Shoes of Zeal: Ready to Announce the Gospel

Introduction

A tennis player can have all the technique in the world and the best backhand; if he's not ready on his toes, prepared to spring in any direction, he loses the match. Ben starts from this simple image to explain a verse from Ephesians 6: "having shod your feet with the readiness given by the gospel of peace." The Christian who stays ready, awake, focused on the essential, can face evil days and the schemes of the devil. Spiritual warfare isn't the enemy's to decide where it begins: it begins when you put on your shoes for the good news.

Message Outline

1. Zeal means staying ready for the gospel of peace

• The apostle Paul walked about 16,000 km to announce the Gospel; sometimes he chose to walk when a boat was available (Acts 20:13).
• The word translated "zeal" here describes the state of a person who is prepared, available, ready to move.
• Paul echoes Isaiah 52:7: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news." The announcement he's talking about is first and foremost very good news.
• If you lose the central message and the passion to make it known, you become like a soldier with no purpose on the battlefield: vulnerable to the devil's schemes.

2. Put the Gospel back at the center of your life

• The Lord's Supper isn't reserved for a stage: Ben encourages you to take it in small group, as a couple, at the family table, to remember what Jesus did with joy and not only with solemnity.
• Adjust your Bible reading to re-stimulate yourself on the Gospel: the four gospels to observe Jesus, and especially the book of Acts to see how the Church was born and spread.
• It was a man, Terry Virgo, who read Acts and thought "this is what the Lord is calling us to do," and from that the Newfrontiers movement was born, of which CVV is part.
• Spiritual warfare is not first a battle to improve your life or reach your personal ambitions: it's the fight for the gospel of peace to spread across the whole earth.

3. Stay ready to announce the Gospel : naturally

• Announcing the Gospel is much simpler than we think: own who you are and what is central to your life, and the conversations will come naturally.
• Many people are curious about a Christian who owns their faith. Some will stay indifferent, a few will mock, but most will ask questions.
• Your job isn't to twist arms or manipulate: it's to bring the good news and leave people free. God's Spirit will equip you at the right moment.
• Bold approaches still have their place (praying for the sick in the street, daring words of knowledge), but first learn to be natural in daily life, then grow in obedience.
• Kenza, Ben's wife, shares her key: ask the Lord to discern where He is at work and where someone is hungry, then take the opening when it comes. "I'm one link in the chain, but God is the one running things."

4. Ready to move if the Lord calls you to it

• Paul walked 16,000 km by choice. Are you ready to move to a different neighborhood, city, or country for the gospel of peace if God asks you to?
• Ben cites examples from his CVV Paris community: Ralph and Kaïtline moving to Nantes in September, Lionel and Hachel who chose Aubervilliers, Estian and Johanna settled in the Baptist Federation building to reach artists.
• His own family arrived in France when he was 16: his parents left England to plant a church in the south, against all the advice that says not to uproot teenagers. But God had said "go," and He took care of the rest.
• If God confirms the call through your community, answer "yes Lord, send me." He takes care of the practical aspects, your worries, your anxiety.

Key Takeaways

• Biblical zeal isn't religious agitation: it's a state of readiness, being prepared to move for the Gospel.
• Without passion for the essential, you become spiritually vulnerable, that's where the battle begins.
• The Gospel is good news, not a threat to impose. You have nothing to hide, nothing to twist.
• Simply own who you are in your daily life: the conversations will come almost on their own.
• If God asks you to move and confirms it through others, say yes. He takes care of the details.

Personal Application

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how central is the Gospel to your life today? What caused it to slip into the background?
2. When did you last share the Lord's Supper outside of a church service, in small group or with family? What's stopping you from doing it this week?
3. Is there someone curious around you to whom you don't dare simply say what is central to your faith? What holds you back, and why?
4. Ask the Lord this week: "Where are You at work around me? Open my eyes to the openings."
5. Do you have a calling from God that you've kept in your gut for a long time? Who could you start discerning confirmation with?

Verses Cited

• Ephesians 6:10-20 · The armor of God
• Ephesians 6:15 · The shoes of zeal for the gospel of peace
• Isaiah 52:7 · How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news
• Romans 1:16 · I am not ashamed of the Gospel
• Acts 4:29-30 · The prayer of the first Christians facing threats
• Acts 20:13 · Paul chooses to travel by foot

Further reading

• Finding Church Volunteers: Practical Methods
• How to Communicate a Difficult Decision to Your Church Members
• Church Welcome Team: How to Create One

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "the shoes of zeal to announce the gospel of peace" mean in Ephesians 6:15?

The word "zeal" here translates the idea of a state of readiness: a person who is prepared, available, on their toes. Like an athlete ready to spring regardless of where the ball goes, the Christian puts on these shoes to stay available for every opportunity to announce the good news and ready to move if God calls elsewhere.

Do you need special training before sharing your faith?

No. Ben insists: the most common mistake is overcomplicating things. Own who you are in your daily life, let the Gospel come out naturally in conversations, and trust God's Spirit to equip you at the right moment. Bolder approaches (praying for the sick, words of knowledge), are then built through progressive obedience to Jesus.

How do I know if God is calling me to move for the Gospel?

Never make such a big decision alone. Discern it within your community, with people who know you and walk with God. If God says yes and confirms it through several words around you, answer yes. He then takes care of the practical aspects, your worries, and your family, as He did for Ben and his sisters when their parents left England to plant a church in France.