Why Share the Gospel?

Now that we know the “what” of the gospel, we should talk about the “why” of knowing the gospel.  Let’s start with the great commission as described in Matthew 28:16-20:

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.  And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  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 all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

BTW – The term, “Great Commission” isn’t actually used in the Bible.  The term however has become an accepted term among Christians worldwide.  The term refers to the instructions that were given to the disciples by Jesus, after he was resurrected.

So as we just heard, Jesus instructs us to tell his story and his teachings to all the world. The Gospel as described in Matthew 28 documents these instructions given to the disciples by Jesus and tells them to be His witnesses. Some will suggest that since Jesus was talking to the disciples, the message was meant only for them.  This is not the case; Other people in the Bible were told to “be a witness” as well, for example, in Acts 22:15, Ananias tells Saul after his sight returns, “for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard”.  Saul, who became Paul was one of the first and greatest evangelists of the Gospel.

This command (Great commission) was the last thing that Jesus said to the disciples… Since these are the last words that Jesus gave His disciples, we should seriously consider how very important they are to Him, and to us as well. Jesus commands all of us to tell others about Him. You might ask, “Why me? Aren’t there others better qualified to do that? I am not a teacher or an evangelist, I don’t know what to say or how to say it.

The short answer and most important reason for telling others about Him is that He has commanded us to do so (see above).

In Acts 1:8, Luke wrote, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Christ doesn’t leave us to our own devices though.  He may have commanded us to tell others about Him but He has also promised to give us the ability and the resources to do it. In the same way that someone is called by the courts to testify in a trial, we are asked to be His witnesses. In a court proceeding, the witness will testify about the things that they have actually seen and heard; they will share their version of what they have observed or experienced as it relates to the current situation. As Christians, we have the ability and obligation to tell others what we have “seen” and “heard” and what has happened in our lives and our journey with the Lord.  We all have a story to tell.

No one else can tell your story. No one can accurately describe the incredible things that may have changed in your daily existence since you have surrendered your life to Christ. It is your unique testimony; no other person can tell it as their story. If Christ has done great things for you, you have the privilege of telling that good news to other people… “Return home and tell how much God has done for you. So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” Luke 8:39.

By telling others about the Lord you hav a chance to positively affect the lives of others forever; they now have the chance to know Christ as their Savior and have a personal relationship with Him. The blessings in your life can be used to inspire someone else and to give him or her hope. If the sad and burdened woman at the well could be a witness for Jesus, you and I can definitely be His witness as well…

“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman returned to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ? ‘” John 4:28-29.

Likewise, the Holy Spirit can use the sins in your life and how you repented of those sins to open someone’s eyes to the sins in their own life.

We are all commanded by Jesus to tell others of His great sacrifice. He desires that everyone knows about Him. Jesus suffered a terrible death so that all of humanity could be reconciled to the Father. Someone telling others is the only way the truth can be known. That “someone” is you and me. Why exactly should we tell others? We must tell others because they need to know that Jesus loves them and wants to give them eternal life. He wants nothing more than to rescue each and every one from the pit and the consequences of sin.

The back patch for our motorcycle ministry includes the following verse; “The Lord… is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9.

We need never fear that we will be left alone to speak for Him without support; He will always give us what to say and power to be effective.  As Paul says in Matthew 28, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” Matthew 28:20.

CONCLUSION:

We have seen that the gospel of Christ is…

• Good news Jesus wanted everyone to hear
• The power of God of salvation to everyone who believes
• Condemnation for those unwilling to obey it

We saw where the gospel of Christ contains facts, commands, and promises…

• The facts to believe contains the message of God’s love and grace
• The commands to obey are not difficult works done to earn salvation, but simple acts of faith whereby we receive God’s grace and mercy
• The promises to receive help us deal with the problem of sin in our lives

Do you believe in the gospel of Christ…?

• Enough to obey it to ensure the salvation of your own soul?
• Enough to tell others about it?

May we all have the same attitude as Paul did regarding the gospel of Christ…

“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.” – Ro 1:16

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