Investing 101, conclusion

This week, we have studied investing in other people -- we mean investing our time to share the gospel with them and be instrumental in bringing them to Christ. The rewards are many!

Let's look at our motivation for investing..... most of the time when we speak about investments, the motivation is extremely clear -- we hope to make more money by wise choices of places for the money that God has blessed us with. We hope to have a comfortable retirement, to have the opportunity to support God's work with our finances, and to help family and friends who need us.

What are our motivations for "being an Andrew"? He was always bringing someone to Jesus, wasn't he? But are we?

I think if we look back at our passage in the first chapter of John, we see the first catalyst for Andrew was his own experience with Jesus.

He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. (John 1:39)

They (John and Andrew) went with Jesus because John the Baptist pointed out Christ and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" They were well acquainted with the sacrificial system; they knew all about lambs and sin and atonement. They knew well the scriptures which pointed to a Messiah. They understood John the Baptist completely, and they met Jesus and spent the afternoon with him. I believe this was their conversion experience; they accepted Christ as the Messiah, the Lamb that would take away their sin, and the sin of the world.  They spent the afternoon in the presence of God!
We, as believers, have been in the presence of God, as well. How in the world can we be quiet about it? Andrew sure couldn't! If we aren't telling others about our Savior, something is amiss!

And look at the confidence Andrew had -- do we have that confidence as we speak to others?

He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. (John 1:41-42a)

He didn't take Simon aside and tell him quietly. And it wasn't a "come and see what you think," either! Not a we-are-so-excited-we-might-have-met-the-Messiah.  This was full-blown, confident, certainty! We have found the Messiah!  Andrew was motivated by his experience with Christ and his confidence that He WAS the Christ.
Jesus said He came to save sinners:

"just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

Jesus told us, too, that He will make us "fishers" of men; we will bring others to Him:

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

Paul also told us:

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (I Corinthians 6:19-20)

And Paul said:

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.  (I Corinthians 6:17)

If I'm understanding correctly, Jesus came to save this sinsick world -- we are a part of that world, and He has saved our souls. Then He said that if we're following Him, we will be introducing people to Him; we will be "fishing" for souls.
We don't belong to ourselves anymore: We've been bought with a price, Christ's precious blood.  We now have Christ's Spirit living within me. If we are walking in His Spirit, then we will be obedient to Him and introduce people to Him! Jesus is living in us and through us, and we can introduce others to Him! What a motivation! What a privilege!

Those verses up there are so important.

Let's turn this around:
If we are saved, and we are not introducing other people to Jesus Christ, who ARE we following?
If we are not showing Christ by our lifestyle; if we are not sharing our faith . . .  who are we following?  If we are not sharing our faith, how can we be walking in His Spirit? Now, we aren't talking about every moment of every day -- but as a way of life. Do we have that desire in our hearts?

We must either be showing Him in our lifestyle, or actively sharing our faith, or we are being disobedient to Him.
Are we investing in the things that matter?
Are we introducing others to our Savior and Redeemer?
This study has inspired me to put priority on my witnessing - I hope it has blessed or convicted you, too.

(Adapted with gratitude from a devotional by Charles Stanley)