Am I praying, preparing, passing on the Gospel?

Over last four weeks I've passed out handouts and bulletin inserts and we've had discussions on the question, "how to share the gospel with others."

Have we studied the Scriptures of the “Romans Road,” or the “ABC's of the kingdom”?

Have we thought about or had any discussion, or practiced our testimony or how we might start a conversation with someone, or even prayed with someone?

Do we know the Gospel? Do we believe it? Do we live by it?

Most conversations won't lead to someone committing their life to follow Christ in that moment, but we have talked about how each conversation, each act of kindness, and each prayer that we pray privately and specifically for others can help them be a step closer for them to eternity in union with God through Christ. Do we believe that?

If we do then we will pray, prepare, and pass on the gospel.

Questions, Questions, Questions?

Too busy?

Just not motivated?

Are we just plain lazy?

Do we realize we are engaged in a spiritual war and are we doing battle on our knees so to speak?

The motivation question: fear of God and love of God.

The “love quotient: Have we been forgiven much and do we love much? Have we freely received and therefore freely give?

The fear of God component:  Have we given serious thought about giving an account to God for our own obedience or disobedience to share the gospel and be and make disciples?

If our hesitancy to share is because we still feel unprepared then let's earnestly prepare and pray so that we can be as Paul wrote to Timothy, "a workman who needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of God."

Do we really care about people's souls? Do I love?

That's why I wrote that we need to be filled with God's word, and filled with the Holy Spirit, and most of all we need filled with God's love.

Am I “over the Holy Spirit” or seeking to be filled?

I can count on God to manifest spiritual graces and gifts through me if I ask (1 Cor 14:1 love motivates me to earnestly desire spiritual gifts). God will give me words of wisdom and prophetic words of encouragement and words of knowledge that can open people's hearts to repent and believe the gospel. But Paul also wrote in 1 Cor: 13 that even if I prophesy and have all wisdom and have all faith, if I have not love I'm just a clanging cymbal.

So maybe the real question is, do I love? Do I love God more than myself, do I love others more than myself, or at least do I love others as much as I love myself? If I have repented and placed my faith in God, it is because others prayed and shared the gospel with me, and I will desire to share the gospel and pray for others.

The less experience we have we will tend to be more self-conscious, nervous, focused on how I am doing, or my fears, or I may talk too much and not listen well.

But with prayerful experience I will be less focused on me and on the results, on trying to be “successful” or do it well.

Over time I will be more focused on Christ’s love, on Father’s ultimate purpose.

That brings us to the Gospel itself-the power of God for salvation.

Knowing the story is more than just topics or verses in a formula.  

It begins with God, with His desire in creation, his image in the man he formed and his purpose for the man and woman he said were “very good.”

So, witnessing is not just about dealing with the fall and sin issue and forgiveness or going to heaven.

It is about God and his story, his heart, his image.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?  (Good News-evangel)

Is the whole or full gospel about my being forgiven and me going to heaven?

Is it about me being baptized and filled with Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts?

Is it about God’s kingdom and me getting my life in order to serve the King?

All of these are true but are they the whole truth????

What about God’s plan and purpose before Adam and Eve fell and what about his eternal and ultimate purpose in the new heaven and earth in Christ, and the church being in union with God?

Would you have said something like the following?

The gospel is that God himself has come to rescue

and renew creation

in and through the the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.

We have a good future and a hope and we can commit to the welfare of our city by being filled with the love of God and building the altar, temple and walls as a holy habitation for God and light to the world for all people, hastening His return and the restoration of all things in the wonderful new heaven and earth.

Maybe, if we ask God to fill us with his love, His Word, His Spirit and His holy fear (the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom), we will repent of not being gospel focused, missional communities, and we be “joyful for a change.”

Those who go, bearing precious seed, weeping, will doubtless come again, rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them. Ps 126

I am asking all of us not just to be in a small group-but to be in a gospel focused, missional group, with others who see the need to become more obedient as disciples.

We can be a family of missionary servants, being and making disciples together, for the glory of God and furtherance of his kingdom in all the earth.