Tell It on the Mountain!
Christianity has always been a “come and see”; “go and tell” faith. When Jesus was resurrected from the dead- the angel invited disciples into the empty tomb with the same formula: “come see where he lay”; “go and tell the others.”
So too the shepherds at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life had angels tell them to go to Bethlehem and see a sign: a baby in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. Immediately after seeing what the angel announced those same shepherds were compelled to go and spread the good news. No one had to tell them to- they just did.
Evangelism is not a “program” of the church. I remember as a boy growing up in a church where every Thursday evening people went out 2×2, knocked on doors and gave them a short synopsis of the gospel all the while trying to guide them towards praying a prayer to invite Jesus into their heart. I don’t want to completely knock that approach to evangelism because I fully realize that in some major metropolitan areas of our country it may still work.
However, the problem with that approach is that it lends itself to the misperception that evangelism is something the church does at pre-programmed times in pre-memorized ways. The reality is evangelism is simply the outgrowth of a life lived in the Spirit. It is the overflow of a love for Jesus and others that simply causes us to tell others the things “we have seen”. Just as I can’t help talking to other people about my family (those I love)- if I truly know Jesus and recognize what He has done for me- I can’t help talking about Him.
Not in artificial ways, not in a preachy voice, not in the manner of a fuller brush or a used car salesman- Just a simple shepherd who saw and heard amazing things, went and investigated and found them to be true, and now in amazement tells others what we have heard and seen. May it be so with us- Go! Tell it on the mountain, Jesus Christ is born!
Because of grace,
Tim
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