Once in a Lifetime

What if someone shared Jesus with you just once in a lifetime? What if all you ever heard about the gospel was what someone told you, just once? I expect there would be a lot more weight on that one experience and it would be used by the Holy Spirit to weigh deeply upon your heart. The gospel message would be much more precious and the value would be exceedingly high. There would be much concern and greater emphasis upon churches to,"get it right", and much more prayer among the sincere Christian people. I expect follow-up would be extremely serious, and visitations wouldn't be rushed. There would be much more planning by the holders of such a message to reach those loved ones and friends. The status of a person would not mean very much as it would only be a "one-shot" deal anyway. I expect there would be more serious praying Christians and good deeds would be done from a lot more sincerity. Doctrine would mean much more as Leaders would understand they only have one shot to reach that lost person with the truth.

Who says this is not the case? Where is it written that we are guaranteed more than one opportunity with that one that is lost? Should we not be taking our role as Christians much more seriously than we do? When it is all said and done, what we take with us are the lives of those we have touched with the gospel. Those lives changed by the hearing of the gospel message, used by the Holy Spirit to convict the sinner of their sorry state. Will there be a full table when we dine with the Savior? Lord, help us to see the need.

Let us look at one great soldier in the Army of the Lord, Stephen: Acts, chapter 6:

⁸ And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. ¹⁰ And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.¹¹ Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. ¹³ They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” ¹⁵ And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

(foreward to Acts, chapter 7)

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, ⁵³ who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

Stephen the Martyr

⁵⁴ When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; ⁵⁸ and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.