We Are Not Doing Right
When Silence Is Not an Option: The Urgent Call to Share the Good News
Have you ever discovered something so incredible that you couldn't keep it to yourself? Maybe it was a hidden restaurant with amazing food, a life-changing book, or a secret sale. Now imagine if what you discovered could literally save someone's life. Would you stay silent?The Desperate Situation We Often Miss
People's lives are desperate. Some know it, many don't. When I look at the world around us, I'm reminded of the besieged city of Samaria in 2 Kings 6-7. The people were in such desperate straits that they were paying exorbitant prices for donkey heads and dove dung. Things got so bad that some resorted to cannibalism. Their situation was hopeless. In a spiritual sense, our world isn't much different. People are living in desperate situations – some are aware of their need, while others have no idea they're in danger. "Those who do not believe are condemned already," as Jesus tells us in John 3:18. Sin is causing havoc in our world, destroying people's lives and their eternal futures. There are people who, if they don't put their trust in Christ, will die and go to hell. People are lost. People are lost. People are lost.God's Abundant Provision
In 2 Kings 7, we see how God miraculously provided for the starving city. He caused the Syrian army to hear the sound of chariots and horses, making them flee in panic and leave behind all their provisions. What had been scarce suddenly became abundant. Similarly, God has provided salvation for us through Jesus Christ. We are "gorged on the gospel" – the good news that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. Most of us have multiple Bibles, access to countless sermons online, and more spiritual resources than we could ever consume. But here's the convicting question: How many of us keep this abundance to ourselves?Our Unavoidable Obligation
The four lepers in our story discovered the abandoned Syrian camp with all its food and treasure. After initially feasting and hiding some valuables for themselves, they had a moment of realization: "We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace... if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household" (2 Kings 7:9). They recognized that keeping the good news to themselves was wrong when people were starving just a short distance away. This hits close to home for me. I know the gospel. I believe the gospel. But do I consistently speak the gospel? As one missionary serving in remote villages once said after discussing Jesus' second coming: "I am excited that Jesus is coming back a second time and that we get to know about his second coming. But there are people where I live who have never heard about Jesus' first coming." To whom much is given, much is required. Today is a day of good tidings. And if we hold our peace, we're not doing right.Putting It Into Practice
How can we respond to this urgent call to share the good news?- Pray for laborers: Jesus instructed us in Matthew 9:38, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest."
- Say "Here am I": We should also pray, "Here am I. Send me." There's not some selective group of people that get sent while the rest of us sit around and gorge at the table. We're all sent somewhere.
- Go where we can: You're already in a neighborhood, a school, a workplace. You rub shoulders with people daily who need to hear about Jesus.
- Fund those who go where we cannot: We can't all go everywhere, but we can support those who go to places we cannot reach.
- Speak the gospel: Who are you actively, intentionally praying for and trying to tell about the gospel? Who in your life are you speaking to? Who are you trying to reach for Christ?
Topics: Evangelism