Day 23 – God’s Not a Preacher – Julie Earl
Romans 10:14-15
Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He didn’t tell the disciples that the Father was going to stand on various mountain tops and preach the good news in the centuries to come. No. He told them to go into all the world and preach the good news (see Mark 16:15-16). The truth is, God is not a preacher. Jesus preached while He was on the earth in order to give us the example of what we are supposed to do, but He has given that job, and that authority, to us.
So if God is not a preacher, what happens if we don’t “preach” or tell others about Jesus?
They won’t hear.
And what happens if they don’t hear?
They won’t believe.
And what happens if they don’t believe?
They won’t be saved.
A person can’t believe in something they’ve never heard of. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14).
In Acts chapter 10 an angel came to Cornelius in a vision, but the angel didn’t tell Cornelius the good news about Jesus. Instead, the angel told Cornelius to send for Paul so that Paul could tell him the good news of Jesus. Why didn’t the angel preach to Cornelius? Because the angels aren’t given authority to preach either. That is our job. We are given that privilege!
Although we are all called to share the good news of Jesus, we aren’t meant to run out on our own and do it randomly. We are meant to follow the leading of the big God living inside us – the Holy Spirit – and allow Him to guide us. We have the privilege of listening for His voice to our thoughts and allowing Him to send us to speak in each encounter. “And how can they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:15). This “sending” could be as simple as God making someone stand out to you in a crowd, or it could be an impression or thought that comes to your mind for a person, or it could be a prompting to go somewhere to express His love and truth (to a neighbor or to a people overseas).
The exciting part is that when God sends you to speak to someone – even at the grocery store – He asks you to simply open your mouth and He will fill it (see Psalm 81:10). He is really the one doing the work, but He has chosen to work through you so that He can bless you in the process.
So, technically, God does preach…but He preaches through you!
Much love as you share Jesus’ love and truth with your world!
Julie Earl with Crazy About You Ministries (CAYM)
All Scripture is taken from the New International Version 1984 edition unless otherwise noted.