Preach the gospel always; if necessary, use words.

For years I’ve heard and seen people use that quote to sum up the missional lifestyle and missional church. And why not – at first glance it sounds great. Most people have interpreted it to mean “don’t just preach with words, but preach with actions”.

But that’s the problem – the quote requires interpretation. It’s not that it’s multi-faceted or really deep, it just doesn’t make much sense. It’s the equivalent of saying “Give me your telephone number; if necessary, use digits.”

Even worse, for years this quote has been attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, yet there is no record of him ever having said or written this statement.

Maybe, just maybe, it comes down to this: without the gospel, good works are nothing more than good works, and the gospel, when not lived out, is nothing more than hypocrisy.

HT: Jared Wilson

Mad4Christ (a community outreach group founded by my friend John Williams) is organizing a Back2School outreach, in the Lincoln Elementary school zone, to help families in need. They’re accepting school supplies and financial donations. John needs all supplies and donations no later than August 4. Anyways, to find out more and contribute, click here.