308 Sermon Illustrations on Witnessing

”Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” Colossians 4:5, NIV

In my experience, virtually all people are like icebergs. There is much more hidden from sight than is visible on the surface.

This helps me when I talk with people, whether Christian or not. Everyone has a story or two to tell, and a few questions and a listening ear are all that’s needed.

Unfortunately, I tend to ask how a person is, and by the time they process my question and give an answer, I’m already halfway down the street. I desire to have deep relationships with people, but I never seem to slow down long enough to even hear someone say hello. And if I can’t wait for a simple greeting, how in the world can I get to know someone and see where Jesus could meet them? It’s very convicting for me to realize that of the five other families who lived in our old apartment complex, I only knew one.

Another problem with superficial friendships and acquaintances is that they let us create people in our own image. We get to imagine that the guy down the street or in the next apartment is a little weird because he lives alone with his cats, when the reality is probably that he’s crying out for someone who cares. Why can’t we just stop by and say hello?

Now that we’ve moved to a new apartment complex, I’ve made it a goal of mine to get to know as many of my neighbors as I can. Not in a nosy or intrusive way, but casually as I see them while I’m checking the mail or doing laundry. If we all can take steps to welcome others into our circle of friends and acquaintances, just think of how many more people could be impacted by God’s love through us.

The story starts out where she, Beth, is sitting at an airport terminal, waiting to board a plane. She was sitting there with several other people who were also waiting, whom she did not know. As she waited, she pulled out her Bible and started reading. All of a sudden she felt as if the people sitting there around her, were looking at her.

She looked up, but realized that they were looking just over her head, in the direction right behind her. She turned around to see what everyone was looking at, and when she did, she saw a stewardess pushing a wheelchair, with the ugliest old man sitting in it, that she had ever seen before. She said he had this long white hair that was all tangled and such a mess. His face was really, really wrinkled, and he didn’t look friendly at all. She said she didn’t know why, but she felt drawn to the man, and thought at first that God wanted her to witness to him.

In her mind she said she was thinking, “Oh, God, please, not now, not here.” No matter what she did, she couldn’t get the man off of her mind, and all of a sudden she knew what God wanted her to do. She was supposed to brush this old man’s hair. She went and knelt down in front of the old man, and said “Sir may I have the honor of brushing your hair for you?”

He said “What?”

She thought, “Oh great, he’s hard of hearing.” Again, a little louder, she said, “Sir, may I have the honor of brushing your hair for you?” He answered, “If you are going to talk to me, you are going to have to speak up, I am practically deaf.”

So this time, she was almost yelling, “Sir may I please have the honor of brushing your hair for you?” Everyone was watching to see what his response would be. The old man just looked at her confused, and said “Well, I guess if you really want to.” She said, “I don’t even have a brush, but I thought I would ask anyway.” He said, “look in the bag hanging on the back of my chair, there is a brush in there.”

So she got the brush out and started brushing his hair. (She has a little girl with long hair, so she has had lots of practice getting tangles out, and knew how to be gentle with him.)

She worked for a long time, until every last tangle was out.

Just as she was finishing up, she heard the old man crying, and she went and put her hands on his knees, kneeling in front of him again looking directly into his eyes, and said “Sir, do you know Jesus?” He answered, “Yes, of course I know Jesus. You see, my bride told me she couldn’t marry me unless I knew Jesus, so I learned all about Jesus, and asked Him to come into my heart many years ago, before I married my bride.” He continued, “You know, I am on my way home to go and see my bride. I have been in the hospital for a long time, and had to have a special surgery in this town far from my home. My bride couldn’t come with me, because she is so frail herself.” He said, “I was so worried about how terrible my hair looked, and I didn’t want her to see me looking so awful, but I couldn’t brush my hair, all by myself.” Tears were rolling down his cheeks, as he thanked Beth for brushing his hair. He thanked her over and over again. She was crying, people all around witnessing this were crying, and as they were all boarding the plane, the stewardess, who was also crying, stopped her, and asked, “Why did you do that?”

And right there was the opportunity, the door that had been opened to share with someone else, the love of God. We don’t always understand God’s ways, but be ready, He may use us to meet the need of someone else, like He met the need of this old man, and in that moment, also calling out to a lost soul who needed to know about His love.

Acts 26:24–27:8 — Paul Sent to Rome — (outline by F. F. Bruce, NICNT)

{A.} The Birth of the Church (1:1–5:42)

{B.} Persecution and Expansion (6:1–9:31)

{C.} The Acts of Peter & Beginnings of Gentile Christianity (9:32–12:25)

{D.} Church Extension from Antioch & Apostolic Decree at Jerusalem (12:25–15:35)

{E.} Paul Leaves Antioch & Moves to the Aegean World (15:36–19:20)

{F.} Paul Plans to Visit Rome and Gets there by an Unforseen Route (19:21–28:31)

{1} He Prepares to Leave Ephesus for Macedonia and Achaia (19:21–20:6)

{2} The Journey to Jerusalem (20:7–21:16)

{3} Paul at Jerusalem (21:17–23:30)

{4} Paul at Caesarea (23:31–26:32)

A. Paul Taken to Caesarea (23:31–35)

B. Paul Accused before Felix (24:1–9)

C. Paul’s Defence before Felix (24:10–21)

D. Felix Adjourns Proceedings (24:22-23)

E. Paul’s Interviews with Felix (24:24-26)

F. Felix Replaced by Festus; Paul Left in Custody (24:27)

G. Festus Visits Jerusalem (25:1-5)

H. Paul Appeals to Caesar (25:6-12)

I. Agrippa II and Bernice Visit Festus (25:13–22)

J. Paul Appears before Agrippa (25:23-27)

K. Paul Accepts Agrippa’s Invitation to Speak (26:1)

L. Paul’s Defence for His Own Life (26:2–23)

1. Opening Address (26:2-3)

2. The Resurrection Hope (26:4–8)

3. Paul’s Persecuting Zeal (26:9–11)

4. The Heavenly Vision (26:12–18)

5. Paul’s Obedience to the Vision (26:19-20)

6. Paul’s Arrest (26:21)

7. Concluding Summary (26:22-23)

M. Interchange Among Festus, Paul, and Agrippa 26:24-29

1. 24 Now as he thus made his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!” 25 But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. 26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” 29 And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.” (NKJV)

2. What was in Paul’s defence would cause Festus’ outburst, remembering his unfamiliarity with Judaism?

a. 26:12–18 … Paul’s talk of having

b. 26:21 … Paul’s idea that

c. 26:22-23 … Paul’s claim that

3. Why was it not Agrippa who reacted in such fashion?

4. On what basis was Paul’s challenge to Agrippa made?

5. How does Agrippa respond to the challenge? … why?

6. What do you think was Paul’s purpose in his defence? … was it to free himself? (see Acts 9:15, 23:11, 26:20, 1 Corinthians 9:22)

