December 22, 2023 • 8 mins
Episode Title: Christmas Calls Us to Share the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20)
Key Points:
- Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, the fulfillment of God's promise and the dawn of a new era for humanity.
- The Great Commission, given by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20, calls all believers to share the gospel with all nations.
- The Bible provides numerous examples of individuals who embraced the Great Commission and the life-changing power of sharing the gospel.
- Sharing the gospel can be daunting, but it doesn't require eloquence or theological knowledge. Sharing our own stories, inviting others to church, and simply living a life that reflects Christ's love are powerful ways to share the gospel.
- The Christmas season presents unique opportunities to share the gospel through Christmas programs, sharing resources, and living a life that embodies Christ's character.
Call to Action:
- Commit to sharing the gospel in a specific way during the Christmas season.
- Share your story with others.
- Pray for God's grace and opportunities to share the gospel.
- Connect with the Walking in His Word community online to share your experiences and continue walking in his word with others.
Links:
Join us on this faith-filled journey, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram and visit our website for more inspiration and resources:
🌐 [Website] www.walkinginhisword.com
📷 [Instagram] https://www.instagram.com/walkinginhiswordpodcast
📷 [Facebook] https://www.facebook.com/walkinginhiswordpodcast
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Greetings, friends.
Welcome back to Walking In His Word.
I'm your host Jason Gohl
and I'm so grateful you've joined me.
As we dive into the depths of Scripture,
discovering his timeless wisdom
and applying his teaching
to our daily lives.
Over the next week,
we'll embark on a special journey
leading up to Christmas Day.
Before we begin today's episode,
I'd like to invite you to subscribe
to the podcast
wherever you listen and share
the joy with family and friends.
(00:23):
You can also join our online community
at Walking in his workshop.
So sit back and relax
as we dive into the special
meaning of Christmas.
And let's keep walking
in his word together.
Today,
we will continue in our Christmas series
and reflect
upon the ultimate purpose of the season,
and that is sharing the gospel.
The birth of Jesus
wasn't just a historical event,
it was the fulfillment of God's promise
(00:45):
and the dawn of a new era for humanity.
So let's explore the call to share
this good news with the world
through the words
of Jesus Himself
in Matthew 28 versus 19 through 20.
Therefore, go
and make disciples of all nations
baptizing them
in the name of the Father,
the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you,
and surely I am with
(01:06):
you always to the very end of the age.
In this passage,
Jesus gives his disciples
what is commonly known
as the Great Commission.
It's a powerful mandate
to spread the message
of salvation to all nations.
This commission wasn't
limited to a select few.
In fact, it's a call for every believer.
We are all called to be ambassadors
for Christ
(01:26):
and share
the good news about His love, forgiveness
and eternal hope.
Throughout the Bible,
we see examples of individuals
who embraced the Great Commission.
The Apostle Paul dedicated his life
to traveling and preaching the gospel
to new communities.
The early church in Jerusalem
played a key role in spreading the Gospel
throughout the Roman Empire.
Another perfect
(01:47):
example of someone who share the gospel
is someone by the name of Philip,
commonly called Philip
the Evangelist in Acts Chapter
eight versus 22 six through 40.
We won't read them all,
but I encourage you to take some time
after and read this encounter
as Philip finds a man from Ethiopia
reading from the Book of Isaiah,
and Philip runs to him, heard him reading
(02:07):
from the Prophet Isaiah and said,
Do you understand what you're reading?
And the man replied, How can I
unless someone guides me?
And this is a perfect opportunity
to share the gospel,
he says, I want to understand,
but I need someone to guide me.
And that's
what evangelism is,
is sharing that gospel
and guiding that person
to a relationship with Christ.
(02:28):
I love this example here.
It's one
I reference a lot, but how can I,
unless someone guides me,
the world needs us to share the gospel
with them to help guide people to Christ.
We have many other examples
in the New Testament
from acts where Paul and Silas
share the Gospel wherever they go.
Paul shares
the Gospel in Athens,
(02:49):
and there's also some examples of the
the life changing power that comes
when we share the gospel. John.
John 316 Probably the most famous verse
for God so loved the world
that he gave his only son.
And here's the transformation
that whoever believes in him
shall not perish, but have eternal life.
That's the life change We
(03:10):
those who believe in Jesus, those who are
who who believe on Him will not perish,
but have everlasting life.
Romans 116 I am not ashamed of the gospel
because it is the power of God
for the salvation
of everyone who believes
I am not ashamed
because the power of God comes
when I share.
