Bro. Ricky's Blog

You Have Been Given a Privilege

We started in 1 Peter 2:9, and I want you to sit with these words for a moment:

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."

Did you catch that? Because we have received God's mercy — because He called us out of darkness — we have been given the privilege of proclaiming His praises. This isn't a burden laid on a few professionals. It's a gift entrusted to every single believer.

My prayer for our church is this: that people would say about us, "Them folks will tell you about Jesus." What greater thing could be said?

Evangelism Is a Command — and a Discipline

Like Bible intake, worship, and prayer, evangelism is a spiritual discipline. And like any discipline, it doesn't happen by accident. Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7 that we are to "exercise yourself toward godliness." That word exercise is an imperative — a command, not a suggestion. We must discipline ourselves toward godliness, and that includes sharing the gospel.

Jesus was clear in Matthew 28:18-19:

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

And again in Mark 16:15:

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Some people say, "Pastor, that's your job." I understand the sentiment, but the apostles never set foot in America. The gospel reached this continent because ordinary laypeople carried it. It has always been the responsibility of everyday believers to share the good news.

You Are Not Going Alone

Here's where I want to encourage you, because I know evangelism feels intimidating. Acts 1:8 promises:

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

You are not being sent out in your own strength. The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to speak, and He empowers the gospel in the heart of the hearer. Romans 1:16 reminds us that the gospel itself "is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes."

I've seen this firsthand. I've been in a living room on my knees sharing the gospel, and watched God take the blinders off someone's eyes right in front of me. There is nothing greater. Nothing.

Why We Don't — and What We Can Do About It

So why don't we share the gospel more often? Honestly, I think it comes down to a few things: the weight of the moment, fear of discomfort, or simply — we haven't disciplined ourselves to do it.

The reason I don't run marathons isn't a mystery. I haven't trained for it. The same is true here. We don't share the gospel because we haven't made it a discipline.

So let me offer something practical. Develop a method. It doesn't have to be complicated. Here's a simple starting point — ask someone: "In your personal opinion, what does it take for a person to go to heaven?" That one question opens more doors than you'd expect. From there, you can share what the Bible says:

• God created everything, including us — and we are accountable to Him (Psalm 24:1, Acts 17:24)
• We are all sinners — "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)
• The consequence of sin is death and separation from God — "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)
• But God loves us — "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
• He commands all people to repent (Acts 17:30)
• And whoever calls on His name will be saved — "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9)

Then pray for opportunity. Watch for it. And when God opens the door — walk through it.

There Is Nothing More Eternal

I'll close with this. Of everything we do in this life, nothing lasts eternally outside of evangelism. Not our hobbies, not our careers, not even most of our church activities. But when a person hears the gospel and gives their life to Christ — that is forever.

If you've never accepted Christ as your Savior, I want you to know that Romans 10:13 says: "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." That invitation is open to you right now.

And if you're a believer who's been sitting on the sidelines of this discipline — let's change that together. Write down the names of lost people in your family and workplace. Begin to pray for them. Ask God for the opportunity. He will give it.

He's called us to this. He's equipped us for this. Let's be a church that tells people about Jesus.

— Bro. Ricky

Want to go deeper? Watch the full message on our Bethel YouTube Channel in this link.

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