Worth Sharing

Dear St Andrew’s,

Let me begin with a story.

Albert McMakin was a young farmer in North Carolina. In 1934, when he was 24 years old, Albert became a Christian at a series of church meetings in a nearby town. He was so excited by what he had discovered that he filled his truck with friends and drove them to the next meeting so that they could hear about Jesus too.

There was one teenager Albert was especially keen to bring. The young man was far more interested in girls than in the gospel and repeatedly turned down Albert’s invitations. Eventually Albert persuaded him to come by offering to let him drive the truck.

When they arrived, the teenager went inside and found himself, in his own words, “spellbound”. He returned night after night until, a few days later, he put his trust in Jesus Christ.

That teenager went on to speak about Jesus to more people in person than anyone else in history. He preached to vast crowds, counselled presidents and reached hundreds of millions through radio and television.

Albert McMakin did none of those things. He simply invited a friend.

His friend was Billy Graham.

We cannot all be Billy Graham. But we can all be Albert McMakin.

This Sunday we begin a new three-week series called Worth Sharing. It is designed to prepare us for our guest services on 2 and 9 August, when we will explore The Beauty of Christianity and The Sense of Christianity.

Before we invite others, however, we need to remind ourselves why Jesus is worth sharing.

We begin with two short parables in which Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as treasure hidden in a field and as a pearl of great value. One person finds the treasure unexpectedly; the other has been searching for something precious. But both respond in the same way: once they discover it, everything else is seen differently.

That is what happens when we truly encounter Jesus. In him we find truth about God, ourselves and the world. In him we find forgiveness for our sin and a love that welcomes us into God’s family. In him we find a sure and glorious hope beyond death. Jesus is not merely an interesting addition to an already busy life. He is treasure of incomparable worth.

The following week, we will consider why, when Jesus is so precious, we can still find it difficult to speak about him. Sharing our faith may expose us to embarrassment, misunderstanding or rejection. Yet the love of Christ—the one who suffered “the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God”—can give us the courage to cross that pain-line.

In the final week, we will consider some simple and practical ways forward. We can pray for those God has placed around us. We can learn to tell the story of how we became Christians and the difference Jesus has made. And we can offer a simple invitation: “Come and see.”

Across the series, we will also hear brief interviews with members of our church family. Their stories will remind us that God brings people to faith in many different ways—through deliberate searching, unexpected circumstances, long relationships and ordinary invitations.

Perhaps there is someone God has placed in your life whom you could invite. You cannot control how they will respond. You do not need to have all the answers. You do not need to be Billy Graham.

You may simply need to be Albert McMakin.

Because Jesus really is worth sharing.

Blessings,