(03:30):
So the transformative,
the life changing power
of sharing the gospel comes through
the life of Jesus Christ
in Him, His life.
And that life is the light
of all mankind.
And we're encouraged many times
in Scripture to share the gospel.
Mark 16, 15
through 16 go into all the world,
preach the gospel to all creation.
(03:52):
Whoever believes
and is baptized will be saved.
And whoever does not
believe will be kidnaped.
Acts one Chapter eight
says the same things
as we will receive the power
when the Holy Spirit comes
that we can be witnesses in
in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria,
and to all the ends of the earth.
So the mandate is clear.
It's not just a specific person, it's
not just a specific people group,
(04:13):
but it's all creation.
All nations, all towns, all people groups
need to hear the gospel.
And that's what we do as believers.
We share the gospel with others.
And these are just a few examples.
And you could look throughout Scripture
and find many,
many others
that encourage us to share the gospel
that demonstrate the power.
(04:34):
When we do
share the gospel
and the life change even in ourselves,
when we share the Gospel.
Now, I know sharing
the gospel can seem daunting
and intimidating,
especially in today's world of diverse
beliefs and perspectives,
especially if you're not comfortable
sharing or talking with other people.
However,
the message of Jesus is love
and sacrifice Transcend
(04:55):
its cultural barriers
and speaks to the universal human
longing for meaning and purpose.
We don't have to be an eloquent preacher
or a theologian to shoot the gospel.
You can simply share
our own personal testimonies,
invite others to church.
We can even just share
our simple story or offer
just to pray for somebody.
Even the smallest act of sharing
can plant a seed of faith
(05:15):
and have a lasting impact
on someone's life.
A friend of mine
who's who's an evangelist, he
he will actually take
a little tracks with him
wherever he goes.
And if he's in line at McDonald's
or he's in line at the store
or waiting at the beach or whatever,
he'll hand,
he'll just hand things out to people
or just leave him on a
on a bench somewhere
and people can come and grab them.
(05:36):
I went into an airport one time
and I was taking
the tube from one terminal to another
and somebody had left
a stack and I was like,
that's a good idea.
Just as a
as a way of you don't have to even talk.
You can just leave it there and trust
that God will plant those seeds.
Now, there are definitely anxieties
that go along with this,
and it can be intimidating
to talk to people.
(05:57):
But, you know, God can give grace.
And when the right opportunity
comes to mainly about us
being willing to say, Yes, Lord,
I'm willing to be uncomfortable
all for the sake of the gospel
and pray for grace and say,
Would you help me to
to and bring opportunities along?
Because when you do share
and you do
lead someone to Christ,
there's such a joy
(06:18):
and such a fulfillment that comes
and you almost
it feeds it
to where you want to do it again.
So here are some practical ways
you can incorporate sharing the gospel.
We will address some of the anxieties.
There are valid reasons
to be anxious about sharing the gospel.
I think there's there's opportunities
here for us
to pray for,
opportunities to share your faith
(06:38):
with others, member
to be open
and authentic about your own
beliefs and experiences.
Invite friends and family
and acquaintances
to church or Bible studies.
This is a great time of year
because there's usually
a Christmas program
or some sort of celebration
with the meal.
It's a little it's low
pressure, low maintenance.
You can just come enjoy the program.
There's usually a gospel message
and then a meal,
(06:59):
and then people can come in
without the intimidation of coming
to like a formal Sunday service
or anything like that.
So there's great opportunities,
share resources
or articles or online with a person.
The Christmas story
is so prevalent throughout
this month of December.
There's many, many opportunities,
and mainly the most important thing
is to live a life that reflects the love
(07:21):
and teachings of Jesus.
My pastor
used to say when I was a kid,
we are the only Bible
that some people will ever, ever read.
Our lives are the example.
Our lives should lead people to Christ.
And when we live the right way,
people will see that
something is different
and they'll naturally be drawn
to wanted to know what is going on.
So as we close,
I want to encourage you to commit
(07:41):
to sharing the gospel at a specific way
during the Christmas season.
Don't just listen to this and say,
Yeah, Jason, that's a great idea.
But commit, make a commitment.
Say, Lord,
I want to share the gospel to someone
in a specific way
during this Christmas season.
Share your story with others.
So as we celebrate
the birth of Christ,
let's remember the true
meaning of Christmas
(08:02):
is the gift
of salvation offered to all mankind
by him, and embrace that great commission
with enthusiasm
and dedicate ourselves
to sharing the light of Christ
with the world.
