It was one of the most redemptive things I saw on Facebook this week. Our newest NNYM team member, Ryan Gilchrist, posted his quote. The setting was preparing seven youth groups for a missions outreach, serving refugees in San Antonio. He told them:
"The gospel came to you on its way to someone else. This is not your story to keep. It's your story to share." What a good word!
It's our story to share. On purpose. Because it doesn't happen by accident. In a season when sharing the good news of Jesus often seems to take a back seat to other ministry priorities, we need to ask if we're doing what God has told us is most important. Other priorities are still important, but our stew may need a little more protein!
How and why do we make sharing the gospel more "on purpose" in our work with students?
On purpose means we prioritize what the Scripture says is important. Paul wrote, "I delivered to you of first importance (italics mine) what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures..." (1 Cor. 15: 3-4).
Intentional means that we preach the Cross. Its message is, after all, the "power of God to salvation to everyone who believes..."
On purpose also means in unity with other believers. I never cease to be amazed at the repeated emphasis on unity in Jesus' prayer in John 17: 20-23. He starts with being purposeful about being fused in unity with the Trinity (individually and corporately). Later, Paul warns us to be "diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3) with others. There's enormous power in unity - maybe, in part, because it's so rare these days.
The result of unity in Jesus' prayer is "that the world may know." Wow. Do you get this? Gospel power is multiplied out of a united church.
On purpose means built on united prayer. It's a war, friends. I can't think of a story about an advance of God's kingdom in history that was not preceded by extraordinary, united prayer. Pentecost in Acts. Every awakening I know of in history. Advances in missions.
Finally, on purpose means contextualizing the gospel, explaining the message of the cross. Missions strategists have always worked to find the "glue" that helps a target people group understand the good news. Effective youth leaders will listen, research, pray, and do their homework. Don Richardson described this in his classic book, Eternity in Their Hearts.
Luke LeFevre tells the story of a group of Gen Z-focused ministry leaders in Nashville who cooperated to sponsor raves that shared the gospel on purpose. They demonstrated "on purpose" by putting the gospel first, doing it in unity with others, covering the event in prayer, and doing the event in a relevant environment The results were insane. At one rave, nearly 400 students responded to the gospel out of 1,000 who came.
It's our story to share. On purpose.