Why should you reach back into the world to share your faith with non-Christians? They are happy where they are and don't want to be bothered, right? True, the fallen world can appear disinterested in the good news. But don't let appearances fool you. There are many reasons why you should witness to others.
• Christ died for them.
Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
This is good news because at one time, we were fallen too. Not only did God love us anyway; he died for us, just as he died for our unsaved friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances.
• He loves them too.
Luke 19:10 tells us, “‘For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.’” This is yet another reason why we should reach back into the world. In Matthew 9:36–38 we can clearly see that the heart of Jesus was drawn toward the multitudes: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”
• They desperately need Christ.
Jesus still loves the multitudes today. Their numbers may be greater, but their needs are the same. They need the Good Shepherd; they need his love, forgiveness, compassion, and help.
Many are drowning in hurting marriages, drugs, alcohol, loneliness, and lack of purpose. Their loneliness is a God-shaped vacuum that can be filled only with a relationship with God himself. Whether they are a person in a three-piece suit behind a mahogany desk, a businesswoman who looks so “together,” a young mother, a teen, or a student—those without Christ are empty.
• He called us to be “fishers of men.”
Were we not called to fish for men? Matthew 4:19 says, “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”
A “fisher of men” is someone who throws a lifeline to those thrashing in the sea of despair. In reality, the unbeliever is desperate to be rescued by the truth of God's love and salvation.
We Need to Make Non-Christian Friends
God calls us to go into his harvest. If you are living in isolation from the world and the only friends you have are in your comfortable Bible study, Wednesday night church get-togethers, Sunday school, Christian picnics, retreats, homeschool events, and concerts, you will never experience the joy of sharing your faith. Your life will become dry because you are ignoring the call to work in his fields. You will lose a sense of vitality that comes from obedience to the Great Commission.
God did not call you to hide from the world. He called you to go into the world. After all, the world cannot know Jesus if we keep his identity a secret. We must go and tell others who he is. Remember Romans 10:15, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Matthew 28:19 reminds us to “go and make disciples.” We need to go because we cannot make disciples at a distance.
The message of Jesus' good news continues to ripple from one heart to the next. This ripple effect washed into our own lives and will continue to flow to others. If you are obedient, eternity will expand to include those people to whom God has called you to tell the good news.
There Is No Coincidence
God sends many people into my life. Some come only for a moment; others, for months or even years. Perhaps God will use me as a conduit to show them the good news of his Son. For this reason, I believe their presence in my life is by no means a coincidence.
Speaking of coincidence, I was teaching how to share Jesus without fear at a conference for a Christian legal society. Toward the end of the second day, a man named Larry Kelly came up to me and said, “All my doubts are gone.”
I did not have a clue as to what he was talking about. “What do you mean, sir?”
“I'm ready.”
“For what?”
“I want to give my life to Jesus.”
I was surprised. After all, this was a conference for committed believers. I asked, “How did you get here?”
Larry told me his story. He said, “About a week ago, we were having a ferocious blizzard. My office was closed for the day, so I decided to clean out the basement so my son could have his own room.
“As I worked, I felt nagged about the existence of God. I took a load of books upstairs and one fell on the landing. When I picked it up, I was surprised to see it was a book about Jesus. I was surprised because I didn't even know I owned a book like that. Right then and there, I decided to read it from cover to cover.
“When I finished, I was even more confused. That's when I remembered there was a Christian bookstore not far from my house. So there I was, driving to the bookstore in the middle of a blizzard.
“When I arrived, Bruce, a salesman, was surprised to see me out on such a day. Since I was his only customer, we had time to chat. I asked him if he had any books on doubt. He didn't, but he began to tune into the fact that I was a struggling nonbeliever. When he found out I was a lawyer, he told me about this Christian legal conference that was to be held eighty miles from our town. That was a coincidence, because a client had already told me about it. Still, I almost didn't go, but my wife talked me into it at the last minute. So here I am.”