N. Agreement on Paul’s Innocence 26:30-32

1. 30 When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; 31 and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.” 32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” (NKJV)

2. How did Agrippa II, Festus, Bernice and their company react to Paul’s “altar call”?

3. What were they willing to discuss?

4. What was their conclusion?

5. Why not, then, simply set him free?

6. Caesar Nero’s first five years were a ‘little golden age’ but in AD 62, Seneca his tutor retired, Burrus was replaced as prefect of the praetorian guard, and Nero divorced his wife and then marrying Poppaea who was friendly to the Jews. The latter may have resulted in Christianity being separated from its Jewish roots by the Roman authorities

{5}. Paul’s Voyage and Shipwreck 27:1–44

We will be looking at the shipwreck next week. The story is a classic and told with the vivacity of an eye-witness. It can be used as an allegory of the soul’s voyage through life, but it is related as history, yet opening a window to Paul’s character

A. Caesarea to Myra 27:1–5

1. 1 And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment. 2 So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us. 3 And the next day we landed at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his {the} friends and receive care. 4 When we had put to sea from there, we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 5 And when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. (NKJV)

2. Who accompanied Paul to Rome?

3. Who was this Macedonian? … what lesson does his life give us?

a. Acts 19:28-29

b. Acts 20:4

c. Colossians 4:10

d. Lessons of his life for us …

i. He was clearly identified

ii. He was accounted

iii. He did not

4. They first sailed north to Sidon (Phoenicia): what presumably was there as was at the sister city of Tyre (Acts 21:3–4)?

5. This would have been in the summer; how was the sailing?

B. They Trans-ship at Myra and Sail to Crete 27:6-8

1. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board. 7 When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. 8 Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. (NKJV)

2. Alexandria is in Egypt, the granary of the Empire: ships from carried its grain back to Italy. What dictated the course of such ships?

3. Follow this voyage on the map; what did they continue to experience?

A city I visited missed a hurricane that hit nearby, but we did get two days of the wet weather leftovers. We got off easy, but the rain really soaked us. One morning, while it was pouring, I drove by a bank, and I saw something that made me laugh. The sprinklers came on right on schedule. They were doing a beautiful job of watering the lawn, which really didn't need any more water.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Soaking the Soaked.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from the book of 2 Kings, which a curious story that's recorded in the seventh chapter. The capital city of Samaria is under siege, and there is a Syrian army that has cut off all food. The city is literally starving to death. There are desperate conditions in the city, as people are even resorting to cannibalism to stay alive. Now, there are four lepers who live outside the city, and they decide since they're already going to die, they might as well surrender to the other army. They hope maybe they'll be taken as prisoners of war and be fed.

When they get there, God has performed a miracle. The camp has been emptied out, and they find food and empty tents left there for them. They stuff themselves all night long, and then there is verse 9. “They said to each other, 'We are not doing right.'" It's about time they figured that out. “'This is a day of good news, and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let's go at once and report this.'" What a scene. These four men are sitting on this pile of food, while multitudes are starving.

This reminds me of those sprinklers on that rainy day when water wasn't really needed. A Christian family from the former Soviet Union said to a team that my daughter was once on, “The problem with American Christians is that you are over feeded.” Well, he's right. We are very blessed. We are soaked with blessings that no Christians have ever had before. We have Christian everything. We've got Christian radio, Christian TV, rallies, conferences, trips, concerts, seminars, but it's almost all for us. We are already stuffed, but we line up for another helping of blessing. We're already soaked, but we turn on the sprinklers for more showers of blessing. Something is wrong here.

Let's not forget where our Master's heart is. He said, “I have come to seek and to save not that which was found, but that which is lost.” He talks about a harvest where “the harvest is plentiful, but I can't find laborers to go get the harvest.” A self-focused church, a self-focused Christian is not the will of God. We follow a Savior who left the safety of heaven, who lived among the lost, and who laid down His life to bring them home to God; to bring us home to God.

He can't be very happy with us when we just keep focusing on going to our Christian meetings, our committee meetings and our conferences, and our concerts. We listen to our Christian speakers and songs; we stay busy with our Christian schedule. Meanwhile, the spiritually destitute people are starving to death all around us just like those people back in the story of the four lepers. This is the day of Good News. We cannot hold our peace. We have to go and report what we have found in Jesus Christ. He saved our life. How can we let them die without the knowledge of the One who could save them?

Like our Master, we need to live our lives for the lost people that He gave His life for. There are plenty of lives even around you that get no spiritual rain. Let's not aim our sprinklers at the already soaked. Let's take them to the places - to the lives - where it never rains.

________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

A few years ago two young men, who had been much like David and Jonathan from their boyhood days to their college days, and from that time until they were lawyers together in a certain city, went down to the dock of the White Star steamer. One of them was to go on a long journey around the world. They were utterly unlike in one thing only; one was a Christian, and the other, though not a skeptic, had delayed this question. During the entire train ride the Christian man said: "I will speak to him when we get down to the Fifth Avenue hotel." He did not. When they stood on the dock, "I will speak a word when we are going down the gangplank." He did not. "I will spring up on the rail of the pier, just as the ship is swinging off, and speak then." He did not. The great ship turned her head out into the stream, and the two parted, and he had not said his word of Christian warning. Only a year and a half later, halfway around the globe that lost friend ran out of time and September did not come after August for him. And now, in his beautiful library, that living man sits and looks up at his dead friend's picture, and talks to him, and says: "O Jonathan, my friend, I ask you to be a Christian! I pray you to be a Christian!" But the picture upon the wall makes no reply. The lamp burned till midnight and went out. If you have a word of warning to say to your friend, you had better say it now.

A miner who had come back from the Klondike had made a unique gold watch-chain, composed of splendid nuggets taken from a mine in the newly discovered gold-fields in Alaska. A newspaper reporter, writing of it, said that wherever this miner went this striking chain of nuggets made him a walking advertisement for the Klondike, and aroused a desire in other men to go there. The sincere disciple of Jesus Christ who seizes every opportunity to do Christlike deeds is forming a chain of nuggets far more precious. Wherever he goes the imagination of men is aroused, and their desires awakened to know the Christ who makes such deeds possible. This is what Christ meant when he said: "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

At an open-air meeting in Liverpool, a skeptic gave a strong address against Christianity to a large audience and at the close said, "If any man here can say a single word in favor of Jesus Christ, let him come out and say it." Not a man moved. The silence became oppressive. Then two young girls arose, walked hand in hand, as if moved by the Holy Spirit, up to the speaker and said, "We can't speak, but we will sing for Christ," and they sang with great power, "Stand up, stand up for Jesus." When the song ceased, every head was uncovered, all were deeply moved, some were sobbing, and the crowd quietly went away, apparently with no thought of the skeptic's words. Can you stand with God against the blasphemies, against sneers, against temptations to dishonesty, against bribery in subtle form, against flattery, against persecution?

