Go and Tell Others

One of the “fruits”1 (Mat 7:16, 20; 9:37–38) of a Christian is leading others to truth in Christ and winning souls for the Lord. In fact, the greatest honor one can have in this world is to be called an “ambassador for Christ” (see 2Co 5:20; cf. Php 1:27; Eph 6:20) and to go forth sharing “the gospel of the grace of God” (Act 20:24)—which is also “the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (Eph 1:13; cf. Mat 28:19; Mar 16:15–16; Luk 24:47–48; 1Co 9:16) and “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16)—with those who are still “lost” (Mat 18:11; Luk 15:6, 9, 24, 32; 19:10) and wandering “through the valley of the shadow of death” in “the domain of darkness” of this fallen world.2 Only the Gospel message can lead to “peace” and “reconciliation” between God and man (see Rom 5:1, 10–11; 15:33; 1Co 14:33; 2Co 5:18–20; 1Th 5:23; Eph 2:1–10, 11–22; 6:15; Col 1:20–23; Heb 13:20; cf. Mat 5:9; Luk 2:14).

We lead others to Christ by:

1. Being a “shining” (see Mat 5:13–16) “example”3 (see Joh 13:15; 1Co 11:1; 4:16; 1Th 1:7; 1Ti 1:16; 4:12; Tit 2:7; 1Pe 2:21; 5:3; cf. Mat 5:13–16; 10:38; 2Co 5:20; Eph 5:1–2; 6:20; Rom 2:19; Php 1:27; 2:4–5, 15; 3:17; 1Th 1:6; 2Th 3:9; Heb 6:12; 12:1; 1Jn 2:6) of Jesus here in this fallen world, and by
2. Sharing the “good news” of the Gospel (Luk 2:10; Act 8:12; 13:32; Rom 10:15–16; Heb 4:2, 6). We are commanded to “boldly” (see Act 4:29–31; 9:27–28; 13:46; 14:3; 18:26; 19:8; Rom 15:15; 2Co 3:12; Eph 3:11–12; 6:19–20; Php 1:20; 1Th 2:2; cf. 2Ti 1:7–14; Rom 1:16–17; Mat 5:14–16; Pro 28:1), “confidently” (see Act 4:29; Tit 3:8; Heb 13:6), and “courageously” (see Php 1:14; 2Co 4:11; 5:6–8; Act 23:11; 27:25; 28:15) “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation [everyone, the lost]” (Mar 16:15; Mat 4:23; 9:35; 28:19–20; Luk 8:1, 39; Act 4:2; 8:5; 16:17; 17:3, 19; 20:27; 21:13; Rom 10:14–17; 1Co 2:1; Eph 6:19–20). For as it is written, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17) and “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Joh 8:32).4

In a world exceedingly full of darkness and sin, the little light we shine can greatly help the lost find their way (Mat 5:14–16; Luk 2:32; 16:8; Joh 1:4–9; 3:19–21; Act 13:47; 26:23; Rom 2:19; cf. Rom 13:12; 2Co 2:14–15). In fact, you might be the only person to ever have the chance to share the Gospel with someone in their entire lifetime. It will be horrible to stand among the saved on the Day of Judgment and look over and see someone we know who will be lost forever (Mat 25:31–33) and realize that we had a chance to share the Gospel with them but never did. Oh, what a tragedy!

FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

We see it written, “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me” (Mat 11:6; cf. Mat 10:32; Luk 7:23; 12:8; Rom 1:16). Hopefully, this is not a concern if you are reading this chapter, but let me ask just to make sure: If you were the ambassador for a great and powerful king here on earth, you would make sure that others knew about it, right? I mean, surely you would be boasting about it left and right to any and all who could hear you about that fact! And how much more than that are we as “ambassadors” for “Jesus, Son of the Most High God” (Mar 5:7; cf. Luk 1:32), who is “king of kings, and lord of lords” (Rev 19:16; cf. Rev 17:14) and who rules over all of “the kings of the earth” (see Act 4:26; Rev 1:5; 21:24; cf. Mat 28:18; Eph 1:20–22; Php 2:9–11; Col 2:10)!4a

Let us, therefore, “stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1Co 16:13; cf. Eph 6:11–16; 1Th 3:8; 1Pe 5:12), “endure hardship” for the sake of the Gospel (2Ti 4:5), “endure to the end” (see Mat 24:13; Mar 13:13), and continue to share the “good news” of the Gospel (Luk 2:10; Act 8:12; 13:32; Rom 10:15–16; Heb 4:2, 6) “boldly,” “confidently,” and “courageously.” Amen.

Here are some notes to encourage you to share the Gospel with others:

1. We are surrounded by a sea of the “lost” (Mat 10:6; 18:11; Luk 15:6; 19:10); as it is written, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Mat 9:37–38).
2. It is written, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works” (Mat 5:13–16). We are supposed to be an exact “example” of Jesus here on earth to others, “a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2Co 2:14–15), “a guide to the blind” (Rom 2:19), and “a city set on a hill” (Mat 5:14) shining “light” in the “darkness” of this fallen world, where Satan has “blinded” many (Mat 4:16; 2Co 4:4; 1Jn 2:11; Eph 4:18; 5:8).
3. You are an “ambassador for Christ” and a member of “a royal priesthood” (1Pe 2:9; cf. Rev 1:6; 5:10), with Christ as your “High Priest” (Heb 3:1; cf. Heb 2:17; 4:14–15; 5:5, 10; 6:20; 7:26; 8:1; 9:11) and “King” (Joh 1:49; 12:13; 18:37; 1Ti 1:17; 6:15; Rev 15:3; 17:14; 19:16). So go forth as a “fisher of men” (see Mat 4:19; Mar 1:17), helping to build the kingdom of God.5
4. We are not to be “ashamed” of Jesus or the Gospel (Mat 11:6; Mar 8:38; Luk 9:26; Rom 1:16; 2Ti 1:8, 12, 16; 1Pe 4:16; cf. Mat 10:32–33). You might be ridiculed, mocked, shunned, ignored, laughed at, scorned, discriminated against, and even persecuted for doing so, but don’t let that stop you (1Co 4:12). Jesus was treated likewise (Mat 27:29, 31; Mar 15:20; Luk 18:32; 23:36), and we are not better than our Master (Joh 15:20; Mat 10:24; cf. Mat 5:10–12; 10:22; 24:9; Joh 15:18, 21; Jas 4:4; Gal 4:16).
5. It is also written that you might have to “endure [and suffer] hardship” (2Ti 4:5; 1Co 16:13; 2Ti 2:1–5, 9; 2Co 11:27; 1Th 2:9) and persecution “as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2Ti 2:1–5; cf. 2Ti 4:5), but we are to look to the example set by the apostles who were “rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Act 5:41; cf. Mat 5:10–12; Luk 6:22–23; Rom 8:17–18, 35–37; 12:12; 14:7–8; 2Co 12:10; Php 1:29; 2:17; Col 1:24; 1Pe 4:13–16; Jas 1:2, 12).
6. Sharing the Gospel also applies to those closest to you. Parents who raise their children in the way of the Lord do a great honor and service to both themselves and their children (Eph 6:4; Pro 22:6; cf. Gen 18:19; Deu 11:19; Isa 54:13), and the husband who leads his wife into truth and eternal life is showing great leadership and love (Eph 5:23, 33; cf. 1Co 7:16).
7. From the Parable of the Sower (Mat 13:1–9, 18–23; Luk 8:4–8, 11–15), we learn that Christ is the Sower (along with His evangelists—that is, you) who spreads the “seed,” which is “the word of God”—the Gospel “message of truth.” The type of ground (soil) represents the type of person (you) who has heard it:
   • “Roadside”: This refers to “those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved” (Luk 8:12; cf. Matt 13:4, 19; Mar 4:4, 15; Luk 8:5); that is, the Gospel had no impact on the one who heard it and had no interest in it. These are those who think that God, the Gospel, and all this “Jesus stuff” is “foolishness” and go on living just as they always have in sin.6
   • “Rocky Soil”: This refers to “those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation [or affliction and persecution] fall away” (Luk 8:13; cf. Mat 13:5, 20; Mar 4:5, 16; Luk 8:6).
   • “Thorny Soil”: This refers to “the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth [riches and pleasures of this life] choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mat 13:22; cf. Mat 6:19–24; 13:7; 19:16–24; Mar 4:7, 18–19; 10:25; Luk 3:14; 8:7, 14; 9:25; 12:14–21, 33; 16:13; 18:18–25; 22:3–6; 18:24–30; Act 5:1–11; 16:19; 20:35; Php 4:11; Heb 6:7–8; 13:5; 1Ti 3:3; 6:6–10, 17; 2Ti 3:2; 4:10; Tit 1:11; Jas 1:9–11; 5:1–6; Psa 49:5–6; 52:7; 62:10; Pro 11:4, 28; 23:4; 28:6, 11; 2Ki 5:20–27).
   • “Good Soil”: This refers to “the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (Mat 13:23; cf. Mat 13:8; Mar 4:8, 20; Luk 8:8), and who is “always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1Co 15:58).

