The JOY of Sharing the Gospel

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:12

“Emmanuel. God with us. He who resided in Heaven, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, willingly descended into our world. He breathed our air, felt our pain, knew our sorrows, and died for our sins.” Chuck Swindoll

 

  • Find a quiet place to relax and meet with Jesus. Pray that He will guide you with His Word today.
  • Read the account of the shepherds in Luke 2:8-20. Close your eyes and picture being there. Have you ever seen an angel? I am sure it is AWE-some! Journal your reflections of this miraculous scene. Print “Go Tell It On The Mountain” and “Joy To The World” song lyrics for a time of worship.

The JOY of Sharing the Gospel

How wonderful and terrifying to see the sky open up and hundreds of angelic beings descend down from heaven singing in chorus! What do you think was going through the shepherds’ minds when the angels appeared? Let’s face it, shepherds back in the day were uneducated and considered lowly. The fact that angels talked to them in the fields at night is an absolutely beautiful picture of God drawing close to all people, giving privilege to all mankind, and using every day shepherds to tell the Good News!

What would you have done if you were given this news? The shepherds ran with it! They investigated and found the babe in the manager. They got the honor of witnessing Jesus’ arrival and then told everyone they met! Just like when we have good news—I am sure they shared the news with great joy! In fact, verse 16 says, they came “with haste,” and in verse 17, “and when they had seen Him, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child.”

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Go Tell It On The Mountain.” Take a few minutes to read over the lyrics. Don’t those words just make you want to go and shout the news from the mountain top? I am spurred on by this song. The great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) exhorts us to go and do just that!

As modern day disciples of Christ, this is an area of our faith that needs some spiritual exercise!

I was just sharing with friends how my mom used to take us street witnessing when we were kids. She had been in a church group called, “The God Squad,” and they would go out and minister to people in town. She would learn Bible verses such as Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

She would quote from memory and share Jesus like she was talking about her best friend. That rich experience at such a young age gave my brother and I confidence to share our faith openly. The familiarity gave me the boldness to talk about salvation with others. A dear friend commented on the great heritage I had growing up with an evangelistic mother.

Regretfully, I realize that I haven’t imparted this proficiency to my own children just yet. Where do we begin to convey this important mandate to our children? It’s easier than you think—it’s just like teaching our children about stranger-danger. We can role play how to share our faith through conversation. With repetition they will gain confidence. Nowhere in the Bible does it actually say you need to be a great teacher, preacher, or evangelist to share salvation with others. We just need to be intentional and do it! Just like Christ, who initiated a relationship with us, our passion will inspire us to witness sincerely.

I realize not all of us have the aptitude to be extroverted and just start talking about Jesus. Fear often seizes us or Satan makes us doubt our skill. Scripture reminds us to be bold and to not be afraid.

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For YAH, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: ‘Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.’” (Isaiah 12:2-4)

When the reality of heaven weighs on our hearts, we live differently. Fear loses its grip on us when we realize that Heaven is our real home. Read Isaiah 35:10:

“And those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

This puts into perspective what we are living for and what awaits us. I desire to share salvation enthusiastically and plan to be more purposeful to share the Good News.

Blessings and Love,

Rae-Ellen

Questions to Ponder

  • Do you remember the joy you had when you were first saved? Were you zealous? Did you dig into God’s Word to find out everything you could? Did you tell everyone about your new-found faith with great joy?

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8)

  • Or perhaps you lack the joy you once had? Psalm 51:12 says, that we can ask the Lord to “restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Faith-Filled Ideas

If you have yet to ask Jesus into your heart and to forgive you of your sins, we invite you to venture down the road of transformation. Read John 3 and humbly ask Jesus to live in your heart. Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Don’t be ashamed. Boldly share what Christ has done for you. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

Share the importance of evangelism with your children. Memorize Scripture and role play how to share your faith with others. Ask the Lord for wisdom and courage to share the joy Christ has given you.

Sing “Joy To The World” as you close out this time of study.

Go Tell It On The Mountain
– Unknown
While Shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.
The Shepherds feared and trembled
When lo above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Saviour’s birth
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.
Down in the lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation,
That blessed Christmas morn:
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.
When I am a seeker,
I seek both night and day;
I seek the Lord to help me,
And He shows me the way:
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Joy To The World
– Isaac Watts
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King:
Let every heart prepare him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and Heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground:
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of his love.

Rae-Ellen Sanders
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2 Comments on “The JOY of Sharing the Gospel”

  1. Yes!! I love your heart for sharing the Gospel Rae-Ellen!! And I LOVE how it began with your mom and “The God Squad.” You have a fantastic mama!

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