He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:15

Have you ever had such good news that you couldn’t help but share it with everyone you know? The type of good news that gets received with equal excitement? I have good news for you! But before we get to my good news, I want to reflect for a second on the nature of news today. I’m not talking about what we read in the paper (if you still get one of those) or see on TV or your phone. I’m talking about the kinds of things you get a phone call about from a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. The news you hear when you get coffee with a friend or that you see on Facebook as you are scrolling through. How often is this news good? I don’t mean to be doomy and gloomy, but the reality is that today we are facing a lot of bad news. Thankfully, that bad news has an end, and I’m here to tell you about it from my proverbial street corner: Extra, extra! Read all about it!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Okay, now that I’ve got you super curious about my good news, here it is: You are invited to stand on my imaginary street corner too! Was that what you were expecting? Maybe you thought I’d announce some big life event like a pregnancy or running for president. Sorry, that's not it. The nature of this good news is, in many ways, much bigger than either of those things. You are invited to tell others about the greatest news of all: Jesus loves all of us. This invitation doesn’t come from me but from Jesus Himself. The Gospel accounts found in the Bible tell us all about the things Jesus did to show His love for us. Then, amazingly, Jesus tells us to let others know. Yes! You have been invited by the King of the Universe to be His herald!

So how do you go about this heralding business? That's a great question. I am so glad you asked! Let’s look at 3 things: What does the job entail, who are we telling the good news to, and how do we go about it?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

What does the job look like?

When Jesus gave His final commission at the end of Matthew, He said 3 things: teach, preach, baptize. The heralding part falls under the “preach,” which, when taken in its modern sense, is a bit daunting. You might be of the mind that preaching or being upfront is not your thing, and I understand that. However, I think saying that preaching is only being up before a bunch of people is way too limiting. Preaching is all about conveying the message that God has for the people around you. That means the way we live our lives speaks volumes about the God we serve. Being a herald of Jesus means we let people know that He is coming through our loving actions and by pointing people to Jesus, who inspires us. So the job doesn’t always look like a pastor on a stage but more often looks like a caring conversation, pausing to pray with someone, or a smile and a handshake.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.  Luke 19:10

Who are we telling this good news to?

Ancient Israel thought they had a monopoly on the Messiah, and while He did come through them, Jesus is much more than the Savior of Israel; He is the Savior of the whole world. Today, many Christians feel like they have a monopoly on Jesus. However, that is simply not true. Nobody owns Jesus. In fact, Jesus tells us that He came to seek and save the lost. Now that Jesus is in Heaven preparing a place for us, He is asking us to help fill Heaven up with those who were once called lost. You and I were once called lost, and because Jesus sent someone into your life to testify about His goodness, you are counted among the sheep of the Good Shepherd. We should be baaaaaaaa’ing so loud that the sheep who are lost can cry out too, and Jesus will go and get them. That's where our BAAAAAA should go: to the lost sheep who do not know the Good Shepherd.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

How do we go about it?

Well, besides the obvious joke about baaaa’ing till Jesus returns, I think the way we go about heralding for Jesus is simple. We tell His story in our lives. We let people know the truth of what Jesus has done for us. In our church today, we are living out our purpose to Know Christ, Live in Community, and Fulfill Our Calling. Our mission, as given by Jesus, is to go out and tell the world. In just 9 days, we will be starting a prophecy series that will go over 10 parts. Pastor Godfrey has been praying and studying the Word and, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, will be helping us find hope in our present time. The hope of Jesus is rising among us, and we NEED to tell the world about it.

If you are interested in helping volunteers, there is a signup link below. To help make this series successful, we need your help.

If you know of someone who could use hope in their lives and is lost in this world, share this event with them. The first session is October 27 at 6:30 PM. A meal will be provided, and at 7:00 PM, we will start.

If you are not sure about either of these two invitations, I would like to invite you to pray for this series. It is written, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13) and it is through Christ’s power that we will reach those who are called lost, and Jesus will save.

https://grasshoppersignup.com/s/egis1z