How to share your faith without hiding your face Many people who are interested in Christianity have difficulty sharing their faith with others without feeling judged or ashamed. How can you share your faith in a way that won't make people feel uncomfortable or afraid? The Bible tells us to always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have and to give our answer in gentleness and respect. Get the tools to share God’s love with you like and love today in the message - How to share your faith without hiding your face
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Read Mathew 9:35-38
When I was in university I met him. I think I only spent a day with him. But was it ever fun.
He was a brand new baby Christian. He had come to faith on Friday, was filled in the Spirit Saturday. Baptized in water on Sunday. He had led four or five people to the Lord over the weekend.
I met him Monday in a meeting and afterwards we sat for coffee. He shared his story with at least a half dozen people and every one sitting around heard why he was so excited.
He was from England and was leaving the next day to try to figure out how he could be a dad for his new daughter that he ran to Canada to be away from. He had to make it right and do right by her.
Don’t you love brand-new baby Christians?
They don’t know it’s supposed to be difficult to talk about what Jesus has done in their life. This guy definitely had evangelism all over him. But he taught me that talking about Jesus should be way more natural for me than I had made it.
Jesus told us to go into all the world and share the good news with all creation. (Mathew 28:19-20) Peter tells us to be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)
I think we all have stories where we’ve blown a chance to do just that.
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m the only one who been under so much conviction to make sure my friend new God loved him and heaven was real that jumped the gun and forgot the invitation. Maybe I’m the only one who convinced themselves “now” isn’t the time for that conversation.
But Paul tells Philemon (1:6) that he should be active in sharing his faith so that he would have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
I’m convinced we don’t have a full understanding of every good thing because we use every excuse we can to not share our faith.
We don’t know how to share our faith without argument.
It’s against cultural mores in Canada to talk about religion and politics. And if you start, you’re just looking for an argument.
But you can never argue someone in the Kingdom.
You can love them into the Kingdom. They can enter the kingdom by living the kingdom and then getting knowledge of the kingdom. But I have not met anyone who came into the kingdom who was argued into it. Love into, yes. Argued into, no.
And even the ones who think they were convinced intellectually first, often will confess it was the person or people who took the time to answer their many questions that had a big part in their decision making process.
Remember you're the salt and light. Don't forget people need to be valued and you need to keep in step with the Spirit.
Do you remember the last time you shared your faith to someone who wanted to know what made you so different?
Maybe you were under conviction to do it and think you blew it because you it seemed so forced. Maybe you didn’t have the words to say. Maybe you brought them to the pastor, because after-all, he’s the professional.
You can share your faith without hiding your face.
Even in Canada - even when it goes against cultural mores - you can be active in sharing your faith and have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
What would it feel like to have the full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ? Doesn’t He give us everything we need for life and godliness? Doesn’t the depth and breadth and height and width of His love surpass understanding? Doesn’t He want to have peace and joy and hope at all times and in every situation?
Yes it does, and yet you can know it.
Well, I’ve developed a tool that I try to remember every time I go into a business to talk to employees. Every time I go I want to pray Holy Spirit leads me to the right people and gives me the words of life for them.
You don’t need to have that as part of you job. Make it part of your daily routine to give God the day He’s given you. Ask Him to lead you to the people He wants you to talk to a nd to give you the words of life for them. And then keep this tool in mind, so you can have conversations that lead people to Christ.
Conversations that lead people to Christ tool
Be led by your compassion.
Matthew 9:36 …he had compassion on them because… they were like sheep without a shepherd.
EMPATHY
E - Engage in cooperation not competition. Romans 12:16
M - More listening than talking. James 1:19
P - Present support responses not shift response. 1 Peter 2:17
A - Ask open ended questions and follow up questions. Philippians 2:3-4
T - Track the hunger. John 6:67-68
H - Highlight a tasty morsel. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25
Y - You stay ready to give an answer when they are ready to ask. 1 Peter 3:15
E - Engage in cooperation not competition. Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Romans 12:16
Don’t think about your response, but think about what the other person is actually saying. You each work together for common goals. No individual winners or losers- both “win”
Am I hearing what the other person is saying?
