Now Is the Time

As we move through the week from Palm Sunday to Easter, Christ-followers have the single greatest opportunity of the year to reach out to those who do not have a relationship with Jesus. The culture of Christianity in our nation is still strong enough to draw millions to churches this coming weekend. The question is whether or not believers will take advantage of the opportunity and pastors will partner with their congregations for maximum effect for the sake of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Pastors, now is not the time to ridicule all your visitors, by calling them Chreaster's or saying something demeaning at the end of your sermon like, "See the rest of you at Christmas." Now is the time to lovingly, boldly pray for all those visitors coming to your church and be prepared with the best offering in the form of a sermon you can possibly bring. Now is the time to partner with your congregation to reward the work of their invitation by preaching in such a way that helps initiate spiritual conversations between your members and their friends.

Christ-followers, now is not the time to hang back and assume that your unchurched friends will show up at church somewhere and hear the Good News of Jesus this Easter. You simply cannot leave the well-being of their eternal soul to chance. If know that your pastor will be clearly communicating the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ along with a call to repentance and faith, then you need to partner with your pastor to get your friends to church this weekend. You need to pay close attention to the message and make yourself available afterwards for spiritual conversations. You need to be praying for God's Spirit to soften hearts and open minds to the message of Jesus.

Now is the time to be bold, my friends, for the cause of Christ.

Praying for Easter