Jul 10

Mark 1:14-15
Memorise Romans 10:14-15
“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”

Central to every Christian ministry, is the preaching of the Word. If a ministry does not extend the work of the gospel in some way or another, it is not a useful ministry to have. Whilst Jesus was on earth, He was also very much involved in the work of evangelism. He was constantly on the move, going from city to city to preach the gospel, and also training his disciples to be the ones to carry the gospel to all the ends of the earth. The message preached by Jesus was an urgent one. It was a call for action! Jesus told them that the kingdom of God is at hand, meaning it is very near, and all who want to enter into the kingdom must repent and believe the gospel. There is no other way. Today the gospel has been so twisted and warped, that we lose sight of what true evangelical faith really is. In order for one to be saved, he must show the following evidences in his lives – repentance to God, and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). It is not possible for one to claim that he believes in Christ and acknowledges his sin, and yet have no desire to evidence any change in his life. If one says he believes, but still consciously clings tightly to his sin and never repents, then he has not truly received the gospel. A true believer would and must definitely have both repentance and faith in order to be saved. Only that is true conversion, and the only conversion that the Bible speaks of.

For us, we must take the example of Jesus and likewise impress upon our hearers the urgency of the message, for Jesus is coming soon! Some ministries would be directly involved in this, for example evangelism or preaching or Sunday school ministries, fellowship groups, literature ministries. Others would assist them, for example the PA ministry is much needed in order for the message on Sunday to be heard, or the transport ministry that would bring people to church to hear the gospel, or the kitchen ministry that would foster a good environment in which the gospel can be shared or Christians edified in fellowship. Whatever the case might be, we are all in this gospel ministry together, endeavouring to help in whatever way we can for the preaching of the gospel. Thus our whole life, everything that we do and every area of service we involve ourselves in, must be for the furtherance of the kingdom of God! Dear teen, is your life one that is useful to the cause of evangelism?

Thought: To share the gospel, I must first exemplify the gospel through my life.
Prayer: Lord, may You make me an effective witness for You!