We are DIVINELY CALLED to Share Our Faith Together

Introduction

Paramount Spiritual Concern: The faithful stewardship of God's entrusted gospel and gifts to actively share our faith with others for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Central Proposition: As believers, we are divinely commissioned by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and entrusted as faithful stewards to collectively proclaim the gospel and share our faith with others, fulfilling our calling as a unified body.

“The greatest tragedy in the church today is not persecution from the outside, but silence from the inside.”

This past month, our nation was shaken by the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. Whatever you think of his politics, one thing is undeniable: Charlie was bold in sharing his faith. He didn’t hide his convictions, and he wasn’t ashamed of the gospel.

But here’s the question that struck me: why do we see Charlie as rare? Why aren’t there more believers living and speaking with that kind of courage?

1 Peter 2:9 KJV 1900

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

The truth is, Charlie wasn’t extraordinary in his calling—he was simply faithful to the same commission every one of us has received.

As followers of Christ, we are divinely called, empowered by the Spirit, and entrusted as stewards of the gospel - doing it TOGETHER

That’s the message I want to challenge us with today. This isn’t just about one man’s boldness; it’s about our shared responsibility as the people of God. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring this theme together, but this morning I want to focus on three truths that remind us why we must share our faith—together.

We are TO GO and MAKE Disciples, Empowered by God's Spirit

Note two key passages which give us Christ's commission.

Matthew 28:18–20 KJV 1900

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Acts 1:8 KJV 1900

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Interestingly, both of these events took place after Christ's resurrection, at different times from each other. The Matthew 28 passage occurred soon after His resurrection. He commissioned all of His disciples, including us, to do something. Notice the sequence.

We are to go.

We are not called to just sit around doing nothing.

Matthew 28:19 “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

We are not supposed to be lazy. We are not sitting in the church pew. We need to get our behinds off the pew and go. Being a good steward of the gospel means I go to where others are who don't know the gospel. If you're sitting here waiting for them to come through the church doors, you're not doing your job. It's that simple.

We are to go to everyone.

Matthew 28:19 “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

Everyone needs the gospel. Keep in mind that we are called to teach all nations. In other words, the gospel does not discriminate based on color, race, or creed. Our mission is to reach every person from every country. We do not pick and choose who to share with. Every person you encounter is an opportunity.

We are to teach.

Matthew 28:19 “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

In the Great Commission of Matthew 28, the word "teach" appears twice. However, in Greek, they are two different words. The first "teach," or "teach all nations," means "to disciple or to make disciples." In other words, we are to share the gospel message with all people with the goal of making them Christ's disciples. You cannot become a Christ's disciple until you first accept Christ as your Savior. So the meaning is clear. We must evangelize the world or, as stated in the text, teach the world about Christ. The second "teach" in the phrase "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" means "to give instruction." What instruction? Teach whatever commands have come from Christ. Essentially, it defines today's discipleship. What am I saying? Christ expects us to go and teach everyone about the significance of His death, burial, and resurrection. That is the purpose of the first "teach."

We are to baptize.

Matthew 28:19 “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

Once we teach the gospel and they believe, we are to baptize them. The word "baptize" literally means "full immersion." It means completely immersing someone in water, symbolizing Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. This is the main reason we are Baptists. Christ demonstrated this when He allowed John the Baptist to baptize Him. Later, in the book of Acts, this part of the commission was shown repeatedly. Many heard the gospel, believed it, and then accepted baptism. Baptism is a key component. It is the way true believers publicly declare I believe in Christ, I have accepted Him as Savior, and without shame, I identify with His death, burial, and resurrection.

We are to disciple.

Matthew 28:20 “20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

This is discipleship. It is a lifelong journey of following Christ, learning about His commands, and growing to fully obey them. We are to teach others as we ourselves grow and obey.

We are to do it until our time is done, either by death or Christ's return.

Matthew 28:20 “20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

When do we stop? Christ said, "until the end of the world." This phrase has a twofold meaning. The first refers to the end of the present age, meaning the time when our life on earth concludes. The second refers to the period from Christ's resurrection and ascension until He returns again. Therefore, for us, it means we are to be faithful stewards of the gospel until we either die or He comes back.

Now, consider the Acts 1:8 passage.

Acts 1:8 KJV 1900

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The focus is on the Holy Ghost. You might remember that Christ also mentioned the word "power" in Matthew 28:18-20, the Great Commission. He said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." During his time with the disciples just before his death, Christ explained that when he returned to heaven, he would leave his Spirit in his place. Acts 1:8 tells us that we can be witnesses for Him because of the power that comes from the Holy Spirit. It was immediately after saying this that Christ ascended into Heaven. True to His promise, believers receive the Holy Spirit and continue to receive the Holy Spirit whenever they place their faith in Christ.

Now, consider this before we move forward. Who is the Holy Spirit? He is God. Once again, the Matthew 28 commission makes this clear. God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are all God. They are a triune being. Now answer me this: how powerful is God? He is all-powerful. My main point is this: not only did Christ give us the gospel message and instruct us on how to carry out the mission, but He also made sure we had great power through His Spirit to complete it.

