Spread the Word
We Are All Called to Spread the Word
There's something beautifully humbling about the Christmas story that often gets overlooked in the twinkling lights and wrapped presents. When angels announced the birth of the Savior—the most significant moment in human history—who did they choose to tell first? Not the religious elite. Not the scholars or the wealthy. They went to the shepherds.
These weren't just ordinary working men. Shepherds in first-century Judea were considered the lowest of the low—ceremonially unclean, barred from temple worship, often called thieves and rascals. They were the last people anyone would expect God to use. Yet Scripture tells us in Luke 2:17 that after seeing the baby Jesus, "they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child."
The shepherds became the world's first evangelists. And in doing so, they demolished every excuse we might have for staying silent about the good news.
The Questions That Lead to Faith
Romans 10:12-15 presents us with a series of profound questions that cut to the heart of evangelism: "How 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? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?"
These aren't rhetorical questions—they're legitimate concerns that demand our response. In our modern world, we sometimes assume everyone has heard about Jesus. But the reality is sobering: there are people in our own communities, neighborhoods, and workplaces who don't truly know the gospel message. They haven't heard the good news in a way that makes sense to them.
The passage concludes with this beautiful declaration: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news." Your feet—yes, yours—are beautiful when they carry the message of hope to a hurting world.
The Power of Divine Appointments
God has a remarkable way of orchestrating divine appointments. Sometimes we plan elaborate evangelistic strategies, but often the most powerful encounters happen when we least expect them. A man from the Bronx showing up at your door to buy rabbits. A co-worker asking an unexpected question during lunch. A stranger at the beach who seems curious about what makes you different.
These moments aren't accidents—they're opportunities. When we set Christ apart as Lord in our hearts, He opens doors we never saw coming. The key is being ready to walk through them.
When People Have Legitimate Questions
In Acts 8:30-35, we find Philip encountering an Ethiopian official reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asks a simple question: "Do you understand what you're reading?" The man's response is refreshingly honest: "How can I unless someone explains it to me?"
This interaction reveals something crucial: people have genuine questions about faith, Scripture, and God. These aren't always challenges or attacks—they're sincere inquiries from seekers trying to make sense of spiritual truth. The Ethiopian wasn't being disrespectful; he simply needed guidance.
Our role isn't to judge those with questions or overwhelm them with theological jargon. It's to explain, to guide, to walk alongside them as they discover truth. Philip "began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesus." He met the man where he was and led him to Christ.
Not every question comes from a sincere heart, of course. Discernment is necessary. But far more often than we might think, people are genuinely searching for answers we can provide.
Gentleness and Respect: The Missing Ingredients
First Peter 3:15 gives us the complete picture of evangelism: "In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
That last phrase changes everything. How many people have been driven away from Jesus not by the message itself, but by the harshness of the messenger? Finger-wagging condemnation and self-righteous judgment have turned more hearts cold than we can count.
The world doesn't need Christians who act superior. It needs genuine people who remember what they once were—lost, broken, in need of grace. When we approach others with the same compassion Christ showed us, everything changes. An arm around the shoulder often accomplishes more than a pointed finger ever could.
What draws people to Jesus isn't our ability to win arguments or prove we're right. It's authenticity. Kindness. Love that mirrors the heart of the One we serve.
You've Been Sent
"How can anyone preach unless they are sent?" the Scripture asks. Here's the truth that levels the playing field: you've been sent. Not just pastors or professional evangelists or those with seminary degrees. Every follower of Christ has been commissioned.
Acts 1:8 promises, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The moment you accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit took up residence in your heart, and with Him came power—power to be a witness.
You don't need special training to share what Jesus has done in your life. You don't need eloquence or education. You simply need to be willing to open your mouth and tell your story. The shepherds didn't have theological degrees. They just knew what they'd seen, and they couldn't keep quiet about it.
The Response That Matters
When opportunities arise—and they will—how do we respond? One man, when asked what had changed in his life, simply said, "I guess I'm just lucky." He missed a golden opportunity to point someone to Jesus.
We're not lucky. We're blessed. We're redeemed. We're transformed by the power of a living God who loved us enough to die for us. That's not luck—that's grace, and it's a story worth telling.
A Call to Action
The Christmas story began with unlikely evangelists spreading unlikely news to anyone who would listen. That same call echoes through the centuries to us today. In a world drowning in noise, we carry the message people desperately need to hear.
We are all evangelists. We've all been sent. The only question remaining is: will we go?
