​Singing Rod
(Missions)
(Our Personal Testimony)
(Share The Gospel)
 
Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.  Colossians 4:4
 
The Basic Bible Truth
 
Our task of sharing the Gospel is spelled out in detail.  We should have no questions regarding whether we should or should not share the Good News.  We must share.  The question remains as to how we are to share.  Paul’s concern here was that he should proclaim the Word clearly.  We share the same issue.  Is our presentation as clear and accurate and as inviting as it could be?
 
The Object
 
A ½ Inch Aluminum Rod
Powdered Resin
(You Can Purchase This As A Kit On The Steve Spangler Web Site)

This lesson uses a simple aluminum rod.  Hold the rod at its mid point as loosely as possible between the thumb and forefinger.  Dip the other forefinger and thumb into the powdered resin and stroke down the rod briskly several times with the thumb and finger on either side.  It may take a couple of tries, but you will eventually get the balance of holding pressure and stroking pressure.  A standing sound wave will be the eventual result.  And it will be an ear splitting, high pitched sound that can easily fill even the largest of venues. 
 
The Lesson
 
God has challenged each of us with the task of sharing the Gospel.  In actuality, if we take our gift seriously, this should be a “no brainer”.  God has given us an incredible gift and we should be willing and happy to tell everyone we meet what He has done for us.   I recall a young lady in our church who became engaged to be married to a wonderful young man.  Within minutes of the proposal and acceptance, the news, along with video that had been taken of the event, was posted on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Followed by comments of congratulations just minutes after that.  Not to dampen the spirits of the wedding occasion, but our salvation and acceptance into Heaven is of so much larger impact than a mere wedding.  A wedding is for a lifetime.  Heaven is for a countless eternity.
 
Eternity has been placed in the hearts of men.  God has put a secret desire in the heart of every human being that is longing for a confidence in the future beyond this life.  And we who are Christians have the answer to that desire—a relationship with Jesus.  And I use the word relationship rather than just the word salvation.  We are to share, but we are also called to disciple.  That takes time and effort on our part.  I liken it somewhat to giving birth.  It would be unthinkable for a woman to give birth and then let the little infant struggle for life by itself with no input from her.  We, likewise, “give birth” to new Christians when we lead then to the Lord.  We dare not just walk off and leave them unattended.  We must invest our lives in them.
 
Paul’s concern was that he be able to do his job clearly.  I have met too many Christians in my life who have never been taught anything about spiritual maturity.  They are still babes in Christ and the deep things of God confuse them.  We must present our message with clarity and conciseness.  That implies that we must know the subject of our message well.  Too many of us are giving a book report on the Bible, having never read the book.  In high school I took an American Literature course from probably the toughest high school English teacher who ever lived.  His grading scale was literal—if you did what he expected you to do, and did it as expected, that was “C” level work—average.  If you surprised him with exceptional work, you might earn a “B”.  I knew only one student who ever got an “A” in his class, and he had an eidetic memory.  We were given an assignment of a book report, a simple, one page summary of the book.  I was too lazy to take the time to read one, so I found a paperback of “The Last Hurrah” by Edwin O”Connor.  On its back cover was a synopsis of the story.  I then opened to about the middle and read a couple of paragraphs so that I would have a few details to throw into my report.  With the paper finished, I handed it in and received the lowest grade I ever got in high school for an assignment, a ”D--“.  I had no idea that that particular book had been on the New York Times best seller list for 5 months or that it had been made into a movie starring Spencer Tracy in 1958.  My teacher saw through my charade and reacted with a fair grade.  I learned my lesson that day.  I read the assigned books from that time on. 
 
I also read the Bible for the same reason.  I am constantly called on to give a book report when I check out at the grocery store, or hold a door open for an individual rushing to get into the building.  Everyday life is affected by our understanding of The Book.  And our presentation of Jesus is reflected in how we live our lives.  This aluminum rod doesn’t look like much.  It isn’t highly polished, nor is it any special alloy.  It has a few scratches on it, a dent here and there, and the ends are a bit rough.  But the message it has is as clear and piercing as any beautiful musical instrument in the world.  See if you can hear its sound.
 
Pretty incredible, huh?  May our presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ be as clear and piercing and undeniable as this little, unassuming, aluminum rod.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
 

PDF of Lesson