And even if
our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case
the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they
might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image
of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
Let
me ask you a few questions if you are a Christian today. Do you love your
country? Do you care about the people of your country? Are you concerned about
the state of your nation? Do you want to see souls saved and the churches full
once again? Do you desire to see souls singing the praises of God? If this is
your earnest desire then we must, I repeat we must, faithfully proclaim the
Gospel. Let me address you in all affection for your soul. Let me be very
clear. If we want to see God’s name lifted high once again in the United
Kingdom, then we must preach the Gospel. If we want to see this land return to
the God of the Bible, then we must declare the Gospel. The Gospel is at the
heart of the Christian faith. It is the fundamental element of our faith. No
Gospel means no Christianity.
I
love my country very much. This is why it pains me to see the way we are going
as a nation. We are sinking deeper and deeper into sin by promoting that which
is contrary to God’s law. The United Kingdom and all nations for that matter
will do well to remember what God said in Psalm 9:17, “The wicked
will return to Sheol, Even all the nations who forget God.” The United Kingdom by
and large is a nation that has forgotten the God that made it Great Britain.
The Empire on which the sun never set has fallen and fallen spectacularly. My
heart is full of sorrow to see what we have turned into. The country is
unrecognizable from the one that existed 50 years ago. Our society has changed
greatly. The attitude of the British people has changed. Our culture has changed,
and not all for the best.
Today,
sadly many Christians look to Pastors, Churchmen, and Elders to proclaim the
Gospel. It is not the primary responsibility of Church leaders to do the work
of an Evangelist. The responsibility of the Pastor is to take care of the
church in which he is appointed to serve. Remember that God has called everyone
to share the Good News. Let’s be frank here, we are not going to see a revival
of truth in the established Church of England, the institution that was founded
upon divorce and unbiblical principles. Many people look to the Church of
England and think, “Well, that is Christianity.” Let me tell you that the
Church of England was once a voice of truth, once home to great men of the
faith, and once the bulwark that stood up for Christianity in Britain. But now
the Church of England has bowed down to the pressures put on them by the
liberal elite and the politically correct establishment that runs the Anglican
Church in the UK. The Church of England does not hold strongly to the authority
of Scripture, does not faithfully teach the Bible as the literal Word of God,
and does not proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ of Holy Writ, who said “I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
The Bible declares, “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering
the sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:1). One does wonder if
the wolves in sheep’s clothing that stand behind the pulpits of England know
that God will deal with those who lead people astray very harshly indeed. The
Bible declares, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren,
knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). The
Anglican Community in Africa and other places that still hold to Evangelical
Christianity are a great blessing to the body of Christ.
John
Wycliffe once said, “Holy Scripture is the highest authority for every
believer, the standard of faith and the foundation of reform.” Christian, I ask
you today. What is your authority? Do you place your trust in the wisdom of
this world that the Bible calls foolishness? Or do you place your trust in the
Word of God that has been the cornerstone of truth for over 2,000 years? As
R.C. Sproul once said, “The problem with the modern church is, we have
forgotten who we are and we have forgotten who God is.” The god of the modern
church is one of, “I think”, and “In my view.” Well God is not a God of, “I
think.” He is a God of “Thus says the LORD” revealed to us in Scripture. The
modern church kicks God off the throne when the words, “I think” are uttered.
The modern church would boldly proclaim, “Jesus would not do that” or “Jesus
would not say that”, even when Scripture is quoted. The men of the Church of
England who lived before us would be spinning in their graves if they could
only see what has happened to our nation. I think of men such as the first
Bishop of Liverpool, J. C. Ryle, and men such as Hugh Latimer, Nicolas Ridley,
John Hooper, Thomas Cranmer, William and Samuel Wilberforce, and John Newton to
name a few. I ask what has happened to British Christianity. If we want to see
this nation return to a strong faith in God and a fervent worship of Christ,
then we must pray that God will start a revival in our hearts. Yes, you read
that correctly, the cold and stagnant hearts of God’s own people. The Church,
His bride, and the ones He died for are cold to evangelism. They are cold in
sharing the faith that Christ taught and cold to the condition of men’s souls.
