Ladies & Gents!
As I type away to you, I have an urgency that might not completely make sense in words — but it’s on my heart.
I have read, listened to, soaked in, tried to make sense of, and thought about many peoples’ stories. It is so interesting to hear how God has been working in many lives, and will continue to.
It’s also alarming to read how many view God and the gospel, how some take away the parts of the Bible that they want to follow, and leave the other parts sitting aside. There is no word or truth of greater importance than the gospel of Jesus Christ — But it’s also alarming to know that so many aren’t openly sharing the Gospel with others. We are missing a key part of being a child of God.
We live in a world where half the population is living on less than two dollars a day, and over a billion people dwell in desperate poverty. Billions of people are engrossed in the worship of false gods, and approximately two billion of those people are still unreached with the gospel, meaning they have little chance of even hearing about the sacrifice of Christ for their sins before they die.*
Like WHAT?! Does this concern you? Is the urgency now placed in your heart? I pray it has some weight to it, for you.
My question(s) and concern is why don’t we have this joy, this love, this urgency in us? Why are so many of us silent about the Gospel? Why is there a lack of passion for it?
Are you worried about the response of sharing? Are you scared of being ridiculed (because you will be — probably more than what you may/may not see on this blog). You will be challenged in ways unimaginable. You will be asked questions that you won’t know the answers to (go & learn from them and be honest that you don’t know the answer). And don’t be afraid of asking the questions, too!
But most of all, don’t be selfish! By keeping this Truth from those you love, you are keeping them from eternal life and that is about as selfish as you can get.
We are called to be a disciple and to spread the Word (like a wild fire). The commission Christ has given is clear: make disciples of all the nations. Spend your lives spreading the gospel for the glory of God to the ends of the earth.*
I want you to grasp something: Jesus is worth it.
We can assent to the spirit of this age and choose to spend our lives seeking world pleasures, acquiring worldly possessions, and pursuing worldly ambitions — all under the banner of cultural Christianity.Or we can decide that Jesus is worth more than this. We can recognize that he has created us, saved us, and called us for a much greater purpose than anything this world could ever offer us. We can die to ourselves, our hopes, our dreams, our ambitions, our priorities, and our plans. We can do all of this because we believe that the person and the plan of Christ bring reward that makes any risk more than worth it.*
Friends, this is my challenge: share the gospel. Start small, maybe with a friend have that deep and terrifying conversation. I wouldn’t sugar-coat it, rather share the raw truth. Be graceful, be honest, and show your joy about your salvation! You should be jumping for joy, per say, about your salvation. Don’t keep it hidden — that’s dangerous.
I long for the day where the Kingdom of God is growing so rapidly because of the obedient children of God. I long for when His people are so on fire for Him that they cannot keep quiet about His goodness. Why hold back this beautiful story of redemption from others?
I challenge you to take that risk —
*David Platt (from the forward in “Risk is Right” by John Piper)