Because remember, Jesus is with us always
guiding and empowering us in this missing
mission.
So ask for grace,
ask for opportunities
(08:22):
and then act when that opportunity comes.
God bless you.
Thank you for joining us.
I'm walking in his word
as we celebrate the holidays together,
we have lessons
learned and stories shared
inspire you
to spread joy, peace
and love throughout this holiday
season and and beyond.
Remember, the spirit of giving
doesn't have to end with the holidays.
You can connect with us
online and walk walking in his word
(08:43):
that com to share your experiences
and to continue to walk in his word
with others.
So until next time, may God bless you
and fill your holidays
with happiness and love and
keep walking in his word.
Greetings, friends.
Welcome back to Walking In His Word.
I'm your host Jason Gohl
and I'm so grateful you've joined me.
As we dive into the depths of Scripture,
discovering his timeless wisdom
and applying his teaching
to our daily lives.
Over the next week,
we'll embark on a special journey
leading up to Christmas Day.
Before we begin today's episode,
I'd like to invite you to subscribe
to the podcast
wherever you listen and share
the joy with family and friends.
(00:23):
You can also join our online community
at Walking in his workshop.
So sit back and relax
as we dive into the special
meaning of Christmas.
And let's keep walking
in his word together.
Today,
we will continue in our Christmas series
and reflect
upon the ultimate purpose of the season,
and that is sharing the gospel.
The birth of Jesus
wasn't just a historical event,
it was the fulfillment of God's promise
(00:45):
and the dawn of a new era for humanity.
So let's explore the call to share
this good news with the world
through the words
of Jesus Himself
in Matthew 28 versus 19 through 20.
Therefore, go
and make disciples of all nations
baptizing them
in the name of the Father,
the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you,
and surely I am with
(01:06):
you always to the very end of the age.
In this passage,
Jesus gives his disciples
what is commonly known
as the Great Commission.
It's a powerful mandate
to spread the message
of salvation to all nations.
This commission wasn't
limited to a select few.
In fact, it's a call for every believer.
We are all called to be ambassadors
for Christ
(01:26):
and share
the good news about His love, forgiveness
and eternal hope.
Throughout the Bible,
we see examples of individuals
who embraced the Great Commission.
The Apostle Paul dedicated his life
to traveling and preaching the gospel
to new communities.
The early church in Jerusalem
played a key role in spreading the Gospel
throughout the Roman Empire.
Another perfect
(01:47):
example of someone who share the gospel
is someone by the name of Philip,
commonly called Philip
the Evangelist in Acts Chapter
eight versus 22 six through 40.
We won't read them all,
but I encourage you to take some time
after and read this encounter
as Philip finds a man from Ethiopia
reading from the Book of Isaiah,
and Philip runs to him, heard him reading
(02:07):
from the Prophet Isaiah and said,
Do you understand what you're reading?
And the man replied, How can I
unless someone guides me?
And this is a perfect opportunity
to share the gospel,
he says, I want to understand,
but I need someone to guide me.
And that's
what evangelism is,
is sharing that gospel
and guiding that person
to a relationship with Christ.
(02:28):
I love this example here.
It's one
I reference a lot, but how can I,
unless someone guides me,
the world needs us to share the gospel
with them to help guide people to Christ.
We have many other examples
in the New Testament
from acts where Paul and Silas
share the Gospel wherever they go.
Paul shares
the Gospel in Athens,
(02:49):
and there's also some examples of the
the life changing power that comes
when we share the gospel. John.
John 316 Probably the most famous verse
for God so loved the world
that he gave his only son.
And here's the transformation
that whoever believes in him
shall not perish, but have eternal life.
That's the life change We
(03:10):
those who believe in Jesus, those who are
who who believe on Him will not perish,
but have everlasting life.
Romans 116 I am not ashamed of the gospel
because it is the power of God
for the salvation
of everyone who believes
I am not ashamed
because the power of God comes
when I share.
(03:30):
So the transformative,
the life changing power
of sharing the gospel comes through
the life of Jesus Christ
in Him, His life.
And that life is the light
of all mankind.
And we're encouraged many times
in Scripture to share the gospel.
Mark 16, 15
through 16 go into all the world,
preach the gospel to all creation.
(03:52):
Whoever believes
and is baptized will be saved.
And whoever does not
believe will be kidnaped.
Acts one Chapter eight
says the same things
as we will receive the power
when the Holy Spirit comes
that we can be witnesses in
in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria,
and to all the ends of the earth.
So the mandate is clear.
