(Further reflections on “Sharing the Good News”—Sunday 5-Nov-2023)
People who are true followers of Jesus Christ, I believe, desire to share the very Good News of Jesus Christ that saved them. However, in reality, people find it challenging to share it. It is so, not because of lack of resources, but perhaps the potentness of the Gospel hasn’t fully gripped people’s heart and mind. If salvation means a ticket to heaven, then once people got it, why bother to “workout your salvation with fear and trembling” (cf. Philippians 2:12). Furthermore, sanctification (being made holy) process is deemed redundant. Why bother to be transformed toward Christlikeness thinking “Hey, I got the ticket to heaven already. Solution?
Persecution. God knows this too well. Throughout history, He allowed it to happen from time to time. For what? To shake them up, so that they know nothing is certain or secure besides the Lord Himself; to wake them from religious, lethargic spirituality, nominal, or Christian-by-name, so that they know religion cannot save them but Christ Himself; and to make them realize that there has been no “middle way,” wanting to live like the world and also wanting to go to heaven. The irony in this is, they don’t even want to spend an hour with Jesus on earth, how is that possible if they want to spend eternity with Him in heaven!? “Okay, I got it. I repented.” Now what? There are three things (cf. Acts 8:26-40) that we can consider learning and practicing ‘GEL’ (Guidance. Engagement. Living it out) as the Body of Christ.
#1. Guidance. The Holy Spirit is guiding us all the time. He reminds us God’s works through Christ in His Word—the Bible. Question: Can the Holy Spirit remind you something you don’t even know? And if you don’t know, how are you going to know when to share and what to share or explain to others when your relationship with the Lord seems distant?
#2. Engagement. The Good News might be good to us, but maybe even bad to others who do not know Jesus and God’s word. They feel they will lose their freedom to live the way they want, which is sinful in its nature. Remember, everyone wants to be self-righteous, which we can explain to people that it is like a “filthy rag” (cf. Isaiah 64:6). We need to learn to engage people with the Good News in their context, of which you need to build relationship and find out. People, like you, need to feel that they are loved before they can receive God’s love. This takes time, patience, and lots of prayers. Remember, it’s God’s works, not yours. But He is more than happy to use you. Thus, we need to learn to wait. Don’t pull or push people for their responses. Remember, like you, people will respond when they understood the Good News of Jesus Christ. When the Good News is really good, people will flock to Jesus no matter what.
#3. Living it out. Picture this: you, as Gospel-carriers are ‘on duty’, ready to respond to the guidance of the Holy Spirit to engage the intended audience with the Good News. Make sure you are in tune with the Lord and in line with His word. Those who received the Good News live out the Good News and rejoicing is one of the mark in their life. You will know them when you meet and interact with them. Consequently, those who shared the Good News will keep engaging those who haven’t heard about it. And this has never been and will never be a program, but a lifestyle worth pursuing and living.
May the Spirit guide us all in every engagement opportunities that He has been giving us since the day that we met Him. —
Pastor Lap
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