Sharing Faith (3) With Everyone Else

James 5:20      Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Every week we are all given opportunities to share our faith with other people. It may be a neighbor or a stranger. It may take place in a casual encounter or at an appointed time. Whatever the moment or circumstances, if you are prepared in advance you will be able to share your Christian beliefs without hesitation or embarrassment.

Here is a step by step process using the word ‘FAITH’ to help you share your Christian beliefs with other people

Formulate Your Beliefs

Firstly, before you share your faith, you need to know what you personally believe. This takes preparation and study. You need to ask yourself ‘what are the foundational beliefs about my faith that I will never compromise?’ This may include the forgiveness of sins, Christ’s sacrificial death, His resurrection, and the promise of everlasting life. Most Christians share the same core beliefs, but each person has their own special ‘faith’ interest.

You will also need to know certain passages of scripture and where to find them in the Bible. You can add many other stories and verses to this short list, including your favorites.

John 3:16-18    "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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 

Acts 4:10-12    Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." 

Romans 5:1-2  Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 

Matthew 11:28-30      "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

John 14:6         Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

What other Bible verses or stories would you include in the above list?

Awareness of needs

Sharing your faith is a wonderful experience, however if someone is in need of help, support, or care, don’t neglect to share your compassion and resources, as well as your faith. Sincere loving kindness goes a long way to open up a needy heart and mind to God; cold doctrinal Bible thumping quickly closes spiritual doors.

Matthew 14:13-21     When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." 

Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. 

"Bring them here to me," he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

How aware is Jesus of the needs of the people? What about his disciples: how do they react to the issue? What does Jesus do? What does this teach us about sharing faith?

Insincerity Ruins Your Witness

The worst thing that you can do when sharing your faith is to be insincere. If you are tired and feel burdened, don’t share your faith because it will come across as negative and wearisome. If you are just going through the motions – (Baptist – ABC plan of salvation) then you will quickly bore the other person. The whole point is to engage in a conversation about faith without being manipulative or belligerent. Beware of being condescending or aggressive; by all means be assertive, but do not be forceful. And remember this: you do not have the power to convert anyone to Christ – that is the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 7:24-29       (Jesus said) "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." 

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

How assertive was Jesus being in this passage? What faith-truth did He seek to share with the crowds? How was His teaching different from the typical religious leaders? What does this teach us about sharing our faith with others?

The Teaching Moment

Every school teacher and church preacher knows that sometimes there is a special moment in the lesson or the sermon when people actually ‘get’ what’s being taught or preached. It’s important to be aware of when this occurs in sharing faith because it can be ruined by reading it wrong. Spiritual intimacy is a sacred gift and if this happens when you are sharing your faith with someone else, then the best response is a quiet word of encouragement and perhaps a short prayer to bring the conversation to a close.

Mark 12:28-34                        One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." 

"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." 

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

How does Christ’s sincerity come across to the teacher of the law? What truth is Jesus conveying to him? How does the teacher of the law respond? Why does this delight Jesus? What does Jesus do to make this ‘teaching moment’ effective? How can we apply this when sharing faith with others?

Handling Follow Up

Your efforts to positively share your faith may have lasting results. Handling opportunities to follow up will involve inviting the other person to church, making arrangements for another meeting, and being there when they need help. How you follow through with the conversation will be a test of your faith to the other person. If no ‘follow through’ occurs, then they will end up believing that you were insincere. If you try to force another meeting, you will come across as being manipulative and controlling. The best way to follow through is to say something like: “Thanks for allowing me to share my beliefs with you. If you need to talk again or if I can help you in any way, please just ask. God bless you.”

If you think the moment is right, invite the other person to your church.

Your initial work is done – follow through with focused prayer and ask God to give you guidance for any future meetings you may have with the other person.

Prayer (together):                  Lord Jesus, thank You for the opportunities that You give to all Your people to share their faith. Help us to be open to these blessings throughout this coming week and give us the courage to engage others in faith conversations, so that we may encourage them to draw nearer to You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.