Quick Note – Acts 10:43 – The Gospel in Few Words

Acts 10:43 – To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

Cornelius was a centurion of the Italian cohort, a Gentile, but also a devout follower of God.  However, he had never heard the Gospel.  So when praying one day, God sent a vision to Cornelius to call for Peter, who would share the Gospel with him.  After being told by God not to show distinction between Jew and Gentile, Peter went with some soldiers to visit Cornelius.  When he arrived, he met with Cornelius and his household, which was filled with friends and family.  It was then that Peter began to preach about Jesus Christ to them. 

At the end of his sermon, Peter summarized the Gospel with the words in our passage today, “To him [Jesus] all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”  Many words can be used to share the Gospel.  Countless verses can be stacked one after another to make the point.  But I think this summary in Acts 10:43 is a simple but clear way to deliver the message. 

Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the One to whom all the prophets and all the passages in the Bible, pointed to.  He was the one that was being declared as the source of salvation.  What did He save us from?  Our sins.  Because of our sins, we had a broken relationship with God.  Because of our sins, we were judged to die.  However, by coming to this earth and dying for us, Jesus Christ opened up a way for us to find forgiveness for our sins.  He opened up a way so that we could be saved.  And what is that way?  To believe in His name.  Salvation comes through His name.  Forgiveness of sins comes through His name.  That is the Gospel.  Simple and clear.  Jesus Christ was the Promised One; He died for our sins; and by believing in Him as Lord and Savior, forgiveness and salvation is found. 

The Gospel does not need to be described in so many words.  It is a simple fact that Jesus Christ saves.  After hearing these words, Cornelius and his whole household believed.  They then instantly received the Holy Spirit and became some of the first Gentile converts to Christianity.  A simple sermon, a simple phrase that is all it took for God to work in their hearts.  So if you are afraid of sharing the Gospel, then remember this one verse, Acts 10:43, because in it, all the Gospel is packed.  And if you have yet to become a Christian, then don’t delay, the Gospel is shared with you today, believe in Him, so that you might be saved. 

Quick Note – 2 Kings 7:3-9 – Share the Good News

2 Kings 7:3-9 – ³ Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? ⁴ If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.” ⁵ So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there. ⁶ For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.” ⁷ So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. ⁸ And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them. ⁹ Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household.” 

When we get good news, we want to share it with everyone around us.  We want the whole world to know.  Whether it is a promotion at work, a windfall of cash, or a prize from a giveaway, we want others to celebrate our joys with us.  That is probably the reason why so many people post their whole lives on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.  They want to see the likes, the retweets, and the hearts that show that others are happy for them.  It’s nice to celebrate good news with others.  

Our passage today is about four lepers who were sitting outside the city of Samaria in Israel.  They weren’t allowed in the city because of their disease.  However, it wasn’t going well for the city either.  The city was being besieged by the Syrian army who was starving out the city.  There was so little food in the city that some people began to eat their children.  Knowing that they could only try to get in the city and starve or wait outside and die, they decided they had nothing to lose by going into the Syrian camp, surrendering, and maybe getting some food.  Nothing worse could happen anyways.  To their surprise, when they arrived at the camp, they found it abandoned and were able to enjoy the spoils.  They ate, drank, and carried off some gold and silver. They were even able to repeat it a second time.  It was after enjoying the spoils a second time that they realized their mistake – they were full but everyone else in the city was starving.  It was then that they decided, “We are not doing right.  This day is a day of good news.  If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us.  Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household.”  They decided to share the good news, and that evening all of Samaria was able to fill their stomachs.  They shared their good news, and everyone was able to enjoy it together.  

As Christians, we have been entrusted with the Good News of the Gospel.  We have experienced the salvation of God given through Jesus Christ His Son in our own personal lives.  We have felt His unconditional love, His never-ending mercy, and His overflowing grace.  We have known of the death of His Son which paid for our sins and His Resurrection which justified us in God’s sight.  And we know that this salvation is available to all who would place their faith and trust in Him.  

So why are we so often ashamed of sharing that Good News with the world?  We should be shouting these words from the mountaintops and letting the world know the great things that God has done in our lives.  It’s not just selfish that we keep this to ourselves, it is wrong, because we are allowing others who could experience this same joy to still live in their sin and despair.  We would be like the lepers who were rejoicing in their good news while allowing others to continue suffering.  Let us be bold and share the Gospel with all.  We have Good News. Why hide it?  Share it with everyone today.

