Be Intentional
#10 – Sharing the Good News (Part 2)
1 Peter 3:15-16
March 30, 2003
Introduction
Two weeks ago we looked at the issue of sharing the good news, and we talked about 4 things we need to do on a foundational basis to be effective in telling others about Jesus.
The first was that we should ask God to impress each of us with a sense of ownership and gratitude for our own salvation.
Then I said we should ask God to give us a sense of the “lostness” of those around us, and how it grieves God’s heart.
Thirdly, I mentioned that we need to develop and maintain a personal, authentic relationship with God, based on a love for God and gratitude for His love for you.
And lastly I said that we’ve got to develop solid Biblical convictions about the truth of Christ.
Today I want us to look at some very practical things about how to tell someone the good news of forgiveness and a home in heaven through Jesus.
A lot of people would like to share their faith, but feel inadequate and unequipped. Today I hope to give you some help in both those areas.
The basis for this message is found in 1 Peter 3:15-16, which is printed at the top of your bulletin.
Please read this aloud with me as we begin our message time today.
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
I want to offer you five actions to take in sharing the good news with those God puts in your path.
And I promise that if you put these into practice, you will find strength and adequacy in Christ, and you will have some tools to use.
Let’s dig in, shall we?
Five actions to take in sharing the good news.
1. Make sure you’ve got your own priorities right.
“Set apart Christ as Lord.”
If you want to see long-term success in seeing people become followers of Christ, it is essential that you are doing your level best to be a disciple of Christ.
What do you mean, Pastor? Aren’t all believers disciples? I don’t think so.
We have lots of believers, but not as many disciples. You can’t be a disciple without being a believer, but the problem comes when we stop at being a believer, instead of moving on to being a disciple.
So what is a disciple? My definition of a disciple is someone who seeks to become a devoted follower of Jesus as Savior and Lord. A disciple is someone who has taken Jesus not just as his Savior, but also as Lord – the Boss.
I have been guilty of helping many people become believers, and not followed them up in a way that helps them become a devoted follower of Christ.
But now I introduce the concept of being a disciple right away when I am telling people about Christ.
I tell them that God offers forgiveness and a home in heaven to all who trust in Him; and I tell them that Jesus offers a full and abundant life to those who follow Him in trusting obedience.
And I offer help to them get started right away in establishing that relationship with God in a way that helps that person become not just a believer, but a disciple from the get-go.
A disciple has a more fulfilled life in Christ, because he has a relationship with Christ that allows Him to take full advantage of the promises and presence of God.
Why is this so important? Because just before Jesus left earth to go back to the Father, He said that our job until He came back was to make disciples of all nations.
We could spend weeks talking about being a disciple. In fact, we have been. That’s the theme of my preaching this year.
Being intentional about your walk with God is what discipleship is all about.
So before we move on, let me ask you: are you earnestly seeking to become more than just a believer, but rather, a disciple?
If you want to see people come to Christ through your ministry, it is essential that you can call Jesus your Lord.
The second action to take in sharing the good news is to…
2. Prepare for opportunities.
“Always be prepared to give an answer.”
Have some tools:
- Tracts
- Invitation cards
- Diagrams
- Marked Bible
- Tapes, CD’s, or videos of gospel presentations
- Pastor’s phone number and e-mail address
Tell your story.
Maybe you have not been able to memorize a bunch of Bible verses that tell people how to become a follower of Christ, maybe you’re out of tracts or whatever.
Can you tell someone how you came to trust Christ as your Savior? Then you have a tool you can use.
We call this your “testimony.” When you are called on to give your testimony in a court of law, you are asked to tell what you have witnessed or experienced.
It’s the same when telling about what Christ has done for you. Everybody has a story to tell.
If you have Jesus as your Savior, you can tell people that Jesus has rescued you from the penalty you deserve for your sin.
People love stories, especially if they’re true. Just be honest. Don’t embellish it –
just tell it.
Tell them what your life was like before you met Christ, how you met Christ, and what has happened in your life since.
It doesn’t have to be long and complex. It just needs to communicate that Jesus has made a difference in you.
Show truth from Scripture.
I am of the opinion that if someone can see the truth of salvation and forgiveness in Christ from the pages of Scripture, it has a tremendous effect.
That’s because it shows the person that you’re not quoting your denominational handbook, or just spouting the “party line.”
I suggest you memorize a bunch of verses that tell the good news. I have a bunch of those listed on one of the handouts you have in your bulletin.
Even if you have the verses memorized, use a copy of the Bible if you have one handy, and have them read the verses aloud so you know they have found the right verse. Help the person find the verses by telling them where to find them.
For instance, when showing them Romans 6:23, say, “Go to Matthew and take a hard right. The verse we’re looking for is the last verse in chapter 6 of Romans.”
