Find Your Voice

That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3

The disciples heard the words of Jesus first hand. They saw the miracles that He did, the lives that were touched and the changes that took place. They were up close and personal as He displayed compassion where others had shown disdain, and where mercy had been withheld, they watched Him pour out grace. Before Jesus returned to heaven, He commissioned the disciples to be His voice and share the good news of the gospel, and that is exactly what they did.

The disciples found their voice and once they started, no-one could silence them. The rulers, elders, scribes, high priest, and the council in Jerusalem all tried, warning them not to speak anymore to anyone about Jesus. Peter and John politely replied (and I summarise), ‘I’m sorry, but that won’t be happening.’

For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20

They had a message that needed to be heard and no other choice made sense than to go out and proclaim it. As the message went out, more believed, and the physical experience of seeing and hearing Jesus was replaced by a spiritual one, and the message became even more powerful.

Fast forward 2000 years and somewhere along the way, the Church has lost her voice.

A.W.Tozer puts it well, saying:

The church has lost her testimony. She has no longer anything to say to the world. Her once robust shout of assurance has faded away to an apologetic whisper. She who one time went out to declare now goes out to inquire. Her dogmatic declaration has become a respectful suggestion, a word of religious advice, given with the understanding that it is after all only an opinion and not meant to sound bigoted.

The message that was proclaimed by those first disciples is a message that the world still needs to hear, so let us not lose our voice. Let us proclaim Jesus, as we have seen and heard, and invite others to experience Him in their own lives.

Lord, strengthen me by your Spirit and help me find my voice so that I can share your wonderful good news. Amen