Always Be Prepared
3.2 Billion People
We live in a time when we have an unprecedented opportunity to pass on our faith not just to the next generation, but to the nations.
But if we’re going to do that, we have to prepare. And it all begins with this question:
WHY?
Why is it so important that I help in spreading the gospel?
Isn’t that what missionaries do? Isn’t that what preachers do? What role do I have to play in all this? And why does my decision to participate or not participate matter? What difference will my money make, will my efforts make, will my life make in all this?
And that’s an important question.
What we sometimes forget is that we have been invited into sharing the greatest story and into making an eternal difference in countless lives.
In fact, there are an estimated 3.2 billion people living on planet earth right now who have not yet been reached with the Good News of the Gospel.
The need is great, the opportunity is greater, and what hangs in the balance is still even greater.
That’s why, as followers of Jesus, as members of God’s church, we don’t have a program for missions, we have a calling to be on mission with God and for God in this world.
A Sense of Urgency
When Paul is finishing his final letter to Timothy he ends with these words.
2 Timothy 4.1-5
1 I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. (NLT+NIV)
Paul’s final words to Timothy come with a sense of urgency.
Paul knows and he believes the day is coming when Jesus will return. And Paul does not believe everyone will go to heaven. Paul does not believe that Heaven and Hell are temporary places. Paul does not believe there is a way to move from Hell to Heaven after judgement.
But Paul does believe that God’s love is so great that anyone who comes to God, who calls on the name of Jesus, can be SAVED. Paul does believe that anyone who is baptized into Christ is resurrected to new life, into this already/not yet eternal life.
Because this is what Paul believes, he lives with a sense of urgency! And he wants Timothy to have this same sense of urgency as well. Jesus IS returning. And when he comes, he will judge the living and the dead.
Because of this…
PREACH THE WORD!
Now some of you hear that and you think, but I’m not a preacher! And I get that. Not everyone wants to stand up and preach every week. And that’s ok.
We read the word preach and we automatically think preacher, but that word “preach” wasn’t intended to be limited to preaching on a stage once a week.
Literally, the word means to carry this good news as a herald, to declare, proclaim, publish, announce the good news that we have to share.
And the good news is that you can do this in your own way, in your own voice, you can share this good news with the people God has put within your circle of influence.
I think about Nancy Brown.
It didn’t matter who you were, if you saw Nancy you were going to see Jesus. You were going to hear about what the Lord had done for her.
I’ll never forget taking some friends over to her house, just a few of us, I wanted them to meet her and get to know her. And in the middle of her living room in the middle of the afternoon worship broke out. I can’t sing the song, 10,000 Reasons… “Bless the Lord O my soul…” without thinking of worshipping with Nancy in her living room that day.
Nancy wasn’t a preacher, but everyone she met met Jesus!
You can “preach” the word in your own voice, in your own way, with the people God has put in your circle of influence. You can share his love and his grace with others and point them to Jesus!
Paul urges Timothy: Preach the word! And then he says…
Be Prepared
Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
I don’t know if you’ve ever felt unprepared for anything…
I mean, is anyone really ever prepared to get married? Is anyone ever really prepared to have kids? But even then, we do everything within our power to be prepared for these important moments and decisions in life.
We prepare for the big test coming up, we prepare for the interview, we prepare for the presentation, we prepare to have people over to our house for dinner, we prepare for most things in life and we most certainly prepare for the most important things in life…
So why would, why should, any of us ever be unprepared to share the gospel?
We should always be preparing to share the good news about the great love of God revealed in Christ Jesus at the cross! Because the cross changes everything.
In the Here and Now
It not only changes things in the here and now…
In the here and now the cross reminds us that we are never alone, that we have a high priest who has suffered in every way just as we have, who is constantly interceding for us, who paid the price for our sin, healed us from the disease of our sin, it is by His wounds that we are healed.
Because of the cross we now know that we have nothing to fear because if God is for us who could ever be against us? Because of the cross we now know that death has been defeated, we fight our daily battles but the war has already been won!
Because of the cross we now know that we serve a great God with great name and a kind heart!
Forever
We should always be preparing to share the good news about the great love of God revealed in Christ Jesus at the cross! Because the cross changes everything. It not only changes things in the here and now, it changes things forever!
We have hope beyond the grave. We have hope of eternal life. We have the hope of Heaven. We have the hope of living in the day and time when Christ returns to make all things right and all things new.
There will be a new Heaven and a new Earth where God’s shalom, God’s peace, reigns supreme. Where everything will be the way it’s supposed to be.
No more cancer, no more disease, no more hurricanes, no more natural disasters!
No, in that place the light of the glory of God will fill every inch and flood every corner. There will be no darkness, no shadow, no worries, no stress, only light, life, joy and peace!
So everyday we are preparing to share this hope, this good news. When?
Be prepared to preach the word…whether the time is favorable or not.
It may seem like the best time, it may not seem like the best time, but every time is the right time to share the Good News about the Hope we have in Christ!
Fully Carry Out Your Ministry
And this is important because…
3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
Some of you are thinking… I think that time has come. I think that time is NOW. I think Paul was talking about 2023!
Paul knows the world Timothy is living in, not unlike our world today, is full of of people who reject the truth of the gospel, chase after myths, people who follow their own desires and will listen to only what they want to hear, so in light of that Paul tells Timothy…
5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
But if you’re going to do that…
You have to be prepared.
How do you prepare to share the gospel with those around you?
1 // PRAY.
When we pray we get to partner with God to make a difference in this world. We should be praying daily for the spread of the gospel, for hearts to soften to God’s grace, for people to come to know of His great love, for our opportunities to share His story.
Here’s the good news, when we pray for the spread of the GOSPEL, we’re praying for something God is already doing and already wanting to do more of in our world! We’re praying in complete alignment with God’s heart and God’s desire for the world!
2 // Get into GOD’S WORD.
We begin with prayer but we have to be prepared when God answers our prayer and gives us an opportunity to share! You may say, I don’t know enough about the Bible! Or I don’t know the scriptures well enough!
Here’s the good news, you don’t have to know it all, but you should be prepared to share what you know. Get into God’s word. Let scripture saturate your heart so that when the time is right you can share what God’s word says to help someone else in need.
3 // Leverage Every Opportunity to SHARE the STORY of what the Lord has done for you.
And last, we should always be looking to leverage every opportunity to not just share the word of God with others, but the stories of what God has done in our lives with others.
Prayer is powerful. Scripture, the Word of God is powerful and effective. Yes. You know what else is powerful? Your personal story, your testimony of what the Lord has done for you.
You may think, I don’t have a powerful story! But everybody has a story. God’s love changes everything, most of all, it changes us. I can tell you what the Lord has done for me. And you can share what the Lord has done for you as well.
Here’s what I want you to know today.
God works when we put in the work to prepare the way for people to come to know Jesus.
Prepare
So what do you need to do today to PREPARE?
Some of you need to prepare to give, to prayerfully consider what God wants you to financially give toward the mission efforts your church is actively involved in as we work together to spread the gospel.
Some of you need prepare your heart and mind with scripture.
Some of you need to prepare through prayer.
Some of you need to prepare your story, your testimony.
Whatever you need to do, this week… Take time to PREPARE.
Because we have an unprecedented opportunity to pass on our faith not just to the next generation, but to the NATIONS.
And the truth is, we never know what… or should I say WHO, hangs in the balance of our decision to participate in what God is doing in this world.
But the need is URGENT.
There are people all around the world and across the street who need the Good News we have to share.
May our preparation pave the way for God to work as we lift up Jesus in our world.
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