Overflowing Love: Why we Long to Share the Good News of Jesus Christ by Pastor Charlie Handren

Jesus Christ came into the world to glorify God the Father by seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10). Then, after the resurrection, he invited his followers to join him in this mission (Matthew 28:18-20). Why did Jesus have such strong desire to give his earthly life to this mission?

While there are several important answers to this question, perhaps the most important one is this: Jesus engaged in this mission because he was consumed with love for the Father, even as the Father was consumed with love for him. This love then overflowed in the pursuit of the lost, even as it had in creation (see John 17).

The mission of Jesus is the overflow of divine love.

Love propelled Jesus out that others might come in. And therefore, when Jesus sent his followers out on this same mission, he was not merely giving them a command. He was not calling on them to fulfill a new duty. He was not instituting an ingenious marketing plan. Rather, he was inviting them into the joy of proclaiming his love as a natural overflow of his love.

The mission of the church is the overflow of divine love.

It is a law of the human heart: we sing and talk about what we love. King David captured this dynamic well in Psalm 96:1-4 when he wrote, “1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!”

And why should we do these things? Because we have come to see and rejoice in this truth: “4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.”

King David saw that delight in God leads to the worship of God. Joy in God leads to the proclamation of his salvation, glory, and good works. We praise what we prize. We declare our delight.

So if you want to grow in your desire to share Christ, grow in the discipline of spending time with Christ. The passion, power, and purpose of sharing the love of Jesus comes from being loved by Jesus. Our mission is the overflow of divine love.

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