By: Zach Teasley
This article is a reminder of our sacred charge given to us by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” In Mark’s account of the great commission, which we find in Mark 16:15-16, does not contradict Matthew’s account for it says “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” This noble command to spread the gospel is applicable to every Christian and is not just those Christians who are knowledgeable enough and who are not afraid to speak up and share it. Conversely, it is applicable to every Christian (male or female) who obeys God by putting Him on through baptism and continues steadfastly in the doctrine of Christ. After we receive the good news of the gospel, like a bright light, we should be ready and willing to share it and spread the seed of the gospel to others, Acts 2:41-42, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” In II Tim 2:1-2, God is telling us to share the knowledge of the gospel to others so they may be saved and tell it to others, Paul speaking to Timothy says, “you therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” We don’t just gain entrance into the Kingdom of God without any responsibilities and think it is ok to be inactive or dormant after we have become Christian’s because God expects us to be proactive and to bear fruit. If we do not grow and bear fruit, God is going reject us and cut us off the vine. In the Bible, we are warned about how to stay connected to our lifeline who is Christ Jesus, see John 15:1-4, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” If we abide in Christ and His word, (this is conditional upon our action) and we are carrying out and executing the responsibilities given to us by God then we will be faithful and productive branches on the vine promoting and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ by our action, and also, we will actively volunteer it or initiate it by speaking to lost souls and letting them know that we have a genuine concern for the salvation of their souls. As ambassadors and lights for Christ we have a responsibility to represent Him to a lost and spiritually dying world so, we need to allow Christ’s word to dwell in our hearts and minds richly, Col 3:16, so others may see and hear Christ in us. Two scriptures come to mind on this point, II Cor 5:20, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. Please remember that this applies to both souls who have not obeyed the gospel yet, as well as souls who have obeyed the gospel who are Christian’s but they have fallen away due to lack of faith and growth in the Kingdom. As ambassadors of Christ, we must prepare ourselves to speak God’s oracles precisely and with love not compromising or downgrading the word of truth but to approach lost souls with the spirit of humility and meekness. The second scripture is Matt 5:14-16 which tells us that we should not be closet Christian’s or be ashamed to tell people we encounter daily who we are and what we stand for. As a matter of fact, as this scripture points out that others should by our actions and speech see the light which is Christ shining and glowing from us, the passage says, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” Brothers and Sisters, the gospel or God’s word is power from God because it was given by Him and we must have the strong faith, confidence, and courage in God’s word to learn it (knowledge) and then not be afraid to deliver it to a lost and spiritually dying world, Rom 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Heb 4:12 reminds us of the power of God’s word for it states that it is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” If we are timid or fearful to share God’s word to our loved ones, family, friends, neighbors, and strangers, what does that really mean about us? It means that we been negligent and delinquent in our spiritual growth and we fully do not understand who God is as our Creator and Savior and the saving power of His gospel. We need to repent of this behavior immediately, refocus and rededicate ourselves to Christ by engaging in a daily personal study of God’s word, actively attending, and participating in all of the called-out assemblies and outreach events here at Southeast. Hebrews 5:11-14 reminds us of this deficient spiritual condition, for it says “of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time, you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Let us self-examine ourselves and if we are in this state, we need to rededicate and refocus. We need “all hands-on deck” ready and willing to reach out to our families, friends, and neighbors and invite them to attend VBS coming up on 7-9 July 2022. This is a great opportunity to spread the seed and share Gods word with your help!