So, what are you?

I'm not sure why my job is, exactly.

As Christians, we can be quick to excuse ourselves from any responsibility of telling others about our faith in Jesus. There will always be a list of reasons why we can’t or won’t share, but in this devotional, I want to attempt to tell you how you can and why you should. Maybe it’s simply that you have been a little confused about who you are in the Kingdom of God and what role you play. You may be saying, I’m not sure what my job is, exactly. So, let’s look at some misconceptions and terms used to describe certain jobs, some that are in the Bible and some that aren’t.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:20

Paul says we are called to be Christ’s “ambassadors” here on this earth. The role of an ambassador is to promote or represent something or someone. The U.S. sends ambassadors all over the world to speak for the government in foreign countries. I’m sure it’s common knowledge that if you represent America, you are expected to actually talk about America. In fact, that’s the whole reason for the job. Most folks who have ever held that position have been honored to hold the title.

I mentioned to a friend one time about an evangelism class I was teaching at my church. He told me that the word evangelism was scary to him, conjuring up an old-timey religious vibe that he did not like. I had never heard someone say that before. No one had ever told me that just the word evangelism turned them off. Not sure what to think, I wondered, Maybe I should steer away from using that particular word. Later on, another person mentioned that the word was not in the Bible. And what do you know? I checked and it’s not!

I was beginning to understand that the terms we use today in Christianity may actually matter to people. As I taught the class, I had some people tell me they didn’t come because they thought evangelism only had to do with missionary work. They had assumed that people who try and convert the lost only do that sort of thing overseas. I soon realized I was up against far more than I had originally thought when it comes to sharing our faith with others. People were putting their own preconceived ideas to the word evangelism, which maybe made it easier to “opt out” based on what they thought it meant. Helping folks become gospelers was definitely going to be a challenge. So much so that even the word gospeler had literally vanished from our language. Throughout the years since Jesus came to this earth, there have been many religious terms created and used to describe almost everything and everybody. Today, we seem to have a label for any train of thought out there. But, to be a gospeler is simply to always have the name of Jesus on your lips.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

Hebrews 13:15

As an example, I’ve been married for thirty-plus years, and you don’t have to talk to me or my wife very long without us referencing each other in some way. It becomes second nature to talk about someone with whom you have a great relationship.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13

Evangelists are mentioned in this passage as a gift from Jesus. I have had the privilege of seeing many gifted people who have a powerful way of preaching the Gospel to the lost. While they may have a true spiritual gift, that doesn’t make the rest of us exempt from just telling others about the One who changed our lives. It doesn’t prevent us from studying God’s Word to help us better know and understand the message of Jesus so we can share with people.

We can all live on mission and be missionaries, maybe not in foreign lands, but right in our own neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. Evangelism is simply getting the word out about Jesus to all those we come in contact with through our daily lives. We can all be evangelists or gospelers. Maybe not to big crowds, but if you bring only one person to the Lord, you are an evangelist to him or her. All of us who say we know Jesus are ambassadors of Jesus Christ who help people when they are in need and spread the word of who they represent.

So, don’t get too caught up in terms, especially when you feel they can disqualify you from carrying out the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. I believe the evil one loves it when followers of Jesus keep their mouths closed about the Gospel. Preachers may preach to their churches, but when the whole church starts preaching, revival is on the way. As a Christian, because you have the Gospel in you, you can start getting the Good News out to others.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Have you ever disqualified yourself or opted out from sharing your faith because you thought it wasn’t “your gift”?

What are some practical steps you could take to either start or improve being an ambassador for Christ?

Find more in Willie's Gospel Courage devotional, available HERE.