“For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
This verse
is as familiar to Christians as the morning pot of coffee. Yet, in recent years we seem to have
interpreted it to say, "For God so loved Christians..." The emphasis
in the church today is on us; how wonderful it is for us; we are saved; we have
the blessings; peace, joy; we are going to Heaven. That's true, but take a look at your church’s bulletin
next Sunday—chances are you will not find one activity for taking the gospel
directly to the people outside of the church walls. That is a tragedy, and it was never God's
intention.
In Act 1:8,
Jesus informed the Apostles that, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." I believe that God wants to use all of us to
bring the good news of the Gospel to everyone. The book of Proverbs says, “The fruit of the
righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." (Proverbs
11:30) Scripture also tells us, “Those
who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead
many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3)
Let's start
with the question of who is called to "go into all the world and preach
the gospel?" Answer: You are! We
are! The English word “evangelism” comes
from a Greek word variously translated to mean “gospel” or "good news.” Throughout His ministry, Jesus preached the
gospel message (Matthew 4:23), and He commanded His followers to also proclaim
the good news. (Mark 16:15) And then in
Romans 10:17 the Apostle Paul tells us, “So then faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God,” and that by its power people can be saved. (Romans
1:16, 17)
This is a
precise message, and it means that evangelism is not doing good deeds, praying,
conversion, or discipleship. All these things are important, but
evangelism is a very specific thing. It is proclamation of the gospel of
Jesus Christ. And what is this
gospel? “Now, brothers, I want to remind
you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have
taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word
I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I
passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the
third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then
to the Twelve.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)
Note that Paul says these three points are most important. So if
they are not professed, you don't have the gospel and you don't have
evangelism.
Having been
in ministry for many years, I know this will step on some toes,but not
witnessing to the lost is a sin! The Bible
tells us, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do
it, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)
But God does not want you to share the gospel only out of a sense of
duty, but with joy and passion. One of
the most exciting and fulfilling activities you can engage in, is to tell
others about Jesus.
The message
God has given us was meant to be shared, not hoarded. You were blessed to be a blessing. When you do not share, you begin to go stale;
when you do share, you are revitalized. Scripture tells us that, “A generous man will
prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25)
Among the
many ways we can bear witness to Jesus is through modeling the Christian life and
loving our fellow believers. We reveal
to the world that we belong to our Savior when we love other Christians (John
13:34–35). Celebrating the Lord’s Supper
proclaims visibly the Lord’s death until He comes again. (1 Cor. 11:26) In preaching the life, death, and resurrection
of Jesus, we are also helping to make visible the reality of Christ.
Other ways to
connect with those we are seeking to witness to are: wash their car, do those
dishes that have been, "saved for later" in the sink, clean the
bathroom, or get them a card and let them know we care about them. All these and endless other things are ways to
witness. Colossians 3:12 reminds us, “And
so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…”
Yet, we must
remember, that testifying to the work of God in our lives bears witness to what
Christ has done for us; it does not by itself give the content of the Gospel. Living a righteous life demonstrates the work
of the Holy Spirit, but we have not evangelized our neighbors if we have never
shared the Gospel with them. No one is
converted by our kindness or honesty; they are brought into the kingdom of
heaven only through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. (Acts 16:27–34)
It’s true
that God has created each of us with different personalities and gifts.
Nevertheless, proclaiming the message of salvation through Christ is the
responsibility of us all, and we must seek opportunities to share the Gospel. Only if we confess Him before men will He
confess us before the Father (Matthew 10:27–33).
Declaring
the Gospel is a job given to every Christian, but we can hardly preach the good
news of Jesus Christ if we do not know any unbelievers. How many non-Christians do you know? If you do not have any contact with
non-Christians, look for an opportunity to make contact with a neighbor,
co-worker, or someone else. This week
let us all share the Gospel with at least one person who does not know
the Savior.
“And this
gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all
nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14)
"If
sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will
perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there
unwarned and unprayed for." --Charles Spurgeon
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you to know
Him, and experience an amazing change
in your own life.
Discover how you can find peace with
God.
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