Sharing the Faith

Between 1979 and 1989 English churches lost half a million members, which is one thousand people a week. Nearly two thirds of these were under twenty five years of age. Surveys have shown that 97% of English people are disillusioned with church. Church attendance has been dropping since the height of 60% of those over 15 years of age attended in 1851. Since the 1960s this fall has become more rapid. Religious education in schools is now at a low ebb. This has all resulted in a spiritual vacuum. Between 1998 and 2005 there was a 15% drop in those attending church each week, from 7.5% to 6.3% of adults. Today few people believe in a cause that they would be willing to die for. Yet when I ask my patients with cancer if they have a faith that helps them, all too often they reply “I wish I had.”

A Christian who is unconcerned for those without Christ is himself in serious need of help. Even atheists understand this. Penn Jillette is an avowed and vocal atheist. His is one half of the famous comic illusionist act, ‘Penn and Teller’. One day a polite but impressive elderly man tried to share the Christian good news with him. This is what Penn had to say about the experience,

“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytise. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there is a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, o0r not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward . . . How much do you have to hate someone not to proselytise? How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? If I believed, beyond a shadow of doubt, that a truck was coming at you and you didn’t believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that!”

A group of senior Christians met in London to plan a book on the subject of ‘Caring Christians’. One member of the committee noted that evangelism, the sharing of the Christian faith was not included in the list of caring activities. The comments of two ordained people was striking,

“Evangelism is divisive, not caring!”

“God is a God of love - everyone in the end will be with God, won’t they?”

In contrast Jesus and his apostles certainly taught that sharing the Christian good news is one of the most caring things we can do for other people. Jesus taught,

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

It is because God loves and cares for us that Jesus was sent, so how can it be unloving to share this news with others? This is particularly true when we realise the eternal consequences the decision about Jesus brings.

When Paul was on his second missionary journey, he had travelled across what is now Turkey and had arrived in the city of Troas that used to be called Troy. The night they arrived there Paul had a vivid dream. He saw a man from Macedonia standing up and begging him “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” The reaction of that small Christian band was striking. They concluded that God had called them “to preach the gospel to them”. It really is of great help to people to understand the Christian gospel, and it is this that has motivated Christians to keep sharing the facts about Jesus so that others can learn about him and come to put their trust in him also.

Jesus taught that one effect of being a Christian will be a sharing of the good news of forgiveness with others,,

“’Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” John 7:38-39

Archbishop William Temple commented:

“No-one can possess (or rather, be indwelt by the Spirit of God) and keep that Spirit to himself. Where the Spirit is, he flows forth; if there is no flowing forth, he is not there.”

Corinth

In 51 AD there was a great spiritual vacuum in the busy, thriving port city of Corinth. It was a massive city for those days, with about 750,000 inhabitants. The Roman writer Strabo described Corinth as ‘always great and wealthy’. The small church that Paul had founded there during his eighteen month stay consisted mainly of mainly middle class educated people though there were some members that were poor or slaves. It was a mixed church of Jews and Gentiles. The church had been upset by the arrival of some able Jewish people who had become leaders but who seemed more interested in having paranormal, ecstatic experiences than in getting on with the business of being Jesus’ people, living the way he wanted, with His priorities.

It is with this background that Paul wrote his second letter to the Corinthian church, to try to redress the situation. He does mention the problems that these ‘pseudo apostles’ have caused, but being a great pastor he lays particular emphasis on the positive, the priorities that they should have instead.

There was a vicar who said that he did not like word ‘obedience’ preferring to stress the idea of ‘enjoyment’ as the route to fulfilment in the Christian life. The apostles would not hold to such a distinction. It is as people learn to live in the way their Lord wants that they will come to enjoy a close relationship with him. Paul stresses this also.

“The reason I wrote to you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.” 2 Corinthians 2:9

All Christians should make pleasing Jesus and doing His will our absolute priority. So many Christians like warm fellowship, being in a loving community or even good Bible teaching but the idea that one of the priorities of each Christian is to pass on the faith is less attractive. This has always been a problem for the church. Peter had to remind the early church in his first letter, written a little before he was executed by crucifixion for being an active Christian,

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Pet 2:9

This priority to pass on the gospel to others is all too seldom the priority of modern churches.

A ferry was crossing the English channel when there was some very bad weather and the sea was very rough. An elderly lady became very sea-sick. She saw a clergyman sitting in a comfortable chair reading a book, and feeling very sorry for herself, approached him and said,

“Vicar, vicar, can’t you do something about this dreadful weather?”

“Madam,” he rightly replied, “I am in sales, not management.”

In the land of Israel there are two seas. One is the Sea of Galilee which teams with life and abundant fish. This sea has water flowing both into it and out of it. The other sea only has water flowing into it. There is no outflow, it keeps its level by evaporation. This is called the Dead Sea. It has virtually no life because of the very high mineral content. This is an apt visual parable of many Christians lives. Those who have nothing flowing out of them die, whereas those who pass on what they have received experience life to the full.

