Dear Friends,
Every one of us has felt “imprisoned” at some point in our lives. It could have been an actual prison, but more often than not, it is a situation in our lives. We can feel trapped by a relationship, a financial burden or debt, a job, perceived limitations placed on gender roles or race, illness or injury, or lack of education, perhaps the wrong kind of education. There are so many situations that can make us feel trapped. Another very important way is a loss of freedom of voice.
I know what some of you might be thinking, “We live in America, and freedom of speech is the very first right we have that is listed in the Bill of Rights.” Yes, we do have freedom of speech. However, there are many times when our voices are restricted. I want you right now to think of times when you very much wanted to say something but didn’t. What prevented you from speaking? Many Christians today are finding it difficult to freely express their beliefs, because we may be perceived as intolerant, hypocritical, judgmental, or out-of-touch with today’s society.
The Apostle Paul was imprisoned for things that he had been saying and preaching about Christ. The Philippians were concerned about Paul. Yet, we find that prison does not stop Paul from continuing to preach the Gospel. He wrote to the Philippians with the express wish to encourage them and explain how God continues to be active in his situation.
Traditionally, it is thought that Paul was under house arrest some place in Rome versus being in an actual prison. House arrest would explain his ability to receive visitors and correspondence so easily. Regardless, we do know that he was in military custody for his teachings about Christ. However, he was exhilarated that the Gospel continued to advance despite his being imprisoned. Philippians 1:13 says that the Gospel had “become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest”. Just take a moment to picture the irony of this: Paul is imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, but he is preaching to his prison guards. Paul wanted the Philippians to feel his joy over the fact that the Gospel was still able to be shared and spread.
Prison did not diminish or silence Paul’s voice. Paul was physically imprisoned but had freedom of voice. Whereas, we are physically free, but our voices are imprisoned.
One reason is fear: fear of rejection, alienation, personal attacks, and so on. Some of you may have experienced this. I know I have. We may also be wary of what we say out of fear of offending someone. And, of course, there is always the old adage that religion and politics should never be discussed. However, why shouldn’t we discuss religion? Why should God-talk only occur within the walls of a church? Even in the church itself, Christians may face many barriers to God-talk.
Second, in our culture, there is the extreme emphasis on political correctness. We must use certain language, certain word choices, and certain approaches so that we do not offend anyone. This can even be found in the church. There are some Christians who follow the “positive movement”. In other words, we are called to preach the “GOOD NEWS”, so they think that means that we should only focus on the love and grace of the Gospel message and overlook those uncomfortable or negative parts about sin and hell.
As Christians, we are called to tell all of the world the Gospel message in its entirety. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 is where this command is found. The early followers of Christ were commanded to teach all that Jesus had taught them. Jesus is our authority and promises to be with us always as we carry out His commands. In this, we can find our strength. In Acts 1:8, it states that Christians are to be Jesus’s witnesses to the entire world. Witness means that one needs to share what they have seen, heard, and experienced. It doesn’t specify only the good stuff or only the bad stuff or only what we think might be relevant. A full witness account includes everything that was seen or heard or experienced.
Why is it important to preach the full Gospel? Because IT IS GOOD NEWS! And when we have something good happen to us in life, we are so excited that we want to tell the world!
In Genesis, it tells the story of how man fell from grace and into sin. The whole rest of the Bible, specifically the Gospel story, shows God going to great lengths to redeem us from our sins and to reconcile us in a renewed relationship with Him. If we do not acknowledge the ugliness of sin, then we can’t understand the necessity of God’s gift of grace to us or recognize the need of the Gospel message of sacrifice and reconciliation.
The early Christians were encouraged by Paul’s ministry of the Gospel continuing despite his imprisonment. His story and ministry inspired them to speak the Gospel boldly though they could have faced similar or worse punishments for preaching the Gospel as Paul did. The early Christians would have battled the same fears of rejection and alienation just as we do today. They would have also faced physical persecution, prison, or possibly death for their faith. At one point in the early church, just identifying yourself as a “Christian” could invoke persecution and punishments.
Even in spite of prison and death as possible consequences, Paul and his fellow workers were BOLD to speak the Gospel. When God is the source of our confidence and strength, then we can speak of the full story of the Gospel boldly. We can speak the truth of God directly and plainly without hiding parts of it or glossing over difficult concepts. Speaking the truth boldly does not mean that we forget about tactfulness however. We should still preach the truth out of love. Jesus is our example in this. He always spoke the truth, even if it was difficult for His audience to hear. However, Jesus did it in such a way as to inspire change rather than personally attack anyone.
