Who’s Your One?

“The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” - John 1:43-45 (ESV)

As we strive to be a God-honoring, Christ-exalting, gospel-driven church, we remind ourselves that God desires to glorify Himself by taking rebellious sinners and transforming them into those who will worship Him in spirit and truth; the Father is seeking such worshipers (John 4:23-24). We also remind ourselves that the church is the people to whom God has entrusted His gospel and serves as His primary instrument by which He seeks to save the lost.

It is our joy and privilege, then, to join the Father in the gathering of genuine worshipers into the body of Christ. We will, therefore, by any and all means available to us and permissible by Scripture, take the gospel of Christ to unbelieving and unchurched family members, neighbors, co-workers, friends, and acquaintances. While under normal circumstances, we could go door to door, offer special evangelistic events like VBS and fall festival, and search for a variety of ways to take the gospel to the lost and unchurched, these are not normal circumstances. However, I want to remind you of an evangelism strategy in which every single one of us can participate, even during a time of social distancing and mask-wearing: “Who’s You’re  One?” As summer comes to a close and we gear back up for the new normal this fall, I want to challenge each one of you to do what no one else can do – invest time in YOUR unbelieving and unchurched family, friends and neighbors, pray for their salvation, take advantage of opportunities to explain the gospel, and invite them to come to church with you. If they're not comfortable coming to church, then invite them to watch our live stream.  Then, connect with them later to talk about the service.

A study of the formerly unchurched by Dr. Thom Rainer, formerly the Dean of the Billy Graham School of Evangelism and Missions at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and President of LifeWay Christian Resources, shows that those who were closest to the unchurched were the most likely to reach them with the gospel. Of all relationships, family relationships proved the most pivotal. Rainer found that “of the different family members, wives were the most often mentioned as important in influencing the formerly unchurched to Christ and the church” (Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, 49).

The same is true in other relationships. Christians who invest in the lives of unbelievers are in the best position to introduce their friends, neighbors, and co-workers to Christ and the church. This much has been proven already here at High Pointe. Many of the visitor cards we read each week are filled out by those who were invited to attend High Pointe by a friend or family member. Let me encourage you to invest in the lives of unbelieving and unchurched family members, neighbors, friends, and co-workers. When you invest in their lives you will have opportunities to share Christ with them that others will never have.

And as you invest in the lives of the unbelieving and unchurched, do so with the intention of inviting them to come with you to church. You don’t need any special evangelistic training to invite your friends to church; you just simply ask them to come with you. In the same way that Andrew followed Christ, then invited his brother Simon Peter to come, and in the same way that Philip followed Christ, then invited Nathanael to follow Christ, I want to encourage you to find those with whom you have relationships and invite them to come to church with you. We promise to pray, plan, and prepare for worship gatherings that will honor God, exalt Christ, and present the gospel. We will also provide free resources that you can give to your friends and family. I urge you, invest in the lives of unbelievers, then invite them to come and see what God is doing at High Pointe! Who’s your one?

Love,

Pastor Juan