Do you remember the day you obeyed the Gospel? What JOY, What THANKFULNESS, What PEACE, as the first apostles went from feelings of despair and loss at the death of Jesus to the Joy of realizing his presence after His resurrection. He appeared to them many times, and then His final words, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 NKJV). Luke records His telling them to “be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
With what Joy, Peter preached the gospel in Acts 2, and with what Joy, individuals obeyed the Gospel in Acts 2:41. It is no wonder we see them taking that message everywhere in spite of persecution. One brother, when approaching the work with a new congregation, was asked by a member concerned with the growth of the church. He responded by saying the solution is that when Christ means to us what He meant to the early Christians, we will then see the growth as in the days of the New Testament. WHAT DOES CHRIST MEAN TO YOU? ARE YOU SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH JOY?
I rejoiced to recently hear a young preacher on this topic, and his message was the need to have JOY, URGENCY, AND RESILIENCE in reacting to Matt. 28:18-20. As we look around us, do we not see an urgency? How many people you know are in sorrow and suffering because they do not know the POWER of Jesus in their life, the Joy, Peace, and Hope of walking with Him, knowing the will of God, and doing it. The point of Resilience is worth meditating on as we see it in the apostles and early Christians (Matt 10:11-20; Mark 16:15-20; 2 Corinthians 4).
What efforts are you making? How is God using you? You might not feel you can teach someone personally, but you can invite them to Bible Class and worship with you! (If they come, will you be there?) You can invite others into your home for fellowship to get to know them better. Maybe start a neighborhood Bible Class or Ladies’ Class and invite non-members. You can hand out tracts or the BIBLE CALL leaflet everywhere you go. A new idea is to send an email with the Bible Call leaflet attached and an audio of a significant lesson that has blessed you. (If you want help with this, leave us a message at the end of a Bible call lesson with your contact information, and we will help you with that.) Other means of spreading the word are a card ministry or contacting individuals in your community who have had a loss in their family. You can send a letter of sympathy, a Bible Call leaflet, and or a helpful booklet. Why not share your ideas with us as we make 2024 a year to focus on evangelism, as well as how the Gospel is a reality to help us every day with mental health workshops and marriage enrichment sessions? Also, brethren have booths at fairs and other public events. Why not share your efforts and let us know if you want any Bible Call materials for your event? LET US PROVOKE ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE AND GOOD WORKS! David Epler
Bible Call 