A little girl strolled into Bible class one morning. Her hands were dirty, her dress was soiled, and there was a curious dirty ring around her mouth. Her teacher asked her how she had gotten so dirty so early in the morning. She explained that on her way to Bible school, a neighbor boy asked her to blow up his wading pool. She blew and blew until she had enough air to make the rubber wall stand up. Then, the boy picked up the hose and started filling the pool.

The little girl asked him why he didn't come to Bible school with her. He told her, "No, I want to play in my pool." Then, with her pretty blue eyes looking straight toward the teacher, the girl said, "I pulled the stopper out of the air hole and let the air out so the pool would go down, because if he didn't come to Bible school with me, I didn't want God to blame me for it!"

As you consider the influence your life has on another, could God ever blame you for their conduct? "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9).

-Olden Cook

There is a very beautiful fishing story which is related in the fifth chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, where Jesus had been preaching from the deck of Peter's little fishing boat, and after the sermon was over He said to Peter, Let's go a-fishing; and Peter replied that they had been out all night and had not been able to find anything. But perhaps noticing the disappointed look on Christ's face, he continued: "Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net." They had a great catch that day, and took more fish than they could carry to the shore in two boats. It is the great business of the church to fish for men. We are Christ's fishermen, and we should ever be watchful for indications from Him as to opportunities for winning souls.

Robley D. Evans will scarcely go down in fame as a diplomat; but in all his stirring career, remarks the New York Sun, he never rendered a greater service to this country than during that trying time in the harbor of Valparaiso when his little gunboat, the Yorktown, was the sole representative of our naval power in Chilean waters. Insult after insult was coolly heaped upon the young captain's hot-tempered head, and diplomacy was needed. Evans lay in the harbor with nine Chilean war vessels about him. The Chileans were celebrating some independence day or other with fireworks and searchlight drills. The white beams from the Chilean vessels had an impudent way of swinging occasionally on the little Yorktown, where she lay within machine-gun range of the Chilean cruisers. As the cruiser Cochrane fired her salute she let off a flight of war-rockets, and one of the heavy bombs barely missed the Yorktown. "I at once hoisted a large American flag," read Evans' log, "and turned both my searchlights on it, so that if anyone really wanted to hit me he could know just where I was. I was determined if trouble came there should be no ground for saying we had accidentally been struck in the dark. When the searchlights a few minutes later lighted us up they showed the crew of the Yorktown standing at their quarters and the guns all ready for business." No more rockets came our way.

Over the door of a church in Scotland are carved the three Hebrew words translated in our Bible, "He that winneth souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30). They were put there as an indication of the object of the church's existence, and also in the hope that some Jews passing by might see them, and come in to worship the God of Abraham. Dr. Bonar preached from these words on the day on which the church was opened, explaining that "winning" was the word used to describe a hunter stalking game, and reminding "soul-winners" that their work must be done in a wise way. "How carefully David prepared to meet Goliath! He chose five smooth stones out of the brook. He did not assume that one would be lying by his hand when he needed it. Never go to the Lord's work with meager preparation."

-James Hastings

Basically, God is looking for us to serve Him in three ways: as a wife (bride of Christ), as a worker, and as a witness.

Wife-The good wife comes from the fact that Christians are the bride of Christ. Christ expects His bride to be pure (avoid the things of the world that would defile us) and chaste (not flirting with the world or running after other loves). That's easy to understand. These are the same things you want of your husband or wife.

When we violate God's rules in marriage we come to the big "D's" (and I don't mean Dallas!)-disgrace, disease, debt, dishonor, and divorce.

Worker-a good worker is someone who comes to work on time every day; gives an honest day's work for an honest day's pay; and does his job without complaining. These are simple ideas that should apply to your place of employment as well as your place of worship.

Witness-Witnessing is not throwing someone in a corner and making them believe as you believe. Witnessing is simply telling people the difference Christ has made in your life. Sharing answered prayers should be as natural as sharing an exciting news item from the newspaper. Sharing your love for Christ should be as easy as sharing your devotion to the Gamecocks or the Tigers. It's simple to witness when Christ is the main focus of your life.

As Charles Templeton puts it, "Christianity does not remove you from the world and its problems; it makes you fit to live in it, triumphantly and usefully." Are you fit to live and ready to die?

Let thy mercies come also unto me, 0 Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me. — Psalm 119:41, 42.

A preacher boarded a crowded street car with his Bible under his arm. At once sneering remarks began to be made by a group of rough young fellows. These remarks kept up, and when the minister was leaving the car, to the amusement of his companions, one youth said, “Say, mister, how far is it to heaven?” Many a Christian might have kept quiet or have resented the insult; but the preacher, with a quiet dignity and with all gentleness replied, “It is only a step; will you take it now?” This reply and the influence of the preacher keeping his temper under control amid provoking circumstances were later the means of bringing that young man to the Saviour. — T. M. Olson.

Only a step to Jesus, believe and thou shalt live;

Lovingly now He’s waiting, and ready to forgive.

Sermon in Matthew 10 series. Matthew 10:11-20

DUMPERS AND DUMPEES

===================

I. Houseguests from Hell.

II. We dump ourselves on the world.

A. The first mission strategy.

B. Disciples had only two things to offer.

C. The harshest rejection.

D. God expects a response to his message.

III. How much better to receive Jesus.

A. Receiving apostles is like receiving Jesus. (see 10:40)

B. How open are we to accepting those who present Jesus?

C. Destiny stands before us.

IV. Sometimes the world dumps on us.

A. Jesus saw the world as a dangerous place.

B. Sheep among wolves. 10:16

C. Shrewd as snakes, and as innocent as doves.

V. Some people will want to destroy us. 10:17

A. Opposition.

B. Torture.

C. Called before authorities. 10:18

D. God gets the last word.

Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman shows us how to reach our unbelieving friends.

________

My mailbox always seems to be full of things I don’t want and didn’t ask for, but Laura’s note was different. Delicate wildflowers decorated both sides of the pale yellow envelope. I stuffed the rest of the mail back into the mailbox and opened the note. “Dear Cathy, could we get together sometime to talk? I’d love to take you out to lunch or meet for coffee. I want to ask you some questions about Jesus. I hope you’ll call me soon. Fondly, Laura.”

Laura and I knew each other in a neighborly sort of way. We lived in the same community, and I liked her. But she wasn’t in my circle of close friends, so I didn’t see her much. I thought back to a brief conversation we had a few months earlier while standing in the checkout line at the local grocery store. I couldn’t remember exactly what I had said that day. Probably just the usual chatter about children and activities. And now this note.

Feelings of inadequacy rose in me. I want to ask you some questions about Jesus. I reviewed a mental list of my options. Invite her to church or to the women’s Bible study. Send her a sermon tape. Drop a Christian book off at her house with a note. Take her to an upcoming evangelistic crusade.

But none of that was what Laura was looking for, and I knew it. She was hoping someone would sit down with her one on one and care about her life. She wanted real answers to her pressing questions. And for some reason she had decided to approach me. Was this something God was orchestrating? Breathing a prayer, I picked up the phone and invited Laura for coffee.