You get the idea. I use the chart, but I let them read the verse.
Let me give you an example of why it’s a good idea to have the verses memorized, even if you have a copy of the Bible with you.
I was sharing the gospel with an elderly gentleman at a bus station in Omaha. I gave him my Bible to look up the verses I was using, but he just looked at me and told me he couldn’t read. Here was an eighty-some year old man who never learned how to read.
So I had to quote the verses, writing down the references so he could have someone back at his home read them to him so he could know I was telling him the truth. I had a Bible handy, but he couldn’t use it.
You might be asking why you should memorize the verses if you have a Bible handy. Because you might not be able to get to it all the time. What happens if you come across an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus, but don’t have a Bible handy? You need to be able to tell them just what the Bible says about Him.
Communicate your confidence in God’s promise of salvation.
Do you really believe you have eternal life? Are you confident that God’s word is something you can stake your eternal destiny on?
If you’re not, you’re going to have a tough time convincing anybody that you have any real hope to offer them.
I think one of the reasons God has allowed me to be able lead a number of people to Christ is that I am personally convinced of the truth, and it shows when I am telling others about it.
I have been nervous at times, but my convictions about Jesus make it through that.
People may not always agree with you or the Bible, but they will see that you are convinced that God’s word is true, and that you are confident that God will come through.
3. Speak graciously and clearly.
“But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Avoid negative talk.
Listen to Col. 4:6 - 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
It’s amazing how many people try to share the good news with a sense of rage and hatred.
Example: ranting a raving about a particular social ill, polarizing people, and focusing more on the judgment and God’s wrath than on the hope that Christ offers.
People rant about rock music, dancing, gambling, long hair and tattoos, drinking and smoking, and whatever, and basically tell people that God’s gonna get’em for that. Because good Christians like us uptight people are God’s chosen. So repent and be like us, you heathen scum!
Are there things in our society that displease God? Yes. Is there rampant sin? Yes. Will there be a judgment at which God will punish sin? Absolutely.
But let me tell you something – judgment is not the theme of the gospel, nor of the Bible. The theme of the good news is rescue. The theme of the good news is that Jesus has rescued us from the judgment and wrath of God, and that rescue is available to anybody who looks to Christ, regardless of who they are, what they’ve done, what their race, what their gender, whatever!
The message of the angels to the shepherds was that there was Good News! We like good news. We certainly don’t like bad news. A father came home from a very rugged day at work and said to his wife, "I’ve had a bad day. Please! If you have any bad news tonight, keep it to yourself." To which she replied, "O.K. NO bad news. Now for the Good News. Remember our four children? Well, three of them didn’t break an arm today." (Autoillustrator.com, GOOD NEWS) (SermonCentral.com)
Folks, we’re offering hope! Not rejection!
Speak clearly, avoiding Christian jargon.
When I’m talking to someone about Jesus, I don’t say, “I’d like to witness to you.” Huh?
I also don’t ask them if they are saved, redeemed, or born again. I don’t ask them if their name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Those terms do not communicate to people today.
I ask them if they know for sure they’re going to heaven. If they say no, I ask them if they would like to know how they can go to heaven.
If they say yes, they think they will go to heaven, I ask them why. If the answer is not correct according to the Bible, I ask them if they would like to see what the Bible says about how to go to heaven.
Some say yes, some say no. But I ask, and I try to talk in everyday language anybody can understand.
I don’t use words like repent, regeneration, justification, redemption, sanctification, glorification, or whateverication.
I don’t get into church denominations: I don’t expect everyone who comes to Christ to become a Wesleyan. I invite them to visit and check us out, because I think we’re an awesome bunch who is trying to live authentic Christian lives. I think we have a lot to offer here. But it may be that another church in the area would be a better fit for them.
I just talk about how to know what the Bible says about how to be forgiven and have a home in heaven.
Speak clearly. And if you’re not sure when you’re talking to someone, ask them if it’s clear, so you can make sure you’re communicating.
Speak graciously and clearly.
4. Walk in integrity.
“Keeping a clear conscience…”
Give no one an opportunity for slander. The apostle Paul says it well in Acts 24:16 –
So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul says that he was very careful not to put a stumbling block in peoples’ way so the ministry is not discredited.
If you lie and cheat in your business dealings, or if you are a harsh person, or if you have habits or attitudes that contradict Biblical standards, then you will have a hard time convincing anybody that the gospel is true.
If you are not living a lifestyle that is consistent with the Bible, then you have little or no credibility when it comes to spiritual things, especially when it comes to telling people the good news of forgiveness and a new life in Christ.
