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Making the challenge (7 June)

This week’s thought is written by Beth Powney, EBA Regional Minister

Making the challenge

‘Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.’  Acts 2:41

Having just celebrated Pentecost and read again the account of all that happened on that day of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, I am challenged once more by verse 41 of chapter 2:

‘Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.’ 

In the small church where I was in pastoral ministry I had the delight and pleasure of baptising at least one person most years.  That was great, but still, it never felt enough.

How about you?

As a Regional Minister I miss conversations with those on a journey towards faith and that moment when you see the light grow in their eyes as they begin to see and understand for themselves who Jesus is.  It is an absolute privilege to share in the journey as they draw closer to Jesus.

The recent Talking Jesus Survey results tell us that: ‘One in three non-Christians, after a conversation with a Christian, want to know more about Jesus Christ’, that is up from one in five in 2015.  That is a brilliant and exciting statistic.  However the report also says that only 53% of non-Christians know a Christian that is down from 68%.   However the questions has to be asked, do we realise that the non-Christian we have been chatting with, does want to know more about Jesus, are we prepared to even ask them?  Then, appreciating that it is not just down to us as official church leaders, are the members of our congregation equipped to ask and speak more about Jesus?

I am convinced that God and His Spirit has not changed since that first outpouring of His Spirit and I am also convinced that our society needs Jesus more than ever before and thirdly I am convinced that we the followers of Jesus are the ones to tell them.

I believe that you would be convinced of those three things too, so are we prepared and equipped to invite people to come and meet Jesus?

When I was first called into pastoral ministry a good friend of mine, who knew me well and was a passionate evangelist, by that I mean, a sharer of the good news of Jesus, said ‘Beth, make sure you don’t forget to ask people to stepover the line’.  He knew me well enough to know, that I was good at making relationships and connections, but I may not be prepared to ask people whether they wanted to follow Jesus.  Those words from him, stayed with me and again and again I knew I had to be prepared to make the challenge, to voice the invitation, the Spirit of God will do the rest.

On that first Pentecost, it was not Peter who added 3,000 to their number that day, but it was Peter who brought the Godly challenge, the Holy Spirit did the rest.

My challenge to us all is this: through all of our outreach projects and programmes, through our relationship building, which are all excellent in themselves, when do we make the ultimate challenge and invitation to come and follow Jesus?  Also are our congregations equipped to follow through with the 53% of the population that they know, to say, following Jesus is worth it, why don’t you join me and give it a try?  Then perhaps we will be writing in our updates and newsletters: ‘Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Be bold, strong and courageous, for the Spirit of God goes ahead of you.

(You can access the full Talking Jesus report here: talkingjesus.org/2022-research)

Photo by Josue Michel on Unsplash

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