Taking the Gospel to the World
By: Abraham Raymond Eli
Tags: Spiritual Power, The Gospel, Evangelism, Qualifications, Christianity

Raison d’etre

In this article, we attempt an empirical scriptural investigation to prove that God has always called ordinary people to do His work — people like you and me.

These were people who grew into their roles and did extraordinary things for God. The intention is to make you aware that God may be calling you into His work — as ordinary as you now are!

Elijah

Elijah was as human as they come, but when he prayed the course of nature was altered (James 5:17–18). You’d expect such a person to be superhuman, but no! Elijah had the same challenges most people have. He wasn’t married— talk of loneliness. He didn’t even have an attractive persona — he wore camel’s skin for clothing. He once fled for his life when the queen of his day came after him — he was intimidated by political power. He manifested signs of depression at a point in his ministry — he even asked God to kill him. (1 Kings 17:1ff)

Indeed, Elijah was just an ordinary guy who did extraordinary things for God. In the same way, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will do extraordinary things — great works — for God.

Jeremiah

When God called Jeremiah, Jeremiah disqualified himself because he was young, inexperienced, fearful, and timid. But, despite these disadvantages, God empowered him to succeed and assured him of His presence! (Jeremiah 1:4–10)

You may disqualify yourself, but God is asking if you are willing to go for Him.

Those things that you think disqualify you are the very reasons God chose you so that you would always rely on Him, and He would be glorified in the work you are doing.

Daniel

Daniel was also a young man, but a captive of Babylon. Yet, in the land of his captivity, he excelled for God, serving in two distinct kingdoms — the Babylonian and Persian kingdoms (Daniel 1:1ff). Who would have thought that a captive slave would be used by God? Yet that is exactly what happened.

Think about it: there were many mighty men — Hebrews and non-Hebrews — in Babylon and Persia, but God did not pick any of them. Instead, He picked Daniel, and his friends — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Although they were slaves, yet they purposed not to defile themselves!

Your station in life is not the issue; God is!

Stay where you were when God called your name. Were you a slave? Slavery is no roadblock to obeying and believing. I don’t mean you’re stuck and can’t leave. If you have a chance at freedom, go ahead and take it. (1 Corinthians 7:20–21, MSG)

If you are willing to risk it all for God and stay undefiled, it will be well worth it — a tremendous payout awaits you in eternity.

Naaman’s wife’s maid

There was a little Hebrew girl who was captured during one of Naaman’s raids on Israel (2 Kings 5:1ff). She was like an orphan in a strange land, yet she served God’s purpose in telling Naaman’s wife about a prophet in Israel who could heal Naaman’s leprosy. Before this time, no leper had ever been healed. But, through her, Naaman was healed and came to the revelation of the God of heaven and earth.

What’s more, the name of this little girl was never mentioned!

If God used a nondescript captured little girl, one wonders why any of us would doubt that he or she can be useful to God and, indeed, used by Him to proclaim the gospel?

Amos

Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: “I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’” (Amos 7:14–15, NKJV)

Amos had no theological training that could have qualified him to be a preacher or prophet. He possessed no theological degree, neither did he have a secular degree nor was he a certified prophet!

Amos’s testimony was of someone living a normal uneventful everyday life — working two jobs — until God called him and asked him to go for Him from Judah into Israel and prophesy!

Perhaps you have such an uneventful daily work life and are without qualifications to preach? You are in good company and very much useful to God!

No human qualifications required

Indeed, the certifications and recommendations in your curriculum vitae (or résumé) are irrelevant when you work for God. Sometimes your degrees and academic exposure can become a hindrance to what God wants to do through you.

For example, a medical doctor who wants to serve God would soon discover that the knowledge of medicine can hinder the move of God, as they may think that certain ailments can only be resolved medically, whereas God wants to show forth His power in healing such ailments without medicine.

In John 9:1–7, the disciples questioned the Lord as to why a man was born blind — they wanted to know if it was the sin of his parents or his own. The Lord’s response was that the blind man’s condition was not a matter of sin — his nor his parents’ — but it was all for the glory of God. Then, He spat on the ground, made a paste with His saliva and dust, rubbed on the man’s eyes and asked him to go to the pool and wash. The man went and came back seeing.

Medicine would have told us that the man’s blindness was congenital or too far gone to be resolved! But, with God, nothing is too far gone or impossible. God could say to you:

“Pray for him, lay your hands on him”

Or something of the sort! Indeed, if you are steeped in medicine, you would find that illogical and unrealistic. But when we work for God:

We live by what we believe will happen, not by what we can see. (2 Corinthians 5:7, ERV)

The Cypriot and Cyrenian evangelists

At a time when the apostles in Jerusalem were unwilling to take the gospel to the Gentiles, perhaps because of their idiosyncrasies regarding the Gentiles, some nondescript Jewish men broke the barrier and preached to the Gentiles in Antioch:

But other believers, who were from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and proclaimed the message to Gentiles also, telling them the Good News about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s power was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:20–21, GNB)

While others continued to preach to Jews only, these radical Jews, known only by their country of origin, chose to preach to Gentiles — and what a harvest of souls came forth!

God can send you to preach the gospel to people who are not of your culture, religion, etc. Will you be willing to give up your idiosyncrasies and go for God?

Saul of Tarsus

Following the exploits of the Cypriot and Cyrenian evangelists in Antioch, Barnabas and Saul were later involved in teaching the new Gentile believers the word of God (see Acts 11:22–26). Later on, God specifically called Barnabas and Saul to take the gospel to the Gentile world (Acts 13:1ff). Saul also called Paul, who went on to be a renowned apostle and was credited with writing almost half of the New Testament of the Bible.

Why did God choose Saul of Tarsus, with his background as a Pharisee — who ordinarily would not have anything to do with Gentiles, and who had hitherto persecuted the church of God and killed some Christians — to take the gospel to the Gentiles? It wasn’t because of his knowledge of scripture, nor because He had seen the Lord on the road to Damascus. It was because he was a willing vessel in the hands of the Lord.

Saul’s knowledge of scripture could have been a problem for him. Because of his religious background as a Pharisee, he could have found it difficult to go to the Gentiles. But he was completely surrendered to the Lord.

On the Damascus road when the Lord met him, one of the questions Saul asked was:

Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? (Acts 9:6, KJV)

This is a mark of a person who is surrendered to God. He is willing to do whatever God demands of him.

When you surrender to the Lord, He will put in you all that you need to serve Him acceptably!

Are you willing to serve God?

Are you in despair? Are you a youth? Are you in servitude? Are you infirm? Is life tough for you and unpleasant? Are you that ordinary guy down the road trying to make ends meet — even working two or three jobs? These things don’t disqualify you from preaching the gospel. What matters to God is your willingness to serve and obey Him.

So, are you willing to give up all for God? If yes, then you are qualified to take heaven’s urgent message — the gospel — to the world.

God is desirous of people who have nothing to boast about, except to boast in Him and what He is doing in their lives. Also, the Lord Jesus assures that:

“. . . he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do . . .” (John 14:12, NKJV)

The greater works will be done by those whose faith is in Christ, for He has bestowed them with the Holy Spirit to empower them for greater works!

Are you willing to let God work through you — stripping you of all that you could want to boast about and simply be regarded as weak, inexperienced, ordinary, etc.? Then greater works await you!

Proclaiming the gospel is spiritual

The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4–5, ERV) For by strength no man shall prevail. (1 Samuel 2:9, NKJV)

By our talents, prowess, and abilities — our strength — we cannot prevail over life’s challenges and Satan’s onslaught. But with God’s empowerment, we shall subdue and overcome the enemy, and every challenge of life that we encounter!

The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the LORD: “You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by My spirit.” (Zechariah 4:6, GNB)

Going for God has nothing to do with personal abilities, educational qualifications, wealth, or some other human criteria; it is our willingness to yield to the Spirit of God that gets the gospel message out to the world in word and power.

God strips us of those things that we possess and are proud of. Then, He asks us to go for Him in His power (see Judges 6:11ff).

All He wants is your willingness and availability. Are you willing to be emptied of self and filled with the life of Christ by the Holy Spirit?

Parting words

God chooses whomever He wills and fills them with the Holy Spirit so that they can take His urgent message to the world. God’s work in you will not make you superhuman, for your frailties will still be apparent. You will still be ordinary, subject to imperfections, yet God will be glorified as you serve Him in holiness and righteousness despite your frailties (Luke 1:73–75)!