Everyone will quickly agree that public speaking is the biggest fear most people have. They will do anything else, just don’t make them speak in public! Talking to another person about becoming a Christian is also intimidating for many believers. We are afraid of rejection, we are afraid of being persecuted for defending our faith, etc. However, it is through our proclamation of the Gospel that God has chosen to win the lost. How do we meet this responsibility?
Another area we often struggle with is having the confidence to do something totally outside of our “comfort zone.” Changing careers or even doing something for the first time can be very intimidating for some people.
In Matthew 9:35-38, 10:1, 7-15; Mark 6:6b Y Luke 9:1-5, Jesus concludes his final tour of Galilee and sends the twelve apostles to preach and heal. This is quite a challenge for twelve “uneducated” men from a variety of backgrounds that do not include public speaking, seminary, or other traditional religious training or qualification. Let’s see how this applies to us!
Jesus needs our help! – Matthew 9:35-38, 10:5-6; Mark 6:6b Jesus calls on the Apostles to pray for the people who will go out and “harvest” those who are willing to believe in Jesus as their Lord. He sees people who are hungry for what He has to offer and knows that we are the ones who are going to have to tell them about Jesus.
Whether you’re out there yourself or not, you can pray for those who commit to living their lives telling others about Jesus. Pray for more young people to enroll in Bible Colleges and Seminaries and be trained for a life of full-time Christian ministry.
Jesus thinks we can do the job! – Matthew 10:1, 7-8; Luke 9:1-2 Jesus calls the twelve Apostles and instructs them to go and tell the people that the Messiah is here and that they should repent of their sins and follow him. They had to do the kind of healing miracles they had seen Jesus do to give credibility to his message. They will even be able to raise the dead!
God believes that you are capable of witnessing to others, whether in a small group or individually. He has also given you specific talents and abilities that you can use for his glory. Whether it’s by being the best worker at your job or by how you treat others, you are important to the Kingdom and God’s purpose. We show our love for God when we do our job and treat others as if we are doing it for the Lord! The key to success is to love God and love others.
Jesus will provide your needs – Matthew 10:9-10; Luke 9:3 Jesus tells the Apostles not to take money with them, but to trust the people of the towns where they go for their physical needs. Truly, as his teachings and healing the sick bless people, they will want to give to help with their expenses as an expression of their gratitude.
We must challenge ourselves to focus on serving others instead of what we are going to get for serving others and let God work in their hearts to provide what we need. You can never give more than God. When you focus on how much you get paid, you become selfish, greedy, and less productive. When you focus on serving others, they’ll want to make sure you’re properly compensated for your efforts! The more you love God and love others, the less you will have to worry about your needs and compensation for your jobs!
You can bless or curse those around you! – Matthew 10:11-15; Luke 9:4-5 Jesus concludes his instructions by advising the apostles to be thankful for what they have and to stay where they are welcome. Here comes the dangerous part. If the city does not welcome you, then you must curse that as you leave, dusting yourself off your feet on your way out. They basically have the power to bless or curse the people of that town, as they see fit. That is putting a lot of power in the hands of those twelve men! It is better that they have their minds focused on the things of God and not on the selfish ways of man, so that they do not abuse that power!
God knows that you have the power to tell others about the love and forgiveness of Jesus or you can do things that will lead others away from Christ! You may not be an evangelist or good at talking to others about becoming a Christian, but you can do things that will offend others who might otherwise have become Christians and turn them away from God forever. I don’t think you want that in your registry. The more you love God and love others, the better you can discern whether to hurt or curse those whose lives you encounter! God bless you and have a great week!