Wanted: Bold Evangelists

In the climactic scene of many crime dramas, a lone police officer confronts the villains in their hide-out. One good man against an armed and reckless gang might seem foolish, but, as the viewers know, the police officer seems confident for a good reason. He has a backup team in place, ready to help at the first sign of trouble.

Evangelism does not come without discomfort. To tell our coworkers, friends, and neighbors about the love of God in Christ may be to invite them to dismiss us, to ridicule us, or to end our relationship. For Christians in many times and places, evangelism has also come with danger. The church in Acts knew these risks firsthand. Peter and John had just been imprisoned (see Acts 4:1–22) for preaching the gospel, and a similar threat hung over the whole church.

As evangelists, we need boldness. Our confidence lies, as we saw yesterday, in the truth and power of the message we proclaim. It also comes from the Spirit who gives the Word its power (see 1 Thess. 1:5) and who speaks through us as we speak (Matt. 10:20). As we tell others about Jesus, we are not alone. Instead, we have the promised help of the Holy Spirit. Like the members of the early church, we can cast our anxieties on the Lord and ask Him to enable us to speak His word with great boldness (v. 29).

In answer to the believers’ prayer, God poured out the Spirit on everyone there (v. 31). We read that the place where they were was shaken, and, in the words of the Early Church Father John Chrysostom, “that made them more unshaken.” We can have confidence that He will do the same for us.

Pray with Us

Join us for Founder’s Week conference at Moody in Chicago—its theme this year is One New People. Praise God for Moody’s godly legacy of faithfulness to the Bible! As you pray, remember our interim president, Greg Thornton, who opens the first session today.

BY Megan Hill

Megan Hill serves on the editorial board for Christianity Today and is a regular contributor to CT Women and The Gospel Coalition website. She is the author of Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer: In Our Homes, Communities, and Churches, and a graduate of Grove City College. She lives in West Springfield, Mass., with her husband and four children.