Preaching the Good News
Rom 10:14-15 " How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
Next to the words of Jesus Himself when He gave us the great commission, to me this is the other verse that makes it clear that preaching is not supposed to be a task that is left to preachers. All of us are called to share the Gospel. If we do not share the Good News that we have received then how are people ever going to hear it.
Eternity hangs in the balance for everyone you know. If they are condemned to hell because you did not share God's love with them then they can rightly complain that they didn't have a chance to make a decision to love someone they did not know about. (Of course, this argument would fall short because Scripture tells us that all are without excuse because even creation proclaims the glory of God)
To eliminate our excuses, Jesus told us to "go" and make disciples of all the nations. We have been called, we have been sent. We are without excuse. We make assumptions that people don't want to hear what we have to say. True some will not want to receive it, but most are open to you sharing your experience of what God has meant to you and what He has done for you. They may hide behind faux theological arguments or they may feign disinterest in a 2000 year old religion that they claim is outdated, but in reality, if you life reflects His glory, they want to know what is different about you.
If they are to believe in Christ we have to introduce them to Christ. Again, I know that I keep on repeating myself but the Bible doesn't command us to go and make converts. That is a western idea that helps us keep tally of our successes, as if someone making a profession for Christ had anything to do with our skill. No, we are called to make disciples.
Disciples are people that you are sharing your faith with and are at all stage of the faith journey. Some of them have not asked Christ into their hearts but they are a part of your life and they are listening to what you are sharing with them. Some of them are ready to surrender to Christ and so it is your responsibility to ask them the question. The results are up to the Lord. Still others have surrender their live to the Lord and you are now bringing them up in the Word. That is discipling. Jesus invested Himself in the lives of 12 men for 3 years. 11 followed Him and one betrayed Him. The job does not stop at conversion.
But how can we get to that point if we first don't speak up and share our faith. Those who bring good news reap eternal rewards, but it also is pretty exhilarating when you are bringing people to Christ. The blessings are inescapable.
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