It's not just a specific person, it's
not just a specific people group,
(04:13):
but it's all creation.
All nations, all towns, all people groups
need to hear the gospel.
And that's what we do as believers.
We share the gospel with others.
And these are just a few examples.
And you could look throughout Scripture
and find many,
many others
that encourage us to share the gospel
that demonstrate the power.
(04:34):
When we do
share the gospel
and the life change even in ourselves,
when we share the Gospel.
Now, I know sharing
the gospel can seem daunting
and intimidating,
especially in today's world of diverse
beliefs and perspectives,
especially if you're not comfortable
sharing or talking with other people.
However,
the message of Jesus is love
and sacrifice Transcend
(04:55):
its cultural barriers
and speaks to the universal human
longing for meaning and purpose.
We don't have to be an eloquent preacher
or a theologian to shoot the gospel.
You can simply share
our own personal testimonies,
invite others to church.
We can even just share
our simple story or offer
just to pray for somebody.
Even the smallest act of sharing
can plant a seed of faith
(05:15):
and have a lasting impact
on someone's life.
A friend of mine
who's who's an evangelist, he
he will actually take
a little tracks with him
wherever he goes.
And if he's in line at McDonald's
or he's in line at the store
or waiting at the beach or whatever,
he'll hand,
he'll just hand things out to people
or just leave him on a
on a bench somewhere
and people can come and grab them.
(05:36):
I went into an airport one time
and I was taking
the tube from one terminal to another
and somebody had left
a stack and I was like,
that's a good idea.
Just as a
as a way of you don't have to even talk.
You can just leave it there and trust
that God will plant those seeds.
Now, there are definitely anxieties
that go along with this,
and it can be intimidating
to talk to people.
(05:57):
But, you know, God can give grace.
And when the right opportunity
comes to mainly about us
being willing to say, Yes, Lord,
I'm willing to be uncomfortable
all for the sake of the gospel
and pray for grace and say,
Would you help me to
to and bring opportunities along?
Because when you do share
and you do
lead someone to Christ,
there's such a joy
(06:18):
and such a fulfillment that comes
and you almost
it feeds it
to where you want to do it again.
So here are some practical ways
you can incorporate sharing the gospel.
We will address some of the anxieties.
There are valid reasons
to be anxious about sharing the gospel.
I think there's there's opportunities
here for us
to pray for,
opportunities to share your faith
(06:38):
with others, member
to be open
and authentic about your own
beliefs and experiences.
Invite friends and family
and acquaintances
to church or Bible studies.
This is a great time of year
because there's usually
a Christmas program
or some sort of celebration
with the meal.
It's a little it's low
pressure, low maintenance.
You can just come enjoy the program.
There's usually a gospel message
and then a meal,
(06:59):
and then people can come in
without the intimidation of coming
to like a formal Sunday service
or anything like that.
So there's great opportunities,
share resources
or articles or online with a person.
The Christmas story
is so prevalent throughout
this month of December.
There's many, many opportunities,
and mainly the most important thing
is to live a life that reflects the love
(07:21):
and teachings of Jesus.
My pastor
used to say when I was a kid,
we are the only Bible
that some people will ever, ever read.
Our lives are the example.
Our lives should lead people to Christ.
And when we live the right way,
people will see that
something is different
and they'll naturally be drawn
to wanted to know what is going on.
So as we close,
I want to encourage you to commit
(07:41):
to sharing the gospel at a specific way
during the Christmas season.
Don't just listen to this and say,
Yeah, Jason, that's a great idea.
But commit, make a commitment.
Say, Lord,
I want to share the gospel to someone
in a specific way
during this Christmas season.
Share your story with others.
So as we celebrate
the birth of Christ,
let's remember the true
meaning of Christmas
(08:02):
is the gift
of salvation offered to all mankind
by him, and embrace that great commission
with enthusiasm
and dedicate ourselves
to sharing the light of Christ
with the world.
Because remember, Jesus is with us always
guiding and empowering us in this missing
mission.
So ask for grace,
ask for opportunities
(08:22):
and then act when that opportunity comes.
God bless you.
Thank you for joining us.
I'm walking in his word
as we celebrate the holidays together,
we have lessons
learned and stories shared
inspire you
to spread joy, peace
and love throughout this holiday
season and and beyond.
Remember, the spirit of giving
doesn't have to end with the holidays.
You can connect with us
online and walk walking in his word
(08:43):
that com to share your experiences
and to continue to walk in his word
with others.
So until next time, may God bless you
and fill your holidays
with happiness and love and
keep walking in his word.
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