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How Do We as Non-Preachers Proclaim the Gospel?

Our fourth job duty as believers is to proclaim the gospel. Some may think they can leave that to the pastors of the world, but that is not what we are called to do. This devotion looks at how non-pastors can proclaim the gospel.

Nuggets

  • Jesus explicitly tells His disciples – of which we are one – they are to witness to non-believers.
  • Being a living sacrifice means that we offer God our everyday lives, which He can use as a witness to non-believers.
  • We have to be prepared to defend what we believe and why we believe it.

To read devotions in the What It Means to Be a Believer series, click the appropriate button below.

The Disciple's Job Description
Flowers with title How Do We as Non-Believers Proclaim the Gospel?

All believers are tasked with proclaiming the gospel. We might have problems with this one. We don’t think we are qualified.

Yet, Peter said, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Pet. 2: 9 ESV). Let’s take a look at what the Bible says we are to do and some ways we can accomplish that.

Proclaim the Gospel

"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation'" (Mk. 16: 15 ESV)

Mark 16: 15 is very explicit about what Jesus’ disciples – of which we are one – are to do. We are to go and tell. Jesus told them that when He appeared to them after the resurrection.

Jesus was a little more specific on where to go when He gave the last instructions before His ascension. Acts 1: 8 says, “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” (ESV).

So, Jesus said preach, and Peter said we are priests. That means each and every one of us has someone we are to talk to about Jesus.

Why is this important? Remember in What Are the End-Time Signs?, we said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Mt. 24: 14 NLT). Everyone needs to hear the gospel before the end times come.

To read a related devotion, click on the appropriate button below.

What Are the End-Time Signs?
Why Is God Slow to Fulfill His Promises?

We sometimes think that Acts 1: 8 is the call for missionaries. We don’t see ourselves as missionaries because we don’t go to another country.

We are still proclaiming the gospel when we go across the street to share Jesus’ name. News flash, it may even just be across the room.

Everyday Witness

Remember what we said in How Can We Be Instruments of Worship? Romans 12: 1 says “… Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life — and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him” (MSG). We said that was how we could be a living sacrifice.

We can expand that to include the call to witness. We can witness to others in our everyday lives.

My Ladies and I have discussed that we are witnesses without even knowing it. People watch believers. Some may say that they watch believers to highlight when their actions do not match their belief system.

Crowd

Even if they are doing that, we should be showing how God is working in our lives. They should be seeing God in us.

To read a related devotion, click on the button below.

God's Light Shines Out Through Our Brokenness

We can have conversations with whomever we meet in a day about how God impacts our everyday lives for the better. For some these days, that witness may be the most effective for them. Don’t you think non-believers want to see how being a believer helps them in their everyday life?’’

We May Be Called to Defend Our Faith

First Peter 3: 15 says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (ESV). Have you run across having to tell someone why you believe what you believe?

The day is coming where we are going to have to defend what we believe. We will have to know what we believe and why we believe it.

Battleship guns

If we have grown up in the church, that is sometimes hard to do. We have believed it for so long, we may not remember why we believe it this way.

“Because I have always believed that” may not necessarily be the best answer to give some non-believers. Some may think we are brainwashed. Some may see that as not taking the time to determine if that is still relevant today.

“Because I have always believed that” may not necessarily be the best answer to give some non-believers. Some may think we are brainwashed. Some may see that as not taking the time to determine if that is still relevant today.

Making the Connections

We are called to be witnesses. Period. End of discussion.

I know that scares us. I know we don’t feel comfortable sharing our experiences with others. I know we are scared we will be rejected.

God is the One who saves people. It is Him they will be rejecting, not us. We are just the vehicle that He uses to plant the seeds.

We are told this is a duty we must perform. We can’t pick and choose which parts of the Bible we are going to follow and which parts we are going to ignore. We have to realize that we are under the spotlight whether we want to be or not.

How Do We Apply This?

First off, we have to know what we believe and why we believe it. The day is coming where we will have to explain what we believe. We have to be ready.

Then we have to be willing to witness. We have to risk rejection by the co-worker who needs God in his/her life. We need to be willing to tell our stories to people we don’t know – who will probably judge us.

If you have the opportunity to participate in a mission trip, I heartily recommend doing it. Adam and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip we took to the Toronto area. We distributed flyers advertising a block party, did prayer walking, and conducted a door-to-door survey.

I have been in several different Bible study classes where, when called on to identify one person to witness to, believers do not think they know a non-believer. In a way, I can see that. We associate with people who are like us.

I have suggested that they pick a politician or someone who has a lot of influence over people and pray for their salvation. No, they may not get the opportunity to share the gospel with them personally. They will, however, be praying for the person who does have the opportunity to share the gospel with them. They will be praying the person is receptive.

It is imperative that we witness to non-believers. Remember what Jesus said. “These were his instructions to them. ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more worker into his fields’” (Lk. 10: 2 NLT). We need to pray that He sends us.

Father God. There are so many people in our lives today that need to hear of Your love for them. They need to hear that You sent Your Son to die to pay the price so that they may be redeemed. Lord, send us. Go before us and prepare their hearts. Go with us to give us the exact words they need to hear to soften their hearts for You. Continue to work even after we are gone so that they may feel You working in their hearts. We praise You, the Lord of the harvest. Amen.

What do you think? If a non-believer asked you why you believe what you believe, what would be your answer?

Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.

If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.

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