Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” said one of the criminals fastened to a cross next to Jesus. Some people will accept nothing as proof of God’s existence or that Jesus is the Son of God.
Do you remember Lazarus, who lived in Bethany, a few miles down the road from Jerusalem? He had died and lay in a sealed cave for four days before Jesus arrived, prayed and shouted, "Lazarus, come out!"
It had been a very public miracle. The Pharisees said,
"This man certainly performs many miraculous signs”, but they wouldn’t believe Jesus was God’s son. It is highly probably that both criminals on either side of Jesus had heard this, local story, of a miraculous healing.
They would also have heard the gossip about Jesus. Obviously by what they said, they both knew he claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God. For instance the believing criminal expected the other man to know something of Jesus’ life when he said, “This man hasn’t done anything wrong”. Yet one believed Jesus was the Son of God and the other scoffed.
The repentant criminal may have been a terrorist. Think, how do you feel about spending eternity with an ex terrorist? How do you think Jesus felt? What about if an ex terrorist started to attend St John’s? Would you trust them?
Years ago I attended a FGBMI dinner, and was sat next to a man I didn’t know. We chatted amiably during dinner, and then he was asked to give a short testimony. I can remember feeling quite alarmed when it came out he had only been a Christian a few months, and had previously committed murder.
How should I react when he came to sit next to me again? I think I managed a “well done” smile, but was glad I wouldn’t be left on my own with him.
How should we react to not very nice people who repent? Should we trust them? I believe we should love them, but ensure we don’t get into a situation with them, where they may be tempted to re-offend.
Not easy to love those who have been untrustworthy.
What about the unrepentant man on the cross. He certainly didn’t respect Jesus.
As followers of Jesus we can’t expect people to treat us any better than people treated Jesus. Nor can we expect people to believe and trust us any more than they did Jesus.
If you have been brave and bold enough to speak to unbelievers and someone says, “Prove God exists” or “Prove Jesus is the son of God”, and they won’t accept the truth, then it’s not your fault. Don’t feel a failure.
Some people though just like a debate, but it can be difficult to tell the difference between when someone is just ‘winding you up’, and genuinely interested.
So try and steer the conversation to Jesus, his resurrection, the fact he did return to earth after death, and then taught as a human being for 40 days. Because his life is an historical fact that non Christian historians believe.
People may sometimes say, “No one can die and then come back and tell us there is a heaven or God“. They just don’t realise that is exactly what Jesus did.
As Paul reminds people in 1 Corinthians 15.6
[Jesus] was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now.
Also Acts 1:3 which says
During the forty days after his crucifixion, he appeared to the apostles from time to time and proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. On these occasions he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
Remember the general public don’t know what resurrection means and they think the Holy Spirit must be, the ghost of Jesus.
We mustn’t let our apparent lack of success in leading people to Jesus, get us down and assume we are just no good at spreading the word. Each contact with a Christian is chipping away at a person’s apparent resistance to God. Changing their misconceptions. The next, may be casual remark, by a Christian may remove their final doubts. But the devil wants us not to try.
The devil may get people to say to us, “If you were a Christian you would give me . . . something or other”. A statement of justifying their unbelief to themselves. Just as the unbelieving man on the cross to said to Jesus, “save yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it”.
Jesus was saved from death on at least one occasion. So he could have saved himself again. For instance when a mob tried to kill Jesus by taking him to a cliff and throwing him over. They got to the edge but then Luke 4.30 says, “he slipped away through the crowd and left them.” How? It was not God’s time or the right way for him to die. A miracle.
Sometimes those who may never believe say,
“If I saw a miracle I would believe.”
We have a cassette tape at home of the testimony of a man who knows he was healed at this church, at a time before we arrived. Yet, he still won’t accept Jesus as his saviour. There isn’t one formula for making disciples.
Doing what God calls us all to do, “Go and make disciples” is actually quite a complicated, sometimes discouraging, and frightening thing to do. But saying I’m too scared to do that or any other excuse doesn’t wash with God. Basically he says, “Do it afraid”.
When God asked Moses to speak to the Pharaoh Moses replied, "O Lord, I'm just not a good speaker. I never have been, and I'm not now, even after you have spoken to me. I'm clumsy with words." (Exodus 4.10)
Jeremiah when first commissioned said to God, "O Sovereign LORD, I can't speak for you! I'm too young!" (Jeremiah 1.6)
The Apostle Paul had heard people say about him,” In person he is weak, and his speeches are really bad!" (Cor 10.10)
It is a good job that Paul didn’t let the opinion of other Christians, unduly influence his ministry. If feelings of uselessness had overtaken Paul, a large portion of the New Testament would be missing.