One of the biggest examples of how this can damage a ministry is seen in the examples of two televangelists in the 1980’s.
One televangelist named Jimmy was caught up in a financial problem that was made worse by his moral failing with a woman who was not his wife.
Another guy named Jimmy was caught with prostitutes.
Both had their ministries destroyed, or at least irreparably damaged. And their credibility went down the toilet.
The first Jimmy went to prison, serving 5 years, humbling himself before God and seeking to know Him better. The second Jimmy refused to repent and scoffed at the discipline handed to him from his denomination.
After prison, the first Jimmy found fruitful ministry in the inner city of Los Angeles, and is once again being effective for God.
The second Jimmy is still in ministry, though its effectiveness is practically non-existent.
Live a life that lives the truth of Christ. When you walk the walk, you can talk the talk and people will listen. People listen when they see the truth being acted out in your life.
My brother, who just came to Christ recently, said that probably the biggest influence for him was a co-worker, who had come to Christ a year before. My brother saw the change that Jesus made in this guy’s life, and how it impacted his family life, his work, and his outlook on life. My brother was attracted to that, and he became open to the truth of Jesus.
Just be authentic in your love for Christ, and the integrity issue will be important enough; and you’ll have the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in integrity.
And instead of being the topic of conversation in a negative way, you will have the respect of your family and peers.
5. Oh yeah – Pray.
The results are up to God, not you. It doesn’t matter how well you do laying it out for people. If God has not prepared their heart, they won’t accept the truth.
This helps me in the area of inadequacy. I understand that God needs to do the work of ultimately convincing someone of their need for Jesus.
Folks, I just get baffled sometimes. I tell someone how they can have their sins forgiven, have a new life on earth, and a home in heaven, and they turn it down.
I just don’t get it, and my face must just give the dumbest look when they say they don’t want what Jesus offers.
They think that they don’t need it, at least right now. And I can give all the reasons why they should give their lives to Christ, but it doesn’t seem to matter.
The reason is that they have not listened to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has to be working in their lives before we can see fruit in our efforts to share the good news of Jesus.
Even my hero, Billy Graham, can’t convince people of their need without the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. So we need to pray.
I have included in your bulletin something called a “5 Most Wanted List.”
The idea of this list is for you to write down the names of 5 people you want to see come to Christ. Below the blanks are suggestions for you to help you in influencing those people to come to Christ.
Let me make a specific suggestion for you. On the back of this card, I would like you to write down the names of five people you would like to see come to church here on Palm Sunday and Easter.
They might be the same people on the front of the card, but that’s okay – put them on the back anyway, so you’ll remember to pray specifically for them to come on Palm Sunday and Easter.
The services on those two Sundays are going to be special. We are planning on some visuals that I promise will go a long way to helping people understanding the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and how it can impact our lives.
So pray for these people, and take a moment to invite them to the services. Offer to pick them up and treat them to lunch afterward.
You will be surprised what God can and will do if you’re serious about it. I’ve seen it happen.
Conclusion
I understand that talking to people about Jesus takes a lot of people outside their comfort zones.
God has placed me in situations where challenging someone about giving his life to Christ could have had negative consequences on me, socially speaking. I could have been embarrassed publicly, and maybe lost a position at work. But I had to do it – God would not let me go.
Let me offer you a word of encouragement. While it’s true that Jesus expects all of us to be involved in reaching those around us, He also promises to go with us, and to give us the right words to say.
And even if we think we’ve blown it, God uses your faithfulness and honors it. And you can count on God to do the work necessary to give that person every opportunity to respond.
And here’s something else: you know one of my motivations for sharing Christ?
Aside from the joy I get when I see someone yield his life to Jesus, I also recognize the fact that Jesus said that if I acknowledge Him before men, He would acknowledge me before the Father in heaven.
Some great and glorious day, I will be before God, and Jesus is going to point to me, and say, “Father, let me tell something about this guy. He acknowledged me before other people, by living a life that told other people of his love for Me – he was my disciple on earth. And he told other people how they could be my disciples as well. I love Him and I am proud of Him.”
It starts with being a disciple. Can you call yourself a disciple? If not, why not begin right now?
Why not invite Christ to not just be your Savior, but your boss – letting Him run the show, and letting His Holy Spirit help you live for Jesus? Are you tired of living a mediocre Christian life? Then become devoted follower – a disciple.
In sharing the good news of Jesus, we need to make sure our own priorities are right. Then become equipped – and use the equipment. Speak graciously and clearly. Walk in integrity. The walk of a disciple is a walk of integrity, in the power of the Holy Spirit. And pray for those you want to see come to Christ.
And watch Him work. He loves acting on the prayers of His disciples, especially when it involves seeing others come to Christ.
Shall we pray.
