 Sharing is Caring
The Gospel! This is the message of good news about how we as sinful people are made right with the Holy Righteous Judge. We who are now in Christ are under no condemnation (Romans 8:1). This amazing God has loved us even while we were His hateful enemies (Romans 5:6-11). And this good news is the power that brings salvation to us and others (Romans 1:16). This is truly the best news! The extent of the need for this good news extends as far as the depravity of sin in our culture and the infection of sin in our hearts. What I mean is that everyone is a sinner so everyone needs the gospel. Every culture is influenced and infiltrated by sin so every culture and society needs the gospel. Evangelism is the telling or sharing of the gospel. If we have received the gospel then we must share it with others. And every Christian has what is needed to share the gospel! First, every Christian has knowledge of the gospel sufficient to save. If you do not have knowledge of the gospel then you are not a Christian. Simply tell others what you have believed. Second, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us and working in us so that we are emboldened and empowered to tell others about Jesus. Third, we have a command and conviction to spread the good news about Jesus and His love. This is truly a mandate to tell every creature about the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). Excitement The Gospel is amazing and exciting news. We even sing, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” However, excitement is not the secret sauce to evangelism. Certainly, we do not want to present the gospel in an apathetic or melancholy way, but we also do not need manufactured excitement. We do not need to wait only for those days when we are experiencing a spiritual high to tell others about Jesus. Instead, what we need is diligence to keep sharing the gospel on all days and in all circumstances. As matter of fact from a human perspective it may be more meaningful to share the gospel when others can see it bringing us through the hard days. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be excited and emotionally affected by the gospel, certainly we should, but we must share the gospel diligently at all times. Expectation Once, when in college, a friend and I went out to do some street evangelism. I remember us distinctly thinking that if we didn’t really expect someone to be ‘saved’ then it wouldn’t happen. So we prayed and asked God to save someone and went out. I guess we didn’t expect it enough because we were at least temporarily unsuccessful. However, I don’t think that expectation is what is needed for fruitful evangelism. Rather what is necessary to fruitful ministry is always faithfulness. Faithfulness to trust that our sovereign God will accomplish His purpose and will use His word as He wills (Isaiah 55:6-11). Exhortation Our evangelism must involve real exhortation. Exhortation is communication emphatically urging someone to do something. Of course, only God can transform the heart, but we ought to be urging, even with tears, that people would come to Jesus and enter into God’s kingdom through humble submission and obedient trust in Christ as Lord. In speaking about the ministry of proclaiming this reconciliation with God to people, the Apostle Paul says that because we know the fear of the Lord we also must seek to persuade people. If we deliver the message of the gospel mechanically or halfheartedly then this displays two deep problems. First, it seems that we don’t care much or at all about the eternal destinies of these people. Whether those we speak to about the gospel are our friends and family or acquaintances and strangers, believers should be motivated by the real peril they are in and the genuine hope that the gospel provides. As Charles Spurgeon once famously stated: “If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.” – Charles Spurgeon However, even more importantly, a lack of this kind of exertion in evangelism that brother Spurgeon refers to also demonstrates that we are not rightly viewing God’s awesomeness. We are deficient in our understanding of the fear, reverence and awe which is rightly due to the Creator, Sustainer and Holy Judge of the universe. This cascades into an even worse problem because we miss the amazing nature of the grace that the gospel represents. We miss the depth of the endless love that the gospel presents. And we miss the glorious goodness and mercy that the gospel purely reveals. So let us who have believed this good news be zealous to share it anywhere, anytime, and with anyone that we can!
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