Why is sharing Jesus with others so difficult? While it seems simple in theory, many Christians find sharing their faith with strangers intimidating. Disciple-making is spiritual work that requires being proactive rather than merely reactive to your environment. By remaining open to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and relying on God’s power rather than your own, you can overcome the fear of outreach. Even Jesus faced challenges to His beliefs, yet He continued to share His message and listen to others, providing a perfect model for our own ministry.
If guests were to visit your church this Sunday, do you have a plan to support them? Without a clear discipling mechanism, new visitors often slip out the same door they entered. Before moving from the pew to the street to share the gospel, it is vital to understand your purpose. You must know why you are inviting someone to your church and why they should choose to stay. Learning how to prepare to share your faith is an essential first step in this journey.
Prepare Your Own Heart
In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus shares the parable of the Good Samaritan as he was confronted about his teachings by an expert in the law. Much like in the world today, Jesus was questioned. Somebody might question your faith and why you believe, and if you are not ready to respond, you will fall flat on your spiritual face.
Prepare your heart by preparing your mind, body and soul. Read the Word, remember the Word, recite the Word, and live out the Word. Jesus did not stumble when questioned; he shared a story of three examples of being a neighbor. Like Jesus, be ready to share your faith journey and how God has transformed your life.
As Jesus shared the parable, the one he spoke to was looking for a reason to catch him in a mistake rather than learn from him, but that did not stop Jesus from sharing. You might even be faced with backlash for sharing your faith or receive a discouraging word, but stay focused on the reason you did it in the first place: to share Jesus with the world.
Partner with God to See What He Sees.
The story of the Samaritan spurred and even provoked the expert of the law because the Samaritan would not have been a faithful Jew in his eyes because of the mixed-race heritage of the Samaritan. However, Jesus used the example because he was partnering with God to share Old Testament truths through a New Testament revelation that pushed back on the idea that God was for only one race and not all.
The person you share the good news with might have been hurt in the past by another Christian, a church, or a society quoting Scripture. Be gentle and understanding, and recognize that what a person says back to your invitation to God is a response to their hurts and desires, not God’s. Do not take one adverse reaction to mean you should stop sharing your faith. Instead, partner with God to see what he sees in the person you share your faith with.
Those who heard Jesus that day responded to the confrontation and learned valuable lessons that will be lesson markers for you today:
- Not everyone will be receptive to the message of the cross.
- A person determines their faith.
- If a heart is open, God will change their life.
- If a heart is closed, it remains closed to the invitation of God.
- What you share is as important as what is received by the person you are sharing with.
Participate in Long-Term Disciples Making.
Maybe you came to Christ as a young child. For me, I was 22 years old. What if someone who shared Christ with me gave up because they thought I was too old? How many people have missed Jesus because someone did not stop and share the gospel?
The one who was beaten and left for dead in the parable Jesus shared missed being helped by two others (a priest and a Levite) before the Samaritan helped the man. God brings across your path daily individuals who need you to support, encourage and love like Jesus. Yet, by the wayside are the discarded castaways, taken in by the world, not the church. Ask yourself, Am I a priest, a Levite, or a Samaritan?
The law expert needed to have the compassion that Jesus showed and missed the proper understanding of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus, on the other hand, began a continued journey to share the gospel, teach his disciples about living out the law, connecting Scripture to current issues, and staying faithful to God as a living example of holiness. While the expert missed out, the disciples followed Jesus, spending years learning at his feet.
What you do today matters more tomorrow than today. When you invest, spend time, and walk with a person learning about faith, you become the Samaritan who provides long-term care for the injured.
Jesus taught that you could stay in the temple and have a lot of head knowledge and miss the reason you learned what you have learned, or you could go outside the temple walls and live out the knowledge by sharing Jesus with the lost and hurting.