This is the message that Paul wants the Corinthian church to learn. Paul taught them that Christians are the ‘aroma of Christ’ in this world. Oscar Wilde, the playwright, was in a theatre foyer after the first performance of one of his plays. Many queued up to offer their congratulations, and give him bouquets of flowers to show their appreciation. One person however was not impressed and to show this he gave Mr. Wilde a rotten, stinking cabbage. The gift was accepted with the words,

"Thank you so much. Every time I look at this I will think of you."

We Christians are meant to be more like the flower bouquets! Paul reminded the Corinthians that,

"Through us he spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." 2 Corinthians 2 : 14-15

There is no ambiguity about this teaching! All people are either saved or perishing, and it is through us, his people, that the message about Jesus is to be spread. This is no light responsibility. The understanding that those who turn to Christ as their Saviour and Lord have a glorious future with God, should have just one effect on us.

"Since we have such a hope we are very bold." 2 Corinthians 3 v. 12

This work is not easy, as so many people seem unwilling to accept that the Christian story is really true. They are in fact blinded by ‘the god of this world’ - worldliness. This should not make us alter what we are doing. We must continue to present the truth clearly, praying that God will open the eyes of some who hear the message.

“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4 v.1-4

Paul is clear why he continued this work, although it led to pain, persecution, and the threat of death. He saw it as the inevitable consequence of holding the Christian faith.

"It is written ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak." 2 Corinthians 4 v. 13

Today there are some who seem to view speaking to others about Jesus as an optional extra. The apostles did not! We do not become Christians and then choose whether we will speak out for Jesus; we are chosen to be Christians so that we may become those who speak out for him!

At times this will be depressing work We will be misunderstood, but still ‘we do not lose heart’ (2 Corinthians 4 v. 16), as this work will enable more and more people to be eternally grateful. (v.15) We must therefore persevere in this work.

Paul obviously saw this need for personal workers in Corinth as very important indeed, because he then went into more detail as to why Christians will try to persuade others. In the following passage he gives three reasons.

2 Corinthians 5:9-21

9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.

13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no-one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Paul’s reasons for urgency in sharing the gospel are:-

1) The Coming Judgment

“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.” 2 Corinthians 5 v. 9-11

The first reason they tried to persuade people about the relevance of Jesus, was because they ‘feared the Lord’. This was no empty religious phrase. The context clearly shows that it was the coming judgment that brought about this healthy respect. We will all have to stand before God one day and explain the reason for our priorities. This is a very good reason why we also should make it our ambition to live in a way that pleases the one who is going to be our judge! This is not a doctrine of salvation by works, but a reminder that works will inevitably follow if the Holy Spirit is really in our lives. At the final judgment there will be no need to analyse our doctrines, all will be clear when it is revealed how our doctrines have changed our lives!

2) An Understanding of Christ’s Love

When we really understand what it meant for Jesus to leave heaven, come down to this earth and then to die for us, so that we could have a close relationship with him as his special people, we will want to respond to such love. It takes a very hard person not to do so!

“Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all.” 2 Corinthians 5 v. 14

Paul reminds us that without Jesus we are spiritually dead, but when we turn to Christ we become completely new people.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come. All this is from God.” 2 Corinthians 5 v. 17

To become a Christian is the beginning of a completely new life and lifestyle. Understanding his love for me will drive me on to live openly for him. It is true that Jesus loves me as I am, but he loves me too much to leave me like that.

3) We are under Orders

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5 v. 18-20

In this remarkable passage we are again reminded that our salvation was planned and potentially achieved by God himself. ‘God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.’ Jesus achieved this for us on that cross.

Yet, in spite of all he has done, there is one part that is delegated to us - that is the business of passing on the story of this salvation. This is an awesome responsibility but that this is our job is abundantly clear from this passage. Paul mentions it three times to stress the point!

a) v. 18 ‘God gave us the ministry of reconciliation’

b) v. 19 ‘He committed to us the message of reconciliation’

c) v. 20 ‘We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us’

Because we have been commissioned with this charge, we can boldly say , as God’s representatives,

“We implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5: 20

What an honour and privilege this is. The God of the universe has trusted you and me with his message of salvation. If we pass it on faithfully, others can find the salvation that God wants them to have. If we don’t, not only will they be lost, but we will have to give a reason for our failure to God himself, standing face to face with Jesus who has done so much for us.

James wrote his letter to encourage Christians who were facing ‘trials of many kinds’. At the end he reminds his readers about the priority of taking the message of salvation to individuals.

“My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20

This passage is particularly interesting as it reminds us that sin is, at root, wandering from the truth God has given us in Christ. We know this both through the message of the Bible, but also through the spiritual instincts that God has put in us all.

Salvation is the great concern of Jesus. It has always been God’s concern. This was why he chose a people for himself in the Old Testament.

The prophets in the Old Testament understood all this. Jeremiah warned people about God’s coming judgment and was ridiculed for his pains, yet he wrote,

“So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed I cannot.” Jeremiah 20 v. 9

Ezekiel also understood this. He constantly tells people about ‘the word of the Lord’, just as we should. He also recognized the responsibility that this knowledge brought with it.