A third reason that we do not engage in God-talk outside of the church is that we may feel ill-equipped. Yet, witnessing about God is simply telling others what God has done in your life. There are many ways for us to feel equipped to speak about God. First, we have to trust God and overcome our fears. We can grow in our relationship with Him and communicate with Him through prayer. Second, we can depend on each other as we walk together in our faith in God. Church fellowship and involvement allow for safe opportunities of God-talk. We can practice and get into the habits of freely talking about God and exploring His word. Third, we can get to know God better by studying the Bible. Again, we can feel more comfortable talking about God if we know God and His Word. People will talk about what they know and what they’re passionate about.
For example, I love Lord of the Rings. I have read those books at least a dozen times, and I love the movies. I will talk my husband’s ear off about Lord of the Rings. He doesn’t always get my passion for it, but at least, he listens. On the other hand, my husband is very interested in finances and the economy. I could care less when it comes to numbers. But he enjoys talking about it, and I listen and engage him, even if my knowledge of the subject is not as expansive as his. When people see that we are passionately talking about something that we know well, they will engage us out of curiosity. This provides so many opportunities for more God-talk. Our knowledge does not immediately have to be extensive, because we are always learning. Learning in general, but about God specifically is a life-long process.
Sometimes we feel like we are not equipped to talk about God, because we do not know enough. In fact, I believed in God long before I was baptized. Being a scholar by nature and somewhat of a skeptic, I always felt that I just never knew enough. I needed to know more and more. Then, it hit me one day. I will never know “enough”, and that’s what faith is: believing even though we can’t know absolutely everything. I immediately got baptized. We are not called to know everything about God. We are called to share what we do know about God.
Part of learning is questions. If someone we are talking to about God asks us a question that we cannot answer, then that is a perfect opportunity for us to study with that person to try to find the answer. I love the story of Philip and the Ethiopian in Acts 8:26-40. Philip saw the Ethiopian struggling with some Scripture. So he sat down with him and studied with him. He didn’t start from the beginning of the Gospel story; rather, he started exactly on the passage where the Ethiopian was struggling. This led to discussion of the Gospel which then led to the Ethiopian’s conversion. This is such a great example of God-talk!
What are some everyday opportunities that arise in which we can speak about the Gospel? Where do you hear people talk about God? Even in the church setting, God-talk doesn’t always happen. We can speak God’s word boldly when we see those opportunities in the church as well as in our everyday lives, because He does equip us with the knowledge, the words, the confidence, and the opportunities to do so. One of the prayers I pray the most often is: “God, please give me the words!”
The deeper our knowledge and belief is of Christ, the more genuine our faith can be. Also, God-talk will come more naturally to us, and we will be more equipped and more confident to teach about Christ. There is no substitution for sincere, authentic faith. Our desire to teach and spread the Gospel should be about glorifying God and invoking positive change in others to bring them closer to God. If we are passionate about God, then nothing can prevent us from sharing the Gospel. False motivations, alternative or false teachings, fear, lack of confidence, feelings of inadequacy…none of these things will stand in our way.
Of course, there will still be times when we will feel fear or inadequate. But in those times, we can remember and trust that God is the source of our strength and that His message, His Truth, has endured and continues to endure throughout the ages amidst all sorts of adversity. Remember, we are called to be faithful. We are called to witness and share about Christ. We are not responsible for how the hearers respond to what we say. We are not responsible for their transformation. Our job is simply to talk about God and share the Gospel. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to pave the way for transformation in their lives as it is appropriate.
Paul was in prison for his beliefs and faced personal attacks, even from those who were supposed to be fellow Christians. However, he put his personal concerns aside and instead focused on the significance of the Gospel and his work in confirming, defending, and advancing the Gospel. His JOY in the Gospel and his relationship with God kept Paul speaking and teaching the Gospel. He sought to encourage others, even when he probably needed encouragement himself.
God intends for us to spread the Truth of the Gospel out of our love for others. Therefore, it is important that we remain faithful to the genuine, truthful teachings of the Gospel. We must study the Gospel thoroughly and daily in order to know it well enough to share it. We can be and are life-long learners of God. Paul rejoices because despite any possible false motivations, people are talking about and accepting Christ. Paul recognizes that God is active in all people. And as long as people are talking about God, such discussion opens the door for people to talk about God in a sincere and truthful way.
My two great loves are books and theology, and if you have ever seen me fully engage in a conversation about either one, then you have seen my passion and joy that stems from them. Take joy in your relationship with God and the Gospel, because it really is good news. If you turn on any news channel right now, you know that the world could always use some good news. So, go and share about Christ and what He is doing in your life. God will provide the opportunities and the words, you just need to speak boldly from the heart and share your joy.
