What is the motivation for sharing the gospel?

A concern from the Church that I attend has inspired me to consider what motivates Christians to share the gospel with those who don’t know Jesus Christ. Now the reason I raise this is that it has been suggested to me that a possible cause of Christians not discipling other Christians is apathy?

I find this discussion kind of weird. One reason being that I have never separated soul winning from discipling. But they are quite separate when you think about it. The meaning of the word discipling as found in the Word Sense Online Dictionary and is the “Present participle of the word Disciple.” The meaning of the word Disciple is as follows:

Noun

disciple (pl. disciples)

1. A person who learns from another, especially one who then teaches others.

2. An active follower or adherent of someone, or some philosophy etc.

   • Holy Bible, Matthew 9:10 (King James Version)
     And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

So to disciple someone is to teach others. In this case followers of Jesus Christ. It involves encouraging them in the way of Christ Jesus and enlarging their knowledge of the Christian Faith, the Bible and significant bible doctrines relating to Election, Salvation and the Holy Spirit amongst many others.

I find it hard to believe that Christians don’t disciple others because of apathy. Miriam Webster defines Apathy as;

1: lack of feeling or emotion : impassiveness - drug abuse leading to apathy and depression

2: lack of interest or concern : indifference - political apathy

So, to not disciple as a result of Apathy would mean to be impassive or indifferent to the lack of understanding of other disciples of Jesus Christ about Christianity. I tend to think that really the lack of motivation to disciple is for a number of reasons. I think there are cultural barriers. I believe the situation post Covid is having an impact and people are weary and somewhat shell shocked after the lockdowns. It’s a different World post Covid. Also, some people probably feel inadequate in the face of other Christians lack of biblical knowledge and don’t know what to do about it.

Encore the book: Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus by Mark Devers. A book which encourages Christians in the correct way to disciple folks who need to learn more bible knowledge. Now I haven’t read this book so I’m not going to critique it. Other than to say that from what I’ve given a perusary glance it seems quite good.

However, there are a number of scriptures with I would have thought would leave no one in any doubt of the importance of soul winning disciples for Christ Jesus. Starting with the Great Commission of Matthew 28: 18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So this is a commandment from the Son of God. It is very important that we observe this commandment and I find it difficult to understand how Christians could miss this. Other scriptures that might help to illuminate the need to share the gospel and disciple others are fairly prolific. A sample of them follow below:

Mark 16:15 says this “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

John 15:10 “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.”

John 15:2 “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

Pulling it all together. Jesus gave us a commandment to go and make disciples among the nations and to go unto all the World and proclaim the gospel. He said that if we love Him we will keep His commandments just as He kept His Fathers commandments. He also said that every branch in Him that does not bear fruit. The Father will take away. While, every branch that does beat fruit, the Father will prune the it may bear more fruit.

Pretty heady stuff. However, my personal belief is that any serious minded Christian understands this and is already working their hardest at the behest of the Holy Spirit to obey Christ’s commandments; to make disciples among the nations; to proclaim the gospel; to be fruitful; to be Spirit filled; to love your neighbour as you love yourself; to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind and all of your strength.

In short they are already working out their salvation. Philippians 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

As far as I can make out personally. A Christian is either sold out to God or spiritually dead. My personal experience for what it’s worth is that even in the most unproductive phases of my Christian life. I have been in constant communication with God via the Holy Spirit. I have always felt the conviction of the need to Read the Word; Share the Gospel; Worship God. I may have been spiritually dormant at the time but that didn’t change the fact that God was still in contact with me and I was in continual communication with him through prayer.

I just don’t think you can be a Christian and be genuinely apathetic. You’re either in or you’re out. I also think that encouragement is a better way to motivate people than condemnation. Again speaking personally I’m more inclined to allow myself to be encouraged in the righteous ways of Jesus Christ than to accept the stick of condemnation on my back. The carrot versus the stick as it were.

Finally, I think it comes down to empowering Christians to disciple others. My experience has been that God has developed me through experiences like teacher training and I guess the practice of being a teacher. Through working with other Christians, bible studies and reading Christian literature. I think in general that positive experiences are better than negative ones at motivating people to change their habits. On the whole though it comes down to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I think Church prayer is very important and seeking an outpouring of the Holy Spirit should be foremost in the minds of Pastors and Elders in our Churches. Again just a collection of my opinions.