INTRODUCTION
In church, I rarely hear other believers report about their efforts to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why? One reason is that folks do not outreach. However, possibly, people do not want others to think they are boasting about their efforts. Based on what I read in Acts, and especially Acts 4:23, it appears to be perfectly acceptable to report about one’s outreach efforts.
Let me briefly look at Acts 4:23.
PETER AND JOHN IN ACTS 4:23
After their release from a night in jail and threats from the Jewish leaders to not preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, Peter and John did not delay to report to other believers what happened. Acts 4:23 (NASB95) describes their actions:
23 When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
Peter and John were not bragging when they reported what happened because the immediate response of other believers was to pray to God for strength and boldness. Acts 4:24a (NASB95) reads:
24a And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said,
As one commentator (Gangel, K. O. (1998). Acts (Vol. 5, p. 62). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers) observes, it is one of the most dramatic prayers in the New Testament:
As Peter and John went back to the believers praying for them, they reported what must have been viewed by all as a victory. What follows is one of the most dramatic prayers of the New Testament because it reflects the way the early Christians prayed.
The way those 1st Century believers prayed ought to be the way we pray in the face of opposition to proclaiming the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Larkin (Larkin, W. J., Jr. (1995). Acts (Vol. 5, Ac 4:23). Westmont, IL: IVP Academic) writes:
The first Christians were realists, and so must we be. These threats, coming as they did from the highest civil authority, had the force of law. Obedience to Christ in the midst of a hostile environment will be costly. Will we realistically face that cost?
The reporting of your evangelism efforts may be the catalyst for bold and courageous prayer across the church.
CONCLUSION
Using what Peter and John did as a model, it seems okay to report to believers about your outreach efforts. So long as you give God the glory for your actions, your report ought to be (1) a great encouragement to other believers to go and do the same and (2) a super starter for bold and courageous prayer by the entire church.
What I have written in this post may not make much sense to you. This is especially the case if you do not have a relationship with God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. There is good news and bad news.
The bad news is that in the absence of a relationship with the Father, when you die your eternal destiny is hell. The good news is your eternal destiny can change. If you are not saved, today can be the day of your salvation.
Please see my blog (https://stevebelsheim.com/2020/04/20/for-god-so-loves-you-2/) for a description of how you can be saved and a more concise description at my (https://stevebelsheim.com/2020/10/20/there-is-hope-even-when-there-seems-to-be-no-hope-2/ ).
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