Until next we meet,
Pastor Jessi
Every one of us has felt “imprisoned” at some point in our lives. It could have been an actual prison, but more often than not, it is a situation in our lives. We can feel trapped by a relationship, a financial burden or debt, a job, perceived limitations placed on gender roles or race, illness or injury, or lack of education, perhaps the wrong kind of education. There are so many situations that can make us feel trapped. Another very important way is a loss of freedom of voice.
I know what some of you might be thinking, “We live in America, and freedom of speech is the very first right we have that is listed in the Bill of Rights.” Yes, we do have freedom of speech. However, there are many times when our voices are restricted. I want you right now to think of times when you very much wanted to say something but didn’t. What prevented you from speaking? Many Christians today are finding it difficult to freely express their beliefs, because we may be perceived as intolerant, hypocritical, judgmental, or out-of-touch with today’s society.
The Apostle Paul was imprisoned for things that he had been saying and preaching about Christ. The Philippians were concerned about Paul. Yet, we find that prison does not stop Paul from continuing to preach the Gospel. He wrote to the Philippians with the express wish to encourage them and explain how God continues to be active in his situation.
Traditionally, it is thought that Paul was under house arrest some place in Rome versus being in an actual prison. House arrest would explain his ability to receive visitors and correspondence so easily. Regardless, we do know that he was in military custody for his teachings about Christ. However, he was exhilarated that the Gospel continued to advance despite his being imprisoned. Philippians 1:13 says that the Gospel had “become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest”. Just take a moment to picture the irony of this: Paul is imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, but he is preaching to his prison guards. Paul wanted the Philippians to feel his joy over the fact that the Gospel was still able to be shared and spread.
Prison did not diminish or silence Paul’s voice. Paul was physically imprisoned but had freedom of voice. Whereas, we are physically free, but our voices are imprisoned.
One reason is fear: fear of rejection, alienation, personal attacks, and so on. Some of you may have experienced this. I know I have. We may also be wary of what we say out of fear of offending someone. And, of course, there is always the old adage that religion and politics should never be discussed. However, why shouldn’t we discuss religion? Why should God-talk only occur within the walls of a church? Even in the church itself, Christians may face many barriers to God-talk.
Second, in our culture, there is the extreme emphasis on political correctness. We must use certain language, certain word choices, and certain approaches so that we do not offend anyone. This can even be found in the church. There are some Christians who follow the “positive movement”. In other words, we are called to preach the “GOOD NEWS”, so they think that means that we should only focus on the love and grace of the Gospel message and overlook those uncomfortable or negative parts about sin and hell.
As Christians, we are called to tell all of the world the Gospel message in its entirety. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 is where this command is found. The early followers of Christ were commanded to teach all that Jesus had taught them. Jesus is our authority and promises to be with us always as we carry out His commands. In this, we can find our strength. In Acts 1:8, it states that Christians are to be Jesus’s witnesses to the entire world. Witness means that one needs to share what they have seen, heard, and experienced. It doesn’t specify only the good stuff or only the bad stuff or only what we think might be relevant. A full witness account includes everything that was seen or heard or experienced.
Why is it important to preach the full Gospel? Because IT IS GOOD NEWS! And when we have something good happen to us in life, we are so excited that we want to tell the world!
In Genesis, it tells the story of how man fell from grace and into sin. The whole rest of the Bible, specifically the Gospel story, shows God going to great lengths to redeem us from our sins and to reconcile us in a renewed relationship with Him. If we do not acknowledge the ugliness of sin, then we can’t understand the necessity of God’s gift of grace to us or recognize the need of the Gospel message of sacrifice and reconciliation.
The early Christians were encouraged by Paul’s ministry of the Gospel continuing despite his imprisonment. His story and ministry inspired them to speak the Gospel boldly though they could have faced similar or worse punishments for preaching the Gospel as Paul did. The early Christians would have battled the same fears of rejection and alienation just as we do today. They would have also faced physical persecution, prison, or possibly death for their faith. At one point in the early church, just identifying yourself as a “Christian” could invoke persecution and punishments.
Even in spite of prison and death as possible consequences, Paul and his fellow workers were BOLD to speak the Gospel. When God is the source of our confidence and strength, then we can speak of the full story of the Gospel boldly. We can speak the truth of God directly and plainly without hiding parts of it or glossing over difficult concepts. Speaking the truth boldly does not mean that we forget about tactfulness however. We should still preach the truth out of love. Jesus is our example in this. He always spoke the truth, even if it was difficult for His audience to hear. However, Jesus did it in such a way as to inspire change rather than personally attack anyone.
