Thursday: Sharing the Word
Good news is for sharing. Think about the times in your life that you have been delighted with good news. It may have been the day you were engaged to be married, the birth of a child, a new job, or the purchase of a new car or home. You were so excited that you could not wait to share it.
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It is wonderful to share our joy with others, but the best news in the entire universe is the story of Jesus. When we discover new insights in His word about the salvation that there is in Christ, our hearts overflow with joy, and we long to tell someone else. When the religious authorities tried to stop the preaching of the apostles, Peter declared, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
“No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart. If we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ and are filled with the joy of His indwelling Spirit, we shall not be able to hold our peace”. — Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 78.
In Romans 1:14-16, Paul wrote: “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek”.
The apostle Paul never tired of telling his conversion story. His heart overflowed with joy in Jesus. For him good news was for sharing, and he could not be quiet.
What vital principles about sharing the Word of God do Isaiah 50:4, Ecclesiastes 3:1, and 2 Timothy 4:2 give us?
As we surrender our lives to Christ and His service, He will open doors of opportunity for us to “speak a word in season” or at the right time to those whose hearts He has opened. In all of our witnessing, we must keep three biblical principles in mind: what we say, how we say it, and when we say it.
| Who are some people you are in contact with, and how can you be a better witness to them? |
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What is it that we are sharing? Theology? Doctrine? World view? Lifestyle? Faith? I do not deny the importance of any of those things but I like to remind myself of the perspective provided by the judgment scene revealed in the Gospels:
Unless our theology, doctrine, world view, lifestyle, and faith lead us to serve others selflessly, we have not really understood the gospel.
God, the Word is selfless love and that is the greatest gift we have to share.
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Maurice, I would have to add to this, that right now, in all the chaos going on in our world, our adult children, who have chosen to not live a Christian life, at least for now, are watching us and our reactions to the chaos. I can tell they are stressed, and I can tell the Holy Spirit is working in their lives. My actions need to show them that I/we believe what we taught them when they were young. Showing them that there is a peace of mind that comes with trusting and obeying God. It has to be real, not just words and correctly quoted Bible texts. (I love the one you chose)
Thank you for this, Karen. I've been thinking the same and praying that the Lord will remind our straying boys of the things they learned when they were young. I pray that the Holy Spirit will draw them closer each day.
Yes, Maurice - the God who is the Creator of this 'Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world' is the one that the world seeks to find. Does He have a Name? Yes! He is the Triune God, His name is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. His manifestation for the benefit of mankind is Jesus Christ!
The lost are lost because they do not 'know' Him by any name. How can they get know Him? - by being introduced to Him in the manyfold ways the Holy Spirit will guide His disciples.
Rom.10:14 - "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Eph.4:4-15 - We, the body of Christ, have been given various talents and spiritual gifts. All of them are employed by the willing believer for the saving of souls and the building up the body of the believers and training in righteousness.
As we live in this world we live as citizens of the Kingdom of God already, though imperfect and in need of growth through guidance by the Holy Spirit.
The acts of kindness we engage in are already a witness of our believe that a Savior, offering Salvation from this world's darkness, exists. His name is Jesus! The Father has drawn us to Him, we have been found by Him, have believed Him and live the redeemed live in the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.
Did you believe only because someone acted kindly toward you, or did you believe because you 'heard' the Word of God testify to a God who loves mankind and gave His Son so to direct them to Him?
If our acts of service do not point to God, they are dead works. The Spirit of God uses every avenue available to Him to point mankind to the Saviour. It starts with the believe that the Father and the Savior exist, faith and action engaged in by the believer who lives the faith-based life in the Kingdom of God here on earth and the continous consumption of the Living Water - the Word of God, His Spirit - to sustaine our walk by Faith!
Yes, the believer's act of kindness stands on its own merrits, but not everyone we come in contact with knows who we are. All will benefit from knowing that God's Holy Spirit is working in our life and is the source of the kindness shown to those who receive the perfect love of God through the act of a humble servant.
The Word gives us several pictures of the judgment, or separation between two groups and we are given different criteria.
Matt 7:21-27 - hear and do Jesus words
Matt 13:24-30 - wheat and tares sowed by devil
Matt 13:47-50 - good/bad fish = just/wicked
Matt 21:28-32 - son who did the will of his father
Matt 22:1-14 - wearing wedding garment
Matt 25:1-13 - 5 virgins who had oil in their lamps
Matt 25:14-30 - increased their talents
Now at the end of the age what are the criteria? It is all the criteria bound up into the main one.
Whom do you worship? The Creator or the Image of the beast? Who do you recognize as the King of the Universe? Whose character do you have in your heart?
Often Jesus shared without saying a word. If every morning we die to our self and live with and for Jesus. Our everything will speak to them. How often I saw that when I walked into a room of nonbelievers, their language and tone changed upon my entry. And that to no credit of my own.
I can only share what I have to spare!
I can only share what I have experienced. I have difficulty with the word spare even though it rhymes. Maybe I misunderstood you. Maybe you were thinking of spare as what is over flowing in your heart.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him Ps 103:11
Before the Lord: for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. Ps 98:9
Question for today-'Who are some people you are in contact with, and how can you be a better witness to them?'
Years ago after church, some of the members visited our homes for lunch which we prepared. No one brought anything, they ate, stayed for a lengthy time, chat about almost everything, then went home. I was so excited about the idea of this group because I saw a prospective. I saw how I can share the word with other church members. I saw a bible class with the saints. I was joyful. I read from EG White book that said- after church and at potlucks, encourage the members to reflect on the preacher sermon and study the same in small groups, and by doing so, we will be more in tune with the sabbath and less about ourself. So I went ahead and purchased Ps D Bachelor lesson studies for the group. After eating one Sabbath, I introduced them to the lesson study and suggested what we can do. I was so surprised that no one was interesting. I asked myself, how can no one be interested in studying the bible after lunch but they chat about everything else. When we live a certain life from Sunday-Friday, we cant change for Sabbath. Sabbath is not a put-on and a take-off. It is who we are. My question is- 'what we say, how we say it, and when we say it'. Did I ask the wrong people at the wrong time?
I used that to show us- only the Lord knows who will become a part of the 'sheep' group and the 'goat' group. Not all who say, Lord, Lord, pray lengthy prayers, preach, teach, etc will hea the words-'come ye blessed'.
Changes start from the inside and work itself to the outside. If the inside is not where it supposed to be, then it will be hard to show on the outside.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Lyn - I had encountered the same reaction when attempting to stir conversation during and after potluck toward the message just received from the preacher.
That Ellen White commented on this is new to me. Happy to hear that she also advised to focus our conversation on spiritual learning - "and by doing so, we will be more in tune with the Sabbath and less about ourself."
You say "Sabbath is not a put-on and take-off. It is who we are." I agree!
I like how "sharing the word" is defined in Ps 40:1-3. Notice the change of condition/circumstances and the result. Notice who gets the "glory" and who the others will "fear and trust in".
The life of any who becomes "a partaker of the Divine nature" will not just preach "truth", but will live/demonstrate it. The Two Great Commandments will be revealed by both precept and example.