Philippians 4:22 & Romans 1-:13-15
The gospel is for all people of every tribe, tongue, and nation. For every ethnicity and social status. In Paul's letter to the churches at Rome, he said he was obligated to share the gospel with Greeks and jews, to the wise and to the foolish. The good news of Jesus is not limited to America. It’s for the whole world to know! If we are being honest, I think most of us don’t have an eagerness to share the gospel. It’s something we avoid because maybe we are shy and introverted, or we are afraid of rejection. Perhaps it's because we don’t know what to say, or where to start. No matter how we are feeling, we are called to “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction,” 2 Timothy 4:2.
I think it’s important to remember that sharing the gospel can come over time. I will never forget the “My Circle Training” course offered at Emmanuel a few years ago. In the course, we learned that we all have a circle of influence. Your neighbors, family, friends, coworkers, etc. These are people we have opportunities with and, honestly, an obligation to share the gospel with. The people in your circle, I may never meet, even though we live in the same demographic. The people in my circle you may never meet. So if we won’t influence these people, who will? We could be the only Christians they ever meet. In the training, we also learned that it's easiest to share the gospel with people after trust is built with them. Get to know people in your circle! Spend time with them. Find something you have in common, like sports or gardening. In time, as you break the ice with these people, you will have built up trust with them, where it is easier to share the gospel without that fear and hopefully without rejection. These people are more likely to listen to you and hear you out after they have gotten to know you. The training was very valuable to me! Preaching the word to those around us is intimidating and scary, but the more we do it, the easier it gets. Some are able to share the gospel with anyone, and I love that! Some of us, though, aren’t as bold, but it doesn’t mean we are excluded from God’s command. Start with one person, and go from there! Practice sharing the gospel with a friend back and forth. Like Paul, we should preach the word to everyone and be eager to do so! So, who will you share the gospel with?
The gospel is for all people of every tribe, tongue, and nation. For every ethnicity and social status. In Paul's letter to the churches at Rome, he said he was obligated to share the gospel with Greeks and jews, to the wise and to the foolish. The good news of Jesus is not limited to America. It’s for the whole world to know! If we are being honest, I think most of us don’t have an eagerness to share the gospel. It’s something we avoid because maybe we are shy and introverted, or we are afraid of rejection. Perhaps it's because we don’t know what to say, or where to start. No matter how we are feeling, we are called to “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction,” 2 Timothy 4:2.
I think it’s important to remember that sharing the gospel can come over time. I will never forget the “My Circle Training” course offered at Emmanuel a few years ago. In the course, we learned that we all have a circle of influence. Your neighbors, family, friends, coworkers, etc. These are people we have opportunities with and, honestly, an obligation to share the gospel with. The people in your circle, I may never meet, even though we live in the same demographic. The people in my circle you may never meet. So if we won’t influence these people, who will? We could be the only Christians they ever meet. In the training, we also learned that it's easiest to share the gospel with people after trust is built with them. Get to know people in your circle! Spend time with them. Find something you have in common, like sports or gardening. In time, as you break the ice with these people, you will have built up trust with them, where it is easier to share the gospel without that fear and hopefully without rejection. These people are more likely to listen to you and hear you out after they have gotten to know you. The training was very valuable to me! Preaching the word to those around us is intimidating and scary, but the more we do it, the easier it gets. Some are able to share the gospel with anyone, and I love that! Some of us, though, aren’t as bold, but it doesn’t mean we are excluded from God’s command. Start with one person, and go from there! Practice sharing the gospel with a friend back and forth. Like Paul, we should preach the word to everyone and be eager to do so! So, who will you share the gospel with?
Posted in Devotional