All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions (Ephesians 2:3-5, NIV)
The Links Players staff meets twice a year for three days where we enjoy fellowship, prayer, training, planning and yes, some golf. It is always a very rich time! At our most recent meeting, we were asked to articulate in one sentence, “What is the gospel?” Sitting in the room were several very gifted ministers, golf missionaries you might say. So it may surprise you that most of us had to think about that for a few minutes before answering. It was a lively discussion that lasted for more than an hour.
Jesus presented the gospel in many ways. Sometimes with stories, sometimes with miracles, sometimes in conversations and sometimes in direct teachings. We have heard it said that the gospel is simply “the good news.” But what if that simple phrase does not resonate with your friend with whom you are sharing your faith. Can anyone really understand the good news without first understanding the bad news?
Ephesians 2 explains both the bad news and good news in the first five verses. Please stop now and read that short passage if you don’t remember what it says. No really, stop and read it!
I have been consciously trying to work “I can’t; God can” into more of my conversations.As I reflect on the gospel, I know I have to preach these verses to myself every day. I must humble myself and remember that I am incapable of doing anything with an eternal purpose on my own!
In my opinion, our Links COO Jeff Hopper gave the best short answer at our staff meeting: “I can’t; God can!” That is the story of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and I believe that short answer can be used by God to open people’s ears and eyes. Since that discussion, I now often find myself praying, “Lord, help me know how to speak to someone right now.” I have been consciously trying to work “I can’t; God can” into more of my conversations.
The Lord answered my prayer when last week I found myself playing with a couple of buddies. Our pro added another member I had not yet met to complete the foursome. The conversation flowed freely through the front nine. The subject of faith came up a time or two. My new friend heard us refer to the gospel a couple times, but we certainly were not in his face with it. On the sixteenth tee, this man turns to me and in a roundabout way asked, “What is the gospel anyway?” So with this perfect opportunity, I said that in a nutshell it means I can’t; God can. Those four words led to a much deeper conversation after the round. It turns out that this man in his fifties has cancer. He had reason to be interested.
Even if you don’t play golf, or a question about the gospel is not put to you quite so plainly, it is probably a good idea for you to think about our staff discussion question. Do you have an answer to such a question that you can retrieve quickly?
Remember, there is no formula or set way to present the gospel. Every encounter with another person can be a gospel presentation. I encourage you to put these four simple words into your vocabulary and look for ways to share them as you go about your day. They might help you change the conversation at your club the way they are helping me do it where I play. I can’t; God can.
—
Marty Jacobus
February 24, 2020
Copyright 2020 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash