Sharing God’s Word with Others

In Jesus’ parting command after his resurrection, we find him instructing his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them in his name (Matthew 28:19–20).

When we see the word teaching, many of us think, Since I’m not a preacher or don’t have a gift for teaching God’s Word, this is not for me. And yes, the Bible does talk about gifts and callings related to teaching God’s Word, but that’s not the only way it speaks of passing on His Word to others.

In fact, God says to all of his people, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).

These instructions from God in the Old Testament lay the foundation for Jesus’ instructions in the New Testament. Jesus is telling each of us to pass God’s Word on to others in a way that helps them know and obey it.

This means that God’s Word is not intended to stop with us. It’s intended to spread through us. I have often asked followers of Jesus this question: Are you a receiver or a reproducer of God’s Word?

When I spent some time studying the Bible with a group of persecuted brothers and sisters in Sudan, I noticed that each of them was writing down all that we discussed. Why? As they told me afterward, “We are going to take everything we have learned, translate it into our languages, and share it with our tribes.” They were not just listening to receive; they were listening to reproduce.

What about you? Are you prone to stop at just receiving God’s Word? Do you ever find yourself stuck in a mindset that asks only, What can I get out of this? This is not uncommon! Yet Jesus’ command to “go” and to “teach” reminds us to approach his Word not just for our own needs but also to ask, How can I share what I learn with others?

Let us go and do just that!

Pray

God, please help me to share your Word faithfully so that others might experience intimacy with you. Amen.

Was this plan helpful? We adapted this plan from How to Read the Bible: A Simple Guide to Deeper Intimacy with Godby David Platt. Check it out for more.