Awake in the Storm: The Evangelist’s Call to Stand and Speak
Luke 21:10-15
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict."
What is an evangelist?
By my reasoning, an evangelist can be anyone who passionately shares the gospel message, whether through preaching, teaching, writing, or personal testimony. In Luke 21:10-15, Jesus speaks to his followers about facing persecution and being brought before authorities "for my name's sake." He frames this as an opportunity to "bear witness". And I find it very interesting that Jesus doesn't suggest that one should prepare in advance for this defense of the gospel.
In the New Testament, like in Ephesians 4:11-12, it’s suggested that roles like evangelists, prophets, or teachers are given to certain people to build up the church. Not everyone’s wired the same way, some are bold and vocal, naturally drawn to share what they believe, while others might lean more towards a quiet support system or just personal reflection. So, we know that some have a great zeal for sharing the gospel and are willingly giving up their time and their comfort zones to serve the word of God, advocating for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Now Jesus taught them about the end times and what's in store for all believers in the days that follow. And he tells them about a time when families will be divided one against another. Mother against son, father against daughter, brother against brother. He told them that they will be hated for his sake. People will hate the gospel message. He told them about the destruction of Jerusalem and the days of Israel's scattering. He told them about great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. And he told them about signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth. And how they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And through it all he promised that his word would endure. He promised that "heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." And he promised this for all the people and especially for those evangelists who live to share the good news.
An evangelist really can be anyone with that fire to share the Gospel, whether they’re preaching from a pulpit, writing a book or internet posts, or just talking to a friend. The word will go out and it will not return to the Lord void of his glory because he promised that his Spirit will be in it and do with it what he desires. That’s a radical kind of confidence, less about strategy, more about reliance on something bigger. Those with "great zeal" aren’t just sharing a message, they’re living it, risking something for it. That’s probably why Jesus didn’t tell them to rehearse answers; it’s not a performance; it’s a way of being.
And on that note Jesus takes a sharp turn away from the broader focus of a futuristic world and turns his attention to the hearts and minds of his followers.
Luke 21:34-36
"But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
Jesus shifts from the external challenges; persecution, trials before authorities, to the internal ones. He’s warning his followers, evangelists included, to guard their own hearts. He warns them about distractions that could dull their focus or sap their resolve. It’s almost like he’s saying: You’re out there bearing witness, but don’t let the world’s noise or your own weaknesses trip you up. It’s urgent, unpredictable, "that day" will come like a thief in the night.
And don't miss this:
No one’s exempt, as he says it’ll hit "all who dwell on the face of the whole earth."
Stay awake people, pray for strength. For the evangelist, this could be a double motivation: stay sharp, keep sharing, because time and comfort is not guaranteed. Don’t get bogged down, but don’t go it alone either. Pray, stay vigilant. It ties back to reliance, not religion. For someone passionate about sharing the Gospel, this feels like both a caution and a lifeline.
When I read these verses in Luke 21 and likewise in Matthew 24-25, I immediately feel a sense of urgency and resolve. Jesus isn’t mincing words here; he’s painting a picture of a world that’s chaotic, unpredictable, and heading somewhere fast. The clock’s ticking and the stakes are high.
And be ready to give your testimony, to share God's word. Be ready by being available. The Spirit will give you his words, you be ready to speak them. It’s not about rituals or checklists; it’s about staying connected, awake, and ready through prayer and trust. The caution to not get "bogged down" fits so well with that, whether it’s the "cares of this life" or the temptation to coast, it’s a call to stay light on your feet.
That’s the promise of strength to all who "escape all these things" and "stand before the Son of Man." It’s not just survival; it’s standing tall at the end. This life of evangelism stands in opposition, and it feels stark, almost defiant. While the world might be sleepwalking into that "trap," the evangelist’s role is to be the one sounding the alarm, living differently, relying on God’s strength instead of the usual crutches. It’s not just countercultural; it’s counterintuitive to human nature in a crisis. The evangelist doesn't tolerate the sin and materialism as if it's inevitable and therefore righteous. The world thinks it's "right". They've got all the answers. They have all the knowledge but no wisdom. This doesn't mean that knowledge itself is bad; it’s that the world’s version, is divorced from God, it's a hollow shell.
