TEN TRAITS OF A VITAL CHRISTIAN
Trait # 7 Joyfully Shares the Good News
The USA lived through one of the
worst pandemics, COVID-19, in 2020. People were stricken with fear and
uncertainty, and our personal, church, and social life as we knew it changed. As
of April 26, 2023, the number of confirmed and presumptive positive cases of
COVID-19 in the US had reached over 104 million, with over 1.1 million deaths."[1]
There was no hope; it seemed all was
lost. Then came the COVID-19 vaccine! Regardless of your political opinion,
basketball arenas, baseball stadiums, shopping malls, and parking lots have
become the happiest places in the US, and the happiest people in medicine are
plunging the vaccine into stranger's arms. "It's a joy to all of us,"
says "Nana" Poku, a nurse in Northern Virginia. "I don't think I've
ever had an experience in my career that has felt so promising and so
fulfilling," says Christina O'Connell at the University of New Mexico."
For health-care workers, the
opportunity to administer the vaccine has become its own reward. Giving hope to
others has given them hope, too. Corie Robinson, a nurse in D.C., was selected to give the
ceremonial first vaccinations on camera at a December 17 news conference. The
positivity has lifted her spirits. She said of her patients, "You can see
their smiles through their masks." One older man sang while he got his
shot. Robinson said, "I say quite often, this is probably the most
important thing I'll ever do in my career. Sometimes it's a little overwhelming
because you're like, 'Wow, I'm the keeper."[2] We Christians experience an even
greater joy seeing the faces of those who receive Christ as Savior! It is a time
of rejoicing when someone passes from death to life, and it can be the most
important thing we will ever do. Bringing hope is our goal. In our series on
Vital Christian Living, we will look at Trait # 7: A Vital Christian
Joyfully Shares the Good News." John 3:1-21
As followers of Christ, we came to
understand that we are not saved so that we escape hell and live with God in
heaven forever but also to bring as many people as possible to Christ. A vital
Christian finds ways to share the Good News in word and deed with those outside
the faith. We will examine some questions: What does it mean that the Gospel is
Good News? Why are Christians called to share the Good News? And how do we
share the Good News?
I.
What does it mean that the Gospel is Good News?
Jesus, after he had risen from the
dead, commissioned his disciples to "Go into all the World and preach the
gospel to all creation." Mark 16:15. Matthew 28:19-20 reads,
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you."
These two scriptures define the job
description of every servant or follower of Christ. We are called to be the
Great Commission disciples. Our joyful vocation as vital Christians is to partner
with the Holy Spirit in the disciple-making process of all nations or people
groups. To become effective disciple-makers, we need to know what it means that
the gospel is Good News.
The word gospel means
"good news" and occurs 93 times in the Bible, exclusively in the New
Testament. In Greek, it is the word euaggelion, from which we get
our English words evangelist, evangel, and evangelical. The gospel, broadly speaking, is the whole of Scripture;
more narrowly, it is the good news concerning Christ and the way of salvation.
The key to understanding the gospel
is to know why it's good news. To do that, we must start with the bad news. We all have sinned and missed God's standard of living.
(Romans 3:23). None of our
efforts would ever be able to raise us to God's glorious standard. Our sins
have separated us and earned us eternal death. That is the bad news. But the
Good News is, God graciously gifted us eternal life with Him in heaven through Christ
Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23.
II.
Why are Christians Called to Share the Good News to all people?
We live in a self-absorbed world
where we become the center of our own universe. Some Christians think,
"Jesus is here to give them happiness." Though God loves and cares
for us, His plan is much bigger than ours. It is to bring the Good News of the Gospel
to all people. If that is God's highest priority, don't you think that should
affect our priorities as his followers?
The scriptures give us several
reasons why christians are called to share the Good News with everyone. In
Abraham, we have inherited both blessings and the responsibility of being a
blessing to all nations. Gen 12:1-3. King David prayed that one day, "All
the nations God has made will come and worship before Him, for he alone is God.
Psalm 86:9-10.
God's plan has always been to save
all the people of the World. John 3:16 reads, "For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life." What was the context of this verse? A
Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to clarify his doubts. During
the conversation, Jesus spoke the truth three times, saying that they will not
enter God's kingdom unless someone is enlightened from above.
Then, he reminded him of Israel's
history. Nu 21: 4-8. While journeying through the wilderness, the Israelites
murmured and complained about food. To punish them, God sent a plague of deadly
serpents. The people repented and cried for mercy.
God instructed Moses to make a
bronze serpent and lift it on a pole, and whoever saw it was healed. Barclay's
commentary on John says, "It was not the serpent that gave life. So long
as Moses lifted up the serpent, they believed in him, who commanded Moses to
act. It was God who healed them." Jesus explained to Nicodemus that in the
same way, the serpent was lifted for the people to see, return to God, and be
healed, so it was with Jesus. He must be lifted on the cross. Whoever believes
will be saved. That is the Good News we are called to share with others.
III. A
Vital Christian Joyfully Shares The Good News.
One day, the disciples privately
approached Jesus to know when Jesus would establish His Kingdom on earth. Jesus
pronounced this definitive statement in Matthew 24:14, "This Gospel of the
Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and
then the end will come." That is the heart of God for all nations (all
ethnic groups).
Ivan Veldhuizen, the Vice President
of International Ministries in Converge, writes, "Every nation will have
an opportunity to hear, know, and follow Jesus before the end comes. This
reveals God's passionate pursuit of all people groups in the World, so much so
that He will suspend the culmination of all things until the gospel has
penetrated every corner of the earth."[3]
Preaching the gospel to all people
groups everywhere will not happen by chance until every child of God takes this
mandate seriously and Joyfully shares the Good News through word and deed. Did
you know every single soul matters to God? Nothing brings more Joy to God in
heaven and the angelic beings than one soul being saved. Luke 15:7
For that reason, we do local
outreaches, support missionaries, and pray for all Muslims to hear the gospel, including
the six million Wolof Muslims in Senegal. The Angel told the Shepherds, "I
bring you good news that will cause great joy for everyone." Luke 2:10. In
this World, the Devil has robbed people of their Joy through sin, sickness, and
death.
Jesus Christ came to restore Joy and
give us abundant life through His death on the cross. In John 15:10-11, "If you keep my commands, you will remain in
my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I
have told you this so that my Joy may be in you and that your Joy may be
complete." Remember that sharing the gospel is the Good News of Great
Joy. Therefore, we must share it with others not grudgingly but willingly and
Joyfully.
[1]
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101932/coronavirus-covid19-cases-and-deaths-number-us-americans/
Accessed 3-20-2025
[2]
Maura Judkis, “The joy of vax: The people giving the shots are seeing hope, and
it’s contagious,”
[3] Ivan
Veldhuizen, Far Off Saints, Page 26