What is wrong with us? Wake up Britain! Awake and arise from sleep. God forbid
that we should ever be cold and uninterested in evangelism.
Men
and women are dying and going to Hell because we cannot be bothered to share
the Gospel. We would rather have a lie-in on a Saturday than share the cure and
remedy of sin. How many sleeping partners do we have in the Church today? How
many Pastors, Preachers, and Christians are at home in their armchairs on a
Saturday afternoon or doing the weekly shop, blending in with the world as
inconspicuously as possible, not willing to stick their head above the parapet?
Search your heart, O’ Christian. Are you really saved this hour? Do you have a
burden for the lost? How many Christians are hiding in their bunkers,
retreating from the world, too scared to fight the good fight of faith? Are you
really a blood-bought child of God if you prefer to fulfill your own selfish
desires than share the glorious Gospel of truth? Are you sure you are a child
of God today if you desire to fulfill the things that please your flesh? We
need to have a burden for the people of this country. We must have a desire to
reach them with the hope of Christ. Why as a Church are we not preaching the
Saviour of sinners to the lost? God can save souls without our aid, of course.
However, that is not a valid excuse to be lazy about evangelism.
Romans
10:14-15 says, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not
believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will
they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just
as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of
good things!”
Friends,
let me be honest with you. We are not going to see a revival of truth in this
land if we do not proclaim the Gospel. If you want a harvest, you must sow. You
must break up the ground. You must scatter the seed of God’s Word on the earth.
You must broadcast the Gospel far and wide. How can we expect the lost to be on
fire for God when God’s own people are cold and lukewarm? How can we expect the
lost to take the Bible seriously when God’s own people do not? How can we
expect the world to turn to God in prayer when God’s own people will not? We
are not going to see a change in this country if we just leave it to someone
else. God has called every one of His people to proclaim the Gospel. Now, this
takes many different forms and is done in different ways depending on the
circumstances. However ultimately if we do not share the Gospel message then
our nation is going to sink deeper into sin and the people of our nation are
going to sink deeper into unrighteous living. It is our job as Christians to warn
people in love of the dangers of sin and how God views sin. The greatest thing
we can do for an unbeliever, the most loving thing we can do is share the
Gospel with them. To give them a chance to repent and believe. Preach the
Gospel to all people regardless of who they are and what their sin preference
may be. Share the Gospel, and leave the convicting, convincing, and converting
to God, for He is the only One that can change hearts. God is raising up men
and women to be His messengers in the open air. The opportunity to share
Christ’s Gospel is right in front of us today. The opportunities to share
Christ are right under our noses. Do you want to be involved in the conversion
of souls to the truth? God’s word teaches us, “But whoever denies Me before
men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:33). The
words of Christ here should stir our hearts up to serve Him, to fear Him, and
to honour Him.
Faithful
Christians are a nation’s best citizens. What I mean by this is that a faithful
Christian will warn the nation when it is going in the wrong direction and give
a biblical answer to the problems of the day. Will you dare to be a Daniel,
dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose, and dare to make it known? A
Daniel who will proclaim the Gospel in a very hostile nation, a nation that
hates the Gospel and spits in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. When writing
this I was thinking of men such as Martin Luther and the Protestant reformers.
Luther took on the might of the Roman Catholic Church. The institution that
controlled everything from the cradle to the grave. Will you take on the might
of those who seek to destroy the souls and lives of God’s creation? Will you be
a soldier in Christ’s army? Will you join His band and march to His beat? An
army that does not fight with a sword made of metal but with that sword that
“is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to
the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” That sword is the Word of God. God
says, “Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Who will take his stand for
me against those who do wickedness?” (Psalm 94:16).