Isaiah 5:21
"Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight"
They have all the answers and a lot of talk. Too many are...
2 Timothy 3:7
"always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth"
The ones Isaiah and Paul call out. They pile up facts, chase theories, and polish their own prudence, but it’s a treadmill; they never get to the real thing. It’s knowledge without roots, spinning its wheels. They abandon God and worship themselves. The ultimate idolaters.
For the evangelist in Luke 21, this is the crowd they’re facing: distracted, self-assured, and missing the truth right in front of them. The evangelist, by standing firm, rejects their idea that sin and materialism are just the natural order of things. Jesus’ call to vigilance and reliance cuts through that noise; don’t just learn for the sake of learning, don’t get lost in the world’s endless loop. The truth isn’t a trophy you earn; it’s a reality you wake up to. That "ever learning" trap feels like the flip side of the evangelist’s mission. Maybe that's why Jesus cautions against preparation. Preparing ahead; overthinking, scripting, strategizing, might just pull you into that same cycle of self-reliance and human wisdom the world’s stuck in. It’s like he’s saying: Don’t play their game. Don’t lean on your own prep like the ones who are wise in their own eyes.
Instead, Jesus is pushing for something more raw, more immediate; trusting that the truth will show up when the time is right, straight from the source. It sidesteps the endless learning loop entirely. The evangelist doesn’t need to outsmart the room; they just need to be awake, reliant, and ready for God to step in.
I've experienced this in real time when serving in the Kairos prison ministry. In moments where I've been asked to give a talk that I haven't written, or to share a thought that I haven't prepared for. And in those very rare and amazing moments when I've had to step in to give someone else's talk because the enemy has tried to stop that message from getting out by causing sickness or propping up obstacles in the way of the messenger.
One of the most powerful messages I've ever shared in that ministry came as a result of having been assaulted by one of the prisoners on that weekend. I had one night back in my hotel room to think about what I might say the next day. And what ended up happening was I just got up there and said what came to my mind. I truly was tapped into the Spirit in that moment. I've been in that moment before where the words just pour out of me like a conversation with friends, not an academic lecture. And the spirit led me to pray for the man who assaulted me. To lead the entire group to pray for him and for his benefit. That the Lord might bless him and keep him safe as he goes through the trials that he set himself up for.
As I looked across the crowd in that gymnasium. As I scanned the entire place, something was different than any other time I was up there giving a talk. The first thing I noticed is there wasn't a sound. And that's highly unusual. Because the acoustics are horrible in that gymnasium. Every eye was focused upon me, even the corrections officers were actively listening. But I realized it wasn't me that they we're focused on at all. It was the Spirit speaking through me that had a message for them to hear almost as if he was making them listen. I talked about reconciliation, and forgiveness, and not returning evil for evil. And I called upon the spirit to bless that young man who I named as we prayed. I scanned out across the crowd, and every head was bowed in prayer. The believers and the unbelievers, the Christians, the Muslims and the pagans. Everybody prayed for the young man who was heading down a road, that likely, wasn't going to end well.
If you ask me to be an evangelist, it's about being that, about being available for the Spirit to speak through you. Nothing more special than that.
I didn’t have a script, no polished notes, just a night in a hotel room after getting assaulted, and yet the Spirit moved in a way that silenced the room and bent every heart toward prayer. The silence in that noisy place, even the corrections officers tuning in, it was chilling. The Spirit had the floor, and it was like He made them listen.
I think that's what it will be like in the last day. I think that's what it was most likely like when Jesus spoke to the crowds. Believers and unbelievers alike bowed before the Word of God. Every knee, every body.
Friends,
Being an evangelist isn't about flexing your knowledge; it's about being a conduit.
Don't tear down, build up, “love builds up” over puffed-up knowledge.
Don't sin for sin.
Be sobering when the world is drunk on itself.
And always look to The Spirit for the words to say if you're going to speak.
The Spirit’s power overrides every divide. Trust in that.
Amen.