Sharing the Gospel
The reading for this week is “I Promise You”, about the flood of Noah. This is a very familiar story about how God saved Noah, his family, and pairs of animals from a worldwide flood. But today, we’re going to take a look at one specific piece of this story that we actually find in the book of 1 Peter.
“And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.”
2 Peter 2:5 (NLT). Emphasis mine.
It took Noah many years to build the ark and prepare for the flood, and throughout that time, he warned others about the devastation that was to come. But no one listened. Not one! Noah understood that when the flood came, everyone not on the ark would die and that, in their unrighteousness, they would stand eternally condemned. He desperately wanted others to listen, but they simply wouldn’t. Instead, they most likely mocked him and called him a crazy old man.
As Christ-followers, we are charged with sharing the gospel of Christ Jesus, our ark of salvation, with an unbelieving world. This life is just a blip on the timeline of eternity. Eternity is forever! Those who reject Christ face an eternity in torment separated from God and from everything that is good. Think about that for a minute. Eternity. Each of us should have a burning desire to get more people on the ark.
You don’t have to be a Bible expert to share your faith. And you certainly don’t need all the answers. Here are a few thoughts on effectively sharing the gospel with others.
- Keep it real. I have seen people who are having a “normal” conversation turn into Preacher Joe as soon as they talk about faith issues! Their voice changes, the look on their face changes, and they become “religious”. In essence, they look “fake”. Your walk with God should be a normal part of your daily life, and so should your testimony.
- Tell your story. Avoid the temptation to point out everything the other person is doing wrong as evidence of their need for Christ. There may come a time for confrontation, but your initial focus should simply be on telling the story of how Jesus has changed your life and how he continues to work in your life today.
- Be transparent. This is not the time to try to look perfect. None of us are perfect, even after the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Being transparent about your faults will allow the receiver to better receive what you’re telling them. That said, this is not the time to vomit your entire life history upon your listener or turn it into a personal therapy session. A couple of examples of how Jesus has changed your life are probably enough.
- Live your faith. As Christ-followers, we should, through the power of the Holy Spirit, be a reflection of Jesus. People should see Jesus in us in day-to-day life. How do you react to frustration? Disappointment? Betrayal? Illness? The truth is, we won’t always succeed at this. We are still human, and we still do things we don’t want to do, but if we start looking at ourselves as ambassadors for Christ, it will make a difference in our reactions to things.
- Be honest. When you choose to follow Christ, your life does not magically become sunshine and roses. In fact, sometimes things can get harder. I still suffer illness, defeat, and pain, but I know that Jesus is with me and that my worst day on earth is millions of times better than hell. I have often been mocked for my faith, but Matthew 5:11 says that God will bless me when this happens.
- Look for opportunities. What are the people around you experiencing? What are their struggles, worries and fears? All of these can be open doors to telling them about the peace that comes from Jesus Christ. It is also an opportunity for you to demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ to them in a difficult time. Regardless of their openness, let them know you’ll be praying for them. Then, look for the opportunity to glorify God in the situation.
- Avoid needless arguments and debates. This will put the listener on the defensive and cause them to dig their heels in even further. There may be times when someone is genuinely interested in knowing why your beliefs are different from theirs. If this is the case, you can explain the difference calmly, speaking the truth in love, but it should not be handled as an argument that you are trying to win.
- If you must confront, confront in love. Confrontation should never be the first option or an option with someone with whom you don’t have an established and trusting relationship. It should happen only when necessary, and then it must be spoken in love. Your goal is to open their hearts to truth, not to try to beat them into accepting Christ.
- Keep your eye on the goal. The goal is eternity. All humans choose an eternity. They can choose to accept the free and love-given gift of grace and salvation from Jesus, or they can reject him and choose eternal judgement. Eternity is FOREVER! Imagine for a moment the horror you would feel to discover that you made the wrong choice! The goal is to lovingly share the truth of God’s grace to a lost world.
- Let God do the talking. There have been times when friends asked me questions, and I didn’t know the answer, but the Holy Spirit put the answer in my head as soon as it was asked. Yes, there have been other times when he didn’t, but then I simply said that it was a great question, I didn’t have an answer, but I would do my best to find an answer.
But what if they don’t listen?
Noah warned those around him for 120 years of the flood of judgement to come, but no one listened. Jeremiah warned Israel for four decades of the judgement to come, but they didn’t listen either. In either case, if someone won’t listen to you, you’re in good company!
It isn’t your job to “save” someone. Your job is simply to share the gospel, and then the Holy Spirit does the rest of the work. We share, we pray, and we demonstrate the love and joy of Christ in our lives so that others will notice and want what we have. You have planted a seed that may grow later!
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20. (NLT)
Songs of Victory
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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