Sometimes you will have the opportunity to speak of your certain hope of eternal life for those who believe and trust in Jesus. On those occasions, give it a shot, speak from the heart, don’t back down in fear. Speak afraid, praying all the time for courage, the right words, and patience.
When we lived in Stoke I remember being a group leader for a course called “Person to Person”. The aim of the course was for each person to work out their testimony of how their relationship with God had developed over the years and what God had done for them.
Initially we just had to practice telling our story, our testimony, to one another in the group sessions. But then the course said, “In the next week, find an opportunity to tell your story to a non Christian”.
My reaction was, “How can I, as a group leader, come back next week and say I haven’t done the homework.” Aah! God help!
He did, I had to go to Liverpool by car with a colleague. I decided that was my opportunity. But on the two hour journey there I was too nervous to mention anything spiritual. For one hour, forty minutes of the journey back, I didn’t say anything either. When I did actually get the courage to speak he was very interested. We ended up sitting in our company car park when we arrived, for another half hour, as I answered his questions.
A few months later he told me he and his wife were taking classes to become members of their local Methodist church. Using a cliché, “I believe they are still going strong with the Lord” from Christmas cards they have sent.
The following week of the course, we had the same homework, and I’d got no opportunity to just slip a ten minute testimony into a conversation. So I asked a female colleague if she would help me with my church course homework one lunch time. She agreed. So I told her, my now well practised testimony, and she asked questions. But it was a case of well it works for you, but I want to do things my way, not God’s way.
I lost touch with this colleague after I left. Then was not the time for her to choose to follow Jesus. Hopefully someone else, has now had the joy of seeing her choosing to become a follower of Jesus.
People’s reactions to you talking about your faith can be very different. Sometimes people’s reaction to knowing you are a Christian can be over the top aggressive.
On a number of occasions, people I’d just met, assumed I was a Christian, as I’m married to a clergyman. There reaction was aggressive, positively unfriendly.
It seems this over aggressive attitude, can be because God is chasing them. Through fear I chose to not mention God or Jesus to them but tried to be pleasant. After a while, the people I’m thinking about, started asking me questions about why I believed. An aggressive, “Go on then tell me why you believe” is a bit scary though.
It is very easy to “play if safe” and not mention your relationship with God.
Joyce Meyer in her book “The Confident Woman” tells this story –
A farmer was once sitting on his front porch when a friend dropped by to visit.
"How's your wheat going this year?" asked the visitor.
"Ain't got any," replied the farmer. "I didn't plant any. I'm afraid the weevil will get into it and ruin me."
"Oh, well how's your corn?"
"Ain't got any," replied the farmer. "I didn't plant any. I'm afraid the crows will eat it all up and ruin me."
"Oh, well how are your potatoes going?"
"Ain't got any," replied the farmer. "I didn't plant any. I'm afraid the tater bugs will poison them and ruin me."
"Well, what did you plant this year?" asked the confused visitor.
"Nutin'," replied the farmer. "I just played it safe."
Mission, Evangelism is about ordinary people, who often think they are inadequate, doing what God has called them to do, despite the fact they are often very afraid.
Not having the courage to take the plunge and do what you believe God may be asking you to do could have drastic consequence for others.
Jonas Salk was the scientist who discovered the vaccine for polio. How many more people would have died if he had ‘played safe’ and followed his initial desire to go into law which provided a more reliable income.
In the Real Groups this week you will read about Charles Mackenzie a missionary to Africa in 1861. He realised this mission could result in his death. It did! He died of Malaria. I don’t know what opportunities Charles had to preach the gospel.
Whilst at University my daughter and son in law joined a YWAM mission team in Uganda, who were building an orphanage and preaching the gospel. Everyone on the mission was stunned when a young British gap year student on the team died of Malaria.
On the other hand, Clara was amazed at how many Ugandan’s chose to repent and turn to Jesus when asked.
Ask God to help you see the lost has he sees them. Ask God to help you to care.
Remember the thief who said,” We deserve to die for our crimes.”
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
With God’s help, Speak to others about the reason you have for the hope in you. Do it even if you feel afraid, and as you do be aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit helping you, and helping other to meet Jesus in Paradise.
Amen