The work of Evangelism is “sharing the Good News” of Jesus Christ our Savior. When we have a good thing it is just natural to tell others about it. When I met my wife and asked her to marry me I could not wait to tell others I had met the woman of my dreams. When each of my children came along I could not wait to tell others, “Erma is pregnant!” I still love telling people about them. They are part of what defines my life. The same thing happened with Jesus. Even though I was a shy little guy; I came to a point of maturity when I was able to open up about my relationship with Jesus. Many us have the snare called “the fear of man” within us. We need to mature to the point that we leave that behind us. The message of Jesus is too good not to share.
The first mark of true discipleship is wanting to be with the Master. "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach," Mark 3:14. After some three years of training His disciples, Jesus ascended to the Father and this is recorded about His disciples: "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13. Now we have a treasury of books that tell us about the Savior. God gave us, not one, but four gospels to permit us to be with Jesus. It is a matter of developing discipline-- the key element of discipleship.
It is common knowledge among preachers that each of the gospels gives a unique picture of Jesus. Matthew shows us Jesus as the King of the Jews. Mark seems to emphasize Christ's Servant ministry. Luke, on the other hand, gives us a view of Christ as the Son of Man. These three gospels share a common thread of evidence but from the particular perspectives noted. John's gospel is markedly different. It especially exalts Christ as the Son of God. It begins with the Preexistence of Christ and shares a deeper look into the final days of Jesus' ministry. To be certain, the truth about Jesus is found in all the gospels and they compliment each other well. I encourage you to find the enjoyment of “being with” the Savior by reading a gospel every three months or so. It is not hard; it just takes determination. You will be greatly benefited by developing this discipline. And what better way to meet the Master than in the books written especially about Him!
One thing that sticks out in our reading of the gospels is Jesus' urgency about spreading the Good News to others. The first Evangelists were angels announcing his birth. And there were Simeon and Anna, fitting representatives of faithful Israelites awaiting the Messiah. Then after his quiet life of obedience to his earthly parents and his Heavenly Father, John the Baptist is sent to introduce Him to the people as “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” With hardly a moment between Jesus takes up the message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It is the heart of the Savior to share of the good news with others. As we spend time with the Savior we will develop this same heart and go forth with the message of Jesus to the world. It is our prayer that we can be a small part of encouraging others to get to know the Savior and to share Him with others. We are developing resources to help fulfill this vision. Pray for us and let us know if we can help. O Magnify the LORD with me!
The first mark of true discipleship is wanting to be with the Master. "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach," Mark 3:14. After some three years of training His disciples, Jesus ascended to the Father and this is recorded about His disciples: "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13. Now we have a treasury of books that tell us about the Savior. God gave us, not one, but four gospels to permit us to be with Jesus. It is a matter of developing discipline-- the key element of discipleship.
It is common knowledge among preachers that each of the gospels gives a unique picture of Jesus. Matthew shows us Jesus as the King of the Jews. Mark seems to emphasize Christ's Servant ministry. Luke, on the other hand, gives us a view of Christ as the Son of Man. These three gospels share a common thread of evidence but from the particular perspectives noted. John's gospel is markedly different. It especially exalts Christ as the Son of God. It begins with the Preexistence of Christ and shares a deeper look into the final days of Jesus' ministry. To be certain, the truth about Jesus is found in all the gospels and they compliment each other well. I encourage you to find the enjoyment of “being with” the Savior by reading a gospel every three months or so. It is not hard; it just takes determination. You will be greatly benefited by developing this discipline. And what better way to meet the Master than in the books written especially about Him!
One thing that sticks out in our reading of the gospels is Jesus' urgency about spreading the Good News to others. The first Evangelists were angels announcing his birth. And there were Simeon and Anna, fitting representatives of faithful Israelites awaiting the Messiah. Then after his quiet life of obedience to his earthly parents and his Heavenly Father, John the Baptist is sent to introduce Him to the people as “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” With hardly a moment between Jesus takes up the message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It is the heart of the Savior to share of the good news with others. As we spend time with the Savior we will develop this same heart and go forth with the message of Jesus to the world. It is our prayer that we can be a small part of encouraging others to get to know the Savior and to share Him with others. We are developing resources to help fulfill this vision. Pray for us and let us know if we can help. O Magnify the LORD with me!
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