The
power of God is still available today. He can still save souls. He can still
transform lives. However, we are not doing what Christ told us to do. Christ
said, “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all
creation. “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who
has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16). It is one thing supporting other
people to go overseas and proclaim Christ there. What about the people of our
own nation? What about the people literally next door to us, in our neighbourhood,
in the towns and cities where we live? We must try to reach our own people in
the land that God has placed us in. I for one do not believe in pure luck or
chance. God has placed you and me in this country to share Christ here. We are
not of this world, but we are to be in the world for the purpose of proclaiming
Christ. It is good to train men and women for missionary work both at home and
abroad. There ought to be a desire in the hearts of God’s people to share the
Good News with all and every tongue, tribe, and nation.
We
are pilgrims passing through this world on our way to the celestial City as
John Bunyan wrote in his famous book Pilgrims Progress. Incidentally, a
book that he wrote mostly in a cold, dark, and damp prison cell. This world is
not our home. The Apostle Peter wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost,
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly
lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the
Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may
because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of
visitation” (1
Peter 2:11-12).
If
we desire to see the Holy Spirit poured out on this land once again then we
must do what is required of us. We must do as we are told! We need to be
faithful to Christ, to proclaim righteousness, to hold up the truth, to shine
the Gospel light, to rebuke sin, to reprove the deeds of the devil, and most
importantly to die to self and live for Christ. Are you ready to serve your God
faithfully even if it means losing friendships, loved ones, and all you have
even known? Will you suffer for Christ? I challenge you to read the Sermon on
the Mount, to read the Acts of the Apostles, and the letters of the first
Christians. This will enable you to understand first-hand what the early church
went through daily. The trials and the temptations of those endured by whom God
has called are for a reason. The Christian is one who lives for Him, who died
for you.
Evangelism
I.
We
don't talk about evangelism, we do it.
II.
We
don't plan an evangelistic event, we do it.
III.
We
don't think of ways to get people in, we go out to them.
IV.
We
don't pay someone to do it for us, we do it ourselves.
V.
We
don't wait for others to join us, we make a stand-alone.
Not
everyone is called to be an open-air preacher or an evangelist, but we are all
called to be witnesses for Christ. Anyone can hand out a tract or a leaflet
explaining the Gospel. Anyone can talk to people one to one. Evangelism could
not be easier in this country today. We have the liberty to do so and the
protection of the law on our side. We must use the rights and privileges we
have in this country, or we may lose our rights as British subjects, and now as
we are in the Computer Age, we even have open doors to share the Gospel around
the world from our homes. Over one billion people are active on Facebook. Of
course, we cannot reach all of them with the Gospel but we sure can reach a
high number.
I
would like to take a few lines to talk about social media and its place in our
lives as Christians. Personally, I’m not a big fan of social media. I believe
it can have a negative effect on people’s lives. It can do more harm than good.
I’m old fashioned and I prefer the old ways of communication. However, if
correctly used the power of social media is massive. I use social media mainly
for evangelism and encouraging Christian people. I believe as Christians we can
use social media for the promotion of the Gospel and should not use it for
narcissistic purposes like most people today. Social media has in many ways
ruined society and the family and it is very addictive. Social media has ruined
the mental and emotional well-being of many, especially young people. We should
keep our use of social media to a limit.
I
am sure you have heard of the famous hymn, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” I
wonder if you know the story behind that hymn. Let me share with you the
wisdom, faithfulness, and trust in Christ behind the words of this timeless
classic. In the 19th century in Wales, there was a great revival. This resulted
in many missionaries being sent to countries all over the world. One such man
and his family went to India to witness to a tribe in the north of the country.
The tribe mercilessly hunted down their enemies and hung their heads on a
stick. The tribe was renowned for head-hunting. Many Christians today would not
even entertain the idea of going to such a people. Anyway, that is beside the
point, I digress.
The
Welsh missionary family was not welcomed, and the tribe made that very clear to
them. However, the missionary family knew that they were called by God, so
continued to preach Christ and the Gospel. As time went on and God worked in
the hearts of one family in the tribe, they accepted Christ as Lord and
Saviour. To say this displeased the tribal Chief would be an understatement.
