Joel Littlefield

When you bear a message that others need, you do what you have to do to deliver the message. When you have the only solution to the problem, you get the word out. If a deadly storm approaches, and you run to your neighbors to tell the news, you will find them busy with all sorts of things. They may not be prepared to listen, but should you tell the news anyway? “Destruction is coming! Prepare, or be destroyed!”

Christians have the only news that saves souls from Hell, and the wrath of God to come. It’s the message of the cross, that Jesus died to save sinners.  Should we care how some feel or react to it? Does it matter so much that they call you closed minded, or judgmental? What if they are deeply offended by the message, and they hate you for it? Despite all this, if you rightly display the love of Christ in the sharing of His message, then you can entrust the rest to Him.

With Love

When you know the perfect love of Jesus, it is inevitable that His message will burden you for others. You will want to tell the world.  This requires that you show the love of Jesus through your message. It’s a love that goes forth despite the shame, ridicule, or persecution that can come when you speak the truth. The love of Christ goes above all this. You see it in Jesus when He was rejected by the Jews. You see it in Paul, who entered Lystra with the very message that got him stones only hours earlier. Why would anyone do this?  Because the message is just that important, and the love in our hearts compels us.

The Non-Believer

We were all once non-believers, and though you might think you became a Christian solely by the invitation of another, you came to Christ primarily because of Him. It was a supernatural work that brought you from death to life, form blind to seeing. When you look at the non-believing world around you, and it seems they do not want to hear you, do not be dismayed. It’s a spiritual condition of their heart, called sin, and it’s this root problem that makes your message so vital. When a non-believer says “I don’t want to hear you” or “I will believe in your God because Christians are so judgmental”, don’t take it to heart. The root of the issue is their own sin, not the sin of others. Just tell them the news.

The Root Issue

When you know the root issue, it will keep your focus on the root cure, and that’s Jesus. Don’t speak to a non-believer simply on behavioral or moral issues, because a dead heart cannot please God no matter what. If we are to maintain a good witness to the world, then we will keep our mission gospel-centered. When they ask about world problems, an the reason for evil, or they bring accusations towards the Church, steer the issue back to the real problem, that we are all sinners on an even playing field. We all need God. We have all offended Him.  We are hypocrites, liars, and thieves, but Christ died to end this.  With love for their soul, steer the conversation to the heart of the matter, and with humility, admit that without Christ you are dead in sin.

Know the Message

Many struggle to share the gospel because they just don’t know it. Christians need to be familiar with it, and convinced of its power. Remember that the gospel saved you when you were still dead in trespasses and sins, and it can do the same for them. The problem is not that they need a better message, a different topic, or a gospel that is watered down to suit them. The problem is that too many Christians are not standing firmly upon the gospel with their lives and with their words. When a believer who is unfamiliar with the gospel tries to convince a heathen to follow Jesus, but the root cause and the root cure are never considered, that person will never be convinced of its truth or its power. In fact, without the gospel there is no power in your message. Even more so, unless the Spirit brings life and new birth, they will never see new light and life. So we trust the Spirit to go with the gospel as we share it, and minister to the heart of the problem.

If it’s revival you seek, and lives turned to Jesus that you desire, then it’s the gospel you must know. Know it, love it, live it, and share it with the world. Destruction is coming. The world will be judged in righteousness, so now is the time to go to your neighbors with the news. If they are not ready, that’s not on you. If they will not come, that is not on you. Leave that to the one who said “If the Son of Man be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself”