In Acts 1:8, Jesus Christ told the twelve apostles that they would receive power and be witnesses unto him to the entire world. He said, “…ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” They received that power on the day of Pentecost, the first day of the Grace Administration. We too, as born-again believers in the Grace Administration, have the right and privilege to be witnesses—to speak the Word to anyone anywhere.
Wherever we go, we can speak the Word we know. Here are two ways we can be ready to bring God’s Word into our conversations wherever we go: we can ask questions, and we can relate a spiritual truth to something said in the conversation.
Asking a question that leads to spiritual matters can be a simple and effective way to bring up the Word in a conversation. In Acts, chapter 8, Philip the evangelist got the opportunity to teach the Word to a man of Ethiopia by asking a question.
Acts 8:30,31:
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Upon hearing the Ethiopian reading the Scriptures, Philip simply asked the man, “Do you understand what you are reading?” What a great question! Just like Philip, wherever we go, we can speak the Word we know by asking a question.
Here are a few examples. Let’s say you are at a park and speaking with a parent who is with a child; you could ask, “What is the most important thing you want your child to know about God?”
Or if you are speaking with someone who mentions a concern about the economy, crime, or some other negative, you could ask, “What kind of spiritual truths do you think might help people overcome these negatives?”
Maybe as you are speaking with a college student, you could ask, “What do you believe is man’s purpose in life?”
If you know the person attends a church, you could ask, “What is it you are learning that draws you to and keeps you at your church?”
The point is to help lead people to express themselves concerning spiritual matters in order to bring God’s Word into the conversation. Expect God to work mightily within you to ask just the right questions as you reach out to share His Word with others.
Another way to introduce the Word into a conversation is to state a spiritual truth that relates to an earthly or natural statement made in the conversation. Jesus Christ did this when he spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, requesting a drink of water (John 4:6-26). She expressed her astonishment at what he said because it broke with the cultural prejudice between the Judeans and the Samaritans.
John 4:9,10:
Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew [Judean], askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews [Judeans] have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Jesus took her comment about his senses request for water and related it to a spiritual truth—“living water.” This opened the door for him to share the greatness of God’s Word with her. We can apply this same principle in our conversations.
During the time leading up to the national elections in the United States, I was speaking with a local business owner who expressed his great concern for his quality of life depending on the outcome of the elections. I responded by sharing with him that as born-again believers, the Bible calls us the “elect of God” (Colossians 3:12). Our national and political leaders are not the final authority on the quality of our lives—God is. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to make available to us a more abundant life in all categories (John 10:10). And the Word gives us the promises we can claim to live a life of abundance and power. This blessed him, and I was able to share more of the Word.
As sons of God and witnesses, we have the right and privilege to speak the Word to anyone anywhere. In the course of living our lives, we may go to a variety of places. We can believe for excellent opportunities to meet people and initiate conversations. The impact of our lives depends on our readiness to share God’s Word wherever we go. What are two ways we can be ready to bring God’s Word into our conversations wherever we go? By asking questions and by relating a spiritual truth to something said in the conversation. Let’s continue to be bold witnesses of God’s Word and His power. Wherever we go, let’s speak the Word we know.