An Urgent Gospel

We should not be surprised that the workers are few while the harvest grows more and more. The cost of following Christ is great, and many of us know that

, but the great price was paid by Him. The passage in Matthew 8:19–22 is an invaluable lesson for us as members of His body. The Word says that amid the crowd, a scribe approaches the Lord and offers to follow Him ‘wherever You go.’ Jesus, who knows the human heart and discerns its thoughts, put him to the test by telling him that He, though the Master, did not even have a place to lay His head. Although the Bible does not make it clear, it seems that the scribe left the place upon hearing the Lord’s remark. Evidently, he was not willing to follow the Master under such precarious conditions, especially as someone who was surely accustomed to a better standard of living. Later, another enthusiastic man comes to the Lord and tells Him that he would follow Him, but first he had to bury his dead father. Jesus invites him to follow Him (Matt. 8:22), but there is no biblical evidence that he did so either. A sense of urgency can be heard in Jesus’ words when He tells him, ‘Follow Me!’

In another account in the Gospel according to Luke, we are told of another disciple of Christ who promises to follow the Lord but first asks to go home and say goodbye to his family. Jesus answers that anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God. This is evidence that the disciple was not yet prepared to set out on the journey and suffer for Christ’s sake. Does any of this resemble our own personal circumstances? Have you ever heard God’s voice calling you to follow Him and hidden behind excuses like these? I hope not.

There is a tremendous truth in these accounts by the Gospel writers: the Christ we serve needs resolute men and women who will make the Kingdom their priority at any cost; who will not look back at the good and comfortable things they may be leaving behind (remember Lot’s wife?), who will not shrink from the sacrifices that must be made or worry about where they will lay their heads. If you are feeling God’s call, hurry, brother or sister! It is urgent. The harvest is plentiful. Preaching Christ is a privilege that must not be postponed until we solve our problems. ‘Yes, Lord, I am willing to follow You, but first I must…’

These three disciples missed the opportunity to follow Christ. Two volunteered, but they did not heed the Lord’s sense of urgency. Another was called by the Lord, but from his response, it is clear that he was still not prepared for the urgency of preaching the gospel of grace. The Kingdom needs people who will make it their highest-priority commitment, take ownership of evangelism, and embody the calling to serve those in need and reach the lost. Just as ‘every pulpit is a fishing boat’* (V. McGee), we can turn every opportunity into a platform from which to proclaim the good news of salvation.

Jesus preached to great crowds, but He focused primarily on the individual. Every day God gives us the opportunity to engage in personal and relational evangelism because we are in constant contact with people. We do not need a special calling for that. I believe that every Christian who has understood Christ’s sacrifice and the price He paid for our redemption is spiritually equipped to bear witness and proclaim the Savior. We will always be able to offer excuses, but we have all received the call if we truly are disciples committed to being obedient followers of the light. Either we truly carry our cross, or we merely display it around our necks or hang it in our room as nothing more than a temporary reminder.

Paul once wrote to his beloved Timothy: ‘For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, love, and self-control. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, … but join me in suffering for the gospel, according to the power of God’ (2 Tim. 1:7–8).

God is looking for evangelists—and also teachers, pastors, prophets, and so forth. We, the children of God, do not suffer from spiritual bankruptcy, for Christ paid all our debts on the cross. Every day His compassionate mercies, care, and goodness reach us. Why, then, are we so reluctant to heed His loving call to share with others the excellent news of God’s gift for their lives? I encourage you to try. The gospel is the power of God, and you are chosen, without excuses, to shout it from the rooftops.

God bless you!