Don't you love the way God works? Let's look at our list of so-called coincidences. First, as Larry began to wonder about God, the right book fell out of a stack of books. Then Larry's friends had told him about the conference as did the man at the bookstore. Larry came and found the Lord. By “coincidence,” I happened to know and direct him to a Bible-believing church near where he lived. He's now in a men's Bible study with seventy other men. He continues to grow in his faith.
Never ignore the coincidence of the people God has placed before you. Instead, look for ways to build relationships, then you can use the “Share Jesus Presentation” to build a bridge.
Building Relationships
There are many ways to build relationships. We are limited only by our creativity and by our desire to please God.
• Meeting Neighbors
Unfortunately, today the sense of community is totally absent from many of our neighborhoods. Perhaps you could help change that in your community by taking a walk through your neighborhood to introduce yourself. You might want to contact your local police department to find out how to host a Neighborhood Watch program. When your neighbors meet in your home, if you feel led, perhaps even on a one-on-one basis, you can transition to the gospel by telling them that the thief comes to steal, but Jesus came to bring eternal life. You could also work with your local police department to sponsor a fingerprinting and photograph party for the local kids.
• Prayer Requests
As you walk around your neighborhood, say to those you meet, “I am a person who prays a great deal, and I brought my notebook to write down prayer requests. Is there anything I could pray for?”
Later, when you are doing another walk-by, you may want to stop and ask, “I was curious, has that prayer been answered yet?”
If it has, your neighbor may be ready to answer your five “Share Jesus Questions.” But regardless, you are still building a relationship.
• Video Party
Another idea is the next time you see both your neighbor and his wife out and about, say to the husband, “Hey there, John, I know you care a great deal about your marriage. We're going to have dessert and a video at my house next Tuesday night on how to improve our marriages. It's only going to last a half hour. Will you come?”
I dare the man to say no, especially in front of his wife.
• Story Party
You can also use the Tupperware approach to invite your neighbors to come and enjoy a festive time in celebration of spring, Valentine's Day, or whatever. The purpose of your celebration will be to allow everyone to sit around and share stories.
If it is around Christmas time, you might ask everyone to share his or her most important Christmas moment. Have a couple, who is perhaps not from the neighborhood, stand up for five minutes and share the real meaning of Christmas.
Pass out notecards and ask your guests to write their names and phone numbers. Next, say, “If anyone is interested in finding the real meaning of Christmas, put a little check mark on the card before you give it back to me.”
You can also give them a pre-Christmas gift of a little envelope containing a gospel tract. You might suggest they read the last portion about how to have a relationship with Christ.
Later, if any of your neighbors check the card, call them back to ask if you can drop by to talk. Bring your sharing Bible/New Testament and “Share Jesus Questions” and present the gospel. If they respond, ask your neighbors if you can hold the next get-together at their places.
The reason you want to do this is because they will be able to invite different neighbors, family, and friends that you couldn't have reached. Like Tupperware parties, this Friendship Coffee can continue to travel to homes throughout your community. In one Texas town, 150 people were reached through a neighborhood outreach. They continue to meet in a recreation room and are currently looking for a pastor.
• Special Interests
We can build relationships through common interests, hobbies, sports activities, aerobics, quilting circles, and bowling leagues.
• Kind Deeds
A good deed is much like electricity: it may help someone see the light. One of my favorite ways to impact others is to shovel the snow off my neighbors' driveways. When they come home, tired from work, they cannot believe the driveway is done. With a little creativity, you can think of other ways to serve your family, friends, and neighbors.
• Block Party
In a large neighborhood, you can share your faith effectively by throwing a block party. It can be as economical as a dollar per person. This is an opportunity to get people involved in your neighborhood as well as at your church. Recently, several hundred people showed up for a barbecue block party sponsored by a church. Church members mingled with the crowd and shared the “Share Jesus without Fear Presentation.” The church saw 238 people make decisions for Christ.