The Apostle John tells the story of Jesus meeting one on one with another woman who had questions about the Messiah. It took place as Jesus and His disciples were traveling north to Galilee from Judea. Jesus took a route that led them through the city of Sychar, in the heart of Samaria. The Samaritans, hated by the Jews for the compromises they made during and after the Assyrian captivity, were a mixed race of people who had betrayed their Jewish religious heritage. Jesus deliberately stepped over these barriers as He shared His message with an unnamed Samaritan woman. It was there at Jacob’s well that Jesus, tired from His journey, sat down to rest and reached into an unbeliever’s world.

What kind of barriers would I need to step over for God to use me in a one-on-one relationship with Laura? At times I’ve assumed that if someone goes to church, she must be a Christian, or if a person has money and an important job, he must feel okay about his life the way it is. But that kind of thinking has created unseen barriers, and I’ve found myself stepping back instead of reaching out to unbelievers.

I was nervous about the meeting with Laura. But that morning when we sat down in my living room, hands wrapped around hot mugs of coffee, I realized that she wanted to talk. I could sit quietly and listen. The past year had brought Laura one tragedy after another. The family business had failed, her father had died of a heart attack, and her daughter was seriously injured in a car accident. After she told me her story, Laura paused, looked right into my eyes, and said, “Let me just ask you this: Why is God doing this to us?”

Another time I might have glossed over her pain with some memorized answers that I’d heard someone else say. But God gave me tears instead. I didn’t pretend to know the reasons for her suffering. As I opened the Bible and began to share Jesus with Laura, I noticed that she relaxed and leaned toward me. She looked hopeful. One question followed another. She was so willing and open that I found myself relaxing too. We laughed and cried together and decided to meet again. God used my willingness to listen to open an important door to Laura’s heart, setting the stage for deepening our relationship later.

Similarly, all that Jesus accomplished in reaching out to the Samaritan woman took place in one simple conversation (John 4:7–26). No signs and wonders. No voices from heaven. Jesus and the Samaritan woman might have shared cups of water there at the well instead of mugs of coffee in a suburban living room, but the gnawing need for God’s love and compassion was the same then as it is now. In this passage, Jesus shows us several things to remember when sharing our faith with unbelievers.

JESUS’ MOTIVE WAS LOVE.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus knew why He had left heaven’s glory. It was to bring the good news of God’s unfailing love to a lost and lonely world. He came to “seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). Motivated by His abounding love, Jesus entered into the conversation with the Samaritan woman.

How can I check my motives in sharing with unbelievers? Here’s a short checklist that helps me examine my heart before God:

• Am I trying to “fix” this person or love her?

• Do I feel “puffed up” after spending time sharing my Bible knowledge with her?

• What is my goal in meeting with her?

• Who will get the glory for this effort?

JESUS DID NOT ALLOW FEAR TO STOP HIM.

Jesus’ perfect love overshadowed any fear that might have kept Him from sharing His life with the woman at the well. Jesus had come to do God’s will (John 6:38) and was willing to lay down His life for the salvation of the world. That commitment enabled Him to love boldly and openly.

Recently, a friend requested that I visit a woman who was hospitalized with a terminal illness. I was hesitant to share Jesus with this stranger because I was afraid. What if I offended her or made her feel worse? Instead, she expressed great relief w n I said, “Jesus loves you so much. Would you like to know more about Him?” “I’ve had so many visitors,” she responded, “but no one has come right to the point about Jesus. Please tell me more.”

Why are we afraid to share our faith with unbelievers? Three fears top the list for many: personal rejection, not knowing the answers to their questions or challenges, or sounding like an unpolished salesperson.

I’ve found that most of my fears in this area have to do with how I will look to others or how they will respond to me. When I’m available to God, I can take my eyes off myself and trust Him to love others through me in ways that are meaningful and lasting.

JESUS CAME TO THE SAMARITAN WOMAN.

Jesus could have waited for this woman to seek Him out, but instead He took the initiative to relate to her. Though the woman’s heart was far from God and her life was entangled in sin, Jesus had a love message to deliver. Nothing would stop Him. The whole story of the Bible is one of God reaching out in love to His people and drawing close to meet with them.

Are we watching for opportunities to share our faith one on one? Not everyone will be interested in learning about Jesus. But for some, the opportunity to meet in this way will feel like a cup of cold water on a simmering summer day. If we’re motivated by God’s love and have put aside our fears, we’ll be more likely to take a step closer to the unbelievers God places in our path.

JESUS INITIATED THE CONVERSATION WITH A QUESTION.

Jesus asked, “Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:7). He didn’t plunge into a complicated lecture, full of criticism or condemnation. He gently drew out the Samaritan woman by asking her for a drink of water.

It can take time to establish trust and begin a meaningful dialogue with another person. Good questions draw nonbelievers into conversation and relationship. When we share our faith with unbelievers, do we ask questions that cause them to think and respond? Sometimes a direct question (asked in love!) can best stimulate deeper thinking. Do our neighbors see us as bulldozers for Christ, or do we trust God to gently lead the conversations we have with unbelievers?

JESUS MET WITH THE SAMARITAN WOMAN ONE ON ONE.

It’s amazing to us, with our jam-packed daily planners, that Jesus spent one-on-one time with anyone. It doesn’t seem to be the wisest use of His time. Why didn’t He rent the local outdoor amphitheater and throw together a mass gathering? Jesus was not concerned with efficiency but with individuals. His interaction with the woman at the well was a personal act of love. He saw the opportunity, took the time, humbled Himself, and gave of Himself sacrificially to reach one person with God’s love.

Will we lay down our lives — or busy schedules — for one person? How would we have to reorder our time to carve out an hour for coffee with an unbelieving friend? Creating a safe place for unbelievers to explore their questions and God’s answers takes time, prayer, and heart.

JESUS SAW THE UNIQUE VALUE OF THE WOMAN.

The first thing the Samaritan woman noticed about Jesus was that He was a Jew. “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (John 4:9). But what Jesus saw was a woman whose value was not defined by race and culture or even by her immorality. This woman, who’d had five husbands and was living with another man, was surely rejected by her own culture as immoral. Lonely and hardened by sin, she had little or no value to the world. Jesus, however, was undeterred. There is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11). He values each of us equally.

Every time Laura came over to talk about Jesus, I welcomed her with a carafe of coffee and a plate of bagels. Sometimes during the week I would send her a card in the mail to remind her that I was praying for her. When I pray for an unbelieving friend, God changes my mind and feelings toward her, softening and molding my thoughts to reflect His heart. Once I realize how God sees the person I’m praying for, I can look for words and actions that will convey His love to her. These may be small things, but God will lead us when we actively look for ways to show we care.

JESUS SPOKE AT THE WOMAN’S LEVEL.

Jesus used language that conveyed the lifesaving gospel message in terms the woman at the well could readily understand. Watch how He tailored His words for her.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” . . .