A third reason that we do not engage in God-talk outside of the church is that we may feel ill-equipped. Yet, witnessing about God is simply telling others what God has done in your life. There are many ways for us to feel equipped to speak about God. First, we have to trust God and overcome our fears. We can grow in our relationship with Him and communicate with Him through prayer. Second, we can depend on each other as we walk together in our faith in God. Church fellowship and involvement allow for safe opportunities of God-talk. We can practice and get into the habits of freely talking about God and exploring His word. Third, we can get to know God better by studying the Bible. Again, we can feel more comfortable talking about God if we know God and His Word. People will talk about what they know and what they’re passionate about.
For example, I love Lord of the Rings. I have read those books at least a dozen times, and I love the movies. I will talk my husband’s ear off about Lord of the Rings. He doesn’t always get my passion for it, but at least, he listens. On the other hand, my husband is very interested in finances and the economy. I could care less when it comes to numbers. But he enjoys talking about it, and I listen and engage him, even if my knowledge of the subject is not as expansive as his. When people see that we are passionately talking about something that we know well, they will engage us out of curiosity. This provides so many opportunities for more God-talk. Our knowledge does not immediately have to be extensive, because we are always learning. Learning in general, but about God specifically is a life-long process.
Sometimes we feel like we are not equipped to talk about God, because we do not know enough. In fact, I believed in God long before I was baptized. Being a scholar by nature and somewhat of a skeptic, I always felt that I just never knew enough. I needed to know more and more. Then, it hit me one day. I will never know “enough”, and that’s what faith is: believing even though we can’t know absolutely everything. I immediately got baptized. We are not called to know everything about God. We are called to share what we do know about God.
Part of learning is questions. If someone we are talking to about God asks us a question that we cannot answer, then that is a perfect opportunity for us to study with that person to try to find the answer. I love the story of Philip and the Ethiopian in Acts 8:26-40. Philip saw the Ethiopian struggling with some Scripture. So he sat down with him and studied with him. He didn’t start from the beginning of the Gospel story; rather, he started exactly on the passage where the Ethiopian was struggling. This led to discussion of the Gospel which then led to the Ethiopian’s conversion. This is such a great example of God-talk!
What are some everyday opportunities that arise in which we can speak about the Gospel? Where do you hear people talk about God? Even in the church setting, God-talk doesn’t always happen. We can speak God’s word boldly when we see those opportunities in the church as well as in our everyday lives, because He does equip us with the knowledge, the words, the confidence, and the opportunities to do so. One of the prayers I pray the most often is: “God, please give me the words!”
The deeper our knowledge and belief is of Christ, the more genuine our faith can be. Also, God-talk will come more naturally to us, and we will be more equipped and more confident to teach about Christ. There is no substitution for sincere, authentic faith. Our desire to teach and spread the Gospel should be about glorifying God and invoking positive change in others to bring them closer to God. If we are passionate about God, then nothing can prevent us from sharing the Gospel. False motivations, alternative or false teachings, fear, lack of confidence, feelings of inadequacy…none of these things will stand in our way.
Of course, there will still be times when we will feel fear or inadequate. But in those times, we can remember and trust that God is the source of our strength and that His message, His Truth, has endured and continues to endure throughout the ages amidst all sorts of adversity. Remember, we are called to be faithful. We are called to witness and share about Christ. We are not responsible for how the hearers respond to what we say. We are not responsible for their transformation. Our job is simply to talk about God and share the Gospel. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to pave the way for transformation in their lives as it is appropriate.
Paul was in prison for his beliefs and faced personal attacks, even from those who were supposed to be fellow Christians. However, he put his personal concerns aside and instead focused on the significance of the Gospel and his work in confirming, defending, and advancing the Gospel. His JOY in the Gospel and his relationship with God kept Paul speaking and teaching the Gospel. He sought to encourage others, even when he probably needed encouragement himself.
God intends for us to spread the Truth of the Gospel out of our love for others. Therefore, it is important that we remain faithful to the genuine, truthful teachings of the Gospel. We must study the Gospel thoroughly and daily in order to know it well enough to share it. We can be and are life-long learners of God. Paul rejoices because despite any possible false motivations, people are talking about and accepting Christ. Paul recognizes that God is active in all people. And as long as people are talking about God, such discussion opens the door for people to talk about God in a sincere and truthful way.
My two great loves are books and theology, and if you have ever seen me fully engage in a conversation about either one, then you have seen my passion and joy that stems from them. Take joy in your relationship with God and the Gospel, because it really is good news. If you turn on any news channel right now, you know that the world could always use some good news. So, go and share about Christ and what He is doing in your life. God will provide the opportunities and the words, you just need to speak boldly from the heart and share your joy.
Until next we meet,
Pastor Jessi
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