You can order a book on how to organize this kind of event called The Evangelistic Block Party from the North American Mission Board at 1-800-233-1123. If you are interested in planning this or other events that would build bridges for the gospel, you may wish to contact Tim Knopps at the Timothy Ministry Institute at 405-478-2186 or write him at 11311 Gold Leaf Lane, Oklahoma City, OK 73131-3258.
• Community Service
Perhaps you want to get your church involved in meeting the community. Perhaps your Sunday school class or youth group could go to a mall to wash car windows. You could leave a note saying, “We washed your windows because God loves you.” Be sure to include the name of your church.
• Old Friends
If you have an old friend in your life with whom you have never shared the gospel and you are under conviction of the Holy Spirit, call your friend. Say, “I need to talk to you about something very personal. Let's set a time we can meet.”
Pick a location where nothing disturbs you, no kids to distract, no husbands wondering where their dinner is. Just plan a private moment between two good friends.
Start off the conversation with an apology. “You know, I need to ask your forgiveness. I have not told you about the most important thing in my life. I have not shared how you could have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and I want you to know I'm so sorry.”
Most of the time, your friend will try to help you recover by saying something like, “You don't have to be sorry—”
Say, “Yes, I do, because if you had died before we had this lunch today, I would know where you would be and I could never live with myself because I love you very much. I need and want to share with you how we can be together for eternity. I want to tell you how you can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Next, go into the five “Share Jesus Questions,” then take your friend through the “Share Scriptures.”
• Reconnecting with People from the Past
How can you go back to your past? Do you have relationships that have been marred, wounded, or insulted? The first principle you may need to recognize is the principle of waiting for God's timing.
I have learned a very simple way to recognize when God has decided it is time for me to write that letter or make that phone call or personal contact. I do this when a name from my past suddenly comes to mind.
People ask me, “Bill, wouldn't it be better if you waited and prayed about it first?”
I say, “I pray about it, but I don't wait because I'm wondering why that name did not come to my mind earlier.”
I feel God brought it to my mind now, by the power of the Holy Spirit, because it is time to act. I immediately pray and I am ready to move.
It's like the time the Lord brought the name of Thomas, an attorney who once prosecuted me, to my mind. It had been ten years since our initial encounter, and I wondered what had happened to him. I prayed about it, then called him and asked if he'd be willing to go to lunch with me.
I knew because of the high-profile case, Thomas had kept track of me. I knew this would work to my advantage because my life had so radically changed.
I met with Thomas at lunch and shared what had happened in my life. I thanked him for being a part of God's plan to give me the jolt that would start me on my journey to find Jesus Christ.
In other words, I gave Thomas my testimony, and even though he did not respond, I had the privilege of planting a seed.
Several years later, Thomas's name came to my mind again, so I called him back and took him out to lunch. This time he brought a date, Meredith, his Christian girlfriend. I guess he either brought her to check me out or to enjoy the lunch because he knew she and I would have much in common. Once again, I reminded him of his need for the Savior. Still, nothing appeared to happen.
However, Meredith was going to a church where I would be speaking, and she invited Thomas to join us. A few weeks after he attended the presentation, I saw him again. To test the waters, I asked, “Do you have any spiritual beliefs yet?”
He kind of laughed and said, “You know what it is.”
My heart jumped. “You have to tell me.”
“I've given my heart to Jesus.”
You could have heard me shout across the land.
So you see, God's timing was perfect. He can use the past to bond the future.
• The Workplace
A wise person once said, “A person's faith is not judged by what he says about it, but by what he does about it.”
The people in your workplace are watching you, and I hope your integrity and work ethic would stand out like a shining star. Your coworkers will notice if you work hard, pick up after yourself and others, and don't waste company time or resources.
I often get asked in seminars about witnessing at work, and I am going to make a very surprising statement: I don't believe you should share at work, period. If your boss is paying you two dollars an hour, he does not want you to take his time to share your faith.
