The Jesus Bible Reading PlanSample

FIRED UP TO SHARE THE WORD

Jeremiah lamented that serving as the Lord’s messenger of warning had brought him unending insult and rejection (Jer 20:7 – 8). Yet he could not physically withhold the news of God’s impending judgment; the words were like a raging fire within him (v. 9). He could not remain silent about Judah’s need to repent and return to the Lord, and the people needed to connect the coming tragedy to God’s punishment for their disobedience and betrayal. Regardless of the resulting mistreatment, Jeremiah had no choice but to speak the words God put in his heart.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching, he, like Jeremiah, found himself unable to remain silent. With joy John blurted out, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29). Similarly, the apostle Paul’s life was so radically changed by Christ that he could not keep the gospel to himself (Ac 26:19 – 20). Throughout history, Christ’s true followers have experienced the same compelling desire: to tell others that God is real and that a relationship with him is possible through Jesus. Communicating a person’s need for the Savior includes highlighting the reality of sin. This message can result in mistreatment when prideful people resist the notion of their sinfulness. Yet, the bad news about sin and the good news about grace through Jesus are too important for Christians to keep to themselves.

Jesus, please make your Word like a fire in my heart. I want to share your love! Amen.