Encounter with Christ

Which comes first, renewed faith or renewed service?  I usually think that if we believers would just get our hearts right, then our hands and feet would follow.  I suppose that my thinking is an extension of the oft-repeated pattern of a person coming to faith in Christ and then serving in His Name.  Logic dictates (as Star Trek's Spock would say) that if faith in Christ precedes serving Christ, then renewed faith precedes renewed service, right?  Maybe not.

When I first started out in ministry, working with youth, the evangelist for our church's spring revival asked  me about my plans.  I told him that I wanted to disciple the church youth into being passionate followers of Christ and then turn them loose to reach the lost youth in town.  He surprised me by saying that I had it backwards.  He said that if I would get the church youth involved in evangelism, then they would see that they needed to learn and grow in order to be equipped for their encounters with the lost.  That conversation has made a real difference in how I approach ministry.

Let me share another conversation.  I have heard (both in person and on video) Sunday School consultant Josh Hunt tell about how his son went on a mission trip and came back more excited than ever about Jesus.  Note:  his obedience to serve Christ preceded his renewed passion for Christ.  Josh Hunt observes that this renewal is common for people who go on mission trips.  His explanation is that when a person gets out to where Jesus is and joins Him in the work, his relationship with Jesus is renewed.

If we want to have a fresh encounter with Christ, it is more likely to happen if we go to where He is.  Since Jesus is still in the business of seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10), we can still find Him being a friend of sinners.  When Jesus walked the earth, He was not often found in the Temple.  He was out where the people needed healing, needed the gospel.  That's where we will find Him today.  Why do new churches have more excitement?  Because they are focused on reaching the lost, not on maintaining a set of programs.  By focusing on the lost, they join Jesus where He is.

Here's another way of looking at it.  If lack of obedience to the Great Commission has contributed to the diminishing of our fervor for Christ, doesn't it make sense that renewed obedience would be a factor in renewing our zeal?  If we want a fresh encounter with Jesus, we will find Him reaching the nations.  Let our prayer today be one of commitment to join Jesus in evangelizing all peoples.