By Pastor Alex Ruelo
How much of the Bible do you need to know in order for you to be able to share the gospel confidently? Do you have to memorize it? How much faith do you need to have in order to share the gospel? How holy should you be? How awesome should your testimony be? If you read the book of Acts in the New Testament, it tells how the churches began. In chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came and moved in the midst of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. When the Holy Spirit moved among peoples from different nations, because this happened during the Pentecost, they were all surprised that they could understand each other - because they also speak different languages. Peter stepped in and began to preach. He said, in Acts 2:36-41, ““So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.” May we all experience this kind of Holy Spirit in our life at one point or another. And may more than this number be saved because of us in our lifetime. You just need 1 Timothy. There are 365 days in a year. If you share the gospel everyday, then that same number will be added to your church. But if you dilly-dally, think about the souls that you are not witnessing to. Acts 8:4-5 says, “But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.” The believers during that time shared the gospel wherever they went. Wherever. Where are you located? Look around you. There are so many souls that need saving. There is always an opportunity to share the gospel.
What are the reasons why the sharing of the gospel was halted?
People nowadays lack compassion. They just stopped caring. People need the Lord. They always do and they always will. When you look at a person who needs salvation, may you be moved to share the gospel with him. As churches become institutionalized, having their own rules, people forgot that each and every one has the responsibility to share the gospel. Some people call on their pastor to pray for somebody else, forgetting that they have the same power bestowed upon them and the same Holy Spirit inside of them. We all have the same salvation and the same power. Learn how to use it.
The second reason why the gospel is not shared is because of lack of gospel knowledge. Do you really need to study how to share the gospel? Is it rocket science that you need to know all the facts? Do you need to memorize all the bible verses? In the old times, the bible had no numbers and verses. They just explained what was in their hearts and minds. Do not let this hinder you from sharing the gospel. God gave you the power. This power is not found in books.
Worst of all, fear stops you from sharing the gospel. You are afraid to be rejected and ridiculed. In school, you do not want to be embarrassed with your friends. Do not let fear stop you too.
What can we do to be able to share the gospel? Let us all pray for the lost together. In Acts 4, after Peter and John were released from prison, all of their disciples gathered to pray to God to give them boldness to speak His word. These are the people who were cursed and stoned for preaching God’s word. And when they were released from prison, they did the same thing. Let us recall the gospel together. Every time you come to church an go to your dgroup, you help each other grow in the faith and remember what Jesus did. In 2 Timothy 2:8-13, Paul reminded Timothy about the truth in the gospel, to encourage him to press on and be faithful to the message that was entrusted to him. Let us apply the gospel together. Do not allow yourself to get out of church and do nothing afterwards. Lastly, let us prove the power of the gospel together. Show others what God did in your life. How God changed your life for the better is one of the greatest ways on how you can share the gospel to the lost.
There are so many ways to share the gospel. But Jesus is everything. No matter who you are talking to, Jesus will fit there. And there is a way to share the gospel to everybody. It is not difficult to share the gospel. They just need to have faith in Jesus. It is not religion. They just need to believe in the one who died for them. Your life is one of the biggest ways you can share the gospel to anybody. Look around you and see God’s creation. What is stopping you?
Many Christians admit to being one. But sometimes, they do not follow Jesus. Change your being a Christian, or change your conduct. You choose.