FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION IN A WORLD OF HOSTILITY
March 8, 2025
TEXT: “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”(John 15:20)
It has always been reiterated that Jesus Christ has given us the great assignment to go into the world and share the good news with all and sundry. Everyone deserves to hear the gospel, and the responsibility of ensuring that is ours. Freely we have been given, freely we must give. However, carrying out this task may be sometimes herculean in the hostile society we find ourselves in, where an average person is almost “anti-Christ” in nature.
Jesus Christ already admonished us that in the journey of life, we believers will face challenges and tribulations, but we should be of good cheer, knowing that He has overcome the world. Jesus Christ also stated further in Matthew 10:22 that we will be hated by the world for His sake, but anyone who endures till the very end shall be saved. This goes to show that the gospel is not a journey of ease and comfort, but one that comes with much endurance and patience.
Hostility on the field of evangelism is not a new thing. Many people do not desire to hear the gospel at all. Many do not even believe in the existence of God, let alone hear about Him. How we approach the hostility thrown at us on the field of evangelism goes a long way.
The major skill and spiritual technique needed by us as believers are patience and endurance. One of the signs of love for God is to be able to suffer for the sake of the gospel. The apostles and the earlier saints who pioneered the gospel have passed on the baton to us, and ours must not be an exception. We must put in our best effort to ensure that hostility does not prevent us from preaching the gospel. Above all, prayer is very important to tackle hostility in evangelism. Pray before, during, and after an evangelistic mission.
SEARCHLIGHT
Evangelism is not a bed of roses. There will be challenges, but he who endures will be changed.
PRAYER
O Lord, give me the grace to triumph over hostility while doing Your work, in the name of Jesus.
BIBLE READING
1 Samuel 23-25, 1 Corinthians 8
PASTOR MICHAEL OMOLE
