A Message Worth Sharing

Introduction:

In February 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia and the crew on board were preparing to make a return flight home from their month long mission. Unfortunately the crew never made it back safely. Upon re-entry into the earth’s orbit Space Shuttle Columbia exploded killing all 7 crew members on board. Upon investigation of what caused the explosion, two conclusions were made; technological error and human error. During the launch of Columbia a piece of foam broke off and hit the space shuttle’s left wing. The entire crew could have been saved, if proper communication was given to the crew about the wing so they could asses the damage. As one person stated, “If someone had the courage to share the message, lives would have been saved.”

I start with this story regarding Columbia because I believe it is time for us as the Church to stop being afraid to share the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. We live in a culture today that wants to “cancel” things that are not for their agenda by using fear and intimidation. By using these tatics, the hope is that people will stay silent and conform to the patterns of this world. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can’t afford to stay silent. Lives are at stake, not just for hear on earth, but for all of eternity. The Gospel Message of Jesus Christ is worth sharing and tonight we are going to look at why.

Luke 4:16–19 MEV

He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. And He stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. When He had unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

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5 Reasons Why The Gospel is Worth Sharing:

1.) The Gospel Message Provides Love:

“Jesus came to preach the gospel to the poor in spirit. We too are called to preach the gospel to those poor in spirit.”

Poor Spirit:

Unhappy

Not Wanted

Unloved

Helpless

Downcast

(Personal Story: This was me)

Jesus came out of love for us.

John 3:16 MEV

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Jesus is shouting out of joy, HEY I LOVE YOU AND I DESIRE YOU!

2.) The Gospel Message Heals The Broken Heart:

Broken-Hearted: shatter; smash; crush; to shatter; to be broken; to mistreat; to crush; to break in pieces.

Heal: to repair or rebuild.

(Personal Story: Losing Leah)

“You have classmates who have hearts that are completely shared who are relying on worldly things to repair their brokeness.”

3.) The Gospel Message Frees Individuals From The Prison of Sin:

Captive: Prisoner

(Movie Unbroken)

You and your classmates no longer need to be held captive as a prisioner to your sins but can live as freemen in Christ!

Romans 6:5–7 MEV

For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, so shall we also be united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we should no longer be slaves to sin. For the one who has died is freed from sin.

4.) The Gospel Message Gives People Sight:

Blind: Not able to understand

The Biggest Blindspot Today: Identity

Genesis 1:26–27 MEV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

People will try to define based on your hobbies, interests, and your personality.

(A Friend: In Drama being told he was gay. Me: Being A Crier)

5.) The Gospel Message Provides Forgiveness:

Opress: Means to be mistreat (whether it’s you being mistreated or you mistreating others)

Liberty: Means to be forgiven.

The Apostle Paul’s Testimony

“Your greatest enemy to the gospel message can be your biggest allie.”

Conclusion:

An old preacher was met one of his deacons, whose face wore a very resolute expression.

“I came early to meet you,” he said. “I have something on my conscience to say to you. Pastor, there must be something radically wrong in your preaching and work; there has been only one person added to the church in a whole year, and he is only a boy.”

The old minister listened. His eyes moistened, and his thin hand trembled on his broad-headed cane. “I feel it all,” he said; “I feel it, but God knows that I have tried to do my duty, and I can trust him for the results.”

“Yes, yes,” said the deacon, “but ‘By their fruits ye shall know them,’ and one new member, and he, too, only a boy, seems to me rather a slight evidence of true faith and zeal. I don’t want to be hard, but I have this matter on my conscience, and I have done but my duty in speaking plainly.”

“True,” said the old man; “but ‘Charity suffereth long and is kind. . . beareth all things,believeth all thins, hopeth all things.’ Ay, there you have it; ‘Hopeth all things’! I have great hopes of that one boy, Robert. Some seed that we sow bears fruit late, but that fruit is generally the most precious of all.”

The old minister went to the pulpit that day with a grieved and heavy heart. He closed his discourse with dim and tearful eyes. He wished that his work was done forever, and that he was at rest among the graves under the blossoming trees in the old churchyard. He lingered after the rest were gone. He wished to be alone. The place was inexpressibly dear to him. It had been his spiritual home from his youth. Before this altar he had prayed over the dead forms of a bygone generation, and had welcomed the children of a new generation; and here, yes, here, he had been told at last that his work was no longer owned and blessed!

No one remained—no one?—”Only a boy.” The boy was Robert Moffat. He watched the trembling old man. His soul was filled with loving sympathy. He went to him and waited for him to speak. “Well, Robert?” said the minister.

“Do you think if I were willing to work hard for an education, I could ever become a preacher?”

“A preacher?”

“Perhaps a missionary.”

There was a long pause. Tears filled the eyes of the old minister. At length he said: “This heals the ache in my heart, Robert. I see the divine hand now. May God bless you, my boy. Yes, I think you will become a preacher.”

Many years later there returned to London from Africa an aged missionary. His name was spoken with reverence. When he went into an assembly, the people rose. When he spoke in public, there was a deep silence. Nobles invited him to their homes. He had brought under the Gospel influence the most savage of African chiefs, and he had given the translated Bible to strange tribes. His name was Robert Moffat.

God does not promise that fruit will come immediately, but He does promise that His Word will not return void. When you are tempted to give up remember that God blesses faithfulness.

-You are not just “only a student”.

-Don’t Give Up On Your School, Families, Friends, Co-Workers, Teammates

-Don’t hide the Gospel Message out of fear, share it out of love.

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