Hello!
As many of you may know, I don’t like writing about issues that I’m not passionate about. I have struggled these last few months on the World Race and haven’t been in a good head space to sit down and write what I have learned. I’m in month 7 and currently serving in Laos for “Manistry” month. For those who are unfamiliar with this, let me explain. Manistry is when all the men from the squad separate themselves from the women and do life together (ministry, community living, etc.). This is a unique experience that allows us to come together as men of God and pour into each other and have talked about the vulnerability in men, accountability, and examining what a Godly man in today’s society looks like. After having some quality discussions and having been sharpened by my peers, I’m finally able to share how important it is to follow God’s word and the importance of preaching the Gospel. After many experiences and personal encounters with nonbelievers, I have learned that we as the Church need to know and love the Word. God, the heavenly Father, is training the men and women of the Christian faith to be leaders. One of the primary duties of being a leader is to preach and proclaim the Word of God. “He [Jesus] said to them, ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). In the writings of Paul, he is asking the people of God, “if the word is not proclaimed, then how will others believe? And, if they don’t believe, then how will they be saved?” For salvation, the proclamation of the Word and faith in the Word of God is necessary. Each and every one of us is called to proclaim of the Word. When we as Christians are speaking of proclaiming the Word, we are speaking of a gift of the Holy Spirit. On the race, I have had so many opportunities to share with Gospel with strangers. I would be lying if I said this came easy to me and that every encounter ended in me teaching them about who Christ was. You see, the declaration of the Word of God is not conveying some ideas from mans’ mind to other peoples’ minds. That would fall under the category of teaching. Teachers take an idea or thought of their own and teach it to others. Preaching, on the other hand, is much different. Preaching does not depend on one’s skill level, courage, or bravery. But rather, preaching depends on of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Preaching is not a communication of ideas; it is conveying an experience of God’s word—an experience that remains in one’s heart. We, the Church, then communicate that experience to the hearts and minds of others. In short, preaching is a communication of the Word of God made flesh in one’s life and is related to others so that the Word may become flesh in their lives. This is found in Scripture when John speaks of this in his Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been achieved. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:1-4). As believers in Jesus Christ, we have seen Him, we have touched Him, we have even had communion with Him, and we preach this Word to others so that they too may find salvation in Christ. What I think John is speaking of is something that is beyond description. An idea can easily be explained, but this is no idea. A Word that became flesh in someone is not easy to explain or communicate, but it is here that the gifts of the Holy Spirit come to work. I have seen how the Word of God can transform lives. I have heard testimonies and miracles that God has done for people all over the world. I have learned to be more open about my past and current struggles which allows me to show others what Christ has done and what He continues to do in my life. We as the church are the announcers that Jesus is alive and the Savior. The mission of the Church is to preach that which it has heard, believed, and been commissioned to preach. Another strength that I have learned is to put Christ at the center, and everything else becomes secondary. The main focus of this idea is that God’s word is the source of Christian faith and life. It is up to us, the Body of Christ, to spread the Good News to anyone we meet, so they too can be saved in the salvation of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, the word of God brings eternal life to every person who accepts it as the truth. The Word of God brings with it in signs of hope and forgiveness. So for the rest of my race, I’m challenging myself to keep growing and unashamedly preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
