How many of you have had a meal at McDonald’s?  Yes. McDonald’s is extremely popular. McDonald’s was formed in 1955 in the state of Illinois and now spans the globe. It’s global. It’s a global movement.

How many of you have had a Coke? How many of you are addicted to Diet Coke? Come on. This is a safe place.  In 1971 Coca-Cola began an ad campaign: “I’d like to buy the world a Coke.” It appears they have succeeded on many levels. It’s global. It’s a global movement.

Yet, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are not the only global movements. We are here today to talk about the church of Jesus Christ – a global movement far more important than hamburgers and soft drinks.

In John 17:20-26 Jesus prays for the disciples of his disciples.  In this chapter he’s prayed for himself, he’s prayed for his disciples, and he now prays for the multiplication process.

Notice verse 20: “My prayer is not for them alone [meaning his disciples]. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.”

 Jesus is praying with the assumption that his disciples know the message, that his disciples will preach the message, and that people will believe the message preached by the disciples.  He prays that this process will create unity. He prays that this process will show the world the truth, love, and glory of Jesus.

 It’s passages like this one (among many others) that make me think … where did we ever get the notion that you could follow Jesus without actively sharing your faith with other people?   I run into far too many people that claim to follow Jesus but run from serious conversations about faith with friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. It has to stop.

You should be sharing your faith. I exhort you as a follow of Jesus Christ to share your faith in the home, community, and workplace. I invite you to actively pray for people in your life that need to know the glorious riches of salvation in Jesus Christ.

For some of you that is a frighten proposition. Let me offer you some free advice: Simply share what God has recently taught you. Think back over the past 6 months. What has God taught you? What lessons have you learned? What passages of Scripture have helped you?

If your mind draws a blank – you need to seek the Lord.

I pray that your mind is flooded with powerful lessons learned, powerful examples of your faith being stretched. You need to share those things. If someone asks you a serious question, give him or her a serious answer. If someone asks you a superficial question, take the initiative and bring the conversation to a deeper level.