A few months ago, the lock jammed in our entrance door. We called a locksmith, and they sent out a nice guy named Mark, who did a great job fixing it. After I paid him, he began asking about the pictures in my office. He noticed that I was a pastor.
“What’s your church background, Mark?” I asked.
Mark was Jewish. He had come here from Israel. He believed there was a God, but was turned off by institutional religion. I told him that God loved him and wanted to get to know him.
“God wants to help you and guide you in your life,” I said.
“I’ve experienced that!” Mark suddenly shot back. “I was in a situation where I had to make a decision about a purchase and ‘something’ kept telling me not to buy it. But I bought it anyway. Afterward, I realized I didn’t really want it.”
Because I strongly believe that God is already working in every person’s life, whether they know it or not, I calmly said, “It sounds like God is reaching out to you, Mark. Maybe that is why we are talking now, to help you know how you can connect with him.” He liked that response and the fact that God could be really interested in his life.
I sensed Mark was very close to the Red Zone, but not quite in it. The main obstacle was that he was unsure about Jesus himself, possibly because of his Jewish background.
“Mark,” I said, “I suggest you read the Gospel of John to see for yourself whether or not Jesus was the Messiah.”
“I’d be willing to do that.”
I found a copy of a New Testament on my shelf and gave it to him. Then he asked me to earmark for him the places he should read and to suggest how much he should read every day, which I did.
Now, at that point I shared the Bridge Diagram, even though I knew that today he was not ready to cross the line of faith. So, why did I share the Bridge then? Because the Bridge Diagram can act like a “preview,” or synopsis of the Gospel of John. It would supply Mark with the “big picture” so that, as he read on his own, he wouldn’t get lost in the details.
I’ve not reconnected with Mark yet. But one thing I do know is this: Mark is several yards closer to the goal of finding life in Christ.
Look for opportunities to be a link in the chain and point the people you meet to Christ.