Meaningful dialogue begins by asking meaningful questions. We’ve been looking at four questions that we as Marketplace Missionaries can ask in order to have meaningful dialogue: Where did we come from? Why is the world such a mess? Is there a solution? What do we do about it?
In the previous blog/podcast, we asked and answered the question, “Why is the world such a mess?” The world is indeed, a mess, and the reason it is a mess is because there is sin in the world. All the so-called problems in the world today are actually symptoms of the real problem: sin.
Now, as we look at question #3, we ask, “Is there a solution?” If so, what is the solution? We as Christians know that the solution is Jesus Christ!
My theology is simple, and can be narrowed down to two sentences: There is one problem in the world, and that problem is sin. There is one solution for that problem: Jesus Christ.
In the Name of Jesus . . .
In Acts 3, one afternoon, Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray. On the way there, they encountered a man who was lame from birth. The lame man asked them for money. Peter informed him that he had no money but went on to tell the man, “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene – walk!” God healed the man and he got up and walked!
Following that, Peter preached a sermon, preaching the Good News. However, the priest, the Captain of the Guard, and the Pharisees took issue with Peter and John, bringing them before the high priests, asking them, “By what power, or by whose name, have you done this?”
Peter’s response: “Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. . . . salvation is found in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
The Answer is not “Blowin’ In The Wind”
That is the answer to the question, “What is the solution?” The answer, my friend, is not “blowing in the wind”. Rather, the answer in Scripture is clear. There are many other verses in Scripture that speak to the fact that Jesus is the answer to the problem. It is through Jesus and because of Jesus that we can have salvation.
When engaging in meaningful dialogue in the marketplace, isn’t this the conclusion we want people to make?
When you present this truth to others, this would be a great time to share your testimony: share the fact that you once were lost in sin, that sin had you in its power. Share with them how you discovered the solution in Jesus Christ. Tell them that, yes, you still sin, but you are now forgiven. Share with them the hope and peace that you now have because of your relationship with Him.
In the next podcast/bolg, we will ask and answer question #4, “What do we do about it?” or to put it another way, “Where do we go from here? Now that we know the answer, the solution, what do we do in response to this?
Today’s Takeaway: There is one problem: sin. There is one solution: Jesus Christ. God’s Word teaches those truths, and there is much more to learn from Scripture. When engaging in meaningful dialogue, emphasize the problem and the solution. There is a solution to their struggles. There is a solution to their problems.