Preaching, Teaching, and Reaching

In 1986, Jesus called me into the Gospel ministry. My life was a train wreck waiting to happen, and I was traveling at breakneck speed towards nowhere. When I received my calling, I was instructed by the Lord that “good preaching and good teaching will save my people.” Since that day, nearly 40 years now, I am still on fire with my commission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, teach God’s Word, and reach the world with the good news of the Kingdom. As a result, my ministry motto has always been, Preaching, Teaching, and Reaching.

Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is our primary example of what the Gospel ministry is and how it is to be conducted by those who have accepted their calling. Mark 4:23 says, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” This is the heart of what it means to be a minister of the Gospel.

We who have been called into the Gospel ministry should be relentlessly pursing that calling. We should be constantly studying the Word of God to feed our minds with the wisdom of scripture. We should be always in the process of preparing a lesson or sermon so that when God provides the opportunity, we are already prepared to stand and proclaim the truth. We should be praying daily for the saints to be strengthened and for sinners to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. We should be constantly preaching, teaching, and reaching in obedience to our calling as ministers of Jesus Christ.

Let me be very clear as I close this moment - there is never a time in your Gospel ministry that you do not have an opportunity to preach, teach, or reach - never! We live in a fallen and sin sick world and the opportunities to preach, teach, and reach are limited only by one’s unwillingness to go. Every day, we are presented with opportunities to preach, teach, and reach. You do not need to be in a pulpit inside a church to preach. You do not need a lectern in an air-conditioned classroom to teach. You do not need to wait for the next annual food or clothing drive to reach people. In fact, your everyday life should be defined by your preaching, teaching, and reaching.

As ministers of the Gospel, let us be committed to our calling to preach the Gospel, teach the Word of God, and to reach the world for Jesus Christ.