6 One Great Task When have you been entrusted with an important task? QUESTION #BSFLtruth 1 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 53
THE POINT Each of us must share the gospel. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE I have two kinds of problems: the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent. President Dwight D. Eisenhower spoke these words in 1954 to a gathered group of church leaders.5 They are interesting words coming from a man who had to deal daily with major decisions. Surely, most people who met with the president felt what they needed from him was important, and possibly urgent as well. Few things truly fall in both categories. Exercise is important, but not urgent. An e-mail message can be urgent, but not necessarily important. Of course, some things in life are both urgent and important. One task stands out for me as both urgent and important: sharing the good news of Christ with others. People have no more important decision to make than to choose Christ, and the time is now for us to point them to Christ. 54 SESSION 6
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? 2 Timothy 2:1-2 (HCSB) You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 1 Discipleship involves knowing and walking in the truths of Jesus and leading others to do the same. To disciple someone, then, begins with leading them to know and embrace the good news of Jesus Christ. At the close of Jesus earthly ministry, He left us this Great Commission: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). To put it simply, we are called to share the message of Christ with others, leading them to faith and walking alongside them as they grow in Christ. Paul had invested much time and effort in teaching and discipling Timothy; now he encouraged Timothy to pay it forward, investing in others who would likewise teach others. Paul told Timothy to invest his life in men who had proven their love for the Lord. Once these men were faithfully trained, they too, in turn, were obligated to invest in others. This is God s method of multiplication. Each disciple is entrusted with the gospel and has a responsibility to share it with others. Joseph Brucato was a mailman in Brooklyn, N.Y. One day Brucato s supervisor happened to walk past the mailman s personal car and saw it was full of mail. The supervisor confronted him, and Brucato admitted he sometimes didn t deliver all the mail. He blamed alcohol and depression, and when postal inspectors went to his apartment, they found 40,000 pieces of undelivered mail some 2,500 pounds! Who has been faithful in teaching you the truth about God and the gospel? QUESTION 2 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 55
THE POINT Each of us must share the gospel. If convicted, Brucato could serve five years for hoarding other people s mail. 6 This mail contained personal messages many important and urgent but because the mail was hoarded and never delivered, people were robbed of what they needed. Many people do something far more outrageous than hoarding mail: they hoard the good news of Christ. That is just what we do when we fail to share Jesus with others. Paul s challenge to Timothy in verse 2 echoes the Great Commission. In the same way Paul shared Christ with Timothy and discipled him, Timothy could share Christ and disciple others. And because someone shared Christ with us, we re called to do the same for others. 2 Timothy 2:3-7 (HCSB) 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the recruiter. 5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Sharing the good news of Christ is not always easy. In fact, sometimes it is downright hard perhaps even dangerous. We are to persevere, however, even if doing so brings challenges. Paul gave Timothy three examples of people who persevere. What can we learn from Paul s word pictures in these verses? QUESTION 3 56 SESSION 6
What excuses do we make for not sharing the gospel? QUESTION 4 The soldier. A soldier s one duty is to obey his commanding officer. He has no time to get entangled in the concerns of civilian life (v. 4). Like a good soldier, we are to persevere in our obedience to Christ. We are to stay focused on the task at hand. Our primary goal in life is to please Christ, even when it requires us to go on the front lines of spiritual warfare. The athlete. Paul likely was familiar with the Olympic games. The judges were strict in enforcing the rules. For example, only freeborn male citizens of Greece were allowed to compete. All athletes trained vigorously. In the month preceding the games, the athletes trained in the presence of the judges. If an athlete violated the rules, the judges imposed corporal punishment or heavy fines. To be victorious, the athlete needed diligence, self-control, and discipline. The farmer. A hard-working farmer should get to enjoy the well-deserved compensation of his produce. But he has to persevere in working his crops for months before he sees the fruit of his labor. The faithful witness also may get to enjoy the fruits of his or her labor by seeing people come to faith in Christ. Sharing Christ is not easy; it takes focus, discipline, and hard work, but the payoffs make it all worth it. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 57
THE POINT Each of us must share the gospel. "And what you have heard f rom me in the presence of man y witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." 2 TIMOTHY 2:2 What steps can our group take this month to share the gospel? QUESTION 5 3-1 - 5-1 STRATEGY List three people for whom you are praying will accept the gift of salvation: 1. 2. 3. Record one sentence that summarizes the gospel message: List five people you ll invite to be part of this group: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Commit to sharing the gospel with the following person this week: 58 SESSION 6
2 Timothy 2:8-10 (HCSB) Keep your attention on Jesus Christ as risen from the dead and descended from David. This is according to my gospel. 9 I suffer for it to the point of being bound like a criminal, but God s message is not bound. 10 This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 8 Paul knew about persevering for the sake of sharing Christ. At the moment he wrote this letter to Timothy, he was in chains in a Roman prison. He knew he soon would be put to death (see 2 Timothy 4:6). Paul might have been in chains, but God s message is not bound (v. 9). Paul might die, but the gospel never would. The gospel of Jesus Christ had become Paul s very life; he called it my gospel (v. 8). George Fox was a Cambridge professor who went to Nigeria in 1907. He started several churches, and people were professing faith in Christ. He wrote his physician brother, Dr. John Fox, asking him to come work alongside him. Before his brother arrived, however, George died from Blackwater fever. John Fox was only in Nigeria for a month when he also died from Blackwater fever. Benjamin Kwashi, a Christian leader in Nigeria, told the rest of the story in a sermon. After the missionary society told George and John s parents about their sons deaths, the parents sold their property and gave the money to the same missionary organization, saying, As much as we grieve the death of our two sons, we will only be consoled if the purpose for which they died continues. Kwashi concluded, They died as young men the oldest was only 32. They gave up everything to serve Jesus and bring the gospel to my country. No matter how long or short their life, it wasn t going to be wasted, but they would invest it for eternity. 7 Our days are filled with both urgent and important things. So, how do you want to invest your life? Will you persevere for the gospel? BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 59
THE POINT Each of us must share the gospel. LIVE IT OUT We re called to tell others about what Jesus has done in our lives. So, where do we begin? Pray. Pull out page 58 with the 3-1-5-1 Strategy activity and post it someplace you ll see often. Ask God to make you aware of everyday opportunities you have to share about Jesus. Speak. When an opportunity arises, share what you know about Jesus in a genuine, loving way. This doesn t have to be lengthy or filled with theological terms for God to use your conversation for His glory. Learn. Find out how your church is actively sharing the gospel in your community. Whether it s an ongoing community ministry or a one-time mission trip, learn more about how you can be a part of these pursuits. Nothing in life compares to what Christ offers us in salvation. The good news of the gospel is both urgent and important. My thoughts 60 SESSION 6 Share with others how you will live out this study: #BSFLtruth