A Quote That Never Actually Happened
A quote that never actually happened:
“Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”
—not St. Francis of Assisi
This quote has been attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, and has been used by MANY preachers throughout the years. Just one thing though…
There is literally no record of him ever saying this.
But you have to admit, it sure sounds pretty cool! And I understand what ministers are trying to communicate when they quote a quote that was never an actual quote, by the person they don’t seem to realize didn’t quote it (that’s a lot of quotes right there).
I do have a few problems with this mentality:
Read the Bible and you will see that Jesus, the apostles, and believers throughout the Early Church used...words. Lots of them.
Here are just a few (of many) Scripture references I want you to look at. Pay special attention to the words that are italicized:
Acts 10:42-44 “And he commanded (whoa!) us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.”
Romans 10:14-15 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Romans 1:15-16 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Imagine people passionately referencing a profound quote like this to a group of doctors;
”Perform your operations with excellence and consistency. When necessary sanitize and use surgical tools.”
Or carpenters;
”Build beautiful houses. When necessary use tools.”
I could go on, but I would only be humoring myself (and some of you).
Over the last couple of decades, possibly without realizing it and much like the perpetual boiling of a frog in water, far too many churches have replaced the actual preaching of the gospel, teachings of Jesus, and teachings of the apostles, with very cheap substitutes that I do not care to list right now, lest I rile myself up even more while typing, potentially offending many brothers and sisters in the Lord.
*Gosh that was a long sentence. I hereby apologize to all of the grammar nazis and English professors who may be reading this!I have spent a considerable amount of time across many communities I’ve lived in. For the life of me, I cannot recall observing a single Christian sharing the gospel with someone in years. THEREFORE, pastors and ministry leaders, why on earth would you reinforce spiritual apathy among people who are already not using words, much less a lifestyle, to win other people to Christ?!
We must reject the lie that says our goal as pastors and spiritual leaders is to grow a large gathering by offering a weakly (pun intended) veggie burger & instant mashed potatoes philosophy, rather than steak and potatoes Christology! The gospel was offensive and repulsive to some, powerful and life-changing to others, bringing immediate results as it attracted both the Spirit of God and the opposition of demons!
FINAL TAKEAWAY:
We desperately need the ministry of the Evangelist to invade the church again! No, I am not talking about traveling comedians or social media influencers who can draw a crowd for you (from other churches they already belong to). I am speaking of true, Biblical Evangelists, called by God to equip the church for the work of the ministry, helping people learn to use words to preach the gospel and win people for Christ!
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