Who is Your "One More"?

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

After Jesus rose from the dead, He held a meeting with His disciples on a mountain in Galilee. He commissioned them: “Go make more disciples.”

We have a drawer in our kitchen which contains rubber bands, pens, paperclips, screwdrivers, orphaned cords to ancient appliances, one thumbtack, and dog fingernail clippers. It’s a junk drawer. Don’t judge us. You have one, too. Well the word “discipleship” is like that. It’s a junk drawer term, and for some reason people have hot takes on what it’s supposed to mean.

I’ll tell you one thing it certainly means: evangelism. It is certainly more than that, but it undoubtedly isn’t less than that.

If you weren’t already planning on bailing on this article, I’m sure you are now. But don’t. I don’t think evangelism is as scary or dramatic as we’ve made it out to be.

Maybe you think about a street preacher. I see them on Instagram sometimes. They have a megaphone with a little strap (I guess megaphones are heavy and they holster them when they drink their coffee) and they engage people on the street. Now hear me: that’s great. If that’s your personality, and you’ve got a John The Baptist boldness, go for it. But for the rest of us, we need a different approach.

Before you evangelize — which simply means to share the good news — you need to want to evangelize. You need to want to make heaven crowded. You need to believe Jesus is risen, and that trusting in Him is the only way to get to heaven.

You need to get comfy with proselytizing.

Penn Jillette of the magician duo Penn & Teller — an atheist — said it this way:

“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me along and keep your religion to yourself—how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?

“I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.”

Heaven is real, and hell is, too. Jesus is the only way to salvation. Don’t you want more people to trust in Jesus, be reborn, and experience eternal life? I do.

I want you to close your eyes. Well, you have to keep your eyes open to read this. Just a sec. And then you’ll close them. I want you to picture who in your life needs to hear the good news of Jesus. Okay, now pause, close your eyes, and think. Ask the Lord to reveal that person.

Got them? Good. Do you love this person? Of course you do.

Okay, now let’s make this really easy, like a 3-inch putt. Invite them to TDC on Easter. Invite them to witness baptisms, the celebration of Jesus bringing people from death to life. Invite them to hear the gospel preached.

I can’t fill heaven up. I can’t save anyone. Only Jesus can do that. But I can be obedient to love the people God has placed around me, and I can respond to the conviction when He invites me to invite them to hear about Jesus. Maybe that’s just one more.

But isn’t one more worth it?

Christ is all,

Brad Larson