s privacy. If we are fully aware of Christ’s presence with us, we will burn with conviction to introduce Him to those we’re in contact with. We will spend many hours in prayer for them. We will show His love through caring acts. And we will share the good news of Jesus Christ with them. We will love them as He loves them. Is this the conviction, the passion burning in your heart? If not, why not? Let’s spend a few moments listening to the Holy Spirit whisper to our hearts about our level of conviction for those who don’t know Him.

B. What has God been speaking to your heart this morning? If you need to surrender to Him, to allow Him to fill you with a passion for those who don’t know Jesus, now is the time. In the words of Nike, just do it. Let’s pray together.