I had the privilege of attending a simulcast of Francis Chan’s 1+1=3 tonight. For those of you who do not know about this, it is based on his book Multiply. The idea is that 1 person that disciples 1 person will lead to that person who disciples another person, making 1+1=3.
But the thing that stuck out most in my mind was the illustration that Francis Chan used. He poured a glass of the juice drink “Naked”. “Naked” is a drink that is pure, without additives. He related this to the gospel message. He then began adding things like whip cream, chocolate syrup and skittles to the cup. He related these thing to the ways we try to help “spice” up the gospel message. We try so hard to make it better, to help people become drawn to it. But he said that by doing this we are actually ruining the gospel message. We should just trust that God is working in someone’s life and take the chance and share the good news with them. How often we go to people and ask them to talk to someone, thinking that surely they can do what we can not. But that isn’t the way God works. He uses those who the world looks down upon to make the proud look foolish.
Don’t wait for someone else to do what God has called you to do yourself (yes, I know this is a song and one of my most favorites too) Perhaps God has placed someone in your path for the very reason of reaching out to them. You don’t know that God hasn’t been working in their life and your simple words is just what they needed to hear.
Let us go therefore into all the world making disciples. This includes the part of the world in which God has placed us.