M - More listening than talking. James 1:19
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19
People don’t care about what you know, until they know how much you care. You show them you care by hearing them. Don’t parrot back what you hear, but show you understand the emotion behind it.
Am I seeing them?
P - Present support responses not shift response. 1 Peter 2:17
Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king. 1Peter 2:17
Shift response turns the attention to me. Support responses draw out what the person is saying.
Eg - Shift - P - I can’t sleep these days. Y - Oh I have not been sleeping well for months now.
Support - P - I am unable to sleep these days. Y - What happened? Is something bothering you?
You can use your own experience to connect, but turn it back to them -
P - I feel very down these days. Y - I used to feel the same a few years back. Have you been doing anything about it?
Am I keeping the conversation on them or taking it on me?
A - Ask open ended questions and follow up questions. Philippians 2:3-4
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3-4
Open-ended questions require a person to pause, think, and reflect. Answers, typically, will not be facts, but personal feelings, opinions, or ideas about a subject.
What happened next? How did that make you feel? What can you do about it?
What open-ended questions can I ask?
T - Track the hunger. John 6:67-68
Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. John 6:67-68
Partnering with Holy Spirit. What gets them excited or what do they see as lack. What are the words of life?
What are the words of life for them?
H - Highlight a tasty morsel. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25
But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.” 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 NLT
Ask Holy Spirit what He loves about them. Watch what they do as they talk. Often it’s through what we see or hear that the prophetic gets activated.
What does God love about them?
Y - You stay ready to give an answer when they are ready to ask.1 Peter 3:15
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15
Do I know what to say when they ask about my hope?
Now I also have tool to help you Always be Prepared to give a reason for the hope you have.
Warning… a tool can be a great help, or it can get in the way. Don’t trip up and think you’ve blown it. Learn to follow what Holy Spirit tells you to do.
When they see interested…
Always be Prepared Tool
FIRST
F- Find out their interest in spiritual things
I - Invite them to share who Jesus is to them
R - Raise up their view of eternity
S - Start to get them to consider
T -Talk about their interest in talking more
F- Find out their interest in spiritual things
Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?
I - Invite them to share who Jesus is to them
Who is Jesus to you?
R - Raise up their view of eternity
Do you think there is a heaven and a hell?
S - Start to get them to consider
If you died right now, where would you go?
T - Talk about their interest in talking more
If what you believe was not true, would you want someone to tell you?
If they say “no”, don’t push it.
If they say, “yes”, show them what the Bible says.
Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 3:3, John 14:6, Romans 10:9-11, Revelation 3:20
Romans 3:23 NLT For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Romans 6:23 NLT For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 NLT Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
John 14:6 NLT Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Romans 10:9-11 NLT If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”
Revelation 3:20 NLT “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
The invitation
- Do you want forgiveness of sins?
- Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again?
- Are you willing to surrender yourself to Christ?
- Are you ready to place your trust in Jesus and invite him into your life?
Here’s an example of a prayer.
Dear Jesus,
I’ve messed up. I know you call that sin. I can’t be good enough on my own. Please forgive me. I want to change. I want to do what you want me to do. You died and are alive today and because of that your Holy Spirit will give me strength to become like you in every way. Thank you. You are Lord. You’re in the driver’s seat of my life. I am going to do everything you want me to do. Thank you for forgiving me. Amen
After they pray a prayer like that with you, help them to listen to the Holy Spirit.
What do you think Holy Spirit is saying to you?
Affirm what you can agree with that Holy Spirit is saying.
They can invite Holy Spirit to be with them always be with them.
Here’s an example of a prayer.
Whatever it takes, Lord, fill me with Holy Spirit and any gifting you would be pleased to give me.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18–20)
Conclusion:
The world needs us to be ready to give a reason for the hope we have. They need to see the hope in us. You are surrounded with people who want to be heard, who need to be seen.
Will you see them?
Will you hear them?
Will you be ready to give the reason for the hope you have?
Will do to that with gentleness and respect?
It is what you are designed to do. Have you been feeling out of sorts? Be active in sharing your faith.