As we observe the condition of the world today,
we realize that now more than ever, people everywhere need the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A global health crisis—together with the resulting economic downturn,
increasing concerns about the environment, and societal upheaval—has shaken people out of their regular routines.
The vanity of the world has been exposed, and people are daily confronted with life’s fragility.
Disillusioned and anxious in the face of overwhelming uncertainty,
many are now searching for the true meaning of life.
What they need is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So today, we’ll be talking about our responsibility as Christians
to share the gospel from three angles.
First, from the Lord’s side, we have His indisputable commission to us
recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Mark:
“Go therefore and disciple all the nations.” --Matthew 28:19
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all the creation.” --Mark 16:15
Before the resurrected Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave His believers
one commandment: to go and preach the gospel. This was His commission to His church,
which means it includes all of us who have been redeemed and born again.
Each one of us has been commissioned by the Lord to proclaim the good news of His salvation.
The Lord Jesus commanded us to go forth with His precious gospel to all the creation,
meaning everywhere, and to all the nations, meaning all people of every race.
We must proclaim the gospel because our Lord, the One who died for us and rose from the dead,
commanded us to do so. He has given us the responsibility to preach the gospel to sinners
all around us, and even to the whole earth. Let us not be ashamed of the gospel of God but pray,
“Lord, I take Your command to heart. I obey Your word to proclaim Your gospel to all people.”
------ Second,
we ourselves have a desire and even an urge within our own heart to share the gospel with people.
It’s normal for us who have received the Lord Jesus as our Savior
to want our loved ones and those around us to also be saved and know the Lord.
The apostle Paul spoke of this inner motivation to preach the gospel in 1 Corinthians 9:16 and 17:
“For if I preach the gospel, I have no boast, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe to me
if I do not preach the gospel. If I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own
will, I am entrusted with a stewardship.” To Paul, preaching the gospel wasn’t an optional activity.
It was a necessity laid upon him and a stewardship entrusted to him by the Lord.
In Romans 1:14-15 Paul said:
“I am debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to foolish;
so, for my part, I am ready to announce the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”
Paul had a sense of indebtedness to people near and far. It motivated him to travel and endure all
kinds of suffering and persecution to bring this gospel of Jesus Christ to all mankind. He’s really
a pattern to us. Like Paul, each of us is a debtor to the people around us. We all know someone who
needs salvation. Maybe it’s a family member, someone we work with, a neighbor, or a friend.
Especially in times of turmoil and distress, people are hurting inside; they feel lost
and empty. They long to know the purpose of their existence. We are debtors who owe them the gospel.
May we never become dull to the feeling of being a debtor to others,
but like Paul, be ready always to share the gospel with them.
------------ Third, the present suffering
of the people surrounding us should impress us with their desperate need to hear the gospel.
The state of the world today has affected people economically, socially, and psychologically.
Anxious and fearful, people lack genuine peace, having nothing solid to stand on
and little hope to cling to. Some may think that death will end their misery, but they don't know
that it's only the beginning of spending eternity apart from God, under His righteous judgment.
People need to know what Jesus Christ accomplished for them on the cross. How can we who are saved
withhold from them the good news of the Savior? How can we not let them know about God’s immense
love for them? How can we not tell them of God’s awesome, eternal purpose for human beings?
The best help we can render anyone is to speak to them about the Lord Jesus and to lead them
to repentance so they can receive Him as their Savior. People need to hear that by believing in
Him, they will be saved from eternal judgment, forgiven of their sins, regenerated with the
life of God, and be filled with joy and peace. Then they will know the meaning of their life.
Romans 10:14 vividly illustrates our responsibility to others:
“How then shall they call upon Him into whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe
into Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without one who proclaims Him?”
Each of us is enjoying God’s salvation only because someone proclaimed Christ to us.
We, in turn, must share the gospel with our friends,
relatives, and others God has put in our lives so they can hear about the loving Savior
and believe in the One who died for them and resurrected to be their life.
We shouldn’t be indifferent to people’s present suffering or their eternal destiny; instead,
we should be keenly aware of the weight of our responsibility to tell them about the Lord Jesus.
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May the Lord impress us all with our duty to proclaim the gospel to people everywhere.
We've been entrusted with a stewardship, and by the Lord’s grace, may we all be faithful
and diligent to fulfill our responsibility. How glorious it is that we can have a part
in working out God’s heart’s desire for men to be saved and fully know the truth!