God can use anybody to preach His truth to all men. This is a truth that is found in the Bible, one that should dispel all the fears and worries of Christians all over the world. We are commanded to preach the gospel into all of creation, and unless we do that, we'll be disobeying the Lord Jesus Himself!
Fellow Christians, it is my desire to encourage you to trust God to help you do what He wants you to do. The Lord Jesus promised, according to Matthew 28:18-20, that He will be with us until the end of the age as we go about making disciples, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them all the things that He Himself has taught us.
The Lord Jesus stayed true to His promise, as seen in the lives of these three biblical figures. Let's be encouraged by them.
1. Stephen
The New Testament church's first martyr, Stephen was a man "full of faith and the Holy Spirit." Although his educational credentials weren't mentioned, his position in church was that of a humble food-server to Greek-speaking widows (see Acts 6). Yet we read in Acts 6-7 that he was able to preach powerful cut-to-the-heart gospel messages that actually revealed the hearts of men.
Friends, don't think that you need to have some sort of leadership position in church to be able to preach effectively. Rather, let your message come out of your relationship with God.
2. Peter
Aside from the Lord Jesus, the Bible shows that Peter was the only other man who was able to walk on water with no camera tricks. He was just your average coastal area-residing fisherman who had no training in the Word, but was privileged to have spent his time with Jesus. Because of this, he was able to preach in such a way that thousands got saved (see Acts 2:14-41) and heal people to the astonishment of renowned religious leaders (see Acts 3-4).
Friends, let Peter's simplicity encourage us. He had no training, but he had spent intimate time with the Lord Jesus Christ. Let your preaching stem from that truth.
3. Paul
The apostle Paul, who apparently came after the Lord Jesus went up to heaven, was a highly exceptional biblical figure who taught and engage in ministry. He was raised as a Pharisee and was taught by a man named Gamaliel. But Paul professed that the messages he was bringing and the authority given him as Christ's ambassador did not come from any man, board or whatever human authority. Instead, he recognised that it was by "Jesus Christ Himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead" (see Galatians 1:1).
Friends, we must realise that our authority to preach the gospel, regardless of who we are, comes from the Lord Jesus Christ alone – not a pastor, bishop or vicar. The command to preach came from Christ. The message that we preach is that of Christ's cross, not of a pastor's vision or a movement's goal. It's all about Jesus.
