I am one of those guys that plans way ahead. I try to set goals five years in advance, and if you know me, I'm oftentimes looking way too far ahead. I'm excited about being on a mission field sharing the Gospel with those who are lost. Recently in my personal walk with the Lord, He has impressed on my heart to live intentionally for the Gospel right now...to a life deliberate about the Gospel. As I thought about this specific phrase I began to ask myself certain questions. Questions such as, what motivates me to live deliberately about the Gospel? Or, how do I live deliberately about the Gospel? Or even what is the Gospel said in sixty seconds or less. Part of this deliberate thinking was planted in my mind by an audio book entitled The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander. These men particularly challenged me to do just this. If I can not say what the Gospel is in sixty seconds or less, how can I expect live on purpose for the Gospel?
Let me start with a quick reason why to live intentionally for the Gospel. Simply put, because Christ was deliberate about the Gospel in my life. Christ intentionally came to earth to die for me. Mark Driscoll put it this way. "Jesus came to earth to live a life we could not live and to die a death we could we could not die." He was on purpose in His intentions for me. As I thought about this more, I imagined Christ being pushed onto that cross lying on the ground. His bloodied back being slammed against that wooden object. As the eternal God in human flesh lay on that cross, the soldiers grabbed His arms and spread them apart. Christ didn't fight back. As a matter of fact I can imagine Him turning to the soldiers and saying to them as the attempted to force His arms, "There is no need." And He laid His arm down to bed driven through with a spike. There was no need for those men to hold His hand down. Christ intentionally held His hand in place because He deliberately wanted to show His love for me. "For God so loved Jonathan that He gave His unique son." Christ had me in mind as He stayed on that cross. He truly was on purpose about the Gospel. Christ was so deliberate that it should motivate me/us to be deliberate about the Gospel.
So how do we live deliberately about the Gospel now? We don't die on the cross as Christ did, but we do live the Gospel now! I will show you from one chapter in Philippians, but it is strewn throughout the entire Word of God. Philippians 1:5 says, “because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." The Philippians were deliberate in their giving to Paul as He shared the Gospel of Christ. They were intentional in their actions to proclaim the name of Christ. Partnership takes time, sacrifice, and risk. They joined Paul and spent themselves for the Gospel's sake.
Philippians 1:7b, 12 says, "For you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, “Paul’s imprisonment wasn't for simply his sake or for the sake of the Philippians, but for the intentional purpose of sharing Christ. Not that he wanted to be in prison, but ultimately his circumstances were simply another tool to confirm, defend, and advance the Gospel.
Philippians 1:27a says, "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ," Here Paul tells the Philippians to live a life that is worthy of the Gospel. The word here for manner of life is literally citizenship. So let your citizenship be exemplary of someone who knows the Gospel. Your citizenship is permanently in heaven but temporally on earth therefore we live with the intention of furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our manner of life, conduct, conversation should be nothing but Gospel centered. We must live our lives intentional about the Gospel.
The intentionality of the Gospel motivates us to live intentional lives for the Gospel! Nothing else will motivate you as much as the Gospel will! In all honesty would could go on and on looking at passage after passage that points out why to live intentionally or how to live intentionally. If you have a few brief minutes look at Paul's example in Romans 15:15-20 and simply note what motivates Paul and how he carries out a life that is intentional about the Gospel.
