One moment you are living life as usual, and the next moment—without any notice—you are standing before the judgment throne of God. There you will be held accountable for the choices you made and the life you lived. Are you ready for that moment?

The truth is that every person will one day stand before God, but not everyone will stand at the same judgment. Those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will stand before the Great White Throne, where the issue will not be how good or bad they were, but whether they received or rejected Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15 NKJV). Jesus also said, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already” (John 3:18 NKJV). This judgment is based on one decision: What did a person do with Jesus?

Believers will also stand before God, but for a completely different reason. The Bible tells us that our sins were fully paid by Jesus. God said, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17 NKJV). Instead of being judged for sin, believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to give an account for what they did with what God entrusted to them. The Bible says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body” (2 Corinthians 5:10 NKJV). This judgment is not about punishment but about faithfulness and reward. Paul even said that the people he led to Christ would be part of his eternal joy, writing, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19 NKJV).

Jesus illustrated this truth in the Parable of the Talents:
(does not include every word in these verses)

Matthew 25:14–30 (NKJV)
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’
His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your lord.’
He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’
His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your lord.’
Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown…
And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.’
But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant… So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
For to everyone who has, more will be given… but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.’”

At first glance, this parable looks like a lesson about money. But the Greek word for “talent” refers to a unit of weight—something extremely valuable. When you look deeper, a powerful spiritual message appears. If the “talent” represents the message of salvation—a value far greater than gold—the parable takes on an entirely different meaning. The servant with five talents shared the message he was given, and five lost souls were added to the Book of Life. The servant with two did the same, and two more souls were added. But the servant who received the one message that saved him buried his talent and did nothing with it. He was not called wicked because he committed great sin, but because he did nothing with what he was given.

This servant who hid the talent had a wrong understanding of his Master. He said, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground” (Matthew 25:24–25 NKJV). What this servant didn’t understand is that giving the message of salvation is how the Master increases His Kingdom. Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plentiful” (Matthew 9:37 NKJV), and the gospel is the seed God uses to bring people into eternal life. When the message is shared, the Kingdom grows. When the message is hidden, growth stops. The Bible asks, “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14 NKJV). By hiding the very message that saved him, this servant prevented the increase his Master desired.

Let’s take a look at King Solomon, the son of King David. One night Solomon had a dream in which God appeared to him and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5 NKJV). Solomon could have asked for wealth, long life, or victory over his enemies, but instead he asked God for wisdom to lead the people. He said, “Give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9 NKJV). Solomon asked God for something that would help him serve God’s people and strengthen God’s kingdom. Anything that makes the Kingdom of God better is the will of God. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). And the Bible declares, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30 NKJV). Solomon’s desire to be a better leader for the people of the kingdom pleased God.

Let’s also look at what happened to the first two servants who shared the talents. Each one was given more. Jesus said, “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant… I will make you ruler over many things’” (Matthew 25:21 NKJV). And again, “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant… I will make you ruler over many things’” (Matthew 25:23 NKJV). Both of them increased the kingdom, and both were rewarded with more. Now look at what happened to King Solomon when he asked for wisdom. Because his request was unselfish and Kingdom-focused, God gave him far more than he asked for. The Lord said, “Because you have asked this thing… I have given you a wise and understanding heart… And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor” (1 Kings 3:11–13 NKJV). Solomon asked for something that would help him serve the people, and God added blessings he never even requested.

This is something many believers overlook: when we do something for the Kingdom of God, God gives us more. He rewards us even in this life. In both situations—the faithful servants and Solomon—none of them were acting for personal gain. They did what they did for God and for the Kingdom of God. And when we put the Kingdom first, Jesus said the same promise applies to us: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). God always rewards those who work to increase His Kingdom. “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV).

One day, you and I will stand before God. When that moment comes, what will truly matter? What will we be thinking? What will we wish we had done with the time, opportunities, and message we were given? The Bible says, “The Lord… is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV). God’s heart is for the lost. And when we stand before Him and watch our lives played out, we will realize that all our good deeds—every achievement, every accomplishment—will pale in comparison to the moments when we shared the message of salvation with someone who was lost and became saved.

Imagine seeing someone in eternity who is there because you shared the gospel. That single moment will outshine everything else you ever did. Jesus said, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10 NKJV). If heaven celebrates when one person gets saved, shouldn’t we treasure those moments too?

When we stand before God, the question will not be how successful we were, but what we did with what He gave us. The greatest thing we can ever do as believers is to share the message that saved us.

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Encouragement for Sharing the Word of God

I wrote this message for two reasons. First, I want to stir something inside every believer who reads it. I want to light a fire in you to do what Jesus asked us to do—to share your testimony, to share the gift of salvation you received, and to remember why that gift must never be kept to yourself. The second reason is this: look at the times we are living in. Time is running out for our lost brothers and sisters. The Bible says God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV). It is time for every believer to step into God’s will and help bring His children home.

If you are like me, you know that sharing the gospel is not always easy. Not everyone has the gift of evangelism. Some sow, some water, some reap—but we all have a part. If you want a better understanding of this, look up my message called “The Baker.” It explains how God uses each of us differently in the process of reaching the lost. But I will tell you this: when we stand before God, I believe He will ask us, “How many brothers and sisters did you bring with you?”

I want you to think about that answer. How many did you bring with you?

I never want the words from my mouth to be, “None, Lord.” It won’t matter how many sins we avoided or how well we behaved after we believed. What will matter is this: How many lost souls did we share the words of life with? How many opportunities did we let pass by?

So I want to give you three simple ways to get started—three steps anyone can do. And before you do anything, pray. Prayer opens doors, prepares hearts, and gives you boldness.

1. Support the Work of the Kingdom

When you give to your church, you are supporting a ministry that is actively building the Kingdom of God. This is good. But you should also support Christian organizations whose main mission is reaching the lost—street evangelists, missionaries, and ministries that share the gospel directly. Find at least one organization you believe in and support them. When you give to evangelism, you are helping carry the message of salvation to places you may never be able to go.

2. Start Sharing the Gospel in a Simple, Practical Way

Everyone can start somewhere. Here is an easy place to begin: take a $20 bill and break it into twenty $1 bills. Get twenty envelopes and write twenty short messages of hope. These can be the same message or twenty different ones. Keep them simple. Write to someone who feels forgotten. Tell them God loves them. Add a verse if you want. Put message with one dollar in each envelope and keep them in your car. When you pass someone on a street corner, hand them one. You will find that the more you give, the easier it becomes—and the more joy you feel. A seed must be planted before it can grow. This is a seed you can plant today.

3. Share Your Testimony—Your Most Powerful Tool

One of the easiest and most effective ways to share the gospel is simply to share your story. Take some time and write down your testimony—what you experienced, why you believe, and how Jesus changed your life. When you talk to someone, all you need to do is ask, “Do you believe in God?” Whatever they answer, respond by telling them why you believe. Tell them what God did for you. Your testimony is powerful because it is real. No one can argue with your experience. And when you share your story, you are using the talent God gave you to increase the Kingdom of God. What God gave you becomes the very thing He uses to reach someone else.

I want you to think about that answer. How many did you bring with you?