Episode 3

The “First Work” of Every Christian

The ‘First Work’ every new Christian does when they accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord, is to tell people about Him. We naturally talk most about what we love most and that’s God’s plan for your life. How often do you talk about Jesus?

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Show Notes

After you get saved, do you know what God has planned for your first work? It’s not prayer. Or reading the Bible. Or good works. It’s sharing your faith! When you tell others about God’s love, you not only reach the lost — you, too, are blessed.

Host Barry Meguiar is a car guy and businessman who hosted the popular TV show, Car Crazy, on Discovery Networks for 18 years. He loves cars, but he loves Jesus even more!

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Visit Why Share on IgniteAmerica.com to learn why it is important for every believer to share their faith. Then visit First Steps which provides practical ways to get started in your faith-sharing journey. Sign up to receive emails that will bring you solid faith-sharing tips and powerful inspiration.

Episode Transcript

Welcome back to Ignite!

You know as Christians, we’re almost never told we should share our faith and never, I mean never, told that it’s not optional. I mean, when’s the last time YOUR Pastor told you to go into the world and tell people about Jesus?
It’s only, of course, the Great Commission . . . higher in importance than everything else God calls you to do.

Just think about It! God didn’t say go into the world and pray – or read the Bible – or even do good works. He said ‘go ye into the world and preach the Gospel/tell people about Jesus.

I know most of you are ignoring it . . . but you CAN’T ignore it! God could not have made it more clear. Sharing your faith is you’re Primary/God-Given Task.

Not only are we NOT doing the No. 1 task that God’s called us to do, we never even think about it! This is not a small problem! It’s THE PROBLEM – AND WHY AMERICA HAS BECOME A POST-CHRISTIAN NATION.
So why are we not making it our No. 1 Task? Well – Romans 10:15 spells it out pretty clear!

How will anyone go and tell them without being sent? We’re not being sent!!!

Think of all the sermons you’ve heard on Bible Study and Prayer – and then – try to remember the last time you heard a sermon telling you to share your faith – leave alone being told that it’s the most important thing God’s called you to do? Most Christians have never heard that!

You know – people rarely rise above the level of expectations. So if no one is EXPECTING you to share your faith, chances are you’re not sharing your faith! And THAT’s why America is in the mess we’re in today.
Over 80% of our population isn’t going to church!!! So how are they going to know about God – unless someone tells them. Unless we tell them! And we’re not telling them!

I don’t have to tell you – we’re living in a wicked and perverse generation. Over 80% of Americans are Un-Believers . . . blinded by Satan, unable to see the light of the Gospel, lost in confusion, seeing good as evil and evil as good and, literally, glorying in their shame. Some of them are bad people – but – most of them are just – lost!

And the only reason they’re lost is because we’ve allowed them to get lost – BY OUR SILENCE – and that’s on us. We’re their only hope! We’re America’s only hope!

Do you understand that? Their only hope is us! How can they know God loves them unless someone tells them? They’re not going to church!!! If Christians like you and me don’t start telling the lost that God loves them, there’s no hope for America! It’s over!

At almost every church, sharing your faith is at the BOTTOM of the list of things your Pastor is calling you to do – IF IT’S MENTIONED AT ALL – and it usually isn’t. Again, that’s why we’re doing these Podcasts!

This is Spiritual Warfare! And we’re losing the war because no amount of logic or reason or political speak can solve this problem. It’s Spiritual Blindness! You can’t reason with people who are spiritually blinded!
This is a battle that can only be won by every Christian moving everyone, every day closer to Jesus. And we better get busy!

Again, over 80% of Americans have been blinded by Satan. II Corinthians 4:4 tells us the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel that displays the Glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Pew Research studied 50,000 Sermons from over 6,000 churches and found that less than 10% of all Sermons even mention Salvation. We’ve allowed ourselves to be mesmerized with 3-point edifying sermons teaching us how to be better people – doing nothing to stop 80% of our population from falling into Satan’s hands. And they have!

