Each week I find myself looking forward to Sunday. I consider it a great privilege to be able to proclaim that Jesus is our risen Savior, especially on a day that marks the resurrection. It’s exciting to think that someone may hear the Gospel and respond for the first time in his life. I am blessed to be able to stand in front of a congregation and preach the same Gospel that the Apostle preached centuries ago.
But Paul Dwight Moody, the son of famous evangelist Dwight L. Moody, reminds us of a truth in the Easter sermon that he preached in 1910:
“All Christians should be preachers of the resurrection, for it is at the very core of our faith. If Christ rose not, then preaching and faith are alike vain, and of all men are we the most miserable. And though we may not be called upon to herald it in great cathedrals or crowded churches, still by life and word we are to declare that the Lord has risen.”
It is indeed our privilege to present the resurrection of Christ to those around us. But it is more than just an opportunity, it is our responsibility. Moody goes on to say:
“Every man or woman who takes upon himself the name of Christ honestly, subscribes to the belief that He rose from the grave and thereby witnesses to that belief. And this we must preach. And if the resurrection is real to us, we will. We must declare that the Lord is risen – that we have seen the Lord. And if we have, we will; for every true vision contains in it that which makes its beholder an evangelist. For the person fresh from contact with the living Lord there is only one thing to do: tell about it. Tell about it he will; the very light on his face would reveal that he had seen the Lord if his lips were dumb.”
If we believe it, we must preach it. Let someone hear your testimony this week. Demonstrate the love of God to someone in need. Invite a friend to attend church services with you this weekend. Allow your Christian witness to be seen and heard by those at work, at school, or in your family. We must all be preachers of the Good News!