“Preach the gospel at all times.  If necessary, use words.”

Or to put that in language that my five-year-old daughter can understand:  “Demonstrate the love of Jesus at all times, but talk about Jesus only when you have to.”  It makes good sense, doesn’t it?

 Well, perhaps it would have made sense in the Middle Ages when the Medieval Church was full of theologians who were arguing about how many angels could stand on the head of a pin, or about whether Jesus had the same divine nature as the Father or was just similar in nature to Him.  It also fits in nicely with our skeptical, postmodern culture, where words seem empty and meaningless if they make no practical difference in our lives.  Young people find the hypocrisy of Christians who gladly call themselves Christian, but who live in a way that contradicts His teaching of grace and love, a bit offensive and nauseating.

 But…  Limit how much you talk about Jesus—the Person who was whipped so we could be healed, and who died a cruel death on a rough Roman cross so that we could have the hope and promise of eternal life?

 Try telling that to His disciples after they have been set on fire spiritually by the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room at Pentecost and they can’t stop talking, in a myriad of foreign words, about the wonderful things God has done!

 Try telling that to Peter and John who are heading to the temple at 3pm in the afternoon to pray, using words, to their best Friend, Saviour and Lord in heaven!

 Try telling that to Peter, when he has no silver or gold to help a lame man lying beside the Beautiful Gate, but he has this incredible sense of deja vu.  Memories are flooding back upon this very scene:  what did Jesus do an identical situation to this one?  He spoke words into action!  “In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk!”

 Try telling that to the man who used to be lame, who is now excitedly trying out his new calf muscles, walking and leaping and praising God!

 Try telling that to Peter, who sees the wonder and bewilderment in the crowd as to how a coarse and oafish Galilean fisherman could heal a lame man, and speaks directly and boldly to them, saying, “You killed the Author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!  Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.”

 Try telling that to Ellen White in the last few months of her life, as she was stopping to chat with the secular winegrowers and workmen in her daily routines living Northern California in Napa Valley.  When reflecting on her “extra” daily activities of distributing clothes, stopping by to help a frazzled mother with a sick child, or bringing a food basket to a struggling family, they would remember her simply as “that little old woman with the white hair who always spoke so lovingly of Jesus”. 

 You see, the seemingly wise words “preach the gospel at all times—if necessary, use words” can actually end up being quite unbiblical and self-centred.  As Ed Stetzer has pointed out, “The gospel is not habit, but history.  The gospel is the declaration of something that actually happened.  And since the gospel is the saving work of Jesus, it isn’t something we can do, but it is something we must announce.  We do live out its implications, but if we are to make the gospel known, we will do so through words.”  He goes on to candidly say, “A godly life should serve as a witness for the message we proclaim.  But without words, what can our actions point to but ourselves?  A godly life cannot communicate the incarnation, Jesus’ substitution for sinners, or the hope of redemption by grace alone through faith alone.  We can’t be good news, but we can herald it, sing it, speak it, and preach it to all who listen.”

 In the same way, let your light shine before others, in both words and actions, so that they may see your good works, and because you communicate openly and gladly to them about the true Source of this goodness and love, they can then give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

 I have a vision that one day the Seventh-day Adventist church in Greater Sydney will become known as “that growing group of people who always speak so lovingly about Jesus and His incredible love and grace holistically by integrating both their words and their actions”.  Does that dream resonate with you?  Join a growing group of Seventh-day Adventist disciples who will be praying for the powerful Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit during 27-30 June 2016 for that vision to become reality.

 The book of Acts is drenched with the Holy Spirit.  Reading it is like taking time to play out in the tropical rain!  Read the full stories for today in:

Acts 3 NLT
Acts of the Apostles “At the Temple Gate”

 Invite your friends to join this journey with you!  You can follow this journey Facebook too.