There's something beautifully humbling about the Christmas story that often gets overlooked in the twinkling lights and wrapped presents. When angels announced the birth of the Savior—the most significant moment in human history—who did they choose to tell first? Not the religious elite. Not the scholars or the wealthy. They went to the shepherds.
These weren't just ordinary working men. Shepherds in first-century Judea were considered the lowest of the low—ceremonially unclean, barred from temple worship, often called thieves and rascals. They were the last people anyone would expect God to use. Yet Scripture tells us in Luke 2:17 that after seeing the baby Jesus, "they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child."
The shepherds became the world's first evangelists. And in doing so, they demolished every excuse we might have for staying silent about the good news.
The Questions That Lead to Faith
Romans 10:12-15 presents us with a series of profound questions that cut to the heart of evangelism: "How 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? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?"
These aren't rhetorical questions—they're legitimate concerns that demand our response. In our modern world, we sometimes assume everyone has heard about Jesus. But the reality is sobering: there are people in our own communities, neighborhoods, and workplaces who don't truly know the gospel message. They haven't heard the good news in a way that makes sense to them.
The passage concludes with this beautiful declaration: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news." Your feet—yes, yours—are beautiful when they carry the message of hope to a hurting world.
The Power of Divine Appointments
God has a remarkable way of orchestrating divine appointments. Sometimes we plan elaborate evangelistic strategies, but often the most powerful encounters happen when we least expect them. A man from the Bronx showing up at your door to buy rabbits. A co-worker asking an unexpected question during lunch. A stranger at the beach who seems curious about what makes you different.
These moments aren't accidents—they're opportunities. When we set Christ apart as Lord in our hearts, He opens doors we never saw coming. The key is being ready to walk through them.
When People Have Legitimate Questions
In Acts 8:30-35, we find Philip encountering an Ethiopian official reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asks a simple question: "Do you understand what you're reading?" The man's response is refreshingly honest: "How can I unless someone explains it to me?"
This interaction reveals something crucial: people have genuine questions about faith, Scripture, and God. These aren't always challenges or attacks—they're sincere inquiries from seekers trying to make sense of spiritual truth. The Ethiopian wasn't being disrespectful; he simply needed guidance.
Our role isn't to judge those with questions or overwhelm them with theological jargon. It's to explain, to guide, to walk alongside them as they discover truth. Philip "began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesus." He met the man where he was and led him to Christ.
Not every question comes from a sincere heart, of course. Discernment is necessary. But far more often than we might think, people are genuinely searching for answers we can provide.
Gentleness and Respect: The Missing Ingredients
First Peter 3:15 gives us the complete picture of evangelism: "In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
That last phrase changes everything. How many people have been driven away from Jesus not by the message itself, but by the harshness of the messenger? Finger-wagging condemnation and self-righteous judgment have turned more hearts cold than we can count.
The world doesn't need Christians who act superior. It needs genuine people who remember what they once were—lost, broken, in need of grace. When we approach others with the same compassion Christ showed us, everything changes. An arm around the shoulder often accomplishes more than a pointed finger ever could.
What draws people to Jesus isn't our ability to win arguments or prove we're right. It's authenticity. Kindness. Love that mirrors the heart of the One we serve.
You've Been Sent
"How can anyone preach unless they are sent?" the Scripture asks. Here's the truth that levels the playing field: you've been sent. Not just pastors or professional evangelists or those with seminary degrees. Every follower of Christ has been commissioned.
Acts 1:8 promises, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The moment you accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit took up residence in your heart, and with Him came power—power to be a witness.
You don't need special training to share what Jesus has done in your life. You don't need eloquence or education. You simply need to be willing to open your mouth and tell your story. The shepherds didn't have theological degrees. They just knew what they'd seen, and they couldn't keep quiet about it.
The Response That Matters
When opportunities arise—and they will—how do we respond? One man, when asked what had changed in his life, simply said, "I guess I'm just lucky." He missed a golden opportunity to point someone to Jesus.
We're not lucky. We're blessed. We're redeemed. We're transformed by the power of a living God who loved us enough to die for us. That's not luck—that's grace, and it's a story worth telling.
A Call to Action
The Christmas story began with unlikely evangelists spreading unlikely news to anyone who would listen. That same call echoes through the centuries to us today. In a world drowning in noise, we carry the message people desperately need to hear.
We are all evangelists. We've all been sent. The only question remaining is: will we go?
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