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? . . .”

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” — John 4:9–15

Using word pictures instead of theological jargon or Christianese can help people understand unfamiliar concepts. When I talked to Laura about Jesus, I used the analogy of driving on the freeway. Life is like a freeway. You’re cruising along with everyone else, changing channels on your radio, feeling frustrated with the traffic, other drivers, and the sameness of it all. Then you notice an exit sign ahead that says, “Jesus.” You’re interested in taking the “Jesus” exit, but in order to do so, you need to put on your turn signal, change lanes, and move your car to the exit. Knowing that the exit is ahead isn’t enough. Taking action is necessary.

Laura responded to this everyday analogy. “I have my turn signal on, but I’m not ready to change lanes yet.” Our communication was fun and fresh because it was on a common ground that we both could understand. My part was to keep the discussion open and creative and watch God work the meaning into her heart.

JESUS LOVINGLY CONFRONTED THE WOMAN’S NEED AND LEFT THE RESULTS WITH GOD.

Jesus didn’t water down His message to make it more acceptable. He pointed out the woman’s sin. But because He did it without malice, she could agree with Him. “I can see that you are a prophet” (John 4:19).

Though she did not immediately profess her faith, the Samaritan woman later recounted her encounter with Jesus in public, influencing the whole town. Many from the town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony. They urged Jesus to stay on and teach them, too. In the end, the townspeople said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).

How can we share the full message of the Bible, including God’s view of sin and the possibility of eternal separation from Him, without driving away our listeners? While this is an important and natural question to ask, we must remember God’s promise to draw unbelievers to Himself. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). Our part in God’s work is to love unbelievers and hold out the truth to them.

We may not see the results of our sharing. God, however, does see the continuing process in each life. He reveals Himself in His Word and through those who are willing to share His Word and His love with unbelievers. Only He knows how each individual heart responds to Him. We can trust God to do His part perfectly.

Laura and I haven’t gotten together recently because her daughter’s injuries have required time-consuming treatment. Now and then we talk by phone, and I send an occasional note of encouragement. She knows I’m available. I’m sure Laura also knows that God has reserved a special place for her in my heart and that I’m praying for her.

One day soon I think Laura will realize that she has fallen in love with Jesus Christ and that He is the answer to all her questions. I’m watching for another note from Laura to appear in my mailbox. “Dear Cathy,” it might read, “could we get together sometime to talk? I want to tell you all the wonderful things Jesus is doing in my heart and my life. I hope you’ll call me soon. Fondly, Laura.”

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season. — 2 Timothy 4:2.

A homely sermon, preached in an Irish barn by an illiterate evangelist, was instrumental in leading a youth, A. M. Toplady to decision for Christ. He afterwards became an able minister of Christ, and wrote the hymn:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood

From Thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

The Top Ten Reasons YOU Should Tell Someone About Jesus TODAY

10. Another friend to share eternity with.

9. You may not get another chance.

8. Someone told YOU about Jesus.

7. Everybody loves Good News.

6. You don’t want to be lying when you sing “I love to tell the story.”

5. It’s the best way to show you care.

4. Hell is a real place.

3. Heaven is too.

2. Jesus told you to do it.

1. You love Him.”

… repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And YE are witnesses of these things.” -Luke 24:47-48

”I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16, NIV

If you’re anything like me, you have those awkward moments when the spiritual differences between you and your non-Christian friends present a few dilemmas. For example, what do you do if your non-Christian friends reel off a stream of obscenities in your presence? Or if they share details of their last sexual encounter? Or if their kids are bullying your kids?

For me it helps to have a missionary perspective. If our desire for our non-Christian friends is for them to become loving followers of Jesus, then we have to choose our battles wisely and respond to their shortcomings with grace. Sometimes a long-range view of our friendship may mean that it’s best to say nothing — at least for the time being. As Jesus taught, we need to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.

Time after time, we read in the Bible that Jesus confronted individuals whose lifestyles were clearly offensive, but we never read of a knee-jerk reaction. Rather, we see Jesus confronting them in a spirit of love, always with his eyes on their souls. Some rejected him and his kingdom, of course, but never because Jesus didn’t love them.

The next time you reach a stressful time in your relationship with a non-Christian friend, take a step back and look at him or her through the eyes of a missionary. What would a missionary to an unreached people group do in the situation? What type of response would be most productive? It’s amazing how an eternal perspective can change how we act.

“Just do it” was not only a slogan for a commercial about shoes, but it was also a command from my father about homework, taking out the trash or cutting the grass. There were many occasions my dad found it necessary to remind me to “just do it.”

As a pastor, there were times when I had very important things that needed my attention, but quite often, I would become preoccupied with less important tasks. I didn’t intentionally lose sight of the important priorities. However, it seemed the lesser things, like committee meetings or plumbing problems, always managed to get me sidetracked.

I’ve never met a pastor who said to me, “I don’t want to lead anyone to Jesus.” Yet for pastors, personal evangelism is one of those areas that can get pushed aside by other things -- important things, mind you, but nevertheless things that distract from the most important priority of sharing the Gospel.

Jake Roudkovski, assistant professor of evangelism at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, discovered something startling while doing his doctoral research: A pastor’s commitment to personal evangelism makes a powerful impact on his people’s willingness to witness.

Another discovery Roudkovski made ought to excite any pastor: If you will lead people to Jesus, use with discretion your witnessing stories as sermon illustrations and equip your people to share their faith, the number of people you baptize will increase exponentially.

In his book, “The Evangelism Mandate,” author and professor David Larsen maintains that evangelism must be the priority of the church. That’s not to say the church should neglect its other tasks, such as discipleship and fellowship. However, these functions of the church are not ends unto themselves. They should work in harmony and encourage people who don’t know the Lord to become committed followers of Christ.

I’ve discovered that if I’m going to help church members get excited about evangelism, I have to refocus.

First, I need to remind myself of God’s promise. Jesus said in the Great Commission, “I will be with you always....” When I witness, I go out with the delegated authority of Jesus. The marvelous thing is when I go He also goes with me, even to the ends of the world.

The second way I refocus is to remind myself of God’s power. Jesus said to his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, my work and my witness amount to little. However, the work of the Holy Spirit convicting someone of sin is powerful. I have to remember the tool the Lord uses to share the Gospel is a spirit-filled human being. He wants to use me.

Finally, to refocus on personal evangelism I must make it my priority. As a part of the body of Christ, I should be quick to brag on Jesus. All of us search for willing ears that will listen to the latest accomplishments of our children and grandchildren. We can’t wait to brag on the statistics of our favorite sports stars. In the same way, we shouldn’t hesitate to tell others about how good God has been to us.

Across our convention, statistics indicate that baptisms have been flat or falling. Those statistics can change. And they will change, if and when we listen to our heavenly Father’s call to “just do it.”

