Actions speak louder than words

Mark 16:15 (ESV)

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

What comes to your mind when you think of the word preach or preacher?
Do you think of an occupation that includes standing in front of large crowds? Do you see it as an oration which includes multiple points and a conclusion that seals the deal?

What if I told you that preaching was much more than that?

Preaching is not a Sunday morning event, it is a lifestyle. Some of the best sermons are not outlined on paper, but are illustrated in how we live. I want to tell you about my friend Cameron. He is full of God and has a burning desire to lead people to encounter Jesus. Recently he was praying for opportunities to share the Gospel with his co-workers, but struggled with finding an open door. Day after day, he would go to work and hear the banter of his co-workers without getting one word in about his faith. You can imagine how frustrating this must have been for him. After all, his one real passion is to share what God has done in his life. At his last job, he was able to impact several people and disciple them in their journey. Now he is in what seems to be a spiritual abyss.

One day as he was talking with someone from work they told him, “You make me want to be a better person”. WOW! It was at this moment that the lightbulb came on. He realized the opportunities that he had prayed for were being realized through his life and not his words.

He didn’t have a three point sermon, he had his actions. There was something different about him that drew his co-worker to him. You are the light of the world. When the light is on, people will be attracted to you. When you walk into a room the atmosphere should change because of who lives inside of you.

For far too long we have spoken with our lips what is mute in our actions. Jesus said that we would be identified by our fruit, not our words. It is our ability to live above our circumstances and not by our circumstances that make us different. We have peace in the midst of the storm. We have joy in the middle of trials. We have hope in times of great distress. When people see how we conquer life, they take notice. Our lifestyle baits the hook! When people are attracted to what they see it paves the way for you to share who Jesus is and what He has accomplished in your life. Your words are merely there to express why you are the way you are.

The world is your stage and your lifestyle is your sermon!

Our work ethic should announce the glory of God. The way we treat others should be our message of love and forgiveness. Our generosity should point to a generous God who gave His best so that we could become His children.

We could go on and on with this, but I think you get the point.

Our lifestyle should cause others to inquire and desire what we have. Maybe you will have an experience like Cameron. Maybe someone will say that your life makes them want to be a better person. In that moment, the door gets swung wide open for you to share with words what you have lived in your actions. You can begin to express your heart and what He has done for you. You can walk them through the testimony of where He has brought you from. You can explain that it is not in our efforts to be better and try harder, but in our willingness to draw closer to the Father that brings the real change.