On Sunday, at my church’s morning worship service, Pastor Alan Ramsey delivered a message called, “Rediscovering our call to go” where he discusses some reasons why older Christians are reluctant to share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. All through the service I thought of the verse, The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30). I have always found that verse interesting for several reasons but during yesterday’s message, I began it see this verse in a very different light. As I began drafting this devotional, I began thinking of all the people I came across in 2013 and asking myself a simple question: of all those that I met last year, which ones am I content to allow never to hear the gospel message – which people am I content to watch slide into a Christ-less eternity into Hell?
A few years back, I visited a church where the pastor was trying to encourage his congregation to witness to others. He told them not to worry about those outside their comfort zone, but to focus on presenting the gospel to those who they felt most comfortable with. Unfortunately this is not only unscriptural, this is also very bad advice for several other reasons. When Jesus gave the command to go, the book of Matthew records it as Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19). No where in this verse does it say to stay within one’s comfort group. In fact, this verse says just the opposite – to teach all nations – not just the ones we have the most in common with. This idea is also present in the gospel of Mark where the Great Commission is also recorded: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). At the time of the writing of the gospels, the concept of a nation-state is not what it is today; a nation referred to what we would now consider as ethnic identity – so, we are to go and teach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to all people, regardless of their ethnic identity – a far cry from just witnessing within our comfort zone!
The fourth chapter of John has one of my favorite Bible stories. It is the woman at the well that, after admitting her sins, accepts the gift of salvation – the Living Water – Jesus offered her. Without any sort of Bible college training or even a Saturday soul winning seminar, she did what comes natural to anyone that has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior: The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him (John 4:28-30). She wanted others to experience the saving grace of salvation that only the Lord Jesus Christ can bring. Without any thought of being embarrassed about what others would say or being rebuked by her family and friends, she simply went out and told others. As Jesus’ disciples questioned him for even speaking to the woman, he gave them a strong rebuke: Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together (John 4:35-36).
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