Adding souls to the body of Christ is vital. It is not an option and it cannot be ignored. Every Christian has a responsibility to teach others the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-19) is clear:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We find people, making them followers of Jesus, baptize them and then continue to teach them. By doing these things, the kingdom grows. The original Christians of the 1st century did precisely that. In Acts 8:4, persecuted Christians fled Jerusalem and “went about preaching the word.” Their efforts led to the outbreak of the Gospel in Samaria. Wouldn’t it be great if we could see an outbreak of the Gospel in our time? It is possible and there are some signs that the world is ready for the truth.
Bible Based Preaching Is Returning
For years, some preachers sounded more like Dr. Phil or Oprah than the Scriptures. Their sermons came from the self help genre and sought to meet so-called felt needs. These needs focused on immediate concerns and often ignored the profound need of man to return to his Creator. Today, the Bible is returning as the centerpiece of preaching. The expository sermon which firmly anchors itself in a single passage and expounds upon the message of that single Bible passage is growing in popularity.
Denominational authors are calling for deeper Bible knowledge and asking their readers to study the Word for themselves. Such a return to serious Bible study can only help prepare people for the reception of the pure truth of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16; James 1:21). As honest men and women hear the pure truth, they will reject the teachings of men which have polluted hearts so long (Matthew 15:9).
Evil is Obvious
The true nature of Satan is being revealed daily (2 Corinthians 2:11) and people are frightened. Violence seems more common, the world is more willing to attack people of faith, government is publically less righteous and the whole world seems spinning out of control. The world lies in Satan’s hands (Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 5:19) People are scared.
No man can face the evil onslaught alone. He knows trouble and sees it destroying people. He needs the pure Gospel message from God. Shallow preaching no longer helps and is viewed as a waste of time. Mankind needs help and can find it only in the truth of the Gospel. Men’s hearts are ready to receive truth.
Technology is Shrinking the World and Saving Time
Facebook and Twitter have changed the world in many ways. Now, instantly, Godly messages can be exchanged and small snippets of truth taught. A man can ask questions and investigate the local church anonymously. Technology is making the Great Commission easier and less expensive. Unfortunately, most people use these great devices to post trivial comments, like “I just burned the beans…”
We can initiate serious discussions through social media; we can move those discussions to personal Bible studies. If you have a Twitter account, can you post something positive in 140 characters? I’m sure you can.
The world is ready. The technology is in place. The only thing missing is you. Who do you know that needs the truth today?