Penn Jillette, the verbal half of the magician duo Penn and Teller, and an outspoken atheist, has posted a YouTube video exhorting Christians to share their faith.

Penn and Teller are headliners in Las Vegas, and their shows generally are marked by foul language and shock appeal. Penn Jillette, though, used no coarse language in telling about an audience member who gave him a New Testament.

Jillette was signing autographs after a show last fall when he noticed the man standing over to the side of the crowd.

“And he had been the guy who picks the joke during our psychic comedian section of the show. He had the props from that in his hand because we give those away. He had the joke book and the envelope and paper and stuff,” Jillette said in the Dec. 8 YouTube video.

The man walked over to Jillette, complimented him on the show and handed him a Gideons New Testament.

“And he said, ‘I wrote in the front of it, and I wanted you to have this. I’m kind of proselytizing,’” Jillette said. “And then he said, ‘I’m a businessman. I’m sane. I’m not crazy.’ And he looked me right in the eyes.

“It was really wonderful. I believe he knew that I was an atheist. But he was not defensive, and he looked me right in the eyes,” Jillette said. “And he was truly complimentary. It didn’t seem like empty flattery. He was really kind and nice and sane and looked me in the eyes and talked to me and then gave me this Bible.”

Jillette then stated he doesn’t respect people who don’t proselytize.

“I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward, and atheists who think that people shouldn’t proselytize ...

“How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?” Jillette asked. “How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? If I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn’t believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there’s a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.”

Jillette reiterated his impression of the man’s demeanor.

“This guy was a really good guy. He was polite and honest and sane, and he cared enough about me to proselytize and give me a Bible, which had written in it a little note to me -- not very personal, but just ‘Liked your show,’ and then listed five phone numbers for him and an e-mail address if I wanted to get in touch,” Jillette said.

“Now I know there’s no God, and one polite person living his life right doesn’t change that. But I’ll tell you, he was a very, very, very good man, and that’s really important. And with that kind of goodness, it’s OK to have that deep of a disagreement. I still think that religion does a lot of bad stuff, but that was a good man who gave me that book. That’s all I wanted to say,” Jillette said at the end of the short video.

John Mark Simmons, pastor of the Las Vegas-area Highland Hills Baptist Church in Henderson and a member of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, told Baptist Press that Jillette’s video should inspire believers to share their faith even when they think people won’t be responsive.

“That episode is a wonderful encouragement for all of us to be salt and light,” Simmons said. “If you know anything at all about Penn or his shows, you know he pretty much represents the decayed and dark world we live in, yet someone’s obedience got his attention.”

I used to think religious people were ignoramuses. Then I got smart and took a chance on God. [condensed version used in sermon is at the end]

________

As early as grade school, when I was a voracious reader and a straight-A student, I identified with being smart. And I believed smart people didn’t need religion. As a result, I declared myself an atheist and dismissed people who believed in God as uneducated.

In high school, I led a classroom debate team arguing for a godless form of evolution, confident my side would win because “this was science.” When the class voted and awarded victory to the creation side, I was dumbstruck. Most people didn’t understand science, I figured — either that, or they were unduly swayed by the most popular girl in class. She had a swimming pool in her backyard and threw fun parties.

At the time, I babysat to earn money. One of my favorite families was a young couple; both the husband (a doctor) and the wife were really sharp. One night, after paying me, they invited me to church. I was stunned — people this smart actually went to church? When Sunday morning came around, I told them I had a stomachache. They invited me again the following week, but once more I came down with another phantom stomachache. The more they persisted, the more I struggled to invent convincing excuses. (You try faking an illness to a doctor.)

Just a Phase?

Eventually, the couple tried a different tack. “You know,” they said, “going to church is not what matters most. What matters is what you believe. Have you read the Bible?” I figured that if I wanted to be an educated person, I needed to read the best-selling book of all time. The doctor suggested starting with Proverbs, reading one chapter daily for a month. When I first opened the Bible — this was the King James Version — expected to find phony miracles, made-up creatures, and assorted gobbledygook. To my surprise, Proverbs was full of wisdom. I had to pause while reading and think.

I quietly bought a modern translation called The Way and read through the entire Bible. While I never heard actual voices or anything to justify summoning a neurologist, I felt this strange sense of being spoken to. It was disturbing yet oddly attractive. I began wondering whether there really might be a God.

I decided to work my way through the Bible again, thinking that perhaps my experience was common for first-time readers. This time I would step back and read it more carefully, the better to debunk it. I also vowed to learn more about the Bible’s origins and to study other religions. Maybe, I thought, my culture — in which most people were Christians or Jews — was conditioning me to find Christianity attractive.

A favorite Jewish teacher at my high school ran a “gifted” program that let me devote one class each semester to whatever I wanted. I studied Buddhism, Hinduism, and several other faiths. I visited temples, synagogues, mosques, and other holy places.

More than anything, I wanted to get past this “religion” phase, because I knew I didn’t want religion. But despite my wishes, an internal battle raged. Part of me was increasingly eager to spend time with the God of the Bible, but an irritated voice inside me insisted I would be happy again once I moved on.

There were two passages I found especially troubling: Matthew 10:33 (“But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.”) and Matthew 12:30 (“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”). I resented what felt like an unwelcome ultimatum. I didn’t want to believe in God, but I still felt a peculiar sense of love and presence I couldn’t ignore.

During my freshman year in college, I reconnected with a friend I had met at a summer honors program. He was a straight-A student and a star on both the basketball court and football field — I had never known anyone so smart and athletic. He helped me with difficult physics homework, and then he invited me to his church. This time, I felt fine.

The sermon prompted many questions. I started to raise my hand while the pastor spoke before realizing that everyone else was sitting quietly. I nudged my friend: “Can we ask questions?” He hushed me. How do we learn if we can’t ask? After the sermon I tried getting answers, but people mostly wanted to socialize. I started coming to Sunday School classes because the teachers let me ask questions. I also kept reading.

One Sunday, the pastor talked about the difference between believing there is a God and following God. I knew Jesus claimed to be “the way” to God, but I had been trying to avoid anything Jesus-related — I couldn’t help hearing his name with the word freak attached. But the pastor got my attention when he asked, “Who is Lord of your life?” He discussed what happens when “you, a human being, put yourself on that throne.”

I was intrigued: I was the captain of my ship, but was it possible that God would actually be willing to lead me? From there, I came to a deeper understanding of what it meant to have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus. It seemed silly to pray about this — after all, I still had doubts about God’s existence. But in the spirit of Pascal’s wager, I decided to run an experiment, believing I had much to gain but very little to lose.

After praying, “Jesus Christ, I ask you to be Lord of my life,” my world changed dramatically, as if a flat, black-and-white existence suddenly turned full-color and three-dimensional. But I lost nothing of my urge to seek new knowledge. In fact, I felt emboldened to ask even tougher questions about how the world works. I felt joy and freedom — but also a heightened sense of responsibility and challenge.

