In the midst of deep thought and contemplation, the phone rang! I picked it up on the hunch that I may have just won a million dollars. Once again, it wasn't Ed McMahon. Instead, Chris had called to tell me there may be a lot of non-Christians at the Agape Club meeting I was scheduled to speak for. He suggested I pray about sharing my testimony and explain what it means to be a Christian. This was the first of 2 public high schools I recently had the privilege to speak at during the lunch break.
Years earlier I had learned how to speak the language of the young people of America. In fact, on my first album I recorded a little segment on How to Witness to Valley Girls. Unfortunately, they hardly offer that course to teenagers these days. For some reason, they go for languages like Spanish and here in Southern California, the nearly dead languages of English.
So I started to contemplate how to share my faith with this generation in the language of the 90's. Many people don't understand what you mean if you say, we've all sinned (Romans 3:23) so remind them that we are all Naughty By Nature. We try to make up for it by doing good works to earn brownie points with God or get into heaven, but That Don't Impress God Much (Eph 2:8,9). Since we are selfish by nature we think we know what we want, what we really really want but we really really don't (you must say that line with a British Spice Girls accent). But what if God was One Of Us? Not a stranger on the bus, but a savior whose name is . . . His name is (what?), His name is (who? - not Eminem) His name is JESUS! (Phil 2:6-8) . . . He'd tell us straight up, instead of selfishly trying to get and get and get, what we need to do is: Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now! (Acts 20:35). Now, you'd think when you give your life away to Jesus that you would actually lose it, but Isn't It Ironic that you actually find it. It's like, Oops . . . There it is! Oops . . . There it is!
Of course, when you find that new life, the angels in heaven are rejoicing and singing, Hip Hop Horaaaay! Hoooo! Heeey Macarena! Then you realize that God did spend a little more time on you when He sent Jesus to die for you (Romans 5:8). Now, don't get me wrong, it's not always easy following Jesus. I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down! (Say that line in your best Tubthumping voice.) When you do blow it, ask God to forgive you . . . Help me Jesus, One More Time (I John 1:19). But always remember, when Jesus is in your heart, Your Heart Will Go On (John 10:28), and when you do follow Jesus with all your heart, that's when you're really Livin La Vida Loca!!! (John 10:10).
Well, of course no one needs to talk like that to share their love for Jesus. In fact, it would probably be advisable not to. You can easily invite a friend to church or youth group with you, pray for them and also pray that God would open up doors to allow you to share your testimony with them (Colossians 4:3). For most of us, myself included, we need to pray for God to break our hearts with compassion for the lost (Psalm 51:17).
There was a great turn out that day at the high school and I believe there were at least 2 girls that prayed to "ask Jesus to come into their life." Sometimes words like those can confuse people about what it means to be a Christian and decide to follow Jesus. There is no simple magical, hocus-pocus prayer that assures you heaven once you recite the right words. I'm sure many teens and children have walked forward at a camp or church service, been baptized and joined a church without really knowing Jesus. Many of you have heard me say, sitting in church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in the Weinersnitzel makes you a hot dog! That is why Jesus said these sobering, thought-provoking words in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, go to church camp in your name, laugh at all Larry's dumb jokes in your name?' [I added those last two.] Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me . . ." We are asked in Luke 6:46 how we can call Him 'Lord' when we don't do the things He says.
One problem is that we all want to go to heaven, but some of us just want to do whatever the minimum is to get in. We don't really want to follow Jesus. We want to enter on our terms rather than His. We think Jesus is great and we believe He is whom He says. However, James 2:19 says that the demons also believe and tremble. The Devil knows Jesus is who He said He was and that He died to take away our sins, but that doesn't make the Devil a Christian.
You may know who wrote Children of the Corn, Pet Cemetery, Mercy, The Stand, etc., . . . Stephen King, of course. That doesn't mean you know him personally. Many of you know a lot about the Bible and you 'believe' it, but you may not know the Author personally as your best friend, highest priority and most important One in your life. Is He all those things, or do you just want Him to be fire insurance to keep you out of hell?
If you aren't sure if you've ever really decided to really follow Jesus, consider totally giving your life to Him and asking Him to take control. You won't become a robot, but He will supernaturally come in to be part of your life by the Holy Spirit. Becoming a Christian isn't just a matter of turning over a new leaf and being good. We can't do it by our own power and strength (Eph. 2:8-9). Jesus did not come just to make bad people good, He came to make dead people alive!
Jesus said in John 5:24, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and puts their faith in Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." Jeremiah 29:13 reminds us, "You shall seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart." I encourage you, with all your heart, to ask Jesus to be #1 in your life. And guess what? He promises that He will if you ask in seriousness. John 6:37 says,". . . whoever comes to me, I will in no way cast them aside." Similarly, "Whoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved." (Romans 10:13).
If this article has encouraged you to follow Jesus or you have any questions, please write and let me know. Your youth minister or pastor would love to talk to you also. Follow Jesus!