Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Growing up, I was always scared to tell people about Jesus—one, because I was really shy, and two, I feared rejection. What if I shared my faith and the person rejected me? Or what if I didn't know enough about the Bible? I was always scared that the person would ask me a question from the Bible and I would say, I have no idea. Because I feared rejection and because I feared that I didn't know enough, I actually missed out on a lot of opportunities for God to move.
It's Not About You
Here's what I mean by that. When I started to understand that telling people about Jesus—that evangelism—wasn't about me, that changed the whole game for me. My job was to simply share the Gospel, but it was God who did the converting. In our text today, we are told to go and make disciples of all nations, and the word go there means to go into your world—go into your home, your neighborhood, your workplace. It's wherever God has placed you. The text says to go and make disciples. What's a disciple? It's a learner. Whatever you're learning, whatever I'm learning, I'm instilling these truths in my son, my daughter, my wife, whoever's around me. It doesn't have to be this formal thing where you're like, at 12:42 today we're going to do a Bible study and I'm going to teach you how to be a disciple. No—it could be on the fly. It could be as I'm going to the store. I have opportunities to share the Gospel everywhere.
Pray for Opportunities
One of the things I love to do is pray for opportunities to share the Gospel. I'll ask the Lord, God, please give me an opportunity to share the Gospel today, and give me eyes to see people the way You see people. Here's why: because our nation is hurting. There is suffering and there are broken people all around us, if we notice them. What I love about Jesus is He was always good at noticing people's pain. I want to encourage you to do that. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel and ask the Lord, give me eyes to see people the way You see people, because there are hurting people all around us.
Go Public With Your Faith
Then He says this: "...baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." After you give your life to Jesus, the next step is to be baptized. Now, baptism doesn't save you, it's simply an outward expression of an inward change. It's you saying, I am going public with my faith. I want to show the world that I'm serious about my faith. That's why the Bible tells us in Acts to repent, and right after that it says to be baptized.
Maybe you've been walking with Jesus for a long time and you haven't gotten baptized—take that step today. Also, baptism is not just for you. It actually encourages those who are watching you to go public with their faith.
He Is With You Always
Here's the deal. I love the last verse of this passage. It says, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Why does He say, "I'm with you always"? Because when we share the Gospel, when we tell people about Jesus, it can get scary. There are moments when I'm like, I'm scared to share my faith right now. Jesus reminds us, "I'm with you always, to the end of the age." Our job is to share the Gospel. The results belong to God.