Learning and Exploring

Have you ever tried to assemble something mechanical, and it only kind of works? Maybe the wheels spin, but not smoothly. Then you realize you were missing a piece. When you finally put it together correctly, it works beautifully. This is how it felt when I handed my life over to God: I thought it had worked fine before, but after it was “fixed,” it worked exponentially better. That’s not to say nothing bad ever happened to me — far from it. But in all things, good and bad, I could count on God’s guidance, comfort, and protection.

Today, I am a professor at the top university (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in my field. I have incredible colleagues who have helped translate my lab research into difference-making products — including a smart watch that helps caregivers save the lives of people with epilepsy. I work closely with people whose lives are filled with medical struggles, people whose children are not healthy. I do not have adequate answers to explain all their suffering. But I know there is a God of unfathomable greatness and love who freely enters into relationship with all who confess their sins and call upon his name.

I once thought I was too smart to believe in God. Now I know I was an arrogant fool who snubbed the greatest Mind in the cosmos — the Author of all science, mathematics, art, and everything else there is to know. Today I walk humbly, having received the most undeserved grace. I walk with joy, alongside the most amazing Companion anyone could ask for, filled with desire to keep learning and exploring.

_______

Rosalind Picard is founder and director of the Affective Computing Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

==================

Sermon version:

Rosalind Picard was a smart kid. She got straight A’s. She believed smart people didn’t need religion. Those who were religious must be uneducated. In high school, she led a class debate that argued for a godless form of evolution but the student audience awarded victory to the creation side. Rosalind was dumbstruck.

At the time, she babysat to earn money. One of her favorite families was a young couple who were smart - the husband was a doctor. One night, after paying her, they asked her to attend church with them. Rosalind was stunned - people this smart actually went to church? When Sunday came around, she told them she had a stomachache. The next Sunday she invented another illness. This was not easy because she was trying to fake out a doctor.

Eventually the couple tried a different approach. They told her, “Going to church is not what matters most. What matters most is what you believe. Have you read the Bible?” Rosalind knew the Bible was the best-selling book of all time, so she gave it a shot.

The young doctor recommended she read the book of Proverbs so she did, in the King James version. She was surprised to find the book of Proverbs was full of real wisdom instead of the phony miracles she expected. Then she bought the Living Bible translation and read the whole Bible. Rosalind began to wonder whether there really might be a God.

A college friend invited her to his church and this time she agreed to go. During the sermon she started to raise her hand to ask questions but her friend nudged her - you don’t do that in church! One Sunday, the pastor talked about the difference between believing there is a God, and following God. He got her attention when he asked, “Who is the Lord of your life?”

Rosalind had doubts about God’s existence but she was willing to try an experiment. She prayed, “Jesus Christ, I ask you to be the Lord of my life.” Her world began to change dramatically.

She felt joy and freedom, but she still asked a lot of questions. She says her life worked fine before she believed, but after she turned her life over to God it worked exponentially better.

Today, Rosalind is a professor at MIT. She once thought she was too smart to believe in God. Now she knows she was an ignorant fool who snubbed the Author of everything there is to know. Once she asked him, she received a new level of knowledge of life.

Another [reason for not witnessing to people] is, a secret infidelity prevailing in men’s hearts. Alas! brethren we surely do not believe men’s misery; we surely do not believe the truth of God’s threatenings. Did we verily believe that all the unregenerate and unholy shall be eternally tormented, how could we refrain from speaking, or avoid bursting into tears, when we look them in the face, especially when they are our near and dear friends? Thus doth secret unbelief consume the vigor of each grace and duty. O Christian, if you did verily believe that your ungodly neighbors, wife, husband, or child, should certainly lie forever in hell, except they be thoroughly changed before death shall snatch them away, would not this make you address them day and night till they were persuaded? Were it not for this cursed unbelief, our own and our neighbors’ souls would gain more by us than they do.

________

Richard Baxter (English Puritan, 1615-1691) in THE SAINTS' EVERLASTING REST (PDF page 84 from the file Saints_Everlasting_Rest_Richard_Baxter.pdf). The second sentence is from a different edition, THE SAINTS' EVERLASTING REST (Abridged Edition), (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Education, 1847) p.209.

Most denominations place a high priority on evangelism and local/global missions. However, unless we’re cautious and clear, a sloppy, imprecise definition of missions and evangelism will destroy renewal efforts. Let’s define evangelism by what it is not and then by what it is.

Evangelism is not ...

1. Evangelism is not denominational renewal, reconstruction or even de-construction. Sometimes these are necessary to advance the cause of evangelism, but they are not evangelism. Denominations and ecclesiastical structures need occasional, healthy upheaval. But unless we’re careful we may end up thinking that one more meeting and a new way of doing things constitutes evangelism. Structural re-organizations may end up being commensurate with re-arranging chairs on the deck of the Titanic.

2. Evangelism is not inviting people to church or an evangelistic event. Inviting people to events is important, but it’s not evangelism -- it is pre-evangelism.

3. Evangelism is not imposing our will or beliefs on another person. We make no apologies for attempting to persuasively make the case for Christianity. But in the end only God can change the human heart.

4. Evangelism is not personal testimony. A personal testimony does not save a sinner. The Gospel does. It’s quite right to support a Gospel presentation with what the Gospel has done in one’s life. Yet, we must never confuse the Gospel itself with a personal testimony.

5. Evangelism is not social work/justice or political involvement. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with seeking social justice, feeding the homeless, clothing the naked, and addressing institutional-political injustices. But social justice, food in a hungry belly, and a jacket on the back of a homeless man do not prepare that soul for eternity. Good deeds complement the Gospel enterprise; they do not replace it.

6. Evangelism is not doing apologetics in order to win an argument. Apologetics is a necessary part of the Christian mission. Apologetics can help answer questions and remove intellectual objections, but only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can change the heart.

7. Evangelism is not the results of evangelism. It is very easy to get caught up in numbers in the church business. And numbers are important. Even Jesus told three successive stories involving numbers in Luke 15 -- one lost sheep, one lost coin, and two lost sons. But souls are not notches in our belt or numbers on our denominational charts. “One” represents a precious soul for whom Christ died. This means that we are to communicate the Gospel regardless of the results -- God alone takes care of the results.

8. Evangelism is not church planting. Church planting is biblical and necessary. Many church plants succeed at a higher rate of growth than already established churches. But it’s not because of the magical words -- “church plant.” The reason church plants grow fast for a season is because the believers of that new church have been reminded of the basics of one person sharing the Good News with another person.

Evangelism is ...

So, what is evangelism? Evangelism is a believer sharing the person/claims of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a person who has yet to believe the claims of the Gospel or trust the person at the center of the Gospel -- Jesus Christ. The Gospel is “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 10:9-13) The Gospel is clearly stating what God has done in Christ for the sinner, calling for repentance and belief. To fail to do this is to fail at evangelism. All the other dimensions of church life are but outgrowths and/or complements to the Gospel itself.

