Please speak

“From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, ‘Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.’” Acts 13:14-15

“Please speak.”

“Uh..... hmm..... well... um............ gee...”

Fortunately for the synagogue rulers and their congregants, it wasn't I, the visitor they tapped on the shoulder and asked to speak that day!  Impromptu, me? I thought we knew each other!

And for all we know, Paul didn’t do stand-up at the improv, either. But, clearly, he was prepared! He knew his audience: “Men of Israel and ... Gentiles who worship God.” His invitation came after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, so he knew their frame of reference and his own starting point. The purpose was clear: the ask was for a “message of encouragement.” And Paul’s foundation was certain, for he knew Jesus and the reason for his hope in him. The man was ready ... and the man delivered.

In his letter to “God's elect,” Peter exhorted us this way: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). People want to know!  People are starved for hope and they want to know if they can trust Him who is our hope. And when people ask, there is no need for us to be frightened into the fetal position, rather ours is to be ready to help them in this life-giving way.

Paul was prepared when his opportunity arose. But me?

Not so much, I'm afraid. And I'm not alone in this deficiency. All around us – and within – here’s the common believer’s experience: we want to share what we've found in Christ ... we want to be part of the harvest ... we wish we had great answers to people's questions ... but we never seem to get past these aspirations and actually do something about them. We admire “be prepared” from a distance, but we don't go there. We hear, but don’t do.

So what do you say we change that right now? Got a pencil and a piece of paper? And five minutes?

I’m serious. Using bullet points, phrases, sentences – whatever works best for you – jot down at least the beginnings of your own response to this question: “Why do you place your hope in Jesus Christ?” It’s a personal question in search of a genuine answer. It could be the change he’s made in the lives of people you know ... maybe you’ve seen a miracle or a compelling event in your life or in someone around you ... perhaps it’s jaw-dropping amazement at all of the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus, centuries after they were uttered ... and don’t forget the incremental changes in your heart after you trusted him.

We all have our reasons. Jot down yours. Hone it, if need be. Rehearse it a couple times, so you can comfortably share it with “everyone who asks you.”

And keep in mind we need not feel compelled to prove anything or fear being “wrong” – they're our reasons, after all – just explain why you hope in Jesus. That’s what witnessing is: simply telling someone what you’ve seen or experienced.

The Holy Spirit will take it from there. He is the one who will use our words to initiate or nurture hope in those who ask, or bring it into fruition of belief. He is the one who will breathe life into others, just as he breathed it into you.

So take a few minutes now to break this inertia in your life. It won’t take long!  When you're done, you will have an answer the next time someone says, “Please speak.”

(To see today's full text, Acts 13:14-43, click here.)