“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God’s power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Rom 1:16 (Amplified)
I grew up singing the words of Andre Crouch’s song – ‘Jesus is the answer for the world today; Above Him there’s no other; Jesus is the way’. I still believe in my heart that these words are true. A few years ago I read what was meant to be a joke. In a city a man got tired of hearing over a local church’s loudspeaker the claim that Jesus is the answer. So, he decided to respond and silence this annoying and unfounded claim by rigging his own loudspeaker in order to answer back. So, whenever he hears the Church making the claim – “Jesus is the answer”, he would immediately retort by asking “What is the question?” This man’s reaction may seem to some over the top, but it is quite similar to what is going on around us today. The secular humanist and atheists recently launched a series of bus adverts saying that ‘There is probably no God. So enjoy your life.’ Some Christian organisations then responded with their own series of adverts rebutting the claim by saying “A fool says there is no God”. But for the seriousness of the issue at stake, this exchange of claims and counterclaims would have been comical. Nevertheless, the fundamental issue is encapsulated in that man’s response to the church’s claim that Jesus is the answer – “What is the question”.
The challenge facing the Church involves convincing a sceptical world that we indeed have the answers to the perplexing questions that life is constantly throwing at them. The sad fact about us is that we have many claims but can show little proofs to back up our claims. The consequence is that the world then regards us a part of the problem and not the solution and simply go elsewhere to seek relief. So, how can we back up our claim to having the solution to the world’s manifold problem? It is by preaching and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ with signs following, for you may argue with our theology, but will find it difficult to disregard the proof of God’s power as clearly demonstrated in your life. Jesus Himself and the early church understood this fact and used it to the greatest advantage. Their detractors could not silence them or rubbish their claims because the powerful result of their work was there for all to see.
Just as it was in the days of Elijah, we are once again living in an age when the claim of Jesus Christ being the only way to God is being vigorously challenged. The task before us is to convince a sceptical and increasingly confused world that that is really the case and the only way we will do that is through the powerful preaching of God’s word. So, just as Elijah prayed and called down God’s fire, and just as the disciples prayed and God responded by stretching forth His hand to heal and deliver, you too need to pray that His manifest presence will increasingly be upon you so that you can convincingly answer those who sincerely question or the cynics that Jesus is truly the answer and this is the proof. In the name of Jesus Christ be healed, delivered etc……
Prayer:
Father Lord, fill me with your Spirit today so that I can be a true Ambassador of your Son Jesus Christ and show the world that you are God indeed. Back up the preaching of your word through me with power, signs and wonders and show your greatness to a sceptical world to the glory of your name. Amen.