Spread the Message
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14 (NKJV)
Beloved, this verse has been ringing in my mind over and over; the main part I keep hearing is “… and how shall they hear without a preacher?” As believers in Jesus Christ, we are all called to spread the gospel of salvation to the whole world and to all whom we can reach. Matthew 28:18 – 20 presents what is popularly known as the great commission which Jesus gave His disciples just before He left earth. He commanded that we go to the whole earth making disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that He had commanded. He promised that He would be with us even to the end of the age. That is one command that none of us is exempted from, we are commissioned to go and speak of salvation to all people, with the assurance that we are not on our own but that Jesus our Lord is with us all through. It is only when we preach the gospel that non-believers hear it, and they can then call on the name of the Lord for salvation and help. If we do not tell them about Jesus, they will not know that there is one to call on when in need, that there is one to depend on and trust. Is it possible that the world we live in, including our neighbours and friends, have failed to know Jesus and His power all because we have failed to carry out our commission? Could we have failed our Master and Lord in this commandment, and now we live in a world and space which does not know God and His loving mercy towards us?
I do not know about you, but I admit that I stand guilty for not sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ as I should have done. The greatest fruit we could ever bear and take to the Kingdom of God is a soul won for Christ, yet most of us are so busy doing good works, works that earn us the applause of men, yet we fail to do the one thing expected of us by our Lord, spread the gospel. We are in a time when “Personal space” has become so important and we want to guard it, we therefore do not want to be inconvenienced by others. Unfortunately, even when we can share the gospel from a distance, we fail to do so. Take the example of the many beautiful messages of scriptures shared through WhatsApp and email messages. We read and respond to the sender with a strong “Amen”, but when it is time for us to share with others, we check our contact list to determine whom to share with. Most of the time, we share with those who already agree with our faith and know the Lord and Saviour; for others whom we are not sure of their faith, we wonder how they will receive the message or what they will think of us if we sent them a message of faith. Is it possible that in not sending the message to them because they do not share our faith, we are missing out on an opportunity to allow them to hear the word of God? If they do not hear the word, “how then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”
I am struggling with the realization that in not sharing the gospel of salvation, I am:
- failing to obey,
- failing My Lord and Saviour’s expectation of me;
- failing friends, family and colleagues in not introducing them to the one gift that is eternal – salvation in Jesus Christ.
I do not know about you, but I am praying for courage and sensitivity to seize the moment to share the gospel of Jesus so that I might lead a soul to the Saviour.
Thoughts:
How well are you doing?
What is holding you back?
Will you join me in stepping up my witnessing?