It All Begins with The Gospel Story

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It All Begins with The Gospel Story

by Matthew Bowden

This world we live in used to be good, but look around, it is now full of brokenness. I used to be trapped in the chains of addiction to pornography. It messed up my mind so much that it caused me to be angry. That anger caused violent outbursts towards my family. Everybody thought I was a great guy, but I was hurting on the inside. I felt so empty when I would lay down at night.

This pain was interrupted. I heard a still, small voice while reading the Bible. It was God telling me that He loved me. He wanted a relationship with this messed-up young man. Jesus died on a cross to take my punishment before God. Three days later, He rose from the grave so that I might have a new life with Him now and in Heaven eternally. So, I gave my life to Christ.

A short time later, I lost my five-year-old sister to a brain tumor. I learned that coming to God does not mean that nothing bad will ever happen to you. Coming to God means that you always have a friend—that you have a new hope. Only in God do I know that my sister is in Heaven today, and one day I will see her again because of Christ’s forgiveness of my sins.

Jesus gave us a mandate in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

His command is clear: “Go.” We cannot “Go” if we are sitting still, if we are staying where we are, or if we do not make a move. This verb means “as you go.” As we pass though this world, we are to carry the Gospel message with us, sharing it with everyone we meet. There are two ways we can do this.

The first is through our lifestyle. As believers in King Jesus, we are to be like salt—our life should create a thirst in people for our Lord. Our joy, our peace, and our lives are different from others in this world. Our lives should be like a great spotlight that directs its beam toward Jesus. If Jesus is the focus of our lives, people will see Jesus lived out through us day by day! Do people want to know Jesus by the way you live your life?

The second way is by our lips. We are told to “teach” in Matthew 28:20. That word has the idea of “making disciples or to instruct.” We must speak our faith. We are to tell a lost world how the story of our lives is now intertwined with the story of the Gospel of King Jesus. We must tell people how Jesus can do the same for them if they will trust in Jesus as we do. Look at the words of Jesus in Matthew 28. It is not enough to simply live for Christ. Believers must speak. Speak loudly, so that this broken world may have the hope that only rests in King Jesus. It all beings with the Gospel story.

About The Author Rev. Matthew Bowden is the Pastor of Mt. Alto Baptist Church of Rome, GA. www.mtalto.com. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The College at Southeastern and a Master of Divinity degree from The Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.