You’ve probably noticed it on the emails that I’ve sent out so far this year.  They close with our theme for 2023, something we’ve been talking about the last several Sundays here at Berean.  Very simply, it’s “Spread the Word!”  I don’t imagine you need any explanation; it’s pretty clear.  It’s a reminder of what the Lord has entrusted us to do while here in this world.  It’s illustrated in the story of Christ’s healing of the demoniac of Gadara in Luke 8.  After his healing, the man wanted to be with Jesus, to stay in his presence; however, the Lord had something else in mind.  In verse 39, Jesus said, “Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee.  And he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.”  In other words, he went out and “Spread the Word.”  Not just to his family, but to his entire community.  He let them know what Christ had done in healing and delivering him.  And he set an example for us.  Yes, we need the local church.  The study, the worship, and the fellowship are all vital to our Christian walk.  But if we are not living and sharing the gospel outside the walls of our church, we are walking in disobedience, aren’t we?  We have the same instructions that Christ gave to this man: go tell others what I’ve done for you.  And as we’ve learned here over the last few weeks, we need to do so with urgency, with conviction, with boldness, with joy, and with faithfulness.  We must not forget the bottom line: their eternal destiny is at stake.  Heaven or Hell.  One or the other.  It’s our job to share the way to Heaven.  To tell them what Jesus did for us and what He can do for them.  We are to simply “Spread the Word.”