Gathering Summary | Sharing the Gospel

We wrapped up our Abide Series looking at our final Discipleship Target - Sharing the Gospel. We mentioned that many churches like to focus on the UP of Growing in Christ and the IN of Living as a Family, but when it came to the OUT of Sharing the Gospel it becomes a little more uncomfortable.  But the truth is, if we don’t have a heart for those who are far from the Lord then we don’t have the heart of Jesus.  He made it very clear his passion wasn’t for those who were well, but the sick.  Jesus said in Luke 19:10, “I came to seek and to save the LOST.”
 
Luke 15 is one of Capstone’s foundational chapters of scripture.  The crowd that has gathered around Jesus were “notorious sinners.”  The religious leaders didn’t like that Jesus would speak to people who were seen as religious outcasts.  In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables all dealing with something that was lost: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and the Lost Son.  Each one of the items that was lost had great value.  And he looks at those who were far from God and says: You all have value despite your sin.  You are worth seeking and saving.  Can you imagine the prostitute hearing that?  The isolated yet rich tax collectors? Can you imagine the liar, the thief, the hurting and broken?  And they hear Jesus say – I value you and want you to be a part of my family.  And that Jesus saying he will have a family who because they follow him and abide in him – will do the same.  They will show you love.  They will meet your needs physically and spiritually.  They will give you grace and compassion.  This is the fruit of understanding that we were just like the notorious sinner in the crowd.  We will live lives full of compassion and grace sharing the Gospel in word and deed.  Unfortunately, this isn’t what many of us are known for.  
 
The way we describe this lifestyle as a Christ follower is that we are called to be a “Missionary where we work, learn, live and play.”  Which means that where ever the Lord has placed us, we will live intentional lives that look for opportunities to be Jesus.  We will seek out relationships with those who are far from the Lord, pray for them, and share the Good News of Jesus with them.    
 
Throughout Scripture we see that the Father doesn’t just want us to do religious actions.  He desires for his family and people to be about it - making right what sin has destroyed.  Jesus would say to bring the Kingdom on Earth as it is in heaven.  In Isaiah 58, Israel is complaining to God about going through the religious motions of fasting and worship yet seeing no fruit.  In verses 6-9, the Lord responds with: “you have missed what I desired.  You worship yet oppress. You pray but don’t care for those who you are praying for.”  God doesn’t desire JUST religious actions but a servant’s heart.  Jesus tells us the same the thing in Matthew 25 in how we are sharing the Gospel in word and deed.  
 
We believe this is one of the ways that Capstone is different, in that we strive to reach the 1 mentioned in Luke 15 and to train the 99 to Share the Gospel with the 1.  Everything we do is about how we can put the Gospel on display for the world to see.  From the weekly gathering, to the vision of building a Community Center that a church meets in, it is all centered about how we can share the gospel with our community in word and deed.