Quick Note – The Core Principles in Corinthians

When sharing the Gospel, many people like to use verses like John 3:16 or a set of verses in Romans called the Romans Road.  But interestingly, as I was reading my Bible today, I noticed that there is a set of verses in 2 Corinthians 5-6 that I believe can be used as a template for sharing the Gospel too.  I guess you could say, the Core Principles of the Gospel are in the Corinthians.  I would just like to spend a few minutes of time sharing with you some of those verses and how you can use it to share the Gospel with your friends.  So that next time, when you are asked, “What is the Gospel?” you can easily turn to these two chapters and lead someone to the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

1.  Our life on this earth is temporary, but God has provided us an eternal home if we turn to Him.

2 Corinthians 5:1-4 – For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

In this passage, Paul talks about the tent that is our earthly home and how it will eventually be destroyed.  He is not talking about a physical place but using the term tent as a metaphor for our physical bodies.  He wanted to remind the Corinthians that their human bodies on this earth are temporary.  Their lives were short and would eventually go away, but God had provided them an eternal heavenly dwelling if they were willing turn to Him. 

You can use this set of verses to emphasize the need for a Savior in Jesus Christ.  Remind your friends that they are sinners, and that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).  Let them know that this life is short and that they need to think about their eternal destiny.  Then, have a discussion on what they believe happens after death and where they might go.  Sometimes, it is important to remind people of the frailty of this life. 

2.  We will all be judged for what we have done in this life. 

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

This verse is a clear reminder that we will all eventually have to pay for our sins.  There is no escape; there is no blank check; there is no free pass.  We will all be judged and receive the due reward for our actions.  For those who have sinned and done what is evil, the price to be paid is death (Romans 6:23); and since all have sinned (Romans 3:23), we all our subject to the penalty of eternal death.  Even the good things that we think we have done could never outweigh our sins, for our righteousness is considered but filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).  We will be judged. 

Once you have established the fragility of this short life we live and the concept of an eternal home, then it is important to share with them that your eternal destiny is determined by the judgment of Christ.  There is no escape, and no hiding from God’s judgment.  It will eventually come. 

3.  God sent His Son as a reconciliation for our sins. 

2 Corinthians 5:19, 21 – …That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them…For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This passage is the solution for our sin problem.  In order to be considered righteous before God, we needed to be sinless, but since none of us are without sin, that could never be accomplished.  As an alternative, we could have a sinless sacrifice die in our place.  But once again, where could we find that sacrifice?  Fortunately for us, that sacrifice was sent to us by God Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.  Jesus lived a sinless life (He knew no sin.), which made Him the only sacrifice that could be given in our place.  So He went to the cross and died for us instead.  He took on the penalty of sin, paid for those wages, and reconciled/repaired our relationship with God.  All we needed to do was accept this gift by placing our faith and trust in Him.  We just needed to trust Him as Savior from our sins and Lord of our lives. 

After having a discussion about the judgment of God and the penalty of sin, it is important to lead your friends from that pit of despair to the mountain of Calvary.  Point them to the cross, where Jesus Christ paid that debt of death for us.  Share with them the love of God, and His willingness to die in our place.  God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).  If we choose to receive Christ in to our lives, God will no longer count our sins against us, but rather, He will see that the debt has been paid by His Son and consider us righteous in His sight.

4.  Now is the Day of Salvation.  Do not delay turning your life to Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 – Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.  For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”  Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

This passage is a reminder of the urgency of salvation.  Paul was telling those reading his letter to not waste time and to not waste the grace of God.  Rather, they should turn to God right away, for now is the time, now is the day of salvation.  After reminding them that life was short and that the judgment was soon to come, he wanted them to know that receiving Christ was an urgent matter.  It was not something to procrastinate.  It was not something to delay.  It was something that needed to be done now, as the Holy Spirit was moving in their hearts.  He did not want to see the grace of God wasted.  He wanted them to hear the call of Christ and turn to Him at that moment. 

Once you have shared the solution, press upon them to make a decision.  Very often, Christians will share the Gospel with unbelievers but not ask them whether they want to receive Christ at that moment.  Fearing that they may push their friends too hard if they bring up this matter, they give them the facts but not what to do with those facts.  It is important that we remind our friends that this is an urgent matter that cannot be delayed.  It is a decision that must be made when the time is right; and the right time is now.  If you are afraid, simply bring them back to the first point about the frailty of life and help them realize that this is a decision that needs to be made ASAP.  Then ask them whether they want to give their lives to Christ at that moment. 

