Central Thought: The spreading of the gospel message is a task for all believers
Hymn: Sowing in the morning sowing seeds of kindness
Text: Mark 16:15-18, Matthew 24:14, Acts 1:8, 2:22-40
Introduction:
The Lord Jesus came into the world to pay the price of salvation by dying on the cross at Calvary. Only Him alone was qualified to undertake this because Romans 3:23 declares that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. Because all mankind belongs to the fallen race of Adam, none was qualified to redeem man from sin. But concerning the Lord Jesus, John said: “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world”. He came to fulfill the prophesy in Isaiah 53:5a which says “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities”. He paid the price of sin in full and obtained for us the salvation of our souls. Having accomplished this divine agreement, He left the Church with one assignment: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to all creatures”. This command of the Lord remains the core mandate of the Church in every generation. Whatever the Church does, it is not allowed to lose sight of this one thing. Before His ascension into Heaven, he told the Apostles to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power (Luke 24:49b). They needed this to be effective witnesses of the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the utmost part of the world (Acts 1:8). The baton has been handed to us His people in this generation. We must continue with the assignment until we faithfully hand it over to the next generation or end the work if the Lord of the harvest comes in our time.
Lesson Objectives:
- Remind us of the Great Commission
- Know what constitutes the gospel message and who is qualified to preach it
- Identify the various methods involved in spreading the Kingdom message
- Understand the dangers of not spreading the gospel
- See what example the Church at Antioch offers to our generation
Question 1.) What is the great commission?
In Mark 16:15-18 and Matthew 28:18-20, the Lord Jesus commanded His disciples and by extension the Church today, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. This is the great Commission. As long as there are men and women, anywhere in the world who have not heard the gospel (the good news of mankind’s redemption), the task given to the church is yet to be completed. It is our duty to seek out these souls and reach them with the message before they are taken to a Christ-less grave and eternity. All who hear us may not believe the message but there is a chance some will hear and believe when they are convicted of God. The Spirit of God accomplishes this in their heart when they hear the message.
Question 2.) What constitutes the gospel message and who is qualified to preach it?
The gospel message must be made explicit (clear) to enable men understand and believe it. It must not be confused with doctrinal issues we may teach to those who have believed. When we go out to witness, men must be made to know the following:
- All men are sinners. Romans 3:23 tells us that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. Since all men have sinned, all men have need of God’s forgiveness.
- Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the price for our forgiveness (1 Corinthians 15:3). He was buried, and rose again the third day from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:4).
- Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, all men can now be reconciled to God and be at peace with Him (Romans 5:1, Colossians 1:20).
- Everyone needs to individually believe in the sacrifice of Jesus in order to be saved (Acts 16:31). When an individual believes, he/she becomes a child of God (John 1:12) and he or she is no longer under condemnation.
- All believers should live right and please God while alive on earth and at the end inherit eternal life.
This in a nut shell is the message of the gospel. It is so simple that every believer is qualified to preach it.
Question 3.) What are the various methods that can be employed to preach the gospel?
When the message of the gospel is well understood, it becomes easy to spread it. The methods we use to disseminate the gospel depends on the environment and circumstances. Irrespective of the method used, the important fact of the matter is that the target individual or community is reached and converted. Some of the methods that have been effectively used to spread the gospel message are as follows:
Mass evangelism by crusades
This method in which the word of God is declared to a multitude, has been in use since Bible times. The Lord Jesus was known to have addressed multitudes (Matthew 5:1-2, 9:35-36). On the day of Pentecost, Apostle Peter addressed a multitude of which 3000 people were saved (Acts 2: 37-42). Apostle Paul also used this method (Acts 17:16-33, 20:7-12). The old tent meetings which famous evangelists like Finney, Moody, used and up to recent times by Billy Graham, T.L. Osborn, B.A. Idahosa in stadia and other large arenas were of this sort. This method offers the possibility of reaching so many people simultaneously and winning many too. For all the successes these mass meetings have enjoyed, they have certain drawbacks. Today, the cost of hiring large spaces for such meetings can be financially daunting, especially for small organizations and individuals. Furthermore, it is very difficult to fully know all those saved for effective follow-up. However, whenever these organizational constraints can be effectively addressed, the methods holds a great promise.
Person to person evangelism
This is the method in which an individual or pair of believers reach out to one person at a time. This method has also been in use for a long time. When Andrew found the Messiah, he reached out to his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus (John 1:40-42). It is still in use today and it remains one of the most effective and cost effective methods of evangelization. It does not require gadgets and finance. The converts of this method are known and so are easy to follow and bring to maturity and stability. The number reached by this method may be small initially, but consider the potential it holds if individuals (in a multitude from a local assembly) reach out simultaneously to different individuals in a community. The harvest will be certainly great. It should therefore be encouraged and applied by local assemblies.
Tract Sharing
An individual may be shy or have little or no formal education to ensure effective communication of the gospel message. Such an individual can still reach many for the kingdom by just handing out tracts. We can also set up strands in strategic locations and fill them with tracts for people to pick up. Testimonies abound of people who were saved after they read a tract. A man was convicted and later saved after he read a tract he picked up in a toilet! God can reach out to men anywhere, in bars, buses, hospitals, schools, clubs, hotels etc. All these are places that can be explored for tract sharing or placement
The electronic media
In our multimedia age, opportunities abound for sharing the message of the gospel. The most popular one that also seems to have the greatest appeal is the television. This method can be effective if the preacher has over time built a good following through messages that have impacted lives. Those impacted become instruments in bringing others to hear the life transforming word. Facebook and other social media such as twitter may also be exploited for their ability to reach people on a large scale and in view of their growing mass appeal.
Question 4.) What are the dangers of failing to evangelize?
Nature is said to abhor vacuum. Every soul we fail to reach for God is potentially available to the devil for his own evil crusade. God’s purpose in the gospel is to save souls while the devils counter purpose is to keep men from being saved. This he does by keeping men from hearing the true message when he keeps them under false religions. Others may be occupied with philanthropic activities that give them a false sense of acceptance with God. In all these and other instances, he is working behind the scene with devotees and demonic forces that are in covenant with him to keep the world in darkness. It is against these that we wrestle in prayer when we seek to break into any territory and lives still under his control (Ephesians 6:10-19). Satan’s crusade and recruitment is on and is very intensive. Therefore, the church must wake up from its slumber and intensify the spreading of the gospel.
The other danger of failure is that, those who failed to hear the gospel will upon their death spend eternity in hell. If it was our duty and we failed to reach them, their blood will be required of our hands (Ezekiel 3:18). If we preach and they refuse to believe, then we are absolved of any blame before God.
Question 5.) What challenge can we receive from the Antioch church about missionary outreach?
The church at Antioch is reputed to be the first New Testament church known to have sponsored missionary outreach. After they had fasted and prayed, they commissioned and sent forth Paul and Barnabas to preach the gospel among the gentiles (Acts 13:1-5). The gospel we cherish today was brought to us by Missionaries. It is our turn today to commission and send forth missionaries that have a vision to reach the unreached, irrespective of their location. We must be clear, we are not talking of economic migrants who are only interested in manning mission stations in London, Tokyo and Amsterdam. Every genuine missionary must be ready to go, even if it is to work among the unknown tribes of the earth; live among them, learn their language and reach out to them. Others have done similar work and great is their reward in heaven.
Those of us sending, must ensure that our support is consistent and generous, so that these missionaries can adequately meet the needs and challenges confronting them in the field. Periodically, the missionaries should return to their home base and give accurate progress reports. The home base requires this report to appraise the needs of the work and appropriately give to meeting those needs.
Daily Living Application
While certain tasks may be reserved for some people in the church, the task of spreading the gospel is not reserved for any special group. It is a task given to the body of Christ in which the educated and uneducated can participate. The mission ground abound in our homes, schools, offices, and market places. Depending on where you belong and what you do, you are uniquely positioned to reach a group of individuals for the Kingdom. Take advantage of your placement and do the work of an evangelist. Furthermore, we must give account to the Master what we did with the task He committed to us. When we see all that is happening around the world, it is obvious to the discerning believer that the Lord is coming soon. Let us labor in the harvest, so that we do not meet Him with empty hands. There are benefits in spreading the message of the gospel. These include peace for the believer who has obeyed the Lord’s injunction; joy in seeing souls saved, the kingdom of the devil being depopulated/pulled down, and the privilege of having one’s name written in heaven by the Lord (Luke 10:17-20).
Memory verse: 2 Timothy 4:2
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine”
Daily Devotional Guide
Monday: The great Commission
Matthew 28: 18-20, Mark 16:15-18
Tuesday: The Gospel message
Romans 3:23, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4
Wednesday: The Gospel message
Romans 5:1, Colossians 1:20, John 1:12
Thursday: Wrestle in prayer
Ephesians 6:10-19
Friday: Missionary Outreach
Acts 13:1-5
Saturday: Benefits in spreading the gospel message
Luke 10:17-20