“And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.”
- Luke 8:15
There is no better day than today to learn the Gospel, to share the Gospel, and to live the Gospel. There is no better day than today because there is a better time to do so than the present. Every moment spent dwelling on not having done it in the past is a moment passing up the present to experience the dynamic life available in the Gospel to those who believe in it. If we say we will keep it in the future, then we will never get to it because there will always be more “urgent” matters that distract us from the nearness of the Gospel.
Jesus tried so hard to instill this in His disciples and taught the very principle publicly at numerous points. The above verse is just one case, where the good seed represents those who have received the Gospel, believe its message, follow Christ, and continue to do Christ’s work on earth. Immediately following this verse is more illustrations about the Gospel and its spreading effect. If you want a whole book on the reproducing effect in some concrete ways, then just read the book of Acts.
The Disciples:
Last week we looked into the Disciples call to Follow Christ, where they left everything behind to pick up the life Christ had for them. This week, we take a look at that life and some of the work that it calls them to do. The Gospel of Jesus is to have a reproducing effect among the Disciples. The message and call are for more than only 12 guys in Palestine.
Jesus’ message was simple but with worldview shattering consequences:
“’The time promised by God has come at last!’ he announced. ‘The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!’”
- Mark 1:15
Jesus literally is saying the time is now to respond to the Gospel, it is a Gospel promised by God long ago and is now here, and we did nothing to bring it about. Instead, God brought His Kingdom near by Christ, it is a reality of peace and goodness found only in Christ. A whole reality based on grace for God’s chosen community, who have responded to His message and been the good seed, who repent and believe and now are charged to reproduce.
Jesus charged His disciples to reproduce, any who chose to follow, were charged to reproduce through the proclamation of the message. They are the ones charged to patiently produce a huge harvest. The grace they have received is not the grace they are to give and live. Reproducing is all about others, which meant the disciples had to get past a lot of their views that made this grace about purely themselves.
The time is Now:
We have the same call of the Gospel on our lives, to repent, believe, and reproduce. Yet often we entirely miss this concept of reproducing. We might call it evangelism, witnessing, or professing, but too often we leave it for those who have a special calling or skill to do so. But by doing so we miss out on opportunities to challenge ourselves and grow toward Christlikeness, as well as the invaluable opportunity to be a vessel of grace to someone else.
The time is now for us to rise on beautiful feet and spread the Gospel with grace and patience as we represent Christ to the world around us. How could simply believe for the sake of our salvation and then deprive others around us of that same treasure that is stored up in Heaven?
Take a look around in America. Everyone, even some self-professed Christians are in desperate need of a Savior and the Savior’s Good News. People on all sides of this messed up political environment are trying to find hope and happiness in numbers and fallen politicians. The Gospel we have extends far beyond these temporary hopes, promises, and policies of our government, even as essential as their work is, it has its limits. Their mission is America, our Mission is the Gospel to the world.
How else can I possibly communicate the urgency of being bearers of Good News, to reproduce the Grace we freely received and now freely extend? Only the Father knows how much time we have left to be Gospel bearers. Why waste time on causes that do not extend and carry forth the Gospel. Of course, continue the work you do but as you do it, how can you Gospel it? We possess the football of Reconciliation and no one we can pass it off to, are we going to make a life-saving play, a life-changing play?
To clarify, I am not saying drop everything you do in life to solely become a street evangelist. Instead, examine the people in your circles of life, do they need the Gospel? YES, everyone, even lifelong Christians still need the Gospel to find strength through the Holy Spirit to live in and out of that Grace of Jesus Christ. How can you Reconcile a relationship today? How can you encourage someone today? How can you give Hope today? How can you invest in someone today? How will you reproduce the followers of Jesus today? Of course, we cannot force people to repent and believe, but that is why we must seek this every day, patiently, and graciously, for when the time is ripe for a harvest.
Final Blessing:
There is a great harvest that awaits us, but it will dwindle if we sit by and do nothing. God’s chosen people are the bearers of the Gospel, and He chooses to work through the Church to reconcile the people of this fallen world to Him. Let us not get distracted, judgmental, or argumentative but simply and graciously take up our crosses and proclaim the Gospel today.
Now may the Lord of Life and Redemption be with you in every step, every breath, and every heartbeat of your journey.
Comments