SHARING YOUR FAITH

Bible: Mark 16:15-16; Romans 1:16
Bottom Line: Jesus commands us to share our faith, not just do good deeds.

Read Mark 16:15-16.

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
After Jesus was resurrected, He appeared to His disciples to give them their marching orders.
In the verses that we just read, Jesus tells the disciples exactly what He expects out of His followers. He tells them to “go into the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

The reason that these orders are so critical is found in verse 16.
Let’s read it again.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
So, why is verse 15 so important?
Because if we don’t do it, people won’t hear about Jesus’ work on the cross.
And if they don’t hear about Jesus’ work on the cross, they will be condemned.
That’s a lot to take in.
Your mission is to tell the world about Jesus.
But, you don’t have to bear the burden of this mission alone.
In fact, there are brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world fulfilling this purpose in Christ.
They risk imprisonment, suffering, persecution, and even death in order to see souls saved.
We diminish their contribution to the Kingdom when we sit at church and listen, fattening ourselves on the Word and never pouring out what has been poured in.
Cultural Christianity tells us that we can just “live” our faith, meaning we can just do good works, love people, and volunteer for church functions, and that’s enough.
But it’s a lie.
It is our job as Christians to proclaim our faith.
Despite what you may have been told, it’s not enough to “be a good person” and “let your good deeds show people what a Christian looks like.”
Even unsaved people can do that just fine.

Isaiah 40:8

Isaiah 55:11

Matthew 28:19

Ask yourself, when is the last time you recommended something to a friend or family member?
Maybe you loved a certain menu item at your favorite restaurant, or maybe you told your friends about a movie you saw last week that they just had to see.
Or maybe you recommended a TV show on Netflix or a series on Hulu.
No matter what, chances are you’ve made hundreds of recommendations in your lifetime, and you probably didn’t think twice about it.
Why?
Because, as human beings, we love for others to share in our joy when we find something awesome!
We love to tell others about our favorite experiences, foods, restaurants, and more because we want them to experience what we have!
But here’s the real question...
If we have found salvation in Jesus, why wouldn’t we recommend Him to everyone we know?
What causes us to recommend something as trivial as a movie or good food and keep our mouths shut when it comes to eternal life?
Let’s reflect on that question. Is it shame?
Is it fear?
Is it a lack of passion?

Let’s go to Romans 1:16.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who
believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Paul, on his third missionary journey, wrote from the city of Corinth to Christians in the city of Rome (hence the name Romans).
He was busy doing exactly what today’s first verse told him to do.
He was “proclaiming the gospel in all the world.”
And his words in Romans 1:16 sum up the point of today’s lesson:
We should not be ashamed to proclaim the gospel because it is the key to the salvation of those around us.
Everyone we encounter should know where we stand when it comes to Jesus and what he offers.
No one should have to guess whether you and I are Christian.
We cannot lean on our good works to testify to Christ in us. It’s not enough. We must listen to Jesus.
We must proclaim the gospel.
And God will do the rest.

Matthew 24:13-14

2 Timothy 4:1-8

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why aren’t good works enough?

2. How can you “recommend” God to someone today?

3. What reward is there for telling others about God?

Sharing your faith gets easier the more you do it.