Opportunities Gone

I recently read the average person is confronted by the gospel message around 76 times before accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. I got to thinking about that number and wondered if it meant they heard it on tv, in church, on the radio, tv show or maybe in an addiction meeting or perhaps at the dinner table by a parent, brother, sister, son, daughter, relative or acquaintance.  Did they hear the message of salvation on Main Street during Bikeweek or Biktoberfest or maybe at some revival meeting.   When you think back where have you heard the message of salvation by grace in Christ?  What has been the place of the message for each of us.   Most importantly when did we see the message of Christ as true and one that needs to be accepted. 

In this age of electronics, we see commercials about things we want to buy on our phone and computers.  It just seems to pop up when we think about the item. Most of us believe that our phones are listening to us and our locations are queuing our phone to pop up a message on a particular item when we pass a place that sells things of interest to us.  I have gone to a certain motorcycle store across from the speedway a few times but every time I drive by that store, my phone will pop up with a message for that store.  The algorithm seems to be accurate. 

So, the question is what and how does God bring the message of salvation to others.  Does He have an algorithm that pops up the message on our phone, on our fb page or does He have some other way to bring the message to others.  I have concluded that He uses many things in this world to bring attention to His message but most importantly He uses you and I to get his message out to others.  We are the most effective "pop up" in a person's life that can bring them the message of truth and real joy in this world.  Many of us forget that what brings a person to Christ isn't the pamphlet, the billboard or the sandwich sign that we wear about going to hell.  It is the message of hope, peace, joy and love that emanates from the person who has a full and profound relationship with the Creator.  It is the message that emanates from our very soul that has the most impact on others.  Certainly Christ is the source of that message but the messengers in this world are often us. 

Jesus ascribed to us the qualities of salt and light when He said, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:13-14)   Paul tells us in I Corinthians 13 to love with action and Peter tells us to pursue holiness so that we may shine. 

The scriptures tell us that it is what we do that preaches the gospel message far more than what we say.  Paul’s missionary work was rooted in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20). He believed that our lives should be a living testimony: “So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation, then you will shine among them like stars in the sky” (Philippians 2:15).

So, we come face to face with this challenge.  What opportunities have we missed in living out the gospel message of Christ?  What opportunities have we missed in how we live and treat others?  We can say the words, but the words are hollow if we live in a way that keeps us from fulfilling that opportunity for Christ.    Paul links obedience to faith in Hebrews 4:11 when he writes, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience."

Let us live in such a way that every opportunity to share the gospel message is fulfilled. Be one of the 76 times a person is confronted by the gospel message, don't look back and say, "the opportunity is gone."