“You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” — Acts 20:20-21
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Baseball players need to adapt to all kinds of circumstances for long-term success. In February and March, they have spring training before starting a new season. The weather is unpredictable; if they play a game in Colorado, it may be snowing, and then they go to Florida, where it may be 80 degrees in the same week. Players must adjust to different time zones, different-sized outfields and all of the inconveniences of living on the road for half the season.
Hitters must study pitchers because each one has a different set of pitches they use to attack the strike zone. The dugout is a small area with many different personalities, nerves getting frazzled and tempers flaring. So it’s challenging to concentrate on just this pitch or that throw to first base and not get distracted by all the noise in the stands and keep on performing at a high level throughout the season.
As believers, we too need to be adaptable and flexible in reaching our communities for Christ. As we notice the steady decline of local churches, we can look for ways to bring back disinterested members and reach people where they are. Billy Graham went to football stadiums to preach, and used satellite technology, radio, television and movies to share the message of salvation. The number of people attending church may be shrinking, but God’s command to share Christ with everybody in every place remains relevant (Matthew 28:18-20).
In more recent times, Stephen and Alex Kendrick started working on Christian films in 2002. After the brothers became associate pastors at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, they looked for ways to reach beyond the walls of the church building. They started brainstorming about making faith-based films. Their second movie, “Facing the Giants,” grabbed a lot of attention and ended up with a ripple effect of devotional books and materials, as well as a lot of media appearances to promote the truths from Scripture.
Though most people get locked into a routine and how we’ve always done things, we need to remember what the apostles did. They conducted regular church services, but also found ways to bring the message to all people in the streets (Acts 17:16-17). The urgency of the truths of the Bible should bring us out of our comfort zone.
As we look at the apostle Paul’s ministry, we see him flexible enough to teach and preach about Christ in fields, on boats, in prisons, in places of worship, in homes and on street corners (Acts 20:20-21, above). Let’s ask God to give us the determination to continue sharing the Gospel.
In order to reach our generation for Christ, it will take a team effort and the use of every available method, plus a willingness to spend time with unbelievers even as we pray for them. We need to have genuine concern for lost souls. Are we willing to come out of our comfort zone? Will we step forward like the apostles and share the glorious Gospel while we have life, breath and opportunities?
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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