Have you ever read through the book of Acts looking for the ideal way to proclaim the gospel? Frustrating isn’t it? Sometimes the gospel was proclaimed to thousands in one go (2:14-41); at other times to one man travelling alone (8:26-40). On some occasions it was in response to particular need (3:1-10) or revelation of the spirit (16:9-10); other times it was defending the gospel in front of riotous crowds (22:1-21), courts of law (4:8-12) or even kings and emperors (26:1-29). In marketplaces, synagogues, private homes, and by the river the gospel was proclaimed… and each time the circumstances were a little different. There was one message, but many methods of presenting it, each tailored to the context.

Over the next five weeks we will consider a number of common contexts in which the gospel may (must!) be proclaimed today. But please don’t fall into the trap of passive listening! A preacher can talk about the gospel in the workplace… but they cannot tell you how to apply that to your workplace. Nobody knows your family, your school or uni, your friends and neighbours – in short, your context – quite the way you do. So if the gospel is to be promoted and proclaimed in your life, then you are going to have to prayerfully translate words into actions. In this, you will be following the Apostle Paul, who wrote:

‘I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings’ (1 Cor 9:22-23).