For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts 

—Thessalonians 2:4

Scripture:

As believers, we have the sacred trust of the gospel message. Jesus has given us our command: “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15–16 NLT). That’s another worthwhile cost of following Christ: the responsibility of sharing His Good News with others. Every believer is called to do it. Every Christian is tasked with getting the gospel message out.

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul mentions “the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God” (1 Timothy 1:11 NLT). Emphasizing the sacred trust of the gospel again in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, he wrote, “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts” (NLT).

Here’s what that means. As Christians, we all have the same gospel. And we each must ask ourselves the question, “How am I getting the gospel out?” It doesn’t matter how other people are getting the gospel out. That’s their responsibility. What matters is how we’re doing it. That’s our call as followers of Jesus, and it’s one we can’t ignore. Too much depends on our obedience. We need to think about our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and others in our sphere of influence and ask, “Am I getting the gospel out to these people in a way that’s clear, concise, and impactful?”

Jesus sees exactly how diligent we are in carrying out our sacred responsibility. In the last chapter of the New Testament, He says, “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds” (Revelation 22:12 NLT).

That reward will be directly connected to how faithful we are in this life. Often, we place far too much stock in this life alone. We act as though everything that’s going to happen happens here. Of course, a lot of significant things do happen in this life. The most important decision we will ever make happens in this life: the decision about what we do with Jesus Christ. But we mustn’t let the things in this life distract us from our responsibility regarding the next life.

Paul framed the urgency of our mission perfectly when he wrote, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14–15 NLT).

Our faithfulness here will result in rewards there—in Heaven, and when Heaven comes to earth, when we go home.

Reflection question: What does faithfulness to the gospel message look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 

—Deuteronomy 6:10–12

Scripture:

One of the costs of following Christ is the realization that adversity isn’t something to be dreaded and avoided; it’s something to be embraced because it serves a vital purpose.

In his book, The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

We talk about the problem of pain, but let’s talk about the problem of prosperity. Prosperity brings responsibility because we are not owners; we are stewards. Everything God gives to us is a gift, and we will be held responsible for what we do with the resources that are at our disposal. Therefore, we want to make sure that we remain dependent on God.

When life gets hard and adversity hits, we pray—and so we should. But sometimes when life is going reasonably well, we sort of forget about prayer. In Acts 12, we read that when James was beheaded, and Peter was put in prison, the church prayed—and they prayed with desperation because they knew that if God didn’t come through, there was no other hope.

The psalmist wrote, “I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word” (Psalm 119:67 NLT).

God gave this warning to Israel before they entered the Promised Land and began enjoying all its blessings: “The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 6:10–12 NLT).

Adversity levels us and keeps us humble, while prosperity tends to make us proud and self-sufficient. We don’t think we need God when we’re in good health or have a wallet full of credit cards or a lot of money in the bank. But when the economy goes south, or the doctor has bad news, we turn to God because we are reminded of what really matters.

That’s the role of adversity in our lives.

Reflection question: What is the best way to respond to adversity in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. 

—Romans 5:3–5

Scripture:

Benjamin Disraeli, a former prime minister of Great Britain, once said, “Youth is a blunder; Manhood a struggle, Old Age a regret.” Maybe that seems like a dim view of existence, but there are a lot of people who would agree with his assessment.

In a fallen world, there is no vacation from human suffering and tragedy. Many deep-thinking people have tried to sort out this reality, understand it, and explain it. C. S. Lewis called it “the problem of pain.”

What we need to understand in considering this problem is that there is a God who, even in the worst tragedy, can bring good out of bad. As believers, we acknowledge that life can be bad. We acknowledge that bad things can happen. We acknowledge that tragedies can come into our lives. But we also acknowledge that God is sovereign, which means He’s in control. And we acknowledge that ultimately God can cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28).

Some people cling to the mistaken notion that because they’re Christians, they won’t suffer. They may not state it outright, but they believe that bad things won’t happen to them. However, Jesus dispelled that notion when He said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT).

As we consider the cost of following Christ, we must acknowledge that suffering is part of it. Despite Jesus’ warning, many believers have a hard time putting the words trials, problems, and God loves me into one sentence because they just don’t seem to go together. But let’s look at God’s endgame. Is it to make us happy in the temporal or make us holy in the eternal? Is it to keep us always earthbound or to prepare us for Heaven? The answer in both cases is the second option.

The apostle Paul explained it this way:

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:3–5 NLT).

God allows suffering to occur. And while no suffering is good, He can bring good from suffering.

Reflection question: When have you seen God bring good from a situation that was anything but good? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie