THE WORLD IN TURMOIL ?
THE URGENCY OF EVANGELISM.
For a world in turmoil like the era we now live, there are many things that are very important but not urgent, there are many other things and events very important in the eyes of men and the nations of the world, and which when you weigh them on the scale, are like sounding brass and tinkling cymbal in the spirit.[nothing] There are certainly myriads of other things which may be important or look important for a period of time, after which their important position drops to the deeps.
The preparations for the Olympic games recently hosted by South African was before it was hosted and concluded, very important and urgent to the nations that won tickets to host their flags in the Olympic arena. In the Arab world, important and urgent reforms and meaningful dialogues are needed to calm the nerves of the people clamoring for change through democratic processes.
From the events in the Arab emirates, entered the events in Japan where a ruthless earth quake cum sweeping tsunami provoked the anger of the nuclear reactors scattered from Yukusima to the hither lands of Japan. As I was writing this article, cooling the nerves of the reactors to evade massive human loss was not only very ,very urgent but important , if Japan and countries surround her must continue to exist.
Stopping the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, terrorism in Pakistan, taming the pirates of Somalia, war and hunger in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Feeding millions of refuges scattered all over the globe courtesy of widespread violence and ugly gingles from elections and boundry disputes as well as taming the monster called economic crisis amongst other needs facing the world are not only important but very urgent .
Still, there is one very urgent task and commission the world never considers important nor urgent. The task which the Lord Jesus by commission gave the Church, to take His saving gospel to this world tortured and confused by events the scientist and politicians therein cannot stop nor give convincing answers to. Even amongst the commissioned,[Christians] this very important task that holds the future of every one on the surface of the earth , is not even in their diaries, the devil has turned the messages of majority of these ministers into fables and prosperity gingles and millions are they that cherish them.
The task of taking the good news, His saving gospel and life, to this sinful and drowning world is one of such messages and events that are not only important to man but urgent at all times. Know ye not the consequencies if the gospel is not preached or denied the sinners especially the ignorant sinners transcends this transient world into an endless eternity.
The important task of preaching the gospel and evangelizing the world is urgent for many reasons..
Time is running out, this sinful world is coming to an end
[1 Cor 7;29-31]—1 John 2;17]
“ But this I say brethren, the time is short, it re maineth that both they have wives be as though they had none and those that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not. And they that use this word as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away “ And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” [1 John 2;17].
Secondly our own opportunity and time to preach the gospel is not for ever, it will soon come to an end, for “ I must do the works of him that sent me ,while it is day, the night cometh when no man can work.. ”John 9;4.
Sinners will not always be ready and willing to hear or listen to the gospel message. So while now that they yearn for the truth, we dare not slumber or fail to give them the good news that saves lives.
We Christians ie evangelists must strike while the iron is still hot, every lost opportunity leaves the sinners hearts more hardened and makes it more hard to win. It is dangerous and of fatal consequences if we delay or fail to preach gospel, Christ commissioned us to do when he said”
“ Go ye therefore and teach all the nations, baptizing in the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you and lo I am with thee always even unto the end of the world” Mathew 28:19-20.
The urgency of winning souls before the return of the messiah made us the evangelists, the watchmen of today…Though the soldiers and other security organizations are said to be guiding the nations, God has made the born again Christians, God’s people who are called by his name the watch men…
“Son of man [born again, evangelists ,preachers ,prophets ,Apostles, missionary workers, bishops, priests, arch bishops etc ] I have made thee a watchman[watchmen] unto the hose of Israel [unto the nations where you reside] therefore hear the word from my mouth and give them warnings from me. When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die, thou givest him not warning nor speaketh t warn the wicked from his wicked ways to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand, Yet if thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness or his wicked ways, he shall die in his iniquity but thou has delivered thy soul. Again when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die because thou hast not given him warnings, he shall die in his sins and the righteousness which he had done shall not be remembered ,but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous and the righteous sin not and he doth not sin, he shall surely live because he is warned ,also thou hast delivered thy soul. [Ezekiel 3;17-21.
So therefore the works and footsteps of the evangelists toiling on to evangelize and save souls are highly admired. Their works are given in this text as the valuable watchman, who keeps vigil over the city and warns the inhabitants of impending dangers. The commission is go ye, the project is to watch preach and deliver the message as commanded of the Lord, with no colours added or subtracted from the truth. The evangelists, the preachers, the pastors, archbishops, bishops, and all who are qualified to preach the gospel are commissioned to warn the evil doers, criminals and careless people about the dangers of sin. This is to arrest quickly careless people who may be roaming about till dooms day.
The assignment is not only to the sinners, it also applies to the careless and negligent people who profess to know Christ but, to no avail.
To the evangelist and teachers of the gospel of Christ kingdom, say not ye there are yet four months and then cometh harvests? Behold I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are already to harvest.” John 4;3. Move, do not be absorbed in other businesses of yours, do the work of the evangelist, throw away procrastination, insensitivity and move for the harvest is plenty across the globe, the nations that never knew are beginning to know him. The urgent task of warning the careless and evil doers and guiding them onto salvation is not optional for the believers, it is compulsory for we have been compelled to warn the sinner and the backslider to repent, else we risk our envied relationship and place with God. Our souls you must recall are in danger of eternal loss if we sleep over the great commission to go and warn the sinners in our churches and outside our churches to repent .
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