When we had Life Action Ministries at our church, they used a saying – Your walk talks & your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.
That’s a tongue-twister, but it expresses the tension between what a Christian says and how a Christian lives. I think many Christian leaders emphasize one above the other.
Some teach that if we live a godly life, our example will be sufficient to point people to Jesus. But even if we could walk a consistent, faithful, Christian life but never speak about Jesus and His gospel, people will think they can get to Heaven by just living a good life, like us.
Others teach that the message is all that is important. If you spread the gospel, it is powerful enough. We are simply the messenger. But if our Christian walk (conduct) is not very godly, people won’t respect us enough to hear what we say about Jesus.
We need balance. We need to have both godly conduct and gospel speaking. To neglect either is to harm the spread of the message of Jesus.
I’m afraid there have been people who have not listened to me tell them about Jesus because of how I lived in front of them. And yet others have watched me live Christ in front of them, but I never told them about Him. Both are inadequate.
In Mark 6:7-13, Jesus sent out His first evangelistic teams into the surrounding communities with His message. Jesus had called 12 men to be with Him and that He might send them out to preach (Mark 3:14). They had watched Him for several months. But the time had now arrived for the apostles to begin a ministry on their own. This is the pattern of discipleship – We are called to Him, equipped by Him, and then sent out as His representatives.
Jesus included directions about conduct and content. He wanted them to have a balance between how they behaved and what they said.
As to their conduct:
He sent them in pairs. This gave them protection, encouragement & companionship & multiplied His efforts.
He instructed them to travel light. They were to leave at once, without extensive preparation, trusting in God’s care rather than in their own resources.
He instructed them to appreciate hospitality without abusing it. They were to go to the first home and stay there, even if another opened up that was more comfortable or socially prominent. The spread of the message has the priority over personal likes & dislikes.
He instructed them to leave if not received or believed. If the message of Jesus was rejected, don’t take it personal. The disciples were not responsible when others rejected the message. But they did have the responsibility to share it clearly and faithfully.
As to the content of their message, they were to follow the pattern that He had already established. They preached what their Master preached:
Preach Repentance. The people needed to change their minds. The message can only be life changing if the people allowed it to change their lives. The change, for sinful humans, can begin only with repentance.
Preach Power. They were given the power to heal the sick & demon possessed. When the gospel was preached, there was an accompanying power that left other powers weak. Their confidence was not in themselves, but in Jesus who commanded them to go.
We cannot copy these instructions literally and mechanically today. But the following principles are valid for all time:
- The forgiven are to proclaim forgiveness.
- Focus on God’s spiritual power, not on worldly goods.
- Go further and do more than your supplies allow.
- Worry less, trust more.
- Keep your lifestyle simple and efficient.
- When the mission is over, the only achievements worth talking about will be stories of faith.
What struggles do Christians have to balance walk & talk?
Read some of my other similar articles: 3 Things I Learned about Evangelism from a Time-Share Sales Pitch, If Not Now, When?, The Gospel in Your Hand
Trackbacks/Pingbacks