Contagious – when I think of this word, I think of the recent Sunday School lesson with the P4 children on Jesus healing the lepers. The lepers were outcasts where people would stay away from them for fear of being infected by their contagious disease. Each day before school starts, my daughter has to queue up to check temperature, hands and mouth for any HFMD. Should anyone has any of these symptom, they will be asked to go home. No one would want to be around a person who is contagious.
In contrast, does anybody want to know and be with a God who is contagious? The contagious God – His love, His mercies, His kindness, His authority – these characteristics are really contagious. Jesus is contagious in every aspect. But up to this time, it is surveyed that many still do not know Jesus. Many know Steve Jobs, Apple, Samsung, Toyota, Lexus and Coca Cola but not Jesus. Therefore we still have a commission to obey – to go and make disciples of all nations.
Here is a book that clears away the fog that reaching the lost is a very daunting task. It also helps to identify not only the few key essentials towards being a contagious Christian, namely authenticity, compassion and sacrifice, it helps to find out through a questionnaire what is our individual natural style of relating to people in order to bridge the Gospel to our sphere of relationships. Is my style like Peter’s Direct or Paul’s Intellectual Approach or like the Blind Man’s Testimonial Approach or Matthew’s Interpersonal style or the Samaritan Woman’s Invitational Approach or simply Tabitha’s Service Approach? What is encouraging and of great relief is that I can just be myself and realized that God knew what He was doing when He made me and each one of us.
Bill and Mark also provide the methods namely Direct, Indirect and Invitational methods to start spiritual conversations, and give us pointers to learn and ponder on the 4 components of the Gospel message. Illustrations always help to bring the message across better and you will learn about the Do vs. Done, the Bridge, the Baseball and Airplane illustrations and also how to clear the barriers to belief.
The book ends with a chapter on “Investing Your Life in People” and a story of Steve Jobs who headhunted John Sculley from Pepsi-Cola with these words, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?” Like John Sculley, all of us have a God-given yearning to change the world. But personal computers will never impact the world as much as leading someone into a personal relationship with Christ.
Wow, so many things to learn. Hurry, this book is available for loan in our church Resource Library. Furthermore, True Way is embarking on equipping more to desire and want to become contagious Christians, do consider starting a 6-lesson course with a small group of your own or joining a DG who is starting the course in the coming weeks ahead.
To find out more, connect with any of the Pastoral and Ministry staff.
This book review was written in Feb 2016 by Ho Chee Yoong Amos.
