how do we share the gospel

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?

If you run this backwards, from the position of reaching the lost, you get

Step 1. Be sent.

"Sent" is the word apostellō. It should look familiar as it is the verb form of the noun "apostle", apostolos.

So, if one is apostellō (sent) they are an apostolos (one who is sent). It really is that simple. Being an apostle does not infer some special privilege in the church, some kind of rank. The church is an organic Body built upon relationships, not institutional positions. The idea that church leaders and rule from afar with no connection to the people came out of the Roman government.

For example, Paul knew the people to whom he was sent. By the time he's writing letters to them he is well-acquainted with the people and their lives. Same thing with Peter and John: they're writing to people whom they know: even calling them their children in the Lord ("my children"). This is not a passing familiarity. This is one based on time and trust; investing their lives into the people they serve.

Why is it this way? Because that's the way Jesus lived His life: He had 12 who were the closest to Him. He lived with them for 3 years. He knew them all. The gospel to His disciples was first witnessed in Jesus' character, then in power, and then in word and deed.

If you want to be a witness of the Lord and His gospel, first submit to the Lord in all your ways. This will be an undeniable witness wherever you are. By that, you are sharing the good news with others. Some will eventually ask "How can you be so calm?" or "How did you know what to do?" Always be ready to give an answer.

If you want to preach, you'll have to wait to be sent. For Paul, that took over 13 years of "training".

Don't preach unless you're sent.

I'm 51. When I was 49 I was sitting in a room full of professionals. They were wringing their hands over a certain issue with which I had experience. But, among them, I was new.

So, I just sat quietly, listening to their discussion. I had answers to their questions but no one was asking me.

Then, one person said "Hey, doesn't Aaron56 (not my real name) have experience here?" All eyes were on me then. After I let the room go quiet I asked "What would you like to know?"

What came out of that was a seminar for that group. What came out of THAT was traveling throughout the state of Ohio for a dozen similar seminars, talking with C-suite level men and women in private, public and government offices, sharing the gospel at the level they can understand. My next seminar is this Saturday in Cincinnati.

Sure, I knew all the information about the gospel, but I did not have the wisdom that came from putting knowledge into practice. Books can be sent through the mail. People who are sent by God must be released and sent by the Spirit, usually confirmed by other believers who walk in the Spirit.

Well, it wasn't so much about all of God's word, but rather what is applicable to us today. We are not required to follow the Mosaic Law by offering up sacrifices, observing the feasts, abstaining from the foods not allowed in that Law, and we are not under the Kingdom Gospel preached in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and much of Acts.

The Gospel of grace is simple...not complicated by a bunch of works-based stuff, as Paul made clear in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and other places in his epistles. All of God's word is for us, but not all is TO us. We can learn from it all, but not all applies to us.

MM

“Well, it wasn't so much about all of God's word, but rather what is applicable to us today. “

By the word of God I’m talking about the gospel which applies to this group

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

which words of Jesus don’t apply to his church ?

these ones ?

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

or these ones ?

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63‬ ‭KJV‬‬

These ones ?

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:31-32‬ ‭KJV‬‬

these ones maybe ?

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
‭‭John‬ ‭12:48-50‬ ‭KJV‬‬

these ones maybe ?

“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭13:31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

These ?

“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:23-24‬ ‭

Certainly these maybe

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the gospel will always be the same since Jesus preached it and applies to anyone who believes that’s gods word I’m not sure we should be picking and choosing . We just need to seek understanding and ask him

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

So basically, the Holy Spirit is involved in evangelizing the lost. No problem where the Spirit leads and we are to follow. Yet God is saying to us that he is not willing all be perish but that all will come unto repentance. Who are we to evangelize? Well, all who needs Christ.

The rules of interpretation force us to ask some questions, such as, to whom were those words spoken? You left out that part of the context in your quote. In reality, that was spoken to the disciples, not the Church because that "body" did not yet exist.

You can try to harmonize the Gospel of the Kingdom with the Gospel of Grace, but it is in vain. If you think you're saved under the Gospel of the Kingdom, then go for it. It makes no never mind to me. What we have for us today is this:

Ephesians 3:1-12
1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

So, Jesus did not yet reveal that mystery, and the apostles did not know that mystery, and neither did the prophets...not until it was revealed to Paul after his conversion from Judaism into the body of Christ.

You also forgot the other things Jesus commanded for salvation under the Gospel of the Kingdom:

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

That is not the Gospel Paul preached to us. I'm not here to take from anyone they path that they want to choose for themselves, but to fail in rightly dividing the word of truth by way of trying to harmonize Gospels that do not mix without creating other problems, that's on those who practice such.

Go for it.

MM

I'm suggesting that God can show you where He is working, and does so all the time.
There is a book by Henry Blackaby called Experiencing God that is an excellent resource on the subject. It's well worth the read.

Ok, thanks, let me see if I can find it online. It's all good!

The rules of interpretation force us to ask some questions, such as, to whom were those words spoken?

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:14-15‬ ‭

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬ ‭

What Jesus said is everyone’s covenant ….the gospel he sent to the world . And said everyone that believes will be saved …..

Yes. What's your point, if I may ask?

MM

That the gospel is for everyone ot does t matter that he preached it 2000 years ago to Israelites the exact same gospel is preached today in the scriptures . It doesn’t matter who he said it to if it’s said to the church then now or forever

That sounds really attractive and suave with today's hip generations, but it's just not biblical.

Galatians 2:7-9
7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as [the gospel] of the circumcision [was] unto Peter;
8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles
9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we [should go] unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Many people just don't study scripture to see the difference. This clearly shows that there were two Gospels at that time, one going into hold so that the other would rise to dominance until the end of the times of the Gentiles.

But, like I said, go for it.

MM

Ministering the Gospel to a stranger or a family member or friend, it's not so hard. Others can see the love in us if only we let it show. Giving to them the one true Gospel of God's grace is what will show to them the simplicity that's in salvation rather than all the religious practices and traditions put before salvation as the means for "obtaining" it. How does one obtain a gift, and yet there are religionists out there who will place all manner of barriers in the way of salvation, which are all false gospels, or no gospels at all:

Galatians 1:6-9
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

What did Paul preach? It's right there in scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:1-8
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

"According to the scriptures" is the proof that this is not taking some verses in isolation as they try to jam into this the elements of the Kingdom Gospel. They simply do not mix. Unless one is poised to try and show that Paul did not preach to the Gentiles the fullness of the Gospel of Grace unto salvation, they argue in vain against the simplicity of what Paul spoke in what is quoted above.

The path of religiosity leads nowhere meaningful, and those who trudge along that path, more power to them, because they're going to need it. When they rip out the elements of living out one's faith and make those into requirements for salvation, they are the accursed of whom scripture speaks.

MM

@tedincarolina ,

>Here's another< gospel Presentation that's very clear. Some may recognize it because I've posted it on CC before.

If you want a good set of verses and a good format to go by, I recommend this. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Evangelists are people who have a gift of sharing God's love to others. They are primarily given to the church so that the church may know the love of God. They are not sent (apostellos). Their gift is for the church. Sending evangelists away from the church is one reason the love of most grows cold as the Day approaches.

However, if one has received an evangelist and learned from him, they may, likewise, do the work of an evangelist like Paul instructed Timothy:

"But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Tim was an apostle but he could do the work of an evangelist. This is true for all believers who are likewise built up by the 5 gifts of God's government: they may do the work of all of them.

Wow! Had to blow the dust off my memory for that one. I remember reading that like 20 years ago!

Timeless book. Easy to read. Well written. And yes, I'm old.