The Heart Behind the Gospel
How do we gauge the health of our heart to share the gospel? Is there a way for us to take a look at what’s going on in our own heart when it comes to sharing the gospel, so that we can pursue greater health in this area of our walk with Christ?
In 1 Thessalonians 2, the Apostle Paul is opening up about the inner life of his gospel ministry. He looks back on what drove him, how he treated people, and what he believed about the word he proclaimed. We see three vital signs of a heart that shares the gospel: our motive, our manner, and our message.
Our Motive Must Be to Please God
Paul says, “we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.” Those of us who believe in the gospel have been entrusted with that gospel. It is our responsibility to lead others to receive that gospel. We do not seek glory from people in sharing the gospel of God. We seek to please God.
But most of the time our problem is not that our motivations are deceitful or greedy. Our problem is that we lack motivation all together. We tend to care more about pleasing man than God. Sharing the gospel can be uncomfortable. We keep the peace in our families. We dare not inconvenience strangers. We protect our working relationships from getting awkward. We resolve to be an “undercover Christian” with that one lost friend we have.
But if our motive is to please God, then we cannot let people-pleasing hinder us from sharing the gospel.
Our Manner Must Be Worthy of God
Paul also describes how he acted toward the believers in Thessalonica. He was gentle among them, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. He was ready to share not only the gospel of God but also his own life, because they had become very dear to him.
If we truly love people, if we truly desire what’s best for them, if we really care about them, then we will share not only the gospel of God, but our own selves with them. The gospel should be so interwoven in who we are that we cannot help but share the gospel when we share our life with others.
But if you’re going to open yourself up and share your life with others, you need to make sure you’re living out the gospel. Our lives have to match up with the gospel that we share. If we claim to have life-changing news, we have to live a changed life. Not a perfect life, but a life that looks different from the world.
Live openly and differently. Build a relationship. Leverage a common interest. Encourage someone to consider the gospel you are living out in front of them. How we act toward those we want to reach with the gospel is vitally important.
Our Message Must Be the Word of God
Paul continues to thank God because the Thessalonians received the word of God, not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God.
Our message must be the word of God. We must be convinced that our message comes from the word of God, not the invention of man. The word of God is at work in believers. It accomplishes great things in the life of the believer.
That is why Bible intake is so important. When we hear it, read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it, we are feeding our soul with what it needs to grow in life. We are giving our soul the language and vocabulary of God’s ever advancing kingdom.
Are you receiving, trusting, and proclaiming God’s word?
Have a Heart That Shares the Gospel
God sees the heart behind our gospel ministry. Paul says that God tests our hearts. So examine your heart. Check your gospel sharing vital signs.
Do you want a healthy heart? Make sure your motive is to please God. Be certain that your manner is worthy of God. And be totally sure that your message is the word of God.
God has entrusted you with his gospel. The question is, do you have the heart to share it with others?
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