One of the greatest responsibilities of the Christian is to share the Word of God with the rest of the world. Christians should be committed to sharing God with the world by sharing God’s Word, the Bible, with the world. Unfortunately there are many different obstacles which can prevent the Christian from sharing God with others. Sometimes things such as a work or school can get in the way. Sometimes family can get in the way. Sometimes the Christian’s own insecurities about themselves will get in the way. Sin will always get in the way of sharing God with others. Sometimes the way the Christian lives their life can get in the way.
By now you might be wondering what great barrier to sharing God with others I am focusing on in this article. The barrier I am writing about in this article deals specifically with the way the Christian lives their life. If the Christian says one thing when speaking to others, but then the Christian does something completely different from what they said with their words they are a hypocrite. Hypocrisy is one of the greatest barriers to sharing the Word of God with others.
In Romans 2:17-29 the apostles Paul, inspired by God, wrote about hypocrisy among the Jewish Christians. Specifically notice verses 20 through 22: “ . . . an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth– you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?”
I have heard that a sermon seen is much more effective and makes a greater impact than a sermon preached. Consider the opposite impact of the Christian’s poor actions. What if a Christian speaks openly to his co-workers about not drinking alcoholic beverages, but at the company Christmas party drinks? What if the Christian parent tells their child to not use God’s name in vain, but their child hears them mutter it when they are frustrated? What if the Christian talks about the importance of God’s Word, but does not even bring their Bible to worship? These are just a few examples of hypocritical actions which can hinder the Christian from sharing God with others. In order to be a successful sharer of God’s Word the Christian must be genuine, not acting hypocritically, but authentic in their words and actions.
All Scripture reference is taken from the English Standard Version (ESV).