I John 1:1-3

For seven weeks at ROC on Sunday nights we've talked about one thing: LEADERSHIP! After several weeks of this conversation it occurred to me - nobody really cares about this topic. We spent seven weeks on the how to of influencing people before it even dawned on me that most of us didn't want to influence people. Why is that? Why have we lost zeal to make an impact on the world we've been placed in? Why have we fallen in love with a live and let live lifestyle when Jesus has clearly told us that our mission is to be salt and light - INFLUENCERS! - On earth.

As I read I John 1:1-3 some answers flew out at me.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write this to make our joy complete."

John says here - hey we get our boldness in telling people about Christ because we have experienced Him for ourselves. His presence in our lives in not a theory or an intellectual exercise it is an experience. We have touched Him. We have walked beside Him and talked with Him. We know Him personally.

Is our relationship with Jesus like that? Sometimes it can slip back into theory. We can give a great verbal explanation of what it means to follow Christ but somehow we have lost the personal experience of walking with Jesus daily. John and the other disciples were so motivated by the personal nature of their relationship with Christ they were willing to tell people about it despite tremendous hardships and even death put on them by the Roman government. If we will return to the experiential nature of our relationship with God and reject Christianity as merely an established set of propositions to be believed I believe our excitement for sharing Him with others will be rekindled.