Be Courageous To Share The Gospel
BRD REFLECTIONS
Acts 17 and Psalm 106:1-23 (NIV)
(Susy Santoso, Member, Care Sub-Committee, Missions)
READ:
Acts 17 and Psalm 106:1-23 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
Acts 17 is a continuing account of Paul’s second missionary journey, which took him to Macedonia and Achaia where he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ at Thessalonica, Berea, and finally Athens. In both Thessalonica and Berea, many Jews believed, as did a number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent Greek women. But other Jews were jealous and created trouble for Paul in both cities. This forced Paul to move to Athens where he preached to both Jews and God-fearing Greeks as well as philosophers of the Areopagus, among whom some believed.
Psalm 106 continues where Psalm 105 ends, covering events from the Exodus to the Babylonian captivity. The psalmist starts off by expressing his thanks and praises to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. Despite the great works that God had done to save his beloved people, they soon forgot His mercy and majesty.
APPLY:
What caught my attention was the courage and faith of Paul as he reaches out to both Jews and Greeks in these ‘foreign’ places, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, our Messiah. Similarly, in today’s context, when I get a chance to share the gospel, more often than not, I would forget to put God first. For this reason, I lack the confidence to share the good news. I tend to rely on my own personal assurance, which shows my dependence on my own strength rather than on the grace of God and the gift of salvation.
Jesus Christ is our living hope amidst the world of chaos, wars, uncertainties, plagues and much more. He is our risen Saviour and loves us without conditions. The courage that Paul had when preaching the good news is admirable; and to see the power of the Holy Spirit manifested in his dedication is encouraging for me.
Psalm 106 reminds me that I have to place Jesus at the centre of all things. That is of utter importance. Living in the world (and in our ‘flesh’), we often are distracted by peers, circumstances and worldly concerns.
DO:
I thank God that despite our rebellious nature, our Lord Jesus Christ’s love is unending. His love endures forever. He is indeed our Saviour and King. It is important that I read His Word and pray every day to remind myself of God’s goodness and sovereignty in my life (Amen!). This is something that I’m guilty of lacking the discipline to do.
I will seek to read the Bible more often so that I can be reminded of God’s goodness and sovereignty in my life. I will pray for wisdom and courage when I next get the opportunity to share the Gospel.
PRAY:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank You that You are a covenant keeping God. May You continue to breathe Your peace into us and help us to keep our eyes upon You. In Your mercy, bless our land, go before us in all things, when we share the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us. Renew a new heart and the right Spirit within us as we abide in You and You in us, enabling us to do Your will. Help us Lord, to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Rock and Redeemer. This, we pray in the beloved name of Your son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and King. Amen.