Now, therefore, this book has sown the seed of the Word of God in you, so what type of ground (soil) will you be? It is my prayer that you will keep “abounding in the work of the Lord” (1Co 15:58) and produce a crop (“bear fruit”; see Mat 3:8–10; 7:19; Mar 4:20; Luk 8:15; Joh 15:1–8, 16; Rom 7:4–5) of “thirty,” “sixty,” or a “hundredfold” for the Lord (Mat 13:8, 23; Mar 4:8, 20). After coming to the truth yourself, you can use this book to lead others through the Gospel (2Ti 2:2) so they may also come to a saving knowledge of our “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2Pe 1:11; 2:20; 3:18), just as I have done with you (Act 8:35).

Will you be like Isaiah, who, when the Lord inquired, “Whom shall I send?” answered, “Here am I, send me!” (Isa 6:8), or like Jonah, who, when asked by the Lord to go to Ninevah to share the Word of God with them, ran the other way (Jon 1:1–3)? And if I were to ask you next year how many others you have shared the Gospel with, what would the answer be? One? Two? Ten? Fifty? One hundred? Or will it be zero? Only you can answer that. It is my hope that this book can help to raise up additional “preachers of righteousness” (see 2Pe 2:5) who proclaim the Gospel “in spirit and truth” (Joh 4:23–34).

Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. … Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.7 – Act 8:29–35

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. – Mat 10:14–17

Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. – Dan 13:3

IT IS FINISHED

Brother or sister in Christ, I beseech you to continue along “the Highway of Holiness” (Isa 35:8) on the path to eternal life in Christ and to persevere in faith to eternal glory. I affirm to you (1Co 15:31) that I have explained the Gospel accurately and completely (Act 20:18–21, 26–31; 2Ti 2:2, 15, 23–26; 3:16–17; 4:1–4, 15; 1Co 9:16; 15:3; Col 1:28; Pro 27:6; Gal 4:16; Eph 4:15; Joh 4:23–24; Rev 18:4–5; 1Ti 1:3–4; 4:1–6, 11, 13; 6:20–21; Eze 33:1–6; Ecc 3:7; Tit 1:9, 13–14; 2:15), and I hope to stand with you among “the redeemed of the Lord” (Psa 107:2; cf. Psa 31:5; 1Pe 1:18–19) who are gathered “on His [Jesus’] right” (Mat 25:33–34) on “the day of judgment” (1Jn 4:17) and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Mat 25:21–23 ESV), “enter [into] My rest” (Heb 3:11; 4:3–5).

And Jesus said, “It is finished” (Joh 19:30). Amen.