Church history, in many ways, begins with the book of Acts. It is in the book of Acts that we see how followers of The Way lived. We also learn much about the structure of this new religion called Christianity that would one day serve as a belief system for billions. Chris Donald, co-founder of 33rd Company, believes the book of Acts is more than history. He shares his theory of the Bible book serving as a guide for evangelists to follow in Run Your Race: The Book of Acts is a Playbook, Not Just a History Book.
The Original Call Never Changed
Chris Donald leans heavily on the Great Commission Jesus gives his followers in Matthew 28:18-20. According to the scripture verses (NIV version),
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
This command, according to Donald, was not just for eyewitnesses of the life and times of Jesus. This commission is for the Church at present.
When individuals accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they also accept the responsibility of telling others about the good news of knowing him. Evangelism, then, is not only for a selected few in the Christian world. Every believer in Jesus should be a witness to the goodness of God and be eager to share their experiences with others.
So Many Stories
One aspect of Run Your Race by Chris Donald that makes the book feel less like a textbook is the storytelling. The author does not merely instruct us how to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Donald instead tells us how he shares and invites us to follow his format if we are nervous about starting the conversation with family, friends, and strangers.
Along the same lines of removing awkwardness is Donald’s guide in the back of the book that allows budding evangelists to use a script instead of trying to find the right words in the moment. This template is meant to further remove stress and excuses surrounding evangelism.
So Relatable
Some people view individuals such as Chris Donald as super Christians. Donald, after all, has a platform that trains others how to spread the Gospel. He also drives around his community to administer mobile baptisms. The majority will never do such things, and this is not the goal of Donald’s book.
Run Your Race is meant to spark interest in evangelism and to show readers how Chris Donald journeyed from being a new Christian to ultimately serving as a leader in the faith. We see Donald’s transformation from the angry kid to the construction worker who won’t stop praying for people to be healed. We learn about his wife, Chelsea Donald, who supports him and serves as the backbone of the family. We appreciate the humanity of the author and do not view him as anything divine because he shows us through his writing that he is just an ordinary person who is willing to obey God.
Go, Change The World
In the final paragraph of his book, Chris Donald encourages readers to go and change the world. He believes he has provided the keys young evangelists need to get started on their mission, which begins wherever their feet land. Run Your Race: The Book of Acts is a Playbook, Not Just a History Book is a great read for new believers who are zealous about their faith but need wisdom and direction about sharing with others. This book is also wonderful for seasoned Christians who need to be encouraged to once again talk about the good news of Jesus.