5 Tips for Sharing the Gospel
Sharing the Gospel is an intimidating task. It’s intimidating for many reasons, not the least of which may be that we view it as a “task” rather than an opportunity. We have many excuses from “I don’t know enough” to “I have my own doubts” to “I don’t have time” to “I’m not experienced enough.”
According to Lifeway research, around 50% of Christians are either neutral, reluctant, or indifferent when it comes to sharing their faith and 66% are not familiar with any methods on how to do so.
Before sharing 5 tips on sharing the Gospel with your neighbor, I want to encourage us to think about the “why” behind sharing the Gospel. If the Gospel really is “good news” then how could we not choose to share it as often as we can? I’m not immune to the above excuses myself.
It’s very easy for me to consider it less urgent and important than my endless to-do list. I need to be reminded often that there may be no more important use of my time than sharing and being inspired again by the good news of what Jesus has accomplished in His life, death, and resurrection from the dead.
Why share our faith to begin with? There are many reasons, but I’ll simply give two: urgency and obedient response. There is only one way to get to God/Heaven and that’s through Jesus Christ.
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6
Sincere beliefs are not enough because it’s possible to be sincere and yet sincerely wrong. We will all stand before our Maker to give an account of our very lives, and it will be those who trusted in Jesus Christ who will enter the presence of Heaven forever.
Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He told His followers to go and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that He commanded. (Matthew 28)
When we consider the great lengths that Jesus has gone to for us, how could we not, but in joyful and grateful obedience, be an ambassador for Him. (2 Corinthians 5:14, 20-21) If this message is true, it would seem to be unloving not to share this with others.
With that said, I want to borrow from Dave and Jon Ferguson who share the BLESS method for sharing the Gospel with our friends. Here are 5 practical tips for doing so:
1. Begin with prayer
Begin to pray for the people whom God has placed in your life. Ask God with whom He would like you to be intentional about sharing His good news. Once he brings someone to mind, pray specifically for opportunities you might have to share with that person. Pray Ephesians 6:18-20 and Colossians 4:2-4.
2. Listen
Many Christians are known more for talking than listening when listening could be the most loving thing you can do for someone. We will not know what “good news” would be most welcome and needed if we don’t first listen. What are they passionate about? Where are they hurting? What do they need? Listen to their background and spiritual search to this point in their lives. This will give you an opportunity to know how best to share the “good news.”
3. Eat
Eating isn’t something you have to add to your life. Most of us have 21 opportunities to do this per week and Jesus often used eating as one of his best ways to spend time with others.
4. Serve
If you begin with prayer and listening to their story, this will give you an opportunity to see how you can best love/serve them depending on their needs. This further gives you credibility to speak into their lives.
5. Share Your Story and The Gospel
Instead of sharing first, this part is last. After you’ve developed credibility and a loving relationship, they will be more open to hearing your story of how Jesus changed your life and how He can also change theirs.
The reality is, unless we stay close to Jesus, it will be difficult to maintain our spiritual vigor for sharing the Gospel. This will take diligence, accountability, and intentionality. If you are convicted by the need to share your faith with your neighbors and friends, I want to encourage you, before you quit reading this blog, to act on that conviction right now.
Pray. Put it in your calendar. Don’t delay obedience to God.
Ask God to remind you where you would be in life right now and in eternity forever, without His lovingkindness toward you.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” – Colossians 4:2-4
I leave you with this reminder from author Paul Little who said,
“Inner spirituality developed by a secret life with God is essential for an effective witness to a world who has yet to meet the God who alone can satisfy their every need.”
