“Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:12-14 NLT)
As the evidence multiplies that we’re living in the last days, it’s imperative that we grow in our outreach efforts to reach everyone we possibly can with the message of the Gospel. Do you realize that you are “preaching” Christ every second of every day? It’s not a question of whether or not, it’s simply a question of “What are you preaching?”
Each person who reads these words will fall into one of two categories: lost or found; saved or lost! There’s no in-between. And, yes, either way your life is “preaching” exactly what you believe and why. Preaching doesn’t necessarily imply religious topics, it’s simply a declaration of what we believe, but in this season of the world and of our individual lives, it’s imperative that we understand what’s at stake and what the implications are for each of our lives.
When I was a child, we used to play “hide and seek,” and the one who was designated as the “seeker” would count to some designated number to give the others time to hide, then say: “Ready or not, here I come!” That’s Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 24 and other critical verses in the New Testament. He came to earth to lay down His life so that every child who would ever be born would have an opportunity to have their sins forgiven and to be given new life in Him.
He’s the only way to heaven, and the timeline is His return. Once He returns the gateway to heaven will be closed and only those who have yielded their life and allegiance to Him will be saved and permitted entrance into heaven. If you don’t know Him, why are you waiting? Is it really worth risking your eternal life?
On the other hand, those of us who know and love Him, what are we waiting for, in terms of sharing His love with everyone with whom we have contact? And don’t misunderstand, we can’t be obnoxious or pushy, we simply live our lives and follow the Lord’s lead. How hard is it to say something like: “It seems you’re really struggling, would you mind if I prayed for you?” Or, “It’s been a while since we’ve spent any time together, how about lunch one day next week?” Or, “Have you ever given any thought to what happens after you die?”
John Wesley reminds us: “One of the principal rules of religion is, to lose no occasion of serving God. And since he is invisible to our eyes, we are to serve him in our neighbor.” We may not have access to those in foreign lands, so we reach those with whom we do have contact. We must be about our Father’s business of reaching those in our spheres of influence while there’s still time. “Preaching” Christ basically means sharing with others what the Lord is sharing with us, through His Word and as He speaks to us through prayer.
Again, John Wesley’s powerful words apply when he wrote: “I don’t read the Bible to preach. I preach because I have read the Bible.” If you’re not reading God’s Word and spending quality time speaking and listening to Him in prayer, you won’t have anything to share with anyone else. Sit before the Lord and lift the names of those you want to reach for Him and let Him give you a strategy. Our responsibility isn’t to get results, our responsibility is to obey the Lord by sharing His message, by “preaching” His words of life. He will guide us; we simply need to listen and obey. Are you listening? Are you obeying?
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 