5.  When you are saved, you become a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us…

Paul wanted to let the Corinthians know that they were new creations.  As Christians saved by the grace of God, they were no longer supposed to live in sin and depravity, but live for the One who died for them.  They were new creations, whose purpose were to be ambassadors for Christ.  After being reconciled to God, they were now supposed to share that message of reconciliation with others.  They were disciples that were sent out to make new disciples. 

If your friend chooses to receive Christ into his or her life, it is time to rejoice.  But do not stop with this single event, let them know that they are now given a new purpose to share the Gospel with others.  Obviously, it may take some time for them to build that courage and knowledge to share their newfound faith.  But remind them that it is important that they now live a new life in Christ.  To throw out the old self that is enslaved to sin and to begin to live a new life dedicated to God.  Remind them that they are a new creation in Christ. 

Conclusion

I hope after reading this, you have been encouraged to share your faith with others.  If you did not have the knowledge of what words to say, I hope that these verses can be a template and a starting place for you to have conversations with your friends and family members who do not know Christ.  If you were afraid to share the Gospel, I hope these words gave you courage by reminding you of your responsibility as an ambassador for Christ and the urgent need for salvation in this world.  And if you are already diligently sharing God’s Word, I hope this passage can be a new tool for you as you go out and make more disciples.  2 Corinthians 5-6 – the Core Principles of the Gospel in Corinthians. 

More importantly, if you stumbled onto this blog, and do not know Christ yourself, I hope that you will consider these words and allow the Spirit of God to move into your life today.  Our life here on earth is limited, and one day we will face the judgment.  Because of our sinful state, the judgment assigned to us is death.  But Christ died on the cross for us, reconciling our relationship with God and giving us an opportunity to be presented as righteous before Him.  He paid the penalty of sin for us, so that we might be found righteous before God.  All we need to do is decide to receive Him as our Savior and Lord.  This is an urgent decision that God is asking you to make NOW.  Do not procrastinate and do not delay, for you know not when your life here on earth may be over.  So receive Him in your heart today, and He will make you a new creation.  He will give you new purpose and new life. 

Acts 10:34-35 – So Peter opened his mouth and said:  “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

Read Acts 10 here.

One of the most common questions people ask Christians is “What happens to the people who have never heard the Gospel?  What would happen to those remote tribes in the Amazon or Africa, who likely would have never heard about Jesus?  Would they go to hell as well?”  When they ask this question, they are often looking for a way to paint God in an unmerciful light and to shake a Christian’s faith in the God who truly loves and extends grace to all.  Oftentimes, this stumps a young Christian and leaves them dumbfounded without an answer.  But I have come to believe that the answer is found in the book of Acts, chapter 10.  So if you have ever been approached with this question, I recommend that you read this chapter and reflect whether the answer I am sharing today is satisfying to you. 

To set the scene, Acts 10 opens up with a centurion named Cornelius praying.  He was a devout man that loved and feared God, but he didn’t have the full picture.  He knew about the Jewish religion and did what he could to support God’s people, but he did not know about the salvation that is brought by Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.  Nonetheless, he did his best with what he knew.  One of the days while he was praying, God sent an angel that told him to seek out a man named Peter, the same Peter who followed Christ for three years and was now leading the early church.  Cornelius immediately listened to the vision and sent his servants to request for Peter’s presence, so that he could hear the truth.  Eventually, Peter came and shared the Gospel with Cornelius, his family, and his friends, who all received the Gospel and became followers of Jesus Christ.  God sent a person to share the Gospel with Cornelius to help reveal to him the truth. 

I think this is the best answer that we can give as Christians to those who ask us the question above.  If a person truly is seeking God, wanting to know the truth of salvation, desiring to become a follower of Him, then God will send someone to share and reveal the full truth of the Gospel with them.  Our God is a graceful and merciful God and does not want any one to perish.  So I truly believe that if someone is seeking Him – no matter how remote the location is, no matter how difficult it may be to get the Gospel into that place, no matter how much persecution and obstacles could exist, God will send someone.   