Coach Dave Nicholl says, “I always share on my own time. I try to honor God by being the best teacher and coach I can. My work ethic and commitment to others give me the opportunity to build relationships. When I share with students and their families, it is on my own time.”
Dave has the right idea. You should not use company time to witness. Yet there is a difference between qualifying and sharing. You already learned to qualify a nonbeliever by simply asking the five “Share Jesus Questions.” That takes only moments. You can qualify in a matter of seconds during a coffee break or in a hallway conversation.
When a coworker expresses an interest in knowing more, make an appointment to take him to dinner, lunch, Bible study, or church.
If you happen to be the boss, possibly in a management position, or if you run an office, such as a medical doctor's, you have to be extremely cautious because people will perceive you have a certain amount of authority over them.
You will want to take advantage of the Holy Spirit, not your authority. This means you will have to listen carefully to the clues your employees give you. A clue might be if someone confides something like: “Life is bad,” “I don't know what to do,” “I'm angry at my husband,” “My teen drives me crazy,” “I never seem to get well,” or “My mother's dying.” Also, you may pick up on body-language clues. Perhaps one of the employees is staring into space or seems upset, angry, or indifferent. These signs may be an opportunity for you to come alongside and say, “Are you OK?”
If the employee chooses to dump the truck and share his pain, be a great listener. There may be an opportunity, in a very gentle way, to say, “You know, I've had many problems as well, and I've found a solution to my pain.”
If he asks about your solution, then you have permission to share. I would do it quickly and with discernment.
We will discuss sharing at work in more detail in chapter 11.
• Be Nice
It is so important to be nice to others. Take to heart Jesus' admonition, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt. 7:12).
In other words, look for ways to serve others, and by all means, hold that temper. If you should let it fly, don't be too proud to apologize. For when you reach out in love, others may see the light. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14–16, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
• A Friend in Pain
Often, people, out of desperation, loneliness, or limited acquaintances, are very willing to talk openly about their troubles. When this happens, the first thing we must do is to listen, because the principle behind listening is love. We are not only listening to what someone is saying, we are listening to what God is saying; we are listening to find the best way to love this person. When someone expresses a hurt, we must be careful we don't just peel off a Bible verse and give her a flip “I'll pray for you.”
When we say, “I'll pray for you,” we should also offer responses such as “That must have been terrible,” “I'm so sorry,” “Is there anything I can do?” or “What would you like me to do?”
Sometimes, a card shows an extra degree of thoughtfulness and could be left on the person's desk or sent to her home. It is another way of saying we are genuinely different because we put feet to our hearts.
Perhaps you just want to take a meal and drop it anonymously by her home; perhaps it is time to mow a yard, shovel a driveway, or send a gift certificate for dinner. All of these things can build a bonding relationship when a friend is most in need.
If you notice, I did not suggest you ask the five “Share Jesus Questions.” This is a time to merely shine a light into the darkness. When you do, almost inevitably, your hurting friend will know who and what you are. You see, one of the most powerful evangelistic tools is love. I can almost guarantee you that at some time in the near future, God will create an opportunity for you to share your faith on a more personal level.
• Other Ideas
To share your faith at other times, invite someone to go shopping or share a meal or a coffee break.
Don't Be Afraid
Once, when I was teaching a seminar, I gave an assignment to the group to go out and ask the five “Share Jesus Questions.” A woman came to me and gushed, “I'm going to ask my bowling team!”
When I saw her the next week, she said, “Bill, I've bowled with those women for five years. When I asked the questions you taught me, I was shocked to find out all five women were born-again and active in their church. Not once had we shared with one another.”
Wow! To spend your life with others and to never know where they stand and for them to never know where you stand. We can't let this happen.
But you may say, “I'm afraid I will start to share with a friend, and she will close the door in my face. What will I do then?”
