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Believers ‘cannot continue in silence,’ Rainer declares


WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)–Follow the example of Peter and John — apostles who would not stop talking about Jesus, Thom Rainer exhorted in a message at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.

For too many believers, “Our lips are not moving, our hearts are not stirring and we are not telling people about Jesus,” said Rainer, founding dean of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth in Louisville, Ky.

“We cannot continue on in silence,” Rainer told Southeastern students in a message from Acts 4:13-20.

While silence is often borne of laziness, Rainer noted that laziness and personal comfort were far from the minds of the apostles when they risked their lives to boldly preach the Gospel.

“We must speak now for the sake of the Gospel, for the obedience of our Savior and for the glory of God,” Rainer said during his Sept. 23 visit to the North Carolina campus.

“The definition of a witness,” he said, “is not someone who is well-trained, but someone who is well-filled. Ultimately, witnessing comes down to this: Are we filled with the Holy Spirit, and are we preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ?”

He closed with a challenge for students and faculty alike: “May I challenge you in your quiet time each day to pray a prayer like this: ‘Lord, allow me to come in contact with someone with whom I may share the love of Christ.’

“Watch and see,” Rainer said, “who He might bring into your path.”
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  • Kyle Smith