Our pastor has been preaching a sermon series on Proclaiming the Gospel on Sunday nights. As Christians, that is what we are SUPPOSED to do: actively share the gospel with those we come in contact with on a REGULAR basis! Often times, though, we (myself included) go about our business and rush through our days not once sharing about the hope we have to someone who may desperately need to know what we know. Woe is me…
In the “Bible Belt” where we live, we assume everyone knows about Jesus. We assume they know how to get to heaven, and that they are just backslidden if they claim to be a Christian but yet they aren’t living right. No one can judge someone’s heart except God, for only they and God know the status of their salvation. The Bible says they will be known by their fruits, though, and in 1 John 2:19 it says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they HAD been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” If they truly ARE Christians, they can’t escape the Holy Spirit for He is living IN them. They DO repent and come back. But those who never come back, the Bible says they weren’t really ever a part of us. That’s hard to swallow, I know. I doubted my salvation for a lot of years but I now see that I hadn’t truly repented of my sins…I was as the Bible says, “a dog returning to his vomit, and a fool who returns to his folly.” Gross, I know. But that’s what we do when we continue to live OUR way and give in to our fleshly desires instead of dying to ourselves and following Christ. THIS is what people need to know about the gospel, that He TRANSFORMS us; NOT that we just believe in Him and yet continue to live life our own way!
Josh and I have been convicted about how much we DON’T share with our waitress, our cashier, our coworkers, etc. Yes, sometimes I am in a rush with two kids and not always able to get into an in depth conversation. And yes, I don’t work in a secular workplace anymore, but am home with my girls more than anything. THEY are the majority of my mission field, and believe me, I try to teach and live the gospel as much as I can with and before them. But that’s not enough. There is ALWAYS SOMEONE that I come in contact with that needs to hear the gospel. I try to share things with my friends very openly on Facebook, as I know that is a large venue and there are a lot of unbelievers on my friend list. I have pleaded with those that may read things to please come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. That doing good things, or just the lack of a lot of bad things, WON’T get you to heaven. Sadly, there are many people who know “how” to be a Christian, as in accepting Jesus as your Savior, so they believe in Him and profess that He is indeed their Savior because of a prayer they prayed at one time. But they haven’t made Him LORD by repenting and TURNING from their sins. That was also ME for a lot of years. As a friend and I were discussing it last week, your HEAD knowledge HAS to match up with your HEART. I was raised in church and knew a lot of the answers, but the HEART had to eventually match up with all that. Only then could I profess Jesus as my Savior AND Lord.
I have had FOUR people tell me over the past week alone that we are the happiest that they have ever seen Josh and I, and they have known us for A LOT of years! You know what that tells me? That doesn’t speak volumes about Josh and I AT ALL. That speaks VOLUMES about the God I serve! Some of those people aren’t in Christ, but they can SEE a difference. My prayer is that they see Him through us as He shows His power and grace mightily in our lives, so that ultimately, they too, will come to Christ! Not because of anything WE do, but because of HIM. This is a burden of ours because we love our friends and family SO much and don’t want to see them die and go to a Christless hell. A place that people don’t really like to talk or think about, but let me tell you, the Bible clearly tells us that it is a place where people WON’T die, they will BURN forever, and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Can’t imagine a place that bad is actually real? Have you ever been in excruciating pain before, and until you had the problem relieved or got some pain medicine, you thought you just might die! Well, that is how it will feel in hell…you will FEEL like you’re going to die, you will be hurting constantly, but there will be NO relief from the pain this time! Why would anyone want to take their chances of going to a place like that, and go through that much suffering and torment for ETERNITY?! I’ve heard something before along the lines of, “Okay, so what if I’M wrong and there’s not a heaven and hell, then what? All I have to look forward to is being dead in a grave forever. But what if YOU’RE wrong, and there IS a heaven and hell…you’re going to have a lot less to look forward to than I do!” Friends, there are NO if’s, and’s or but’s about it….the Bible IS true! Don’t wait until Judgment Day to choose whom you believe in. For then, it will be too late. Believe in Him and you WILL be saved from this horrible place!!!
I’m telling you, I am typing this with tears. It hurts me SO bad to hear people we love reject Christ. Josh and I were talking today about the fact that certain people in our life just think we’re “Jesus Freaks” and that we take all this too seriously. That doesn’t hurt me for ME, it hurts me for THEM. They don’t see the seriousness of sin, or that the Lord WILL be coming back soon, and they wonder why we are so “religious.” Who said that as long as you profess with me your mouth, but yet don’t live out your faith in ALL you say and do, you’re still good to go?!?! Certainly not God! I’m not saying that we’re perfect by any means, but there’s been a definite change in our lives…I say this often to reiterate, but it’s nothing on our OWN MERIT, but God alone! I want those we love and care about to have the same JOY we have! To have the same HOPE we have! To impact the world for Christ WITH us! I don’t want to be a “Pharisee” and think I’m better than ANYONE, because I’m not! I say all this in LOVE, with PASSION, and URGENCY because it IS important. Let me tell you why.
The passage that our pastor’s sermons have been coming from is Luke 16:19-31:
19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers[b]—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
This passage should compel every Christian (myself included!) to run to their family, friends, and neighbors and tell them the good news of Jesus Christ! The rich man went to hell and saw how bad it was. He was in anguish it says, and asked for some relief. He could have NONE. Well, if he couldn’t have relief, then he wanted his 5 brothers to avoid coming to this horrible place and begged him to send someone from the dead to tell them how to avoid that awful place. He told the rich man that there were people on earth to tell them about hell, and that they should listen to them. But he said they would listen better to someone who came from the dead, but again, his response to the man was that if they won’t believe Moses and the Prophets, then they won’t even be convinced by someone from the dead.
Once our loved ones die and go to hell, there won’t be any saving them from that place. We must tell them now, and give them the chance to accept Christ before it’s too late. What about when they denounce the Bible, and don’t feel the seriousness of this like we do? Don’t lose heart. I reminded Josh today that although we don’t want them to go to hell, we know that we will stand before God one day and we will receive the crown of eternal life. They may make fun of us now, but unfortunately, they will then see that what we were pleading with them to accept, will have been the right choice to make. It HURTS to share with them and see them reject it, but it’s Him they’re rejecting, not us. We can’t let it discourage us. Matthew 10:14 says, “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” It is very stressful to speak about this and yet not be heard. Don’t resent them for not hearing, though. You did what you were supposed to do, and planted seeds as you were supposed to. Pray for good soil in their hearts so that as the seeds have been planted, they will cultivate and grow.
I will leave you with some scriptures to be encouraged with when the fear of sharing the gospel comes into your mind and heart. These have helped me have boldness and not apologize for the gospel.
No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.(John 15:20)
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (Romans 12:14)
Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (James 1:2-3)
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. (1 Peter 2:20)
It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:17)
If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (1 Peter 4:16)
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of Glory and of God rests on you. (1 Peter 4:14)
Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.(Luke 6:22)
Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. (Isaiah 51:7)
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12-13)
So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to the faithful Creator and continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:19)
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him. (Philippians 1:29)
Dear friends, do not be surprised if the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13)
(Matthew 5:11-12)
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