________

Kevin Shrum is pastor of Inglewood Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee.

The scandals currently engulfing the IRS, the National Security Agency (NSA), the Justice Department and other government agencies have something in common: information.

Who has certain information and for what purpose? How should they be able to obtain it? What should they know and when should they know it? And so on.

“Big Data” offers enormous power to those with the resources to gather, analyze and use it, for good or ill. The challenge for free societies is to harness Big Data without allowing governments or corporations to become Big Brothers and manipulators.

Secrecy is another common element in the latest scandals. Public officials at every level of government, regardless of political affiliation, seem to have a compulsive need to classify information -- regardless of its sensitivity. They’re not the only offenders. Questionable secrecy is common in the business world. Bureaucrats and managers who regard knowledge as power withhold important information from underlings who need it to do their jobs. It only hurts the companies they work for, but it’s almost impossible to eliminate. Why? Human nature. People love secrets.

But there’s a secrecy -- or silence, to put it more accurately -- that’s much worse than the bureaucratic brand. It has potentially eternal consequences, and it’s practiced consciously or unconsciously by many folks who claim to follow Christ. We have the most important information there is: Jesus is Lord and Savior of the world. But we don’t tell others He is the way, the truth and the life.

You can come up with any number of rationalizations. You aren’t good at one-on-one evangelism. It’s not your “gift.” You’re a sinner, so you don’t have the right to tell somebody else what to believe or how to live. You aren’t ready when the opportunity comes. The people you need to tell aren’t ready to hear it. They don’t want to hear it. They will reject you if you say something. Old-school evangelistic methods don’t work anymore. Blah, blah, blah. I’ve used ‘em all. Still do from time to time.

These are excuses, not reasons. Yes, you need to live the Gospel in order to share it effectively. But that doesn’t mean you wait until you have eliminated all sin from your life to tell others how to find forgiveness. That day will never come. The real reasons we don’t tell everyone we know about the Good News of Jesus boil down to three: We’re afraid of the reaction we might get, we don’t care enough about others to tell them -- or we don’t really believe Jesus is the only way to salvation. That last one is the heart of the matter. Unbelief and disobedience usually go hand in hand.

Larry Alex Taunton, an author and commentator who directs the Fixed Point Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the public defense of Christianity, has debated many prominent atheists. In an excellent article for The Atlantic magazine, “Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity,” Taunton reported on a project carried out by Fixed Point to interview members of college atheist organizations about their “journey to unbelief.”

Taunton expected the young nonbelievers to cite science, rationality, logic or the conflicting claims of major faiths as the sources of their rejection of religion in general and Christianity in particular. Many did so. But he was surprised by how many had grown up in church and left the fold -- not because they felt it was oppressive or fanatical, but because they found it superficial and disconnected from its biblical origins.

“These students heard plenty of messages encouraging ‘social justice,’ community involvement, and ‘being good,’ but they seldom saw the relationship between that message, Jesus Christ, and the Bible,” Taunton reports. “Listen to Stephanie, a student at Northwestern: ‘The connection between Jesus and a person’s life was not clear.’ This is an incisive critique. She seems to have intuitively understood that the church does not exist simply to address social ills, but to proclaim the teachings of its founder, Jesus Christ, and their relevance to the world. Since Stephanie did not see that connection, she saw little incentive to stay.”

They also expressed respect for, if not agreement with, Christians who “unashamedly embraced biblical teaching.”

“I really can’t consider a Christian a good, moral person if he isn’t trying to convert me,” stated Michael, a political science major at Dartmouth.

According to Taunton, “This sentiment is not as unusual as you might think. It finds resonance in the well-publicized comments of Penn Jillette, the atheist illusionist and comedian: ‘I don’t respect [believers] who don’t proselytize.... If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward.... How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?’”

Good question. Believers in many places are willing to put their lives on the line to tell others about the eternal truth they have found. We’re hesitant to share it because it might make someone else (or us) uncomfortable. Our hesitance is hastening our own society’s destruction -- and helps explain our halfhearted participation in taking the Gospel to all nations.

If you don’t have the compulsion to tell others that Jesus is Lord, do you really believe it yourself?

It has been 50 years since that tragic day in Dallas when bullets from an assassin ended the life of our nation’s 35th President John F. Kennedy. His death remains one of the darkest moments in our nation’s history.

All who were old enough at the time still remember where they were when they heard the news in 1963. But as we pass the 50-year mark of this tragedy, we also recognize another famous figure of the 20th century. This month Billy Graham celebrated his 95th birthday. You already know these two men among the biggest historical figures of recent times, but what you may not know is their close association and a certain “irrecoverable moment” they shared before Kennedy’s death.

In the early ‘60s most of our country had a fondness for JFK. He still remains one of the most popular presidents ever. He averaged a 70 percent approval rating during his time in office. These were the days of “Camelot,” and despite some pressing world issues that included the beginning of the conflict in Vietnam, the early ‘60s were viewed as a grand age.

This all changed on Nov. 22, 1963. In fact, this horrific day served as a marker of a much more depressing age in our country with more terrible assassinations to come, escalating violence in Vietnam, the crime rate doubling and the drug age around the corner.

Billy Graham had known JFK before he won the presidency in 1960. After Kennedy’s victory, Graham made it clear that he would do anything to help the new president unify the nation under his leadership. Only a few days before the inauguration, Graham was invited to play golf with the president-elect. The two men enjoyed a conversation about world events and politics, but Graham was most passionate about their discussion of Jesus Christ and His pending return to earth for those who follow Him.

Kennedy was so intrigued with their discussion that he requested to meet again with Graham concerning Christ.

They continued to stay in touch through Kennedy’s presidency and were together in February 1963 at the National Day of Prayer Breakfast. In Billy Graham’s autobiography, “Just As I Am,” he shares his memory of the morning’s events.

After the gathering, Kennedy and Graham walked out together toward the presidential motorcade on this particularly cold and snowy day. Suddenly the president stopped in his tracks, turned and invited Graham back to the White House so he could discuss something with him. But Graham was battling the flu. Fearing he’d make the president sick, he declined and asked if they could meet another time.

The president agreed it could wait for a more convenient occasion. But that moment never came. For Graham, this moment will forever stay with him. In his book he wrote, “His hesitation at the car door, and his request, haunt me still. What was on his mind? Should I have gone with him? It was an irrecoverable moment.”

Billy Graham knows the value of taking advantage of every single moment. It is remarkable that a man so well loved, who dedicated his entire life to spreading the Gospel, still remembers this one missed opportunity to discuss Christ.

Fifty years ago the assassination of JFK reminded our nation that evil never takes a sabbatical and time is fleeting. The apostle Paul believed in “making the most of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16 HCSB). What a challenge this is for all of us. As followers of Christ we dare not be satisfied until we take every opportunity to share the love of Christ. So who are the family members, friends or acquaintances in each of our lives who seem open to discuss Christ? For indeed today is an irrecoverable moment for all of us.