As we talk to people about the good news of salvation, it’s important that we remember what we have to share. What we have that our world needs is the good news about Jesus. It’s easy to get distracted with other things. We can be tempted to go out preaching the church, preaching a certain doctrine, preaching a certain form of morality. All of those things are important, but they must take second place. People must be converted to God, then other things will be taken care of. God will add them to the church. They will learn doctrine and morality from studying God’s Word. If we convert people to the Lord, making disciples, they will change their lives as they learn to follow him. If we focus on the behavior and the doctrinal understanding, they may never understand the need to be under the Lordship of Jesus.
As we go out to share the gospel, we must do just that: share the gospel, the good news of salvation, the news that Jesus came to this earth, lived among us, died, was buried, rose again, ascended to his father and will one day come again to judge the living and the dead. That’s the message the world needs to hear. That’s the unique message we have to share. That’s the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But Tim, most of us don’t even know why Jesus is good news for this world anymore.
Sort of like “If Jesus is the answer, what’s the question?”
Indeed. We don’t know how Jesus is the answer to everything that matters. What should we do about….? BE like Jesus!
What if folks don’t think that personal sin is the problem? Few of my students seem to think in that way.
Ken,
I think that part of the process of making disciples is bringing people face to face with their Lord, leading them to a moment like Peter in Luke 5 where they feel the need to throw themselves at the Lord’s feet. I don’t know that Peter necessarily considered himself a great sinner before that moment, but his realization of the identity of Jesus led him to fall at Jesus’ feet saying “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” It’s the Isaiah 6 moment, that realization of the holiness of God.
With most people, that’s not where you start. But it’s hard to say that someone is truly a disciple unless they’ve come face to face with their own failings.
Grace and peace,
Tim