At the heart of biblical discipleship is the idea that we are called as believers to speak God’s truth in the context of loving relationships. This is what it means to help others pursue God. As we share God’s truth with people it can change their lives and change the world.
But we are often hesitant to share because we’re not sure if we’re really in a place to do so. Who am I, after all, to try to speak truth to people? Yet God’s plan doesn’t just involve church leaders and experts and theologians, it involves regular people who are willing to share the power of God’s truth.
People Hesitate to Share God’s Truth for Many Reasons
- “I’ve got problems.”
- “I don’t know enough.”
- “I don’t want to look arrogant.”
- “It’s not my personality.”
- “I don’t want to upset people.”
Yet God Called Ordinary People to Share the Truth
Acts 4 describes the early life of the first followers of Jesus and how they shared the truth with people.
Acts 4:5-7 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem…. They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”
The religious leaders contested the authority and qualifications of Jesus’ followers. But Jesus’ followers responded by simply sharing God’s truth.
Acts 4:12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.
You can see how the religious professionals responded to this bold statement:
Acts 4:13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
Jesus’ followers were regular people with no special theological training. They weren’t rabbis. But they knew Jesus. Because of the reality of God in their lives gave them something to say.
The Power to Help People Is Not in Us – It’s in God’s Truth
We don’t speak our own ideas, but God’s. His truth has inherent power. That’s why ordinary people can do this. The devil wants you to remain silent. But God wants you to share his truth.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Which of the reasons to hesitate sharing God’s truth can you relate most to? Are there other reasons you’d add to the list?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard is it for you to believe that God can use you to speak his truth to others?
- What factors made Jesus’ first disciples qualified to share God’s truth? How do those factors apply in your life?
- How can sharing God’s truth impact someone else in your life? Be specific. How can it impact your own life?
- Is there someone on your mind right now? How can you begin to share God’s truth with that person? How can you do it in a way that will be received?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
