To Be Least

A modern evangelist approached a young man in a shopping mall. "Sir," the evangelist said, "If I offered you a free gift would you take it?

"Of course I would," the young man replied, "Why?"

"Because Jesus offers you a free gift, a gift of eternal salvation," the evangelist replied. "He loved you so much that he died on a cross so that you could have eternal life. "Would you like to accept this free gift today, and have eternal life?"

The young man startled says, "Well, I suppose, what do I have to do?"

The evangelist smiling says, "Just say this prayer..."

Is this the gospel message? Is this what Christ told us to do, go around asking people to pray a prayer so that they could get to heaven?

Before Christ ascended into the sky, he told his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. (Mat 28:19) He did not tell us to make one moment decision makers, he told us to make disciples.

However, it does not end there. Through out the gospels and the book of Acts, you see a common thread throughout all conversions. What is it? It is something called repentance. Repentance is the act of turning away from our sins and toward God. When we go and evangelize, we need to emphasis that fact that they are sinners going to destruction in hell. Only when they understand and believe this can they truly repentant and turn to God for healing and forgiveness.

So I ask you the question, are we proclaiming the full gospel, or are we proclaiming a gospel that shows the benefits, without showing the consequences of rejecting it? It is time that we begin to proclaim the gospel that is truly good news.