Mini Sermon – Pray and Go

Luke 10:1-3 – After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.  And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  Go your way; behold I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”

PRAY AND GO – these were the two commands that Jesus Christ gave to the seventy-two disciples he sent as heralds to prepare his coming into the towns.  He was going into those towns to share the good news of the coming of the Messiah and the salvation from sin He was bringing into the world.  But just as kings and leaders send messengers to prepare a town before their arrivals, Jesus sent his disciples out to prepare his way.  But before he sent them out on this task, he shared with them a few things to prepare them to fulfill the demanding ministry that was theirs to accomplish.  Let’s take some time to examine the commands He gave His disciples and the pointers He shared with them to help them achieve their goal of preparing the way of the Lord. 

The First Command – Pray

The first command that Jesus gave to His disciples was to pray.  Although many people feel like ministry is all about doing the work, Jesus Christ highlighted the importance of prayer in ministry by making it the first thing He told His disciples to do.  He told them to pray to the Lord of the Harvest (God Himself) to send laborers into the harvest.  He didn’t tell them to prepare a speech of what they were going to share.  He didn’t tell them to pack provisions for their journey.  He didn’t tell them to make plans on where they would stay.  He told them to start their ministry with prayer.  It is quite easy to get caught up in the planning and the activity of ministry, because there is often a lot to do in a short bit of time.  When the pressure of that hustle and bustle builds up, it is easy to forget to pray, because it seems like the most insignificant part of the work, since there isn’t any tangible evidence of success.  But in reality, prayer is the lifeblood of every Christian and ministry.  Prayer keeps our relationship with Christ strong and connected.  Without it, we are like a branch that is not connected to the Vine, and without that connection, there can be no fruit.  As John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  If we ignore our relationship with Christ, our ministry will fail. 

Prayer is essential to the growth of the Christian church.  This fact has proven true over the past several centuries, for almost every revival that has ever happened began with prayer.  Often, it would begin with just a small group of people coming together and pleading to God to send His Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of those who did not know Him.  And those small prayers, lit a fire that ignited nations of people to turn to God.  In essence, these groups were practicing the command given in Luke 10 – “Pray earnestly to the lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  This is why about twenty years ago, a group of men at our church decided to start a weekly Saturday morning prayer meeting.  They recognized that prayer was the key to the preservation and growth of the church and made it a habit to pray.  And this habit has continued on even though many of those founding members have already passed away. 

We, as disciples of Jesus Christ, must make it a habit to pray, and to pray specifically for those who do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior.  We should be praying daily that God would touch the hearts and lives of our friends, our family members, our nations, and our world.  We should be praying that God would prepare missionaries, evangelists, teachers, preachers, and even individual Christians to be bold and courageous to share the Gospel with those who do not know Him.  We should be praying that God will send forth laborers into the bountiful harvest of souls right in front of us.  The ministry, the work of the Gospel, the discipleship of new Christians all begins with prayer. 

The Second Command – Go

The second command that Jesus gave the seventy-two disciples was to GO.  They were not only to PRAY for laborers to be sent into the harvest, but they were told to GO and be those laborers themselves.  They were not only to be viewers of the work of God but doers as well.  Many Christians don’t mind praying for God’s work to happen.  They will happily pray and ask God to send people to share the Gospel.  They will gladly give of their money and material goods to support missionaries and ministries around the world.  But when God works in their hearts to give of their time, they will run away as fast as Jonah did to Tarshish and get swallowed by a giant fish.  They are just like the people who claim they want something to happen but won’t move a finger to make it happen.  Their attitudes remind me of the story of the Little Red Hen, who asked all her fellow farm animals to help her make bread.  But no matter what the task was or who she asked for help, none of them were willing to help her.  Only after the bread was made did they all want to come by and take part in the reward of eating the delicious meal.  They wanted to see the results but were unwilling to work. 

We as Christians must be willing to go to the places that we pray for, work in the ministries we ask God to send laborers in, and witness to the people we want God to move in the hearts of.  We must constantly be ready for the Holy Spirit to move in our own lives and to share the Gospel with those around us.  Like the seventy-two disciples, we must step up and go into the places and allow God to work in and through us.  We are those laborers that we are praying for.  We are the people that should be going out into the harvest.  We are the people that God has sent.  So we must go. 