Closed Doors
When I share my faith with a friend and she rejects the gospel, my first reaction is to feel rejected and hurt. But I have to remind myself, it is Jesus she is rejecting—Scripture she is rejecting—not me.
I take a deep breath and say, “OK, Lord, I will wait for the moment you create.”
But like a good fisherman, I don't quit fishing. If God has put someone on my heart, I may change my lure, I may go to a different fishing spot, and I may even try a different method of fishing.
All the while I will remind myself not to become so focused on the fish that got away that I miss other fishing opportunities. Besides, I have learned God may use this situation to intensify my prayer life as he teaches me to let go and wait.
Letting go may not go well with our hopes and dreams for our loved ones, but we must trust God. After all, he desires our loved ones to come into a relationship with Christ even more than we do.
For the past couple of decades, I have had people in my life who have been annoyingly uninterested in a relationship with Christ. That's OK. I'm waiting for God's perfect timing because someday in the future, they may be open to the gospel.
You see, at times in a relationship, I have been nose to nose with someone, sharing the gospel. At other times the gospel never crossed my lips.
My purpose in a friendship is not to ask the five “Share Questions” whenever we get together. My purpose is to be interested in a person's life and to let her know I love her.
We can't forget that we share our faith because we love others. Yet it is easy to be discouraged when the ones we love don't respond. A friend of mine was telling me about her pastor, who was discouraged. Every time he tried to share his faith, he got the answer, “No!”
If this should happen to you, let me remind you that God is pleased you were obedient. When a friend says no, whose problem is it, yours or God's? Could it be that God is sanctifying you so you will know how he feels when he is rejected by those he loves?
As you examine your own heart, don't look for a reason to quit. Instead, look to be obedient, just as Jesus did. Even though he had to face the cross, he never quit.
Perhaps you need permission to walk away from trying to force someone to accept the gospel. After all, you don't need to solicit a phony decision for Christ. Your only desire should be for a friend's genuine conversion, born out of the power of the Holy Spirit. You may even have to apologize to the one you tried to force salvation upon. Say, “I am so sorry I tried to make you become a Christian. I now realize the choice is yours, not mine. Please forgive me for trying to force this decision upon you.”
Elaine, who was engaged to be married to Rick, said, “It wasn't until I apologized for trying to force my will on my fiancé, that he was finally able to consider the gospel. Before, the salvation message had been a battle of our wills, not a battle of his heart.”
Remember, sometimes people don't respond to the cross. Even at the crucifixion, people cursed Jesus, stole his clothing, mocked him, spit at him, and tortured him, yet he remained faithful. That is our higher calling, to remain faithful. Of course, there is always the hope of a last-minute conversion, but that is not our motive. Ours is a walk of faith, not by sight, but to do all we can do to be obedient and trust God for the results.
Maintaining Relationships
How do we maintain relationships with friends who have not responded to the gospel? When people come into my life who know where I'm coming from, who are expecting me to share my faith at any moment, I have a great deal of fun. I just spend my time loving them. Almost always it bugs them. They will ask me, “Well, are you still doing churches? Are you still reading the Bible?”
I sometimes answer with a simple yes. In situations like this, I wait for the inevitable tragedy that will come into their lives. I know there will be such moments because no one gets through this world unscathed. When they come, I want to be there in expectancy and love.
Lifestyle Evangelism
This chapter has really been about lifestyle evangelism. To me, lifestyle evangelism is when we live our lives in a way that is open, vulnerable, caring, and matched by equal amounts of integrity and character. This way, people will be fascinated by our differences and motives. The undergirding this lifestyle brings is a deep love for people and a deep devotional life with God—because it is out of the overflow of our hearts that people will come to know him.
Jesus lived the perfect balance of lifestyle evangelism. He was willing to touch the untouchable, to love the unlovable, and to teach and correct the unteachable. Everything Jesus did was based on his love for his Father as well as his love for others, so always be ready to give the reason for the hope within you (1 Pet. 3:15).