Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
One of the reasons many believers hesitate to share their faith is because they do not feel fluent enough in the gospel. They worry they won't have all the answers, or they won't know the right verses, or they won't be able to explain everything clearly. I understand. I’ve been in ministry for thirty-five years and I still feel that way at times. Am I fluent enough?
I took a couple of years of foreign language in high school. I often joke that I speak “emergency Spanish.” What do I mean by that? It means I’ve learned much of my Spanish from just reading what’s around me daily. I can recognize words on wet floor signs, exit signs, and those “pull in case of emergency” instructions. I know enough to navigate a few situations, but I would never claim to be fluent in Spanish. Yet if I were invited on a trip to Mexico tomorrow, I wouldn't refuse to go simply because I'm not fluent in the language. I would just go and have a good time and hope to be able to communicate in a way that I can at least order some food, check in to a place to stay and find a bathroom. And if there happens to be a wet floor nearby, I’m good! Piso mojado!!!
The same principle applies to sharing the gospel. Jesus did not tell His disciples to wait until they became theological experts before becoming witnesses. He simply said, “You will be my witnesses.” The qualification was not their knowledge but the power of the Holy Spirit working through them.
Sometimes we think witnessing requires a seminary degree when it really begins with a simple testimony. You don't have to explain every doctrine. You don't have to answer every question. You don't have to know everything about the Bible. You simply need to tell people what Jesus has done in your life and what He can do in theirs. While we should strive to become more and more fluent in the gospel, someone around you today may just need to hear your best “emergency gospel”—the simple truth that God loves them, Christ died for their sins, and there is hope and forgiveness through Him.
The gospel is too important to keep silent until we feel fluent. As we saturate ourselves in God’s Word and step out in faith more and more, we will find that our gospel fluency grows. So don't wait until you think you know everything. Share what Jesus has done for you today. For someone in your path, they may be in a desperate situation needing to hear the emergency gospel.
