The Cry

Two thousand years ago angels announced the good news, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10.  He suffered and died on the cross for our sins, paid the debt of sin in full, rose again, went back to heaven and left us with the task of telling this good news to every person. We ought to, everyone of us, get serious and get the gospel to the ones God puts us in contact with personally.

1. Hear the cry from above. "Preach the gospel to every creature" Mk 16:15. Mark just wrote down what Jesus commands us to do. "To refuse to witness of a saving gospel to a lost world day by day is nothing short of high treason, spiritual rebellion and inexcusable disobedience to God's holy command" so said Dr. L. R. Scarborough. We all need to learn to walk by faith and not by feeling or waiting for a burden. Just obey God and do it. Bonnie told me this about herself after she realized she needed to obey God. Across the street from her was a 60 year old man and his 80 year old mother to whom she knew she should share the gospel. She went out of obedience to God, scared to death. She had taken Evangelism Explosion. After they invited her in she told them she had taken this course and was supposed to practice on people and asked if they would let her practice on them. They consented. As she began to share the gospel, she said her mind went blank. She felt she muddied the whole thing. When she finished she asked if they wanted to pray to receive the Lord Jesus. To her utter surprise they both said they would. They prayed together and they assured her they were saved. She went home feeling they were just being nice to her and did not mean it. A few days later a knock came at her door. A man asked if she was the one who had talked to the people across the street. She acknowledged that she had. The man burst into tears and said, "I am a preacher. They are my father and grandmother. They would not let me witness to them but told me they had accept Christ when you talked to them. I want to thank you for leading my folks to Christ." That is what it is all about.

2. The cry from below. The rich man in hell begged for a drop of water. When he was told he could not have it. He begged, "Send him [Lazarus] to my father's house for I have five brethren that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment." Oh my soul, this is staggering. Every person you and I have a moment of personal contact, there must be someone in hell who would beg, "Please testify to my loved one lest they also come to this place of torment." Now, isn't that logical? Of course it is. If every one of us went to hell for 5 minutes we would come back the greatest soul-winners of all time.

3. The cry from without. Jesus saw the multitudes and "was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd" Matt. 9:36. See the multitudes today, without God and no hope in this world. To many believers, their theme song is "I shall not, I shall not be moved." When you see the terrible conditions of the world and emptiness of the multitudes, unless we are terrible self centered, it has to move us. Bless God, we have the answer and we must tell them the good news, that God loves them and Christ has paid the way to heaven in full so they can be born again and have a brand new life.

4. The cry from within. One thing has been clear to me over the years and that is that people I have had the joy of leading to Christ and had a chance to follow up, always had a burden for someone else to be saved. Paul said, "My hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved." He also said about the Romans, "I want some fruit among you also." Now that is normal Christianity. I have found when I forgot myself and thought of others, my heart would desire that they would be saved too and often God would lead me to someone He had ready. " The spirit of Christmas ought to be in our hearts all year long to urge us on to share the gospel, the good news, of the wonderful Lord Jesus to every person we have a moment of personal contact. Make a New Years resolution that you are going to say with Peter, "At thy word, I will" Lk 5:5.