1. Definition: The anthropic principle implies that when we look at the world around us, it would seem, at least at first blush, that the universe was somehow designed to support an nourish human life

2. Someone must have gone to a lot of effort to make things just right so that we could be here to enjoy life. In short, modern science points to the fact that we must really matter to God!

1. Businesses, if they're going to be successful for the long haul, must pull their attention off of themselves and refocus their energies on their only reason for existence--to serve their customers

3. If the lesson from science is that people matter to God, the the lesson from business is they'd better matter to us, too.

2. Usually Jesus pronounced parables based on his ability to perceive a particular need in the hearts of a person or group of people; here, however, he addressed an offensive mentality in the hearts of the religious leadership

a. In each one of these stories, something of great value was missing, something that really mattered

i. A valuable lesson--when we realize how much cares about people, it makes us care more about them, too

ii. You have never locked eyes with another human being who isn't valuable to God

b. That which was missing was important to warrant an all-out search. God wants us to become contagious Christians--His agents, who will frist catch His love and then urgently and infectiously offer it to all who are willing to consider it. This is His primary plan

A. Weighing the Options--Before embarking on a project, add up what you'll have to invest--"count the cost"--to make sure it's worth the effort that you'll be able to follow it through to completion

1. Adventure--the Christian life is one of faith, where we find ourselves routinely overdriving our headlights but knowing it's okay because God is in control and has purpose behind it

2. Purpose--you'll start anticipating that He might surprise you at any time with an eternity-altering opportunity

3. Fulfillment--as we begin to throw ourselves into rescuing irreligious people and looking for purpose in everyday events, we start to feel a sense of fulfillment that transcends the realm of everyday human experience

4. Spiritual growth--As lethargic believers break out of spiritual isolation and meet some spiritual seekers (experiencing the high-stakes conversations that tend to happen with unchurched people), they begin to notice a sort of inner renewal taking place

b. They start to renew a genuine desire for fresh glimpses into God's character and truth

ii. When you start going on record with those around you that you're a serious Christian, they begin immediately and instinctively to watch your life

g. Church attendance--having a heightened sense o f concern for lost people will affect our participation in two ways

i. It will motivate us to take advantage of all that our church offers to help us grow in spiritual strength and stamina

ii. It will provoke us to make changes in our churches in areas that may have become outdated, inefficient, or even counterproductive

5. Spiritual confidence--talking to people who have different spiritual perspectives will force you to take steps to ensure you are speaking accurately about the Christian faith

6. Enduring investments--2 Peter 3:11--"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?"

a. God has chosen us to be His agents. He's given us the high honor of speaking on His behalf. And He promises to empower and use us in the process.

b. It was God who bestowed upon us the high honor of being His representatives. It wasn't our idea.

c. God benefits, too. He has the reward of watching His children emulate His love for lost people, a kind of joy any parent can readily understand

1. Time and Energy--reaching wayward people will involve the expending of time and energy, our most valued resources, to build relationships, showing Christian care and compassion, and praying consistently

2. Reading and Study--Scripture tells all of us to keep growing in our knowledge and understanding of God

3. Money--investing in the lives of others takes tangible investments (Matt. 6:20--21)

4. Risk of Embarrassment, Rejection or Persecution--while probably few of us suffer overt persecution, the likelihood is high that we'll experience some lesser kinds of resistance. But it can also get more serious when there's discrimination or intentional harassment because of what we represent

D. The Outcome--the closer you look, the more you see that the rewards are high and the costs relatively low. They're investments that pay permanent dividends.

A. Maximum Impact (MI)--to have the greatest spiritual influence possible on those around us. Jesus used two elements as illustrations: salt and light

a. Salt makes us thirsty-- Jesus may have meant for salt to symbolize the idea of creating thirst

b. It spices things up--when Christians live out their faith with authenticity and boldness they put a little zing into a sometimes bland cup of soup

c. It preserves--when believers are living Christ-honoring lives they hold back the moral decay in society

3. Comes from reading and feeding on the truths of the Bible--prayer, fellowship, serving and contributing, sharing our faith with others, and disciplining ourselves

a. We must have plenty of proximity; we need to get close to people we're hoping to reach in order to allow His power to have its intended effect

c. Practicing the age-old daily spiritual disciplines that have made believers salty for thousands of years is what will make us dangerous; there's nothing fancy or high-tech about it

1. What does light do? It makes things visible and helps us see them for what they really are

b. God "made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ

2. To have the powerful influence God desires, we must know the gospel message cold and be ready to communicate it concisely and clearly

So can we just come out and say it? Far too many Christians have been anesthetized into thinking that if they simply live out their faith in an open and consistent fashion, the people around them will see it, want it, and somehow figure out how to get it for themselves. Or they reason that maybe these people will come and ask them what makes their life so special and, when they do, they'll seize the opportunity and explain it to them. But let's be honest: that almost never happens.

3. It is imperative that we put the message into clear language our friends can understand and act upon

1. Many Christians can't succeed because they remain isolated from the very people they need to touch (close proximity)

2. We will not have maximum impact until we have distinctiveness, potency and savor (high potency)

3. Actions without words are devoid of meaning and content (clear communication)

2. God gave us a formula for changing our world; it involves two people: a salty Christian and someone who needs to come to faith, talking together about things that really matter

IV. The Attractiveness of Authenticity--"Image is everything" is a falsehood; the truth-seekers' motto is "Substance is everything." Christians are to be good news before they can share good news.

1. Before we can become highly contagious Christians, we must first live in a way that convinces the people around us that we actually have the disease ourselves

Contemporary Evangelism--Reading Notes