Day 13: Reaping starts with sowing
Paul said: “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16)
And then he says: “I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:23)
Even after his resurrection, Jesus told His disciples: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
It is very clear that the most important task for the Church and every Christian is to share the Gospel. God’s heart is for all to be saved. Therefore, sharing the Gospel is the main task, not a side hustle. It is also not just one of the many things a church needs to do.
If I were to put it bluntly: Evangelism should be of utmost importance and priority.
Christ would want His Church and His disciples to carry out the Great Commission. Dear brothers and sisters, are you eagerly sharing the Gospel? If you attend service regularly and punctually, tithe faithfully, or even serve in your church, all the more I would like to remind you to remember to share the Gospel too. This is the command of God!
According to the Singapore Census of Population 2020, at least two million Singaporeans and permanent residents are able to understand and speak Mandarin. Right now, only two in 10 Chinese in Singapore are Christian or Catholic. We have such a huge harvest field! This harvest field does not even include foreigners in the Chinese-speaking community.
Evangelism should be of utmost importance and priority.
The Celebration of Hope evangelistic event organised in 2019 truly proves the size of this field. Tickets for the Chinese session were snatched up fastest, and it saw the largest attendance too. Some pastors from the English congregation saw this window of opportunity and eagerly provided manpower and financial resources to the Chinese team. Indeed, it was a fruitful session.
Before Covid, our church used “Happiness Groups” as a strategy to share the Gospel, and we saw many pre-believers joining us. The worship atmosphere of the church was different then as well. When Covid hit, we were determined to persevere in evangelism, and so we decided to focus our resources to pivot and conduct Happiness Groups online instead. Honestly, it was challenging to express love and care, as well as touch hearts online.
But God longs for His disciples to learn to love Him and His people under all circumstances, even during the pandemic. Eventually we saw more people coming to know Christ during these three years, as compared to pre-Covid times.
The field of the Chinese-speaking community in Singapore is ripe, and it is time for the harvest! Let us not miss out on a time like this.
I also believe that when it comes to evangelism, nothing would happen if you don’t do anything. Even if you start small, God will pave the way for you, because there will always be people who will come to believe in Jesus! Regardless of the evangelism strategy of your church, you just have to start and you will see the fruits of your labour.
Let us not miss out on a time like this.
Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
We might face all sorts of challenges during evangelism. But those who don’t give up in sowing with tears, will reap with songs of joy. Let us pray:
Dear Lord, we thank You for loving the churches in Singapore. God help us to eagerly share the Gospel with those who have yet to believe in Jesus Christ, so that all Your lost sheep may return Home. Lord, help us and lead us.
All this I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Download the PDF version of today’s devotional here.