The man and his family (a wife and two sons) were on fire for Christ. God used
their mission greatly as more villagers and families came to know Christ. The
Chief of the tribe found out about the many people who were being led to true
faith in Christ. So, the Chief captured the Christian family and commanded them
to stop. The Christian man refused to stop, so the Chief told him if he did not
stop and recant his faith in Christ, he was going to kill his children. The man
loved his children dearly, but he knew that he could not forsake Christ. At
this point, the man said the first line of this famous hymn, “I have decided to
follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.”
The
Chief of the tribe then commanded the archers to pull back their arrows to kill
the children of the Christian family, which they did. As his children lay
before him on the ground dead the Chief said to the man that he has one last
chance to deny Christ or this time his wife would receive the same fate. The
man then said the next part of this famous hymn, “Though none go with me, still
I will follow; No turning back, no turning back.” Then before another word was
spoken the archers shot dead his wife. Now with his family dead, the Chief said
to him, renounce Christ, or this time we will kill you. The faithful Christian
man looked up to Heaven and said, “The world behind me, the cross before me; No
turning back, no turning back.” In anger and hatred, the Chief ordered the
arrows to be fired. In the blink of an eye and the beat of a heart, the
Christian man was transported from Earth to Heaven.
However,
the story does not end here. With the entire Christian missionary family dead
before him, the Chief stood in awe and amazement at what just happened. He
could not believe what he saw. He realised that through the faith of just one
man the Gospel was true. He realised that the faithfulness of this one man was
in a God that is real. A God who was worth not just living for but dying for.
Before the Christian man was shot dead, he saw his children and wife being
killed with arrows. The reports tell us that the Chief looked at the scenes
before his eyes and realised the truth of the Gospel and repented and believed
in Christ for salvation. In the weeks and months after this many more tribal
people came to faith in Christ. All because of one man from Wales. All because
one family was willing to stand up and proclaim Christ. Never underestimate the
power of your witness and the impact it has on the lives of others. Never doubt
for a single second what God can do with poor insignificant people. People whom
the world regards in the utmost contempt God chooses for His glory. Think of
the twelve apostles, none of them were people of power or high regard. They
were just twelve ordinary Jews from Israel, and they turned the world upside
down. So, my final question for you is this, will you decide to witness for
Jesus, no turning back, no turning back? Will you be the one to fill the gap?
I
am going to lay my cards on the table and freely admit to you. I get fearful
while preaching Christ. Witnessing to people that hate the Lord Jesus Christ is
not easy and, in some cases, the ungodly will want to hurt you. I understand
firsthand, it is hard and fearful to be faithful. The apostles were scared,
they fled when Christ was arrested. Peter even denied knowing Christ. We are
only human; we have human weaknesses. Many times, we have not because we ask
not. Ask Christ to aid you in reaching the lost. Christ himself was fearful in
the Garden of Gethsemane before he was crucified. Christ knew that He was going
to die for the truth. We are called to be faithful to the ministry of the
Gospel and leave the conversion up to the Lord and the Scriptures. We all get
fearful of those who seek us harm, but God will go with us in the battle. He
will stand alongside us. He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” God
will calm your heart and still your fears. God will protect His people. We
can’t die until God has called us home. God’s plan and will must be done, or He
is not God. Deuteronomy 31:6 declares, “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble
at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail
you or forsake you.”
In
1 Corinthians 10:13, the Bible says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common
to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so
that you will be able to endure it.” Let’s give God all that we’ve got. Let’s go with the
Cross before us and the world behind us. Go with God leading before us. Set
before yourself the Word of God and what He will have you do. Have verses such
as Romans 10:14 in mind, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not
believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will
they hear without a preacher?” He
who has ears to hear let him hear. “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this
adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him
when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”(Mark 8:38).
Yours heartily in Christ
Mr. Nathan A. Hughes