Jan 6, 2021
By Amanda Langley
Before we dive into Gospel Saturation we need to talk about the gospel. Many Christians or church members will tell you that they believe in the gospel but when pressed to say what that means they usually can’t find the words.
I recently posted a question on my Facebook page that said, “Non-Christians only: What is the gospel?” One friend replied with “good news;” another replied with “first four books of the New Testament” (referring to the Gospels not the Gospel); and another posted a Gif of the muses from Hercules singing, “The Gospel Truth.” All of those answers sadly came from friends of mine that were raised in the church and once called themselves Christians. When I asked my friend who answered “the good news” what that meant he replied, “Jesus saves man.” But still—from what?
Are we in the church actually sharing the gospel or just catchy phrases that can be worn on Youth T-shirts? I hope that these friends of mine, who once sat in the pews every week of their childhood, actually learned about the gospel more than they wanted to share on a public platform.
When I was in college I had a friend with whom I spent quite a bit of time. She ended up trusting me enough to let me cut her hair in my dorm once! That was a lot of fun for me, and a lot of bravery on her part. Not long after that, I was scrolling through my social media and saw that a young woman my age had been murdered in my area. I clicked on the article and there was my friend’s name and picture. I was in total shock. And then I realized that I have no idea of her spiritual standing, and she probably didn’t know mine. I had never once mentioned to her the most important information that I had. I never asked her anything about her faith.
I once went to a sermon that I’ll never forget. The preacher had a big hamburger on stage. It was dinner time and we were all hungry. He then started talking about how hungry we must all be. Then how thankful he was to have that hamburger. He then began to eat that hamburger in front of us. Once he swallowed a couple of bites, he explained that that’s what we look like—going to church and Bible study, praying and reading our Bible, filling ourselves up with the Word but never sharing it with the rest of the world. He then asked his friends in the front row if they wanted any. Some said no, but others stood up to grab
a piece.
The gospel simply put is this: We are all sinners and cannot have a relationship with God on our own (Romans 3:23). God in His love sent His son to die in our place (John 3:16). If we say with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, then we will be saved and can live with God forever (Romans 10:9). That is really good news! And once you understand it, believe it, and receive it, saturation is an unstoppable side effect. Saturation is where you are so full of Jesus that your cup overflows and you can’t help but share it. Everyone you meet should be in the splash zone!
Matthew 5:14-16: You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be
hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it
on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your
light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father
in heaven.
So what does this mean in your individual life? I can tell you ways that I use my talents to reach people that I have been called to minister to. But you are not me, and the people God has chosen for you to reach are each individuals. Did Jesus spit on dirt to make mud and put them on the eyes of every person He met? No. But He did for one because that’s what he needed from Him (John 9). Even the first time that people were called to Jesus, the wise men were called by a star and the shepherds had angels come for them. But if we
fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit and eagerly want to share Jesus with the world, He will guide our steps and make our paths straight.
You can probably recognize a person who is so full of love for something that it overflows onto everyone they meet. You can see it in everything they do: they can’t wait to talk with you about rescuing dogs, their football team, their favorite movies, their political stances, their grandchildren, coffee, or fill in the blank. But do those same people talk about the love of Christ with half as much excitement? Do you? Do I? Do we jump happily at every chance we can get to share the love of Christ? Are we excited to change our schedules or get out of our comfort zones if it will just reach one person for Christ? Are we praying to God like we understand the Gospel with humility and praise but also in trembling for our family who doesn’t?
All of this to ask two questions. Do you understand the Gospel? What are you overflowing with? Because you’re probably overflowing with something.
Amanda Langley lives in Texarkana, AR, and reaches out to her community through a woman’s group called Ladies Circle. She opens up the meeting to all of her friends, saved and nonbelievers, on Facebook Live Sabbath mornings to discuss the Bible. Then through the rest of the week Amanda calls, texts, writes letters to, and prays for each woman as they walk toward Christ together. Amanda is an artist but her main passion is reaching the lost and building a strong family.
