I remember as a teen sitting around with other teens singing the song “Pass It On.” The song says, “it only takes a spark to get a fire going.” The essence of the song is how to spread God’s love. It speaks of someone who is so full of God’s love that they are shouting it from the mountain tops. They want everyone to know of this love. While it talks about how experiencing God’s love gives you a great desire to share it with others, it became just a song that made us feel sentimental. One of those warm and fuzzy songs. While this is not a popular song anymore, we have many such songs we sing in church that convey the same message. Yet, most Christians aren’t passing it on. How do I know that? Because I am not hearing of multitudes getting saved from their sins. I know that there are many excuses why it is not passed on, but God commands us to pass it on therefore we need to prepare ourselves to pass it on.
Before Jesus ascended back to Heaven, Jesus gave his followers a command. This command in Matthew 28:18-20 is to go into all the world and tell everyone about Him and the power they can have over sin through Him. He gave them the command and promised to be with them.
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in the 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 always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Where will we get the power and knowledge to be a witness? Jesus teaches us that the Holy Spirit that dwells within those who are saved will empower us. The knowledge we have will come from study and listening to preachers and teachers that God has placed in our lives. However, we need to make sure those we are listening to are teaching the Bible correctly. There are many who twist the truth and deceive others. Study for yourself, read commentaries that explain the original meaning of words. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in truth. To be an effective witness you don’t need to know a lot of verses by memory. All you need is your story of how Jesus saved you and John 3:16. This verse shares the gospel simplistically. God so loved the world, that’s everyone. This one thing we all have in common we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Because of that love, He gave His only Son to die for our sins. He paid a debt we owed but couldn’t pay. He offers eternal life to all who will believe, put their faith in Him, repent of their sins, and live for Him.
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
In Acts 1:8, the Holy Spirit that comes to live within us after we are saved will empower us to pass it on. He even gives us a plan. First, we are to start at home, to those who live around us or with us. That’s our Jerusalem. Second, we need to branch out to those we don’t know. Our Judea would be those we don’t know personally, but those who cross our paths. Third, our Samaria, this was a place the Jews usually did not go. They avoided it because they were prejudice against the Samaritans. When Jesus went to Samaria it was on purpose. No Jew would accidentally walk into Samaria. There are areas around all of us that we would not go to unless we purposed to go there. It may be an area where there are homeless people, drug addicts, or even those who are highly educated, but ignorant of the gospel. It is a place we don’t feel comfortable, but we know they need the gospel. If that were not enough Jesus, then proclaims to go to all the world! We may not be able to go around the world, but we can support those who do. This is the mandate for missions, and we are to support our missionaries financially and prayerfully.
Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:19 that he will make us fishers of men. He will empower us. It’s time we get busy and reach out to everyone we can possibly influence. We are to sow the seeds, someone else may water, but only God can give the increase. Only God can save, but we are to share the good news so that others have the opportunity to be saved.
Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
I Corinthians 3:6-7 “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”
Do you get the picture? We are to pass it on to everyone. It is our duty, but it should also be our passion. When Christ dwells within us we should want to share that with others. If you knew someone was in imitate danger of burning in a fire, you would do what you could to save them. You would call the fire department, or you might even go in after them, but you wouldn’t just sit back and watch them burn with no response. However, when you approach others with no concern for their eternal soul that is exactly what you are doing. It is cruel to know the good news of Jesus and not share it.
