“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

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“Everyday Evangelism” What does that mean? Where are we going with this new series?

First, let’s look at what evangelism is. I think the word “evangelism” has gotten a bad rap in our society due to some very public, and not-so-good, televangelists. These are the guys on tv yelling at you about how bad you are while at the same time taking your money and lining their pockets.  

But evangelism is simply spreading the Gospel (or good news of Jesus) by public preaching or personal witness. In this series, we want to focus on the personal witness and what that looks like as you’re out enjoying your summer activities. As you go hiking or sit by the fire or go to the beach with your friends and family, you have time for those conversations. As you build on the relationship, you can share what God has done in your life. What surrendering to Jesus has meant for you.

Our verse today says, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” When Isaiah wrote this, the Israelites were in captivity to the Babylonians because of their sin of idolatry. Throughout the Old Testament, we see a cycle for the people of God. God told them that if they followed His commands and didn’t worship the gods of the people around them, they would prosper and live in peace. But time and again, the Jewish people got drawn in by the people around them and worshiped their worthless idols. They would then end up in captivity by a surrounding nation. Eventually they would recognize their sin and cry out to God, and He would hear and redeem them. In this verse, Isaiah is crying out on behalf of the people as they recognize their own sin.

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Like the Jews, we are all unclean because we live in a fallen world; we are all sinners. Now, I don’t recommend starting the conversation with that, “You know, mom, you’re a dirty, rotten sinner, and you need Jesus.” But how do you start that conversation?  

Honestly, I think most of us think more poorly of ourselves, are harder on ourselves, than anyone else. I don’t think you have to convince people they are “bad.” I think the hard part is to convince them that they can never be so bad that Jesus doesn’t love them. So, we need to focus on what Jesus did rather than what we did, because we really had nothing to do with our salvation.  He loved us so much that He died for us. He did it for us not to us.  

Conversely, we need to show that we could never be so “good” that we can earn His love. Because again, it has nothing to do with what we do and all to do with what Jesus did for us. He paid our debt because there is nothing in this world we can do to pay that debt. And honestly, I find that to be completely freeing. I don’t have to strive to earn His love. I don’t have to do enough “good” things to earn my way to heaven. What I do need to do is surrender to His leading, which is ALWAYS for my good because He loves me.  

Pastor Josh is really good at digging down to get to the core by asking questions. I think that is a great way to build that bridge. Ask really good questions before talking about yourself. If you don’t know them well, ask the everyday questions like, “What do you do for a living? Are you married? Do you have kids?” Eventually you can dig down to questions like, “Do you know Jesus? What do you believe about Jesus? Who is God in your life? Is He an angry Father or a loving parent?” LISTEN to them. See them like Jesus would. Then just tell your story. What has God meant to you? How did He become more like a loving parent than an angry father? And always, always, bring the focus back to Jesus. We really are just like filthy rags, yet all God sees once we are redeemed by Jesus and washed by His blood, is a shining garment, white and clean.  

So, the next time you are out with that friend that may or may not know Jesus, start the conversation. Build the relationship. Show the love of Jesus and His redemptive work in your life.  

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Father God, thank You that we can never be bad enough or good enough on our own to lose or earn Your love. You have taken all the pressure off of us and put it on Your precious Son. Help us to tell our story to our friends with our focus solely on You and Your redemptive work. Help us to acknowledge and show that we are all sinners in a broken world while still amplifying Your grace. Father, give us wisdom and discernment in our conversations. Holy Spirit, fill us! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!  

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