The Cost of Sending the Message
9/11 is a tragedy; it reminds us that terrorist and extremist are willing to give their lives in order to send a message across. They wanted to change the course of mankind and in order to do so; they understand that they might have to give their lives. And there are many people today who are willing to give their lives in order to send their message across. Christians today have the greatest message of all the world, the message of the saving grace found in Jesus Christ God’s Son, and in order to send the message across, it often demands that we would be willing to give our lives. The Gospel ministry demands our lives, it calls us to die, to die to self, the Gospel ministry cost us our lives. Paul tells us in 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 2, “But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.”
Paul tells us that in order to get the message across to the church at Thessalonica, he had to endure sufferings, shame and struggles. He was not afraid of it, he tells us that he was bold; he was courageous. Why? Because he was bold in God! Because he reckoned and counted upon the presence of God with him. The Gospel ministry requires us to give our lives, but we can be bold in the face of difficulty because God is with us.
And so my friends, as you desire to live for Jesus and to carry the message of the Gospel in your lives, you must not expect the absence of difficulty but expect the presence of God. Matthew 28 tells us God is with us as we go about the Great Commission. Not that God would remove the difficulties but He will be with you through the difficulties. It’s not always going to be a smooth and easy path, but you can count on the fact that He is with you. You can be bold in God.
Be bold in Jesus and God would use you to bring the most important message that can change the world today across. May God bless you with the study of His word, God bless.