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die, and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will be saved yourself.” Ezekiel 33 v. 7-9

Living good moral lives is very important, spending time in prayer is also essential, but beware if anyone thinks that these noble activities can be an alternative for actively passing on the message about the salvation that Christ alone can give to those who are lost.

So many of today’s churchmen seem to want to keep their faith secret. Experience shows however that either secrecy kills discipleship or discipleship kills secrecy! The Christian who is enjoying a close relationship with his Lord is invariably someone who is keen to obey him and is active in talking about him to others. This is why Paul talks about the need for this when he writes to Philemon.

“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Philemon v. 6

Some may say, ‘Yes, I understand all this. I would love to be able to talk more effectively about my Lord, but I am not any good at it. If I could, I would. This is rather like the Father who said to his son,

“Don’t go into the water until you have learnt to swim!”

Just as no-one learns to swim without entering the water, no-one learns to be a personal worker without prayerfully starting. As this work is so close to our heavenly Father’s heart, will he not give the empowering of his Holy Spirit to those who ask him for it? The way to start is to ask God to open up opportunities for you, and to keep you awake so that you can make use of them! We must find ways to pass it on. There was a man who faithfully attended his church prayer meeting for more than 15 years. He was a regular churchgoer who even attended Christian conferences. Not once however had he ever mentioned talking with a non-Christian about Jesus Christ. One day he was asked why he had never expressed an interest in sharing the gospel with others. “Oh, I’m not ready for that - there is so much more I need to learn first,” he replied!

How to Begin

1. Be clear of your objective

Admiral Mahon was a leader of the American Navy during the War of Independence. He kept repeating the following statement when teaching his officers,

“Gentlemen, whenever you set out to accomplish anything, make up your mind at the outset about your objective. Once you have decided on it, take care never to lose sight of it.”

Today’s church desperately needs to remember and never lose sight of the Great Commission of our Lord to ‘Go and make disciples’. To do this we will need to be prepared. Peter, in his first epistle that was written from prison in Rome a little before his execution, had three things to say on this matter.

“‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared 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 3:14-15

When we are certain about our relationship with Jesus there is nothing to be afraid of, so the first priority is to know for certain that I am saved and that I am guaranteed a place with God in eternity. Are you certain about this?

Peter’s next instruction is that we should be prepared, which means doing some prep! If we want to be personal workers we must learn some things by heart.

1.  Pray

It does not take a young Christian long to realise that all their efforts alone will be ineffective in bringing anyone to having a personal faith in Jesus. If God’s Spirit is not at work applying what they hear, then there can be no beneficial results. There is nothing like being active in personal work to make a person realise how much we need God’s help. However as the object of what we are about is so close to His heart there is no better way of seeing prayer answered! Therefore pray and keep praying that you may both have opportunities to speak to others about your Saviour, but also that God’s Spirit will make people receptive to the gospel that you are sharing.

2.  Have your testimony well prepared

It is important to be able to explain how and why you became a Christian, and what the Lord means to you now - succinctly. If different aspects of your testimony are well prepared they will become invaluable. By slipping parts of your testimony into conversations, you will help others understand that a Christian is somebody who has made a personal response to the claims of Jesus, and will lead them to think about themselves and their standing before God.

3.  Know a clear Gospel outline

There are several simple ways to describe to someone else what a Christian is and how to become one, but it is essential that all Christians know at least one of these well. Booklets that describe clear Gospel outlines include ‘Start a New Life’ by David Watson (Kingsway Publications) and ‘Two ways to Live’ by Philip Jenson (St. Matthias Press). It is helpful to learn by heart the verses mentioned. You could ask a friend if he could test you - and he does not have to be a Christian! I began to find that two ways to live, though an excellent outline was unwieldy in practice, when sitting in a bus, or waiting for a train so I have modified it into a ‘Potted Gospel’. If the person would like me to explain what I understand the gospel to be, I start by lifting up my left hand and saying that this represents God.

“God made the world and everything in it. He did this through his son, Jesus Christ.”

Then I show my right hand and say that this represents us and then let my hand fall.

“The problem is that we rejected God. We do not want him to rule over us. We want to be independent of him, and go our own way.”

With a smile I then say,

“But the good news is that if we return to live under the authority of Jesus, we are treated by God as if we have never rebelled. We are forgiven because Jesus himself has born the penalty for our rebellion.”

Then with a pained face I add,

“But if we reject God’s offer of forgiveness and admittance to his family, then we will remain separated from him for eternity in hell.”

Then, in order to get the conversation going again a simple open question needs to be asked,

“Have you heard this before?”

4.  Learn to Open Conversations

One of the most distressing features of modern church life is how few Christians want to make friends with non Christians to win them for Christ. To the birthday party of a brilliant musician who had become a Christian many friends were invited. Some were from his church, others from his music and business contacts. What was depressing was to see all the Christians socialising together, leaving the non Christians to socialise amongst themselves. What a wasted opportunity.

When sitting on a train it is not difficult to offer your neighbour