Luke is more laid-back in his recorded description of the great commission. Let s look in Luke 24:45-47.

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1 Sharing the Gospel We call ourselves Christians. Being a Christian involves living a Christ-like life. For most of us, this is something we strive to do on a daily basis. We accept the burden of living just a little differently than the average person. We accept the duties of loving our God and our neighbor. We accept helping those in need both financially and personally. However, we want to separate evangelism from the other aspects of Christianity. Evangelism is not an area of Christian service where many find comfort. Some may believe that the minister is hired to do this. While the minister is the most visible part of evangelism, we will see that evangelism is a part of living a Christlike life. The central theme of outreach (reaching out to those in need of Jesus), is captured in the last commandment that Jesus uttered before he returned to heaven. The idea of preaching or proclaiming the gospel is found in all three Synoptic Gospels. In Mark, we find the command is very tersely given. There is no room for supplely. There are some who discount the later section of Mark s gospel because some of the older manuscripts do not contain the final section. However, we will read this and we will find that it is similar to the same words found in the other two gospels. And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16 NASB) In these few words, we find that people are required to believe and be baptized to be saved. The instructions given to His disciples is also short and to the point. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 1

2 Some may argue that Jesus is speaking to His apostles and thus the command is not directed to us today. We will leave that for now and continue to examine the command to share the good news. Luke is more laid-back in his recorded description of the great commission. Let s look in Luke 24: Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ (or Messiah) would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for (or and) forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in (or on the basis of) His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:45-47 NASB) Here, Jesus does not specifically point to anyone individual or group that is charged with the task of proclaiming repentance and forgiveness. It is clear that Jesus intends for this to occur. We now come to the account found in Matthew the 28 th chapter as we read starting in verse 18. And Jesus came up 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 the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB) Again, we see Jesus is talking with His apostles as He gives the command to go therefore and make disciples. We could see that the expectation is for disciples to be made, baptized believers are to follow the teachings of Jesus, this is to spread throughout the nations. But, alas, does this include me? Sometimes, we get stuck on the go into all the world portion of the scripture and shut down. In an article 2

3 that I recently read, the writer pointed out the Greek word used in the go command is the word that would be used to describe our normal going about our routine business. The point of the article was that we tend to concentrate on the wrong part of the commandment: we are to make disciples. While we depart from this specific commandment, we will consider some teachings of Jesus that may help us to see where we fit into this command. To help us, let s review a couple of the parables of Jesus. If you will, open your Bibles to the 15 th chapter of Luke where we will read the first ten verses. Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. So He told them this parable, saying, What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost! I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninetynine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins (approximately 10 days wages) and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had 3

4 lost! In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:1-10 NASB) What do we learn from this section of scripture? Jesus is criticized for meeting and talking with the wrong crowd. The unspoken question is: Why are you associating with these sinful people? Jesus answers with two stories about celebration. When the man found the lost sheep, he rejoices and shares the news with his friends and neighbors. In the same manner, the woman shares the good news of finding her lost coin with her friends and neighbors. Now, I have a very pointed question for your consideration. When you found salvation through Jesus, was it of more or less value than a sheep or one day s wage? In His early ministry, Jesus went up on a mountain and delivered the famous Sermon on the Mount. This sermon is recorded in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. In the 5 th chapter, located just after the Beatitudes, we find another pair of analogies that beg our consideration. Let s read in the 5 th chapter of Matthew starting with the 13 th verse. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can (or will) it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp 4

5 stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16 NASB) Are we showing forth the light of God or are we trying to blend in with the world? Are we ashamed of being Christian enough that we don t want others see God in our life? Have we considered just what Jesus has done for us? Paul is happy for the church in Colossae. He is rejoicing for their growth and strength. In the first chapter he reflects of the magnitude of what God has done through Jesus. In verses 13 and 14 we read about the salvation and the kingdom significance of that salvation. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossian 1:13-14 NASB) Paul is working toward the end of spreading this life changing good news to everyone. We see this as we drop down to the 28 th and 29 th verses. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with (in) all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete (or perfect) in Christ. For this purpose, also I labor, striving according to His power (or working), which mightily (in power) works within me. (Colossians 1:28-29 NASB) Peter tells us in his first letter and the 2 nd chapter that we should grow in our salvation. Then he paints a picture of what Jesus has done for us. The first three verses of 1 Peter 2 admonish us to lay aside the worldly things that will interfere with our growth. 5

6 Therefore, putting aside all malice (or wickedness) and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk (unadulterated spiritual milk) of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. (1 Peter 2:1-3 NASB) Our salvation changes us. We become a new person. Drop down to the 9 th verse of the same chapter and read what Jesus has done to us and for us. But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. (1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB) Paul uses the same growth analogy in his letter to the Ephesians. In the 4 th chapter, he speaks of growing in unity where each member has a apart in the body of Christ. Let s look at verses 11 through 16 of Ephesians 4. And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints (Or holy ones) for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge (Or true knowledge) of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth (Or holding to or being truthful in) in love, we are to grow (Or let us grow up) up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole 6

7 body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16 NASB) If we won the lottery, would we share the news? Would we be so happy that we could no longer contain ourselves? We read where people rejoiced and shared the good news of finding a lost sheep and a lost coin. Jesus told those stories for a reason. Is our salvation worthy of sharing with our friends or our family? We each have a part in the kingdom of God. We each can share our story of what salvation means to us. We don t need a seminary education to tell what our personal savior has done for us. The words of a children s song go: if you re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it. How can we have our salvation and the good news of Jesus and fail to share it? I close with these words from L. R. Knost. They remind us that we are a part of intentionally making things better. It is our job to act. Ms. Knost states: "Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you." L.R.Knost 7