Some Tips for the Work

But our Lord is not a cruel master who leaves us unequipped for the work.  Rather the tips that He gave to his seventy-two disciples before they went out are applicable to us as well.  So let’s take a quick look at a few of those tips right now. 

Tip #1:  Do not worry about the physical provisions, for God will always provide for His children. 

One of the main excuses that people give for not entering full-time ministry when God has called them to it is that they won’t be able to provide for themselves or their families.  They are constantly worried that they will have no food to eat, no money to pay the bills, and no place to stay.  But look at what Christ told His disciples in vs. 4-7, “Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.”  Jesus assured His disciples that they would be provided for.  It was not guaranteed that they would live a lavish life or have their first choice in delicacies (if anything, they were told to not be picky), but they were promised that they would be taken care of.  Our God is the Lord of all Creation and has control of everything that happens in it.  It is not a big thing for God to provide for you.  Just remember that if God our Heavenly Father carefully watches over every bird in the air and tends to every blade of grass in the field, how much more would He care for us?  Don’t sweat the physical, when God can take care of that. 

Tip #2:  Do not take rejection to heart.  They aren’t rejecting you; they are rejecting God. 

One of the hardest things to accept is rejection.  That is one of the main reasons why many people don’t try for what they really want.  They are too afraid to be rejected, so they never apply for their dream job, they never ask out the person they are interested in, or more importantly, they never share the Gospel.  They are so afraid of being told, “No thanks.  I don’t want to hear about it,” that they are unwilling to even breach the topic when the Holy Spirit moves them to.  But what we must remember as Christians is that our job is not to convert people, but simply to share with them the Good News.  Our job is not to save but to give them the opportunity to meet the One that can save them.  That is why Jesus Christ told the seventy-two that if they ever entered a town and were not welcomed, that they were simply to wipe the dust off their feet and move on.  They were to remember that there are so many other opportunities and people ready to hear and receive the Gospel that if someone rejected it, to move on to the next one (Matthew 10:23).  Don’t take it personally.  They aren’t rejecting you.  

Tip #3:  Do not forget what is really important – your personal relationship with Christ.

When the seventy-two disciples returned to Jesus from their task of preparing the way of the Lord, they rejoiced that they were able to work miracles, share the Gospel, and even cast out demons in the name of Christ.  But instead of simply focusing on these tangible successes, Jesus Christ asked them to reflect on what was truly important – that their names were written in heaven (vs. 20).  Jesus wanted to remind them that their joy should not be focused on what the world would deem a successful ministry but on their relationship with Him.  When ministries succeed and things are going on the up, it is easy to get caught up in the minutiae of growing church numbers and increasing the percentage of people getting baptized.  Packing the church and bringing more people in on Sundays becomes the goal, and if it doesn’t occur, the work is deemed a failure.  But rather than focusing on those things, Christ reminds us that our joy should be based on our relationship with Him.  Instead of finding joy in the numbers, we must be glad that we have our names written in the Book of Life.  We should be rejoicing that God loves us and allows us to take part in the ministry rather than just taking joy in the ministry itself.  Let us not lose sight of our God as we work with Him.  Instead of putting aside our relationship with God to take part in ministerial activities, let us be even more vigilant in keeping our hearts closer to the Source.  When Christ’s ministry on this earth was growing, He made sure that He set apart time in the early mornings and late nights to spend time with His Father.  He knew that His relationship with His Father was more important than anything else.  The same goes for us.  When our ministry is growing, let us not forget to stay connected to Jesus Christ. 

Conclusion

The commands that Jesus Christ gave to the seventy-two disciples in Luke 10 are the same commands that He gives to each and every one of His disciples today.  We are asked to pray that God send laborers into the bountiful harvest and to go out there as laborers to bring in that harvest.  Even though at this time, it seems like more and more unbelievers are out there and less and less people are interested in hearing the Gospel, we must not grow discouraged by what we do not see.  God is telling us that there is truly an abundant harvest of people who are seeking Him and who need to hear the Gospel.  There need only be people who are willing to go out there and share it.  So let us take the initiative and do the job we were given to do.  Do not let any fear keep you back from doing the work of God.  If you are worried about provisions, remember your Provider, who cares for every bird and tree.  If you are worried about rejection or persecution, remember your Savior, who willingly went to the cross for you.  If you are worried about the possibility of failure in the worldly sense, remember that the only important thing is your relationship with Him.  Then Pray for the harvest and Go and reap it.