The World Needs Jesus
When many people think of evangelism, they immediately think of a man with a megaphone standing in the middle of Forest Park telling others they are going to hell. It is very off-putting and even if they say they are preaching the gospel, it does not come off as good news. So how are we supposed to share the gospel message with others? One of the easiest, most natural way of sharing Jesus with others may simply be just sharing your story. But first, let’s talk about some of the main reasons Christians struggle to share their faith.
You were made for something more. The Bible tells us that, “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10, New International Version). You were not just built for yourself, to build up your own empire. You were built to help others. Until you realize this is foundational to fulfilling your calling in this world, you will struggle to find the joy and satisfaction that you are longing for.
Reasons Christians Do Not Share Their Faith
Jesus commissioned all believers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, New International Version). Even though Jesus’ command is explicitly clear, many Christians never share their faith with others. Why? For some, they are just not motivated to do it, or even believe it is morally wrong. (https://www.barna.com/research/millennials-oppose-evangelism/) For others, they are afraid of the rejection that might come. Still others are afraid that they will not know what to say or will not be able to answer the spiritual questions that follow. Do you relate with any of these reasons? I think most Christians have struggled with these reasons at one time or another. I want to provide a simple method that I believe addresses all of these concerns and can help you overcome your fear of evangelism.
Telling Your Story
You can lead people to Christ without being a pastor or a Bible scholar. God has already equipped you with what you need to begin leading people to Christ. He has given you a testimony, that is, a story of how you came to faith. In Revelation, John writes about how the believers triumphed over the devil. It says, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelations 12:11, NIV). Your testimony is powerful. It is simply telling the story of how you came to faith in Christ. And the best part is, everyone has one! Whether you were raised as a Christian and saw it modeled effectively through your parents leading to your decision, or whether you found Christ after years on drugs and in the streets, everyone has a story about how they came to faith in Jesus. I want to give you three reasons why simply telling your story is more effective than knowing all the answers.
People Relate to Stories Over Arguments
One of the biggest concerns that keeps people from sharing their faith is they do not want to offend others. They do not want to start an argument or bring conflict into an otherwise comfortable conversation or relationship. However, sharing your story is perhaps the least offensive way to share the gospel with others. For example, if someone asked about how your weekend was, just be honest. You could tell them you went to church and were moved by a story you heard the pastor tell. You could share an idea that you found inspirational while you were reading your Bible or devotional. You do not need to make something up or make it overly religious each time. By simply sharing what is going on in your life, your faith becomes more real and more relatable in ways that a theological argument could not. You will be surprised where simple conversations like this can then take. They very naturally and politely may ask you how you got involved with something like that. Then be prepared to share the reason for your hope in Christ, and watch where God leads (1 Peter 3:15).
A Story Is Not a Debate
A second fear that many people have is the fear of rejection. They fear that others will reject them for their beliefs, or begin debating their theological foundations. However, the benefit of simply telling your spiritual story is that it is not a debatable topic. In this moment, you are not making an explicitly theological argument. Instead, you are simply sharing your personal experience and how it has changed your life. That is not something that can be rejected or debated. It does not have to come off as you are trying to convince the other person of something. You are just sharing your experience and they can do with that what they want. You should not have to be afraid to share your experiences with others. This can be an easy and safe way to share your faith and give others to opportunity to grow in their desire for Christ.
It’s Another 5-Star Review
Have you ever bought anything on Amazon? If so, you have probably found yourself making judgments on what you were going to purchase based on other people’s reviews. You do not know these people. You do not know how trustworthy they are. Yet, somehow after reading their reviews and seeing how they rated the product, suddenly you feel extremely comfortable buying it. Enough positive testimonials can speak to the reliability of the product. These online reviews are not typically shared by experts sharing intricate details, for example, how many watts and what type of motor a vacuum runs on. Instead, they share facts like they have a dog that sheds and it picks it all up without clogging. People do not always need the theological background a scholar can offer. Typically, they just need to know whether it can help them. By sharing your story, you are simply giving Jesus another 5-star review, letting others know Jesus is worth the purchase. Is one 5-star review going to convince someone to buy the product? Not typically. But if they keep encountering people who continue to share their stories of 5-star interactions with Jesus, they might just be willing to give it a shot. Do not discount your one review. Together, it can make an impact greater than anyone alone.
How to Share Your Story
At this point, I want to give you a few tips on how to share your story. First, do not overthink it. You simply want to say what you were like before Jesus, and what you have experienced after Jesus. Were you addicted and then set free? Were you selfish and now selfless? What changed? For some of you, you may have been a Christian since you were a child and do not have a big change that you can see. Consider what reasons you still chose to become and stay a Christian and share that. Maybe your story is not about when you said the Lord’s prayer, but instead is about how you struggled with something like depression as a Christian and the Lord was able to deliver you from it. Think about it. Look for where God has worked in your life. And simply share that experience.
Once you have solidified your story, go tell someone about it. You will find there are ways to fit it naturally into conversations without making it feel forced. After all, lots of the conversations we have with others are just sharing stories about ourselves or others. Tell a coworker, a neighbor, maybe even someone in your own family. Share your story with them and let God do the rest. Your job is to simply share. It is God’s job to convict and convert.
At Revelation Church STL, we place evangelism as central to everything we do. Everyone is commissioned to reach the lost, and we cannot stop working until all have heard the Gospel. We have lots of ways that you can get involved in our evangelism ministries. One of them is by signing up to be on our evangelism team, or even joining one of our Gospel Truck outreaches. We would love for you to be a part of this ministry in fulfilling the commission of Jesus throughout the world. Sign up below and someone will reach out!
Evangelism Team Signup: https://revchurchstl.churchcenter.com/people/forms/700393
Gospel Truck Signup: https://revchurchstl.churchcenter.com/people/forms/753741
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