Acts 19:10
"And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks."
NKJV
We should reach out to the community with the Word of God.
"Reach and Teach." This is the vision the Lord has given me for Calvary Chapel of the Triad. Notice the vision is not "sit and wait", "grow then maintain" but "Reach and Teach." The Lord has given me a heart to reach and teach people the gospel message. The element to reach people is extremely important because without it, there would be fewer avenues to teach. I do not reach on my own. It is a team-effort.
The Lord has raised up faithful servants here who clean the building, park the cars, prepare the coffee, operate the soundboard, and many more things that I do not have room to list. These are the arm, hand, fingers and opposable thumb that work together so that I am able to teach more people verse-by-verse and chapter by chapter through the Word of God.
Even if I were alone in this, I would still want to reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ, and so should you. I understand that life can get very busy. Between our jobs, school, families, and other activities that fill our schedule, days and weeks fly by. Looking back, do you remember where it all went? Do you remember all the activities, or do they flow together with only certain activities that come to mind? We often look back and wonder where all the time went.
We wonder just how important those activities were, and what difference they really made. How many times did you share the gospel with someone? How many times did you invite someone to church? How much time did you spend serving in church? Was most of your time focused on serving yourself or was it focused on serving others? How much did God occupy your time?
You may say, "I shared the gospel once and they laughed at me." You may even say, "I invited a few friends to church but they never came back." You may also say, "I served in church for a while, but nobody showed their appreciation for my hard work."
Friend, do not serve God looking for the affirmation of people. If the work is unto the Lord, the results belong to the Lord. Let us share the vision and reach the world to teach it about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Dear Father,
Thank You for saving me. Thank You for the opportunities that You provide for me to share with others about Jesus Christ. Please give me opportunities for faithful service and please forgive me for the times when I have not done so. Help me to do these things as unto You and not out of a desire for results. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
