It seems there is no escaping the pressure.  In the broader culture, we are under pressure to keep our faith in Jesus to ourselves.  And in the evangelical culture, we feel the pressure to share our faith with the whole world.  One way or another, if you are a believer in Christ, you are bound to feel some pressure.  Or are you?

This week we will engage in the second session of the series, Gospel Shaped Outreach.  Session Two is, Who is Jesus?  The objective of this session is to create a deep sense of awe of Christ.  The more we are in awe of Christ, the more we will sense the privilege we have to tell the world about him. 

A few weeks ago Kerra, Elizabeth, and I went to Sleeping Bear Dunes in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Each night, at about 9:30 EDT, the sun appeared to set in Lake Michigan.  One particular night, the sky was clear of clouds and the humidity was low.  Standing on the lakeshore, looking directly above and to the east, the sky was pitch-black.  As my eyes scanned westward, I could see the black sky transition into a deep blue…then orange, pink, and ultimately to a bright yellow.  All of that happened at the same time against a gently rippling blue sea.  When the sun had finally appeared to sink into the lake, the sky turned inky black, and the stars popped out like diamonds.  The Big Dipper seemed close enough to reach up and grab.

I have never seen anything like this before, so naturally I wanted to share my experience with everyone.  I posted my photos and comments on Facebook.  I described the glorious details of that sunset with everyone who asked me how my vacation was.  I didn’t feel any pressure to share this experience with others, or make a plug for the vacation spot we visited.  I had seen something awesome, and I felt privileged to share it with my family and friends, along with my entire Facebook world.

This is sort of what gospel-shaped outreach should look like.  When we are in awe of Christ, we feel something.  And that something we feel is not a heavy sense of obligation to get out there and evangelize.  It’s an eagerness to share something awesome, the most awesome thing in the universe, with everyone we know.

I used to look at the goal of my messages as a way to teach you something or to go and do something.  But now my goal is for you to worship. (That’s the difference in a lecture and a sermon. In a lecture you leave with knowledge; in a sermon you leave worshipping.)  I want you to walk away thinking about how glorious Christ is.  I don’t want you to walk away anymore thinking about what you need to go and do for Christ.  Instead, I want you to walk away amazed at what He’s done for you. I want you to leave with a sense of His awesomeness and of His unfathomable love.  Because then, you won’t feel any pressure to be a witness for Christ—only the privilege of being able to point others to the most awesome Being there is.