16th November 2008 PM

'BE PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER' Pastor Colin Meadows

Acts 2:29-39, 1 Peter 3:15-16

►We need some good news!

I was reading of steel a manufacturing company in the UK that has decided that what is needed today is some good news. The media, the company says, is full of bad news stories of economic woes, share market melt down, banks going into receivership and the like. Thus this company has started a newspaper for staff that focuses on only on good news stories. It further is encouraging staff with awards for good achievements, etc in an intentional move to tell a better story.

We as Christians have an amazing good news story! What we need to do is to tell it clearly to our world.

►Tell it like it is!

On the day of Pentecost the apostle Peter stood up and shared the good news. The former timid man now spoke confidently of what had happened concerning Jesus, who had been raised to life and exalted to the right hand of God.

Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Peter shared with passion and conviction what he had seen and heard. His heart was on fire with the message of Christ. His life had been transformed from one who was timid and unsure to now one who was willing to step out of the shadows and be used by God. What brought about the change? The resurrection of Jesus, his exaltation to heaven and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had changed his life. He was a changed man because he was now empowered by God’s Spirit. Later in his epistles, Peter explained further of what we should do. We are thus to…

►Set apart Christ as Lord

At the heart of the Good News is the wonderful truth that Jesus is Lord. We are to sanctify or set apart Jesus as Lord. There is none like him. He is the exalted creator of the world, the Son of the Living God, who became flesh and lived on earth. He demonstrated his lordship by his power over both the seen and the unseen world. He then died but rose again on the third day. He now lives forever more, seated at the right hand of God the Father. There is coming a day when he will return in glory to bring to an end all things. He is the exalted Christ who is set apart as Lord!

The word Christ is equivalent to the Hebrew word Messiah, the anointed one. The word Lord means master or king, a title of great respect.

It was given to men of high regard in Bible times but it also had a much higher meaning. When the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew into Greek, the word chosen for Yahweh was this word for Lord. Jesus then assumed this title for himself.

John 13:13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.”

Jesus was clearly claiming to be Yahweh, God Almighty, come in the flesh. We are thus to set apart Christ as Almighty God and seek to live for him.

►Be prepared to give an answer

As disciples of Christ we are to share our faith story with others. We are literally to make a thought out defense of what we believe. The Greek word for defense used here is apologia which means to give a verbal defense. The original meaning of apology was just that, but today it has a different meaning! To offer an apology in our current usage is to admit that we were wrong and that we wish to make amends.

That is not what is meant here. We are seeking to verbally defend our faith before people who disagree or who just don’t know and are unsure. What way are you using the word apology when you speak of your faith in Christ? Let’s learn to give a reasoned defense of what you believe and allow God to take that and use it for his purposes. Remember that you are sharing about the hope that you have in Christ. Hope in the Bible is ‘a confident and happy expectation of what lies ahead’. When we have such hope we can then endure trials and testing for our eyes are on the future. We can face life with a smile on our face. I recently saw a t-shirt which had a smiley face and the message ‘I smile because I have no idea what’s going on!’ We smile, however, for we do know what’s going on. God is in control and he is bringing about his purposes.

What is the future for a Christian? We will pass from this life into the presence of God, to enjoy him forever. The Apostle Paul was very much aware of the joy that lay ahead from him after physical death.

Phil 1:21-24 “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two; I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”

I confess that I am holding on to life here much too strongly! We need to remember that we are just visitors on this planet. Soon we will be moving on. While we lived in Botswana for 17 years we were on a renewable three yearly residence permit. Even so, at any time, we could have been asked to leave. We are here on earth as long as God wants us to be. Let us use the time well, sharing the Good News and living lives of purpose! Joseph Aldrich noted ‘God’s evangelistic strategy is to build into you and me the beauty of his own character, and then put us on display.’ That is the essence of how we can share the Good News. Francis of Assisi noted ‘Go out and preach the Gospel, and if you have to, use words.’ There are times when we need to use words but the proclamation begins with lives transformed by God’s power and presence in our lives. Then as we share let us do so in a godly manner…

►Respond with gentleness and respect

We are to share about the hope that we have gently and with respect or as some Bibles translate it, with ‘meekness and fear’. The word for gentleness or meekness is a strong word that speaks of a person’s strength of character, of one who accepts God’s dealings with them as being good and just. Perhaps the best way to describe this attitude is to say what it is not. It is the opposite of self-interest. A meek or gentle person is interested in others and how they can connect with God. Are you really interested in other people and their eternal destinies? We need to have such a heart attitude.

We are also to deal with others with respect or fear. This is a reverential respect for God and for others. Every human being on the planet has been made in the image and likeness of God. We are thus to treat them with due respect as we share the Good News.

►Share Jesus and not hide him away

We live in challenging times where Christians are seen as a minority group, in many ways out of touch with society. The Apostle Peter wrote during difficult times too. The early believers were under persecution and in fact Peter himself was martyred during Nero’s reign. His desire was that Christ would be revealed to his world for all to see. We should seek to do the same.

I recently read a poem that challenged me, written by Steve Turner.

‘How to Hide Jesus’ by Steve Turner

There are people after Jesus.
They have seen the signs.
Quick, let’s hide Him.
Let’s think; carpenter,
fishermen’s friend,
disturber of religious comfort.
Let’s award Him a degree in theology,
a purple cassock
and a position of respect.
They’ll never think of looking here.
Let’s think;
His dialect may betray Him,
His tongue is of the masses.
Let’s teach Him Latin
and seventeenth century English,
they’ll never think of listening in.
Let’s think;
humble,
Man of Sorrows,
nowhere to lay His head.
We’ll build a house for Him,
somewhere away from the poor.
We’ll fill it with brass and silence.
It’s sure to throw them off.

There are people after Jesus.
Quick, let’s hide Him.

Let’s not be like that, hiding Jesus away from our friends. Let’s rather share Him, giving the reason for the hope that we have, but do so with gentleness and respect. For myself, I have found it helpful to remember three key points when it comes to sharing my faith with others.

Be prayerful, speaking to God about your friend before you speak to your friend about God.
Be patient, as you wait for the appropriate time. RA Torrey prayed and waited fifteen years for the right time to speak to one friend.
Be yourself, sharing your own faith journey in your own language.

Yes, we do have a Good News story so let’s share Jesus with others!

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