As the people had honoured the Lord, they had honoured Moses. When Moses placed his honour upon Joshua, he did so in order to encourage the people’s obedience and loyalty toward Joshua. Moses wanted the same loyalty that had been directed toward him now directed toward Joshua. God’s people could have risen up against Joshua thinking that he had not accomplished enough to merit their loyalty. Yet, the people respected the fact that Moses had directly placed his own honour upon his minister Joshua. The people emphatically accepted Moses’ message as reflected by their answer to Joshua: “According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses” (Joshua 1:17).
The gospel witness involves a message that is narrow in scope, but it can be distributed using a variety of methods. The apostle Paul provided three means by which he ministered the word: he shewed them, he taught them publickly, and he ministered the word from house to house. These same three categories exist even today. Believers can preach the gospel in church services, in publick settings, and from house to house. Even within these areas, the gospel can be spread audibly or by using a printed medium. Every believer should take part in at least some form of witnessing. One very effective means involves the distribution of gospel tracts. Truly, there exists no adequate excuse for a believer not to give the gospel to others.
In order to be saved, a person must place his faith solely upon Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for the means of salvation. Paul defined this central body of truth as the gospel of the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 20:24). Though believers may tell what the Lord has done in their lives since being saved, the most important truth when witnessing involves Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection from the dead. This truth, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, became the theme of the early church. A careful study of the evangelistic messages of the early church testifies to this fact. Just as this doctrine historically served as the central truth when dealing with the lost, it should continue to be so today.
