Speak Up (Luke 12)

I like verse 12 of Luke 12. To me, that verse is a real encouragement. We have been studying evangelism on Sunday mornings. And Luke 12 is a good verse to give encouragement for evangelism. Now, the first-century setting for Luke 12 is a unique type of evangelism. It is evangelism under pressure. When Jesus speaks of being brought before the synagogue, he means that His disciple is being brought forth for expulsion. Because of faith in Jesus, the disciple is about to be excommunicated (if not worse). Excommunication from the synagogue was a real tragedy. The synagogue was not only the center of Jewish worship. It was a social and economic hub for the Jewish community. To be exiled from the synagogue meant not only that you lost a place to worship. It meant that you lost friends and business partners and guardians. There would be great anxiety in being brought before the synagogue. But Jesus says, "Don't even worry about what you will say. God will give you the words you need to proclaim me."

Why can be confident in our sharing of the Gospel? We are confident because we know that God will give us the Words to say. As we pray and study His word, God will bless us and use us to proclaim His truth to even the most hostile audience. I don't have to be naturally elegant of speech to speak of Jesus. I just have to trust Him to give me the right words.