When We Ghost the Gospel: Rediscovering Our Call to Share God's Good News
Have you ever felt surrounded on all sides with no way out? That desperate feeling where every option seems to lead to the same dead end? This is exactly where we find four unlikely heroes in the Old Testament - four men with leprosy who would become the bearers of incredible good news to a starving city.
The Outcasts Who Carried Hope
In 2 Kings 6, the city of Samaria was under siege, facing such desperate famine that people resorted to cannibalism. Outside the city gates lived four men with leprosy - society's outcasts who lived where all the waste literally rolled downhill. These men faced an impossible choice: stay and die, enter the city and die, or surrender to their enemies and possibly live.
When they chose to surrender, they discovered something miraculous. God had caused the enemy army to flee in terror, leaving behind all their provisions. The lepers found themselves surrounded by abundance - food, silver, gold, and clothes.
What Do We Do With Good News?
After filling their bellies and hiding treasures, these men had a moment of conviction: "What we're doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we're keeping it to ourselves."
This raises a crucial question for every believer: When you're enjoying the riches of God's forgiveness, perfect acceptance, and peace that passes understanding, do you still feel the burden to share those riches? Or are you keeping what God has done in your life all to yourself?
Why the Church Has Ghosted Evangelism
The global church has largely ghosted the priority and practice of sharing the gospel. We've become too comfortable, too busy with peripheral things, and too distracted by our modern-day idols.
Our Modern Idols
Just like ancient Athens had 30,000 statues to various gods, we have our own collection of lowercase-g gods:
- Sports teams and entertainment
- Political figures
- Money and success
- Social media influencers
- The pursuit of fame
We've allowed these things to take priority over the one thing that truly matters - sharing the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
Do You Still Believe in the Power of the Gospel?
Consider this sobering illustration: In Brazil, a safety inspector knew a dam was unsafe three months before it failed, killing 270 people. Instead of speaking up (which would have cost him his job), he remained silent. Did he not believe his knowledge was powerful enough to save lives?
The question for us is equally challenging: Do you believe what you know about the Gospel is powerful enough to save lives?
Common Excuses We Make
- "Isn't sharing the gospel the church's job?"
- "That's not my gift"
- "I don't have time"
- "I don't know any non-Christians"
- "People will be offended if I tell them Jesus is the only way"
These excuses reveal that we've lost sight of the urgency and power of the gospel message.
Learning from Paul in Athens
When Paul arrived in Athens - a city full of idols and philosophical debates - he didn't retreat. He engaged. He went to the marketplace, the streets, and eventually spoke before the Areopagus (their supreme court).
Paul understood that the gospel belonged in the streets, not just in religious buildings. He believed the gospel offered everything that everyone was looking for - peace from anxiety, identity for the confused, purpose for the lost, and hope for the hopeless.
Remembering Your First Encounter with Jesus
Do you remember the day you first believed? That moment when something changed within you? We need to return to that fire, that excitement about what God had done in our lives.
When we lose touch with our own transformation story, we lose the motivation to share it with others. Your testimony - the story of who you were and who you are now - is one of the most powerful tools for reaching others.
Two Essential Steps Forward
1. Accept God's Calling to Be a Witness Daily
Every morning, in your prayer and devotion time, accept that God has called you to be a witness to each person you encounter. Ask God for opportunities to share your life, listen to people, serve them, and show them Christ's love.
Intentional evangelism requires us to:
- Begin with prayer
- Listen to what people have going on
- Share meals with them
- Look for ways to serve
2. Accept God's Power to Be a Witness Daily
You need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit each day. Like a bucket that gets emptied as we rush through life, we need daily refilling through time with Jesus.
The power of evangelism isn't in our ability - it's in the power of the gospel itself. As Paul wrote, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes."
Realistic Expectations
Even Paul, the most gifted evangelist, didn't have a 100% success rate. When he spoke in Athens, some sneered, others were curious, and some believed. You won't win everyone, but that doesn't excuse us from trying.
Remember, witnesses simply share what they saw, regardless of the outcome. Your job is to be faithful in sharing; God's job is to change hearts.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to stop ghosting the gospel. Think about your own transformation story - who you were before Christ and who you are now. Look for one person in your life who needs to hear about the hope you've found in Jesus.
Start small: share a meal with someone, listen to their struggles, and when appropriate, share how Jesus has made a difference in your life. Don't force it, but don't hide it either.
Ask yourself these questions:
- When was the last time I shared my faith story with someone?
- Do I truly believe the gospel has power to transform lives today?
- What modern idols have I allowed to take priority over sharing Christ?
- How can I be more intentional about creating opportunities to share the gospel this week?
The four lepers couldn't keep the good news to themselves when people were starving. How can we keep the greatest news of all to ourselves when people around us are spiritually starving? It's time to stop ghosting the gospel and start sharing the hope that has transformed our lives.