June 5: Taking on a tough task

Our responsibility in evangelism is to share the truth of the Gospel with all people. Sometimes our urging prompts a response. At other times our urging is met with opposition. When the latter occurs, we may be like the young salesman disappointed about losing a big sale. Lamenting to his sales manager, he said, “I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” To which the manager replied, “Son, take my advice, your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty.”

When we begin to truly realize that God has called us to share His truth with all people, whether they choose to respond or reject our urging, our lives should become so filled with Christ that our lives create a thirst for the Gospel.

Let’s do the math. More than our need for food, we need Christ. More than our need for water, we need Christ. More than our need for oxygen, we need Christ. Take away food, water, and oxygen and you still have life eternal through Christ. Take away Christ, and you have temporary pleasure, eternal hell.

Pastor John Phillips of Monument Point Fellowship in Jacksonville gave a great illustration of our witnessing mandate. He said that we should imagine ourselves walking down the street and suddenly approaching a burning house. On the front porch the family is all gathered together having a great time, laughing and singing. What then should be our response? Do we turn our heads and imagine that we never saw them ignoring the flames? Do we walk away in the fear of interrupting the revelry at the expense of our caution? No! We run to the house screaming the alarm that their lives are in danger. We pull them frantically out of harm’s way and beg them to heed our warning.

This was Paul’s intent when he instructed the church at Corinth: “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Rather than responding in that passion, however, we often make excuses that lead us toward retreat.

Our objections to the task are countless. Among them is our assertion that our circumstances will not allow us to witness for Christ. Yet, in the first 3 verses of Ezekiel chapter 1, we find the prophetic call being placed upon him in the midst of the exile to Babylon (1:1-3), an incredibly hostile time in Judah’s history. Both Ezekiel and Daniel were exiles in the fall of Jerusalem, yet they maintained their mandate to proclaim the Word of the Lord.

We might also object by declaring our audience to be unreachable. But God told Ezekiel up front that He was sending him to a stubborn and rebellious people (2:3-5). Perhaps there is someone in your life that seems so far from righteousness that they would never give in to God’s call, or maybe the crowd seems a threat to ridicule you for your faith.

Bear in mind the words of Christ: “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20a). One author put it this way, “As an act of His gracious love, the Lord at times calls His people to declare even to rebellious and hard-hearted people His truth about judgment and His provision for redemption.”

This then is our confidence. God has called us to serve Him through our faithful witness (3:4-11). We must therefore declare “‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear” (3:11). Take on the tough task.