- GIFTINGS EXCUSE.
“I am not an evangelist.”
Yes, not all may have the gift of an evangelist, but it is incumbent upon every believer to be Christ’s witness.
Act 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
- CALLING ISSUE.
“Not all believers are called to evangelise.”
It sounds like this statement is over the edge, if not dangerous. It would be a theological suicide to lay claim of this excuse. It’s just absurd to have eternal life and not tell others about it. In reality? Every believer is a witness.
Act 8:1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Act 8:4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
3. WASTED TIME
“The Lord determined already who will believe the gospel—so no need to waste time and exert an effort.”
I could not imagine 65 Westerners, mostly students, thought that going to Manila, the Philippines in 1984, was a waste of time and resources. They resolved that the young people from Ubelt that time were worth their efforts.
Mat 18:12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
Mat 18:13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
- FEAR FACTOR.
“I am afraid that I might say the wrong thing and be rejected.”
The next time I smell that fear lurking, I will remind myself that God has already overwhelmed it with power, love, and self-control.
2Ti 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
- APOLOGETICS MATTER.
“I may say the right thing, but I might not be able to refute what others will say.”
I surmise that the ability to give an account of our faith, no matter how hard it is to prepare, has something to do with a heart full of the fear of the Lord. Truly that fear is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10).
1Pe 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to provide the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
- REPUTATION CONSCIOUS.
“I don’t like to be tagged as Jesus fanatic or religious bigot.”
I remember this statement, “Everyone’s fool for something, but, question—‘whose fool are you?'” I want to make it my goal, by the grace of God, for Christ to remain famous in and through my sphere of influence.
Mat 10:32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
Mat 10:33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
- EVADING PERSECUTION.
“I don’t want to be persecuted or be the target of bullying.”
As a believer, one might as well accept the fact that suffering for the sake of Christ and his gospel is inevitable.
2Ti 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
- SOVEREIGNTY DILEMMA.
“God will save people, whether I preach or not.”
Statements like this could be right and wrong at the same time. ‘Right’ because there’s nothing God can’t do regarding saving someone. We have heard stories upon stories of people who have come to know Christ in a sort of weird way. But ‘wrong’ because he already laid out the basis for his mission—through his redeemed ones.
Rom 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Rom 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
- INADEQUATE TRAINING.
“I am not trained enough.”
The one that matters most in preaching the gospel of Christ is that we, too, have been a recipient of that same good news. Any attempt to propagate the things of God without getting acquainted with the person of Christ would tantamount to becoming like the ‘sons of Sceva’ (Acts 19:14-15). But is there still a need for training and equipping? Ephesians 5 has already answered that.
Mat 10:19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.
- MATURITY MYTH.
“I am not mature enough.”
Nothing will be accomplished much if we all have to wait for our maturity to be realized before we move. I firmly believe that maturity comes as we do the work of the ministry. Notice that ‘ministry’ (v. 12) comes first before ‘maturity’ (v. 13).
Eph 4:12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
I am pretty sure that there would be more excuses out there why believers do not preach the gospel.
But remember—a grateful heart can not be silenced.
"It's All About Discipleship, Genius!" 