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in God’s plan for the worldwide spread sential to have a good grasp of gospel
of the gospel. truth. To spread God’s Word, we have to
Times have changed. Technology has know God’s Word. Another great way to
advanced. Travel has become easier. Yet prepare is to carry relevant, clear gospel
many bemoan the lack of response to tracts with us. Remember, the content of
the gospel. We know our post-modern our message is critical.
society gives little thought to spiritual 4. Take time. Some of us are too busy to be
realities, but were we to recalibrate our Christians. Days are arranged to include
outreach compass and return to more work responsibilities, family duties, self-
one-on-one evangelism, it perhaps could improvement routines and recreation,
help us reach more people in communities and any deviation throws us off. Sound
disillusioned by shallow influencers and familiar? Sacrificing time for evangelism
slick marketing. Consider these points to can take on many different forms. Speak-
help encourage and equip us for personal ing a relevant word or passing a gospel
gospel work: paper may take only a minute. Prayer
1. Every person I meet needs this gos- and reading the Scriptures in preparation
pel. That little voice inside says, “They takes longer, and building relationships
wouldn’t be interested” or, “They’ve got may require hours and days of connecting
their own beliefs.” But remember that with people and gaining their confidence.
when the Lord Jesus looked at that Samar- To witness, I must take time.
itan crowd whose fathers had their own 5. Practice makes perfect. Sound silly?
place of worship and who had rejected the Perhaps, but what if I said exercise (or
Scriptures in the past, He didn’t dismiss training) instead of the word practice?
them. He said the fields were “white al- Once, while working with an experienced
ready to harvest” (Joh 4:35). brother, I mentioned how uncomfortable
2. Gospel work involves much more than and inadequate I felt doing door-to-door
gospel meetings. Evangelism is an assembly visiting. His response? “Well, there’s only
responsibility, and regular gospel meet- one way to improve – keep doing it.” We
ings are a part of every healthy assembly’s empathize with those who are nervous
function. However, to be scriptural, we about reaching out, but take heart – some
cannot limit outreach to specific services of the most utilized workers in the Bible
ordered by a special class of “preachers.” were also timid and hesitant (see Exo 4:10).
There is no such thing as an exclusive Keep it before the Lord and keep at it!
group of gospel witnesses in the Church; We have touched only a few points.
we are all called to preach the gospel to We could have mentioned matters of the
every creature (Mar 16:15). heart, the role that hospitality and kind-
3. Prayer and preparation empower wit- ness play in winning souls, and the need
nessing. Spiritual work requires spiritual for practical righteousness and Christian
power. Prayer expresses our dependence character in our testimony. But perhaps
upon God for power and direction and God can use these few words to provide
should include asking God to lead us to the needed spark for us to get back to
people who are already thinking about the biblical work of personal outreach,
spiritual things or for courage and words so that it can be said of us, “They went
to speak. But how do I prepare? It is es- everywhere preaching the word.”

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