Our Accountability to the Gospel: Five Keys to Unlock the Good News

We are blessed to have gracious and godly neighbors who live next door to us.  Recently, they went out of the country for a ten-day trip to Ireland.  Before their departure, they asked if we would watch their home.  We oftentimes do this with one another when traveling.  We check one another’s mail, water one another’s flowers, and care for one another’s pets.  Because this was an extended trip, they gave us the keys to their home in case of any emergency.

We placed their keys in visible sight to remind us daily that we were responsible to care for their respected items.  With each passing day we realized they were soon to return.  On the day of their arrival, we made a last-minute run to ensure we had properly cared for their possessions.  When we handed them the keys we felt confident that we had accomplished all they had asked us to do.

When Christ ascended He gave us a task. He handed us the keys, quite literally to His world. We are to reach the nations, preach the gospel, and care for His prized possessions.  He is coming back, and when He does we will give an account of those things he entrusted to our care. I not only want to be a good neighbor to those on earth, but also to the most precious Neighbor I will have in heaven: my Lord and Savior.

As we look around, it is evident, He is coming back soon.  We must be vigilant in our stewardship and relentless in our efforts.  Here are five ways to hold the keys of God’s kingdom:

1. Keep His Return in Your Heart and Mind.

Let’s admit it, days, weeks even, go by without us giving much thought to Christ’s return.  A chaotically busy world is part of Satan’s plan to keep God’s children from looking for their coming King.  Only those who look for His appearing can say with John, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”

2. See Those Around You in their Lost Condition.

Lost souls are all around you: In your home, in your neighborhood, in your class, and on your job.  Those very people we talk and laugh with at the water-fountain need a Savior; one that can give them living water.

3. Begin Each Day by Asking the Lord for an Opportunity to Share Your Faith.

I have discovered in my own life, whenever I earnestly seek to share my faith, the Lord almost always provides an open door.  Ask the Lord early in the day for such an opportunity and spend the day looking for divine encounters.

4. Consider the Magnitude, Misery, and Measure of Hell.

There are three main reasons no one should go to hell: one, it is an awful place (a place of torments, fire, darkness, separation, fear); two, it is an ageless place (there are no escapes or exits); and three it is an avoidable place.  It is avoidable because Christ has paid the price for sin. Tell others before they enter into a Christless eternity.

5. Live with Joy and Victory.

I believe one of the reasons we are ineffective in our soul-winning is because of our failure to express to the world the joy and elation of knowing Christ.  Tell someone about Christ with love in your heart, fire in your soul, and a smile on your face.

Just a few more days and He is coming back for the keys!