Audio-Visual Living: Leading People With The Gospel

Recently I heard a leader ask his group to share the last time they led someone to Christ. You could feel the tension—some had never had the opportunity to do that. But then the speaker explained his new daily goal: to touch one person’s life every day with the Gospel so that they would be led toward Jesus.

What a concept! We run into not-yet-believing people every day—neighbors, family members, restaurant workers, store clerks, or Uber drivers. What if, for each encounter, our goal was to take advantage of the opportunity to represent Jesus in word and deed, in such a way that the non-believing person was drawn closer toward Christ? Maybe they will be more interested in who Jesus is, or just intrigued that someone like us would be His follower. Sometimes it’s a single encounter. Sometimes it’s many encounters over a long time and they come to know that we’re Christians and what we stand for. They may overhear our conversation. They may see us reading the Scriptures with a friend. Perhaps we have asked them how we can pray for them.

We can all take seriously Jesus’ call to “come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). We can share the Gospel both in word and in deed. Every believer should be equipped to share a simple presentation of the Gospel. But sharing the Gospel is an “audio-visual” experience. It’s not only what we say, but how we live.

It may be giving a birthday card, providing a meal after a major loss, asking them how they’re feeling after being sick, or checking in after a hard week. If we love all people, all the time, and engage them in conversation because of that love, we no longer see people as projects, but as individuals who receive the overflowing love of God through our lives.

Each time we treat someone with the love of Christ we sow seeds of the Gospel. In so doing, we can lead someone toward Jesus every day. And before long, in God’s timing, someone—perhaps you—will get the chance to lead them into new birth—eternal life.