Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. Colossians 1:28-29

Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. (Proverbs 24:11)

Every Christian should be a rescue worker. I’m not sure that’s what comes to mind when people think about Christians, even good Christians. If someone were to describe a devoted Christian they might say he or she believes in God, loves the Bible, attends church, is kind and generous, and does not participate in many sinful things society freely indulges in.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35)

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)

Our mission is not just to reach people who have never experienced the message of Jesus. Yes, there are still hundreds of people groups around the world who have never heard of Jesus who need to hear. And even in American society there are some who are completely unfamiliar with the person of Christ. Some identify themselves as atheists, pagans, even Satanists. But the truth is that many of the people in our spheres of influence have heard the gospel and may have even responded positively. We can’t forget that they are part of our mission too!

Most secular people are steeped in their own ideas about life. They don’t want to associate with serious Christians. They enjoy their sin and are pretty content with life. To suggest that they should turn their backs on their beliefs and lifestyle and abandon themselves to full devotion to Jesus feels almost ridiculous. We are asking them to believe that a virgin gave birth to a man who was God in the flesh. We are telling them that knowing Jesus Christ is the only way to escape hell. A talking snake tempted the first humans, and because they gave in to the temptation, the whole world fell into darkness. No wonder people sometimes mock and laugh.

Since I cracked open some theological mysteries last week, let’s go a little further. It is clear from Scripture that in the end some people will be in hell and others in the city of God. No one made this more clear than Jesus. He talked of a great separation at the end of the age. Wheat will be separated from weeds, sheep will be separated from goats. One of the great theological mysteries is this question: Why are some saved and others lost?

The 40 Weeks of Mission writings are aiming to help you be more effective in sharing the gospel with those around you. We want to share the gospel because, well, we know it is the God-ordained means for salvation. How can a person be saved unless he hears? And how can he hear unless someone is sent? (Rom 10) The gospel is the power of God for salvation (Rom 1).

After coming to Christ in the summer of ‘89 I worked at a Pizzeria Uno in downtown Springfield. To say it mildly, I was very excited about my new relationship with Jesus and excited to share about it with everyone around me. I’ve worked about 30 different jobs over the years and many of them after becoming a Christian. I’ve attempted to share Christ in these settings, sometimes with success and sometimes not. Pizzeria Uno was one of the more successful experiences.

The mission we have been given as Christians by Jesus is to go into all the world and spread the Gospel. It is to make disciples and to teach people to do all that Christ commanded. As we strive to fulfill this “great commission” we realize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. People in every generation and every region are different. This means different approaches are necessary.

Since I was born in 1967 there has been a massive shift in culture in how people think about the practice of homosexuality. When I was a kid in school I don’t recall any peers being openly gay. In fact, the word “gay” and “homo” and “fag” were frequently used in teen language as a way to demean peers. In this atmosphere no one dared admit same-sex attraction.

Reconciling people to God starts with prayer and being with people. It involves serving and listening well. Being winsome and kind. Being an example. But at some point, there must be communication. It is the message of Jesus (the gospel) that changes people—not our niceness.

We’ve probably all seen someone who has had way too much to drink. You can tell. They slur words. Their cheeks blush. Their eyes glaze. They abnormally emote. Inhibitions drop, and they do and say things they normally wouldn’t do. They may even get to a point of staggering. The fact that they are intoxicated is evident to all.

In the same way, when we are intoxicated with God—it shows!

What is your mission field? If you were a missionary to, say, Bangladesh, you’d likely point to a specific village you are planted in, or a section of a city. You might point to a specific subculture of people. For those of us living normal lives, born and raised in America, we don’t tend to think like this. But we should!

If you’ve made any effort to share Christ with people who don’t know Him, you’ve likely encountered this common response: “Christians are hypocrites.” What is usually meant by this statement is that because Christians do not practice what they preach they cannot be taken seriously.

The overwhelming majority of secular people who come to faith are invited to church by a friend or family member who is a Christian, and over time, are reconciled to God. Their conversion is usually gradual through many conversations and observations about the faith. They find Jesus is the safe space of a church that gives them room to question and work through their beliefs.

When I started following Christ as a young adult I was pretty obnoxious. My experience with Jesus was genuine; I was filled with the Spirit and moved with compassion to share the gospel with others. What I needed to learn was some relational finesse. I was like a 180 pound puppy jumping up on everyone and trying to love them by slobbering all over them. I just came on too strong.

When I began following Jesus I rented a room from some college students who were subletting their apartment for the summer. There was a small barbershop attached to the house; the barber was the owner. To pay for rent I landed a job at a pizza place working about 20 hours a week.

In my abundance of free time, I read books to help me understand the Christian faith and listened to sermons on cassette constantly on my little Walkman (if you know what that is). I walked around the city talking to the Lord in my mind and tried to meet people. The other thing I spent a lot of time doing was hanging out at Denny’s.