"3 Cans Buttermilk...Biscuits"

The text was supposed to read: 3 cans buttermilk biscuits. Instead, as I hit SEND I realized biscuits had been sent to one line and the line above simply read, 3 cans buttermilk. I knew things wouldn't end well unless I sent Scott another text. Just a sidenote: I NEVER send my husband to the grocery store with a long list. Pick up milk, please or Could you grab another box of linguine? perhaps, but more than three items? NEVER. When it comes to grocery shopping, I have a system. And, I like to have control. (But that's a topic for another day.) As I was preparing to send that clarifying text, I received an email alert. I made the decision to ignore that but saw someone struggling with some bags. I couldn't let that go. After helping with the bags, I hurried to get unlock the door and turn on some lights. My phone chimed again. Ooo, gotta silence that before Bible study. I tapped the volume off. A voice called from the hall; ladies were arriving, and I hadn't placed chairs at the table yet. Someone asked for a pen and some paper. Another had gotten an important text asking for prayer... Bottom line: I never sent the text. So, while I was teaching on the topic of evangelism, my husband, with our youngest in tow, was going from store to store, soliciting employees to aid him in a snipe hunt. He nor his unsuspecting aids had any idea their search was fruitless. As I said, I was teaching on evangelism, and the irony is not lost on me.

Evangelism, or spreading the good news of Jesus Christ is a huge part of Christianity --or it should be. As followers of Jesus, we are given a clear example of how to do life with others. Jesus prayed for others. Jesus had meals with people. Jesus helped others. Jesus defended people. Jesus attended worship services. Jesus told others the Good News of why He had come to earth in the first place. As if His example is not enough, He directly commanded all those who follow Him to go out into the world and make more disciples. The Good News of Jesus is not for us to keep to ourselves. We are all in need of a Savior --of The Savior, and it doesn't end with the "sinner's prayer." Surrendering our will to Jesus and being born of the Holy Spirit is just the beginning. The remainder of our life on Earth is spent --or should be --seeking to become more like Jesus and inviting others to do the same. It is a lifelong search --not that God cannot be found; He reveals Himself clearly in the pages of His Word --but it is a lifelong search to know Him more deeply, to dig within our hearts and find more to give Him, to discover areas we remain more like our old selves than the new creation we have been made in Christ, to experience His benefits and be satisfied with good things, and to bring others along on the journey to toil and delight and wonder with us. 

But this is no wild goose chase! God promises we will find exactly what we seek. As we open our Bibles and dig into His written Word, we discover things about Him and about ourselves; how He uses people (in a good and transformative way) for His glory, how He makes us into the human beings He before time designed us to be, how He works even the difficult and grievous parts of our lives in such a way as to bring us good and bring Him glory, how all of this is predicated on us being separated from God by our sin but being offered the opportunity to partake of the substitutionary atonement of a benevolent and sufficient Savior. This is the Gospel! And evangelism is sharing that Good News, partnering with others as they embark on a journey to know God, and inviting them to partner with us as we live on our own adventure imitating Christ as well. We draw others in as we navigate life in Christ and explore what it means to trust Him. 

Not for lack of willingness or effort or compassion, my husband and his search party never found 3 cans buttermilk. Because they don't exist. Because the message was not clearly communicated. As evangelists --all of us --it's important the message of God's goodness toward a fallen humanity is clearly communicated. It's not enough to "do good things" and expect people to know it is because of Jesus we do them. We have to tell them. We have to be ready to answer their questions and explain the power of a God whose love toward us has enabled us to love others. That starts with each one of us knowing who He is and what He says in His Word. We have to be sharpened by our brothers and sisters and fueled by the steady influx of Scripture so that we are equipped. We have to be certain those around us receive the message clearly.