We’ve been pointing fingers and venting anger and seeing ourselves as better than them! We’re not! But for the Grace of God, all of US would be them – with the 80% of Americans – who are lost in darkness and despair . . . AND seeking God!

Did you hear that? They’re seeking God! Over 80% of the Unchurched know the world’s out of control, would like to believe there’s a God who can make sense out of the chaos, are looking for someone to tell them, and/AND already have at least one Christian in their life that they trust!

This is astounding! Even without church buildings, we could ignite America with Revival in 30 Days . . . just using the influence God’s already given us. That’s why we’re doing these Podcasts. To ignite solid Christians like you, who have never shared your faith before, to share your faith!

You see. – it’s only when God transforms the minds of the lost and takes the scales off their eyes that they can comprehend truth again. When they repent and turn away from their Godless way, THEY WILL see evil as evil and good as good. AND THEY WILL VOTE WITH INTELLIGENCE AND DISCERNMENT and America Will turn back to God! That’s REAL HOPE for America! We can do this! And it happens best – one person at a time. That’s where you come in!

You think it’s impossible to ignite America with Revival one person at a time? Well, there’s 30 million of us who know the Lord – who have direct influence over 80% of the Unchurched. Just saying . . .

This is not mission impossible – unless Christians like you refuse to do it! And we can teach you how to do it, fast, at IgniteAmerica.com.

God made the Sharing your Faith your First Work – the first thing every person does when they get saved – and that’s what God’s called you to do every day for the rest of your life. God never intended that your First Work – confessing with your mouth that you’re saved – would be a one-time experience.

In fact, in His Letter to the Church at Ephesus in Revelation Chapter 2, God tells Christians who have stopped doing Their First Work – to Repent! There’s no grey area here. He’s saying if you’re not telling people about Jesus, you need to Repent – And start doing it . . . like now! That’s how serious this is!

Now I’ve been giving you the mandate – and make no mistake, it is a mandate. God has mandated that you share your faith. There’s no wiggle room on this.

But- God’s Mandated that you share your faith – For Your Good! He’s wired you and He knows what sharing your faith does – for you! I suspect you’ve NEVER HEARD this before. But it’s Biblical and I can prove it. God made faith-sharing His Top Priority for you – because of what it does for you . . . and secondarily what it does for the lost!

Listen to His Words in Isaiah 43:10: Thus saith the Lord: I appointed you as my witness so that you will believe. If I was God, I would have said – so that ‘they’ will believe. But no . . . God said so that you will believe.

Can you comprehend the power of that statement? If you have rock-solid faith, it’s the end of worry! Right? If you have rock-solid faith, you’ll have joy all day every day regardless of your circumstances. If you have rock-solid faith, you’ll have intimacy with God that you never knew was possible.
So how does being “God’s Witness”, meaning sharing your faith, make Your Faith rock-solid. That’s easy! It happens automatically, the moment you start moving everyone, I mean everyone, every day closer to Jesus.

Remember, on average, 80% of those around you – cashiers, people standing next to you in line at Starbucks or the grocery store, servers in restaurants, people in waiting rooms, even operators on the phone – are living in fear and actively looking for someone to tell them about God. This is huge!

I can tell you: After 40 years of sharing my faith on a daily basis, it’s never been easier to talk to people about Jesus.

But you don’t start there. Just love on people and let them know that you’re a Christian if only by saying in parting, and meaning it, God Bless You! You’ll be amazed how Just That affects people.

God says they will know that you’re His Disciple by your love. You don’t need training to love on people. Ask them questions, show genuine interest, and you’ll be amazed how quickly people will reveal pain to you that they wouldn’t admit to their closest friend. And then allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you with words you know didn’t come from you – and watch the impact of your words on that person.

There’s nothing in the Bible that suggests that they will know you’re His Disciple by reciting a script or telling your life story to one person a day or one person a week. You have a hundred stories of how God has rescued you and 80% of the people around you are lost. How are you going to pick one a week – or a day? And what about all the others.

Jesus said they will know you’re His Disciple by your love, not by your sales pitch. Just love on people. Show concern for people. Ask them questions – and watch them open up.

And then, allow the Holy Spirit to do the rest – to speak through you. He knows exactly what that person’s need is – AND what you know and has experienced that’s a perfect match to that person’s need. And God, yes God – the Holy Spirit, brings that to your mind and you find yourself sharing a story you haven’t thought about in years – and you know, at that very moment, without a question, God just spoke through you!!! There is no other experience like that experience!

Luke 12:12 tells us: for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what needs to be said. Hear me on this: This is intimacy with God that can ONLY be experienced when you’re sharing your faith – AND can never be experienced when you’re reciting a script or telling the same story over and over again.

The only preparation you need for spontaneous, unexpected encounters with complete strangers, is to seek God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, and all your strength. Because when you love God that much – you’ll love people that much – and nothing can stop you from leading them to Jesus.

God wants to use you as a vessel to change people’s hearts. That’s what Faith Sharing is all about! And the impact of those experiences on you – is why God has Commanded you and Commissioned you to share your faith – not to recite a script to one person a week – but to move everyone, every day closer to Jesus.

Here’s what I’m trying to tell you. There’s no other human experience that matches THIS human experience!

When you know God just orchestrated an unexpected conversation – and the Holy Spirit reminded you of a story or scripture or a life experience out of nowhere, that speaks to the heart of that person’s need and you see that person changing – before your eyes.

WOW! I mean, that’s an intimacy with God that can only be experienced when you share your faith – as God instructed you to share it – wholly trusting Him and – following His Lead.

I Peter 3:15 is a wonderful verse that you should read in multiple translations. The King James version says: But sanctify the Lord God in your heart (This is the only preparation you need – to seek God every day with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength – allowing nothing to come between you and God)

That’s all the preparation you need. – to have Divine Encounters – every day!

Here’s that full scripture: Sanctify the Lord God in your heart, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason for the hope that’s within you with meekness and fear!

Did you get that? With meekness and fear! It’s not a sales pitch – but a loving conversation with no time demands for getting someone saved in one conversation.

It’s God’s timing and it’s a Team Sport! You may be the first or the last person on the Team to lead that person across the line into Salvation. Only God knows where you are on that process! Your job is to simply move everyone, every day closer to Jesus . . . by simply loving on them – and allowing the Holy Spirit to direct your conversation. It’s that easy! Seriously!

Here’s the bottom line: When you’re in sync with God, allowing nothing to come between you and Him, no one can stop you from sharing your faith. Everything you do and say will share your faith.

But if you’re not in sync with God and trying to share your faith in your own strength, with your own words?? At best – you’ll struggle – and you’ll soon find yourself not wanting to do it.

If that’s where you are right now, this is good news on top of good news! You can forget about memorizing scripts or trying to find the right person to tell your story to!

Every day becomes an adventure when you allow God to direct your steps, create Divine Appointments, remind you in REAL-TIME what to say to change people’s hearts, AND watch God transform the lives of people – you don’t even know!

And then: There’s the transformation that takes place in YOUR LIFE when you share your faith! This is the REAL REASON Satan wants to stop you from sharing your faith.

I gotta tell you: If you’re not seeking God with your whole heart and allowing Him to speak through you to the lost, you’ve never experienced the joy and ecstasy and the intimacy of being – in sync with God. It’s incredible!
Understand! We’re not talking about being a committed prayer warrior or Bible Studier or do-gooder! We’re talking about loving God with your whole heart – and loving your neighbor (everyone) as yourself – being as concerned for their Salvation as you are your own.

When you do that, no one can stop you from praying without ceasing or being in the Word at every opportunity with purpose, seeking answers to questions being asked. You see: Sharing your faith ignites everything we’re called to do as Christians!

That’s why it’s so important! If you want to know more – just go to IgniteAmerica.com. There’s no sign-ups or passwords. You’re instantly into a world of information that will make faith sharing sooo easy for you – with informative articles and statistics and videos of people just like you that are having the time of their life – moving everyone, every day closer to Jesus.
See you next time!

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