Acts 26 “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

This is Paul’s own description of his ministry, spoken to a king who was not a Christian but should have been. It is interesting to see the direct echoes of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and John the Baptist (Matthew 3:8). Some things are certainly true for eternity! Down through the centuries some preachers have tried to please their hearers and some have tried to be faithful to God and His Word, regardless of how they were received. Guess which is pleasing to God! There is nothing wrong with being culturally relevant. This is an issue that came up a few days ago in relation to cross-cultural missions. However, there is no culture on earth that agrees completely with Biblical truth, which means that faithful proclamation of the Gospel will always be counter-cultural, at least to some degree. Antiquated vocabulary (“King James English”) is hardly helpful, and Biblical concepts need to be explained in words the hearers can grasp and apply, but hard truths must not be avoided simply because they are hard. The message of repentance isn’t at all popular with the world, but it is at the very core of Christian faith and proclamation.

As a Pastor/Teacher this naturally applies fully to me. My personal difficulty is in being so familiar with the formal terminology for Biblical concepts that I often fail to explain them simply enough. I’ve got to gauge my listeners hearing capacity very carefully, as Paul did, and present the truth in bite-sized pieces that are as digestible as possible. However, I must not hold back for fear of offending. I am to fear no person, but be faithful in fulfilling the commission God has given me.

Father, You have been speaking to me of harvest, and that is exciting. Thank You for also making it clear to me that if I am to see the harvest, I’ve got to be faithful as Your messenger. Help me indeed communicate what You want me to, when and to whom You want me to, in words given by Your Spirit that will pierce their hearts and cut off their chains, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!