We are divinely called and instructed to be good stewards of the gospel message. The question before us is, how are we doing? Good, great, or not so great? In light of the Charlie Kirk phenomenon throughout history (people martyred for their faith), perhaps we are not doing so well.

Let us challenge ourselves this morning, as a church full of believers, to commit to sharing the gospel with others. We have nothing to fear. We can be bold. Why is that? Because we have God on our side. We also have the power of the Holy Spirit at our disposal. We need to put aside our excuses, doubts, and hesitations. We must faithfully do what God has entrusted to us—be witnesses for Him.

This brings me to the next point.

We are to SERVE as FAITHFUL STEWARDS of the Gospel

For this point, consider 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 KJV 1900

1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Here are the keywords:

•     "Account" - to reckon or consider through calculation or attribution; to be intentional.

•     "Ministers" - an under-rower or a servant.

•     "Stewards" - one who manages a house, referring to a superior servant responsible for family chores, directing other servants, and caring for children of age.

•     "Mysteries" - that which is known only through divine revelation, revealed in a manner and at a time appointed by God, and to those who are illuminated by His Spirit; AKA truth revealed.

•     "Faithful" - to believe, also to be persuaded of, and, therefore, to place confidence in, to trust, signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not just credence.

As you read these two verses, don't stumble at the word "man." In the original language, the word is not a gender-specific term; instead, it signifies a person. Therefore, in summary, each believer (addressed to a local church) is expected to carefully consider that they are under-rowers (servants) of Christ and have been entrusted with the "housekeeping" of God's revealed truth. God expects, above all, that each believer be someone He can depend on with great confidence.

Is that you? Is that me? That's the question this morning.

Now, consider this verse, which builds upon this thought.

1 Peter 4:10 KJV 1900

10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Here, we learn that God has entrusted each believer with a gift. I believe that in this context, the Holy Spirit is referring to the gift of the gospel. Think about it. We received the gift of the gospel, eternal life, as part of God's grace to us. Now, God expects us to share that same gift with others. Note that we are to do this as "good stewards of the manifold grace of God." In other words, if you are a believer who is saved by God's grace, then you have experienced and know how real His grace is. It is now your duty to do the same for others - "minister (serve, wait upon) the same (gift of manifold grace) one to another."

We are called to do what is right. We must handle God's truth and the gift of salvation as responsible stewards who will one day stand before Him and give an account of our stewardship. We should not mismanage, neglect, or hoard this wonderful gift.

ARE We FAITHFULLY MANAGING the gift of the gospel?

So how are we doing? Are we boldly sharing the gospel with others? Are we giving this incredible gift to those we meet? Or are we falling short? Let me remind you that we are in this together. This message is meant for me just as much as it is for you. We are a family. We are a church. We all share the same responsibility.

Here is the last point, and we are finished.

We are to ENDURE and FULLY PERFORM Our Stewardship of the Gospel

One last verse for this last point.

2 Timothy 4:5 KJV 1900

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Please take note of some key instructions for us as stewards of the gospel.

"Watch thou in all things"

In other words, stay alert. We need to be aware of our responsibility. Earlier, we highlighted that we are "ministers" or rowers. We must always remember that we are simply disciples of Christ. Therefore, we should be conscious of our own obedience to His commands, especially when sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

"Endure afflictions"

Sharing the gospel is never easy. Just ask Charlie Kirk when you get to Heaven. Ask the thousands of believers who gave their lives sharing the good news of Christ. We will face afflictions or hardships. However, we must not let them stop us from faithfully sharing the gospel.

"Do the work of an evangelist"

It's work. Work is tough, but it's necessary to accomplish anything. The work of the gospel demands you to set aside your comfort to get it done. It involves getting up, putting on your work clothes, picking up your tools, and beginning to labor for Christ's gospel. You can't do this work sitting at home doing nothing; you have to get busy. Rain or shine, God's work must be done.

"Make full proof of thy ministry"

The phrase "make full proof" does not mean what we think it does. It does not mean to prove your ministry. God is not looking for you to prove anything. He requires you to do it. The phrase does mean "to bring in full measure, to fulfill, it also signifies to be fully assured." Essentially, you need to finish the job God gave you. You must fully assure the Lord that you are committed to being His steward of the gospel by fully engaging in the work of the gospel. It means every aspect of your life should reflect that you are engaged, which means from giving to going, you are "making full proof" of the gospel ministry.

Conclusion

Church, we’ve seen today what God expects of us. He has called us. He has empowered us. He has entrusted us as His stewards of the gospel.

We are commanded to go. We are commanded to serve. We are commanded to endure—until the very end.

So the question is not if we are called. The question is—will we be faithful?

Will we sit silently in the pew? Or will we rise and go? Will we bury the treasure of the gospel? Or will we invest it in the lives of others? Will we shrink back in fear? Or will we step forward in boldness—knowing the Spirit of God goes with us?

The world does not need a few rare, bold Christians. It needs a church full of faithful stewards. Imagine what God could do if every one of us lived this out. Families changed. Neighbors reached. Communities transformed. Nations impacted.

That is not a dream. That is the mission Christ gave us.

So let us rise together— as God’s chosen people, His royal priesthood, His faithful stewards.

And let us go. Let us serve. Let us endure.

Until the day we hear the only words that matter: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”