The Urgency of the Gospel Acts 9:19-22

Oh Church where is your passion? 

Oh Christian where is your burden for the lost?

Has the gospel lost its wonder? 

Has the cross lost its offence?

Has your faith become vain? 

Does your heart still break for the lost? 

Oh Church where is your fire?

Oh Christian what shapes your life?

Has your love grown cold?

Does the Holy Spirit reside in your life?

Why do you come to this place?

Does your faith in God and love for God drive your week?

Heaven is real and hell is real. each are only a breath away!

“We see the storm clouds gathering and events taking place that herald the second coming of Jesus Christ.” “Events are moving rapidly toward some sort of climax.”      ~ Billy Graham

That fact should give us a new urgency. We should have an urgency for the lost. An urgency for our lost friends and family members. Does it? Does our faith motivate us to live any different? When was the last time you honestly shared your faith with anyone? When did you stop and ask someone about their faith and ask them about Jesus? How important is the gospel to you? Does it permeate every fabric of your being? If it truly did you would share it every day. You would devout your entire life to it. It would absorb your attention, time and heart.

May I say, that the number one thing lacking in church today is that urgency. I don't see a hunger for the gospel. I don't see a overwhelming burden for the lost. I don't see hearts ablaze in response to the love of God. I don't see an urgency to live differently.

Rather I see "Christians" file into static buildings week after week, singing the same songs their grandparents sang, listening to the same old messages. Its almost as if many come in and check out and refuse to hear anything from God. How often do you see people crowd the altars? How often do you see people make decisions during a service? How many times has the decision been made prior to ever coming. Has church indeed become a vain formality?

It does not have to be that way. I I pray that for you it isn't. But the more pastors and church leaders I speak to the stronger and darker this trend is becoming. It was not always this way. Take for instance the case of Saul, ruthless persecutor turned preacher. After receiving the truth, accepting the fact of his sinfulness, repenting of his former ways, and believing on Jesus, and baptism IMMEDIATELY began sharing the faith.  He was telling everyone of the hope he found. He shared the hope of Jesus, the hope of eternal life in heaven and freedom from sin, death, the law and hell to everyone. He did so without fear of rejection, abandonment, or loss of his life or reputations.

What about you? Do you have an urgency for the gospel? What stops you?
I challenge you today to declare your faith. Shout it out from the rooftops! Is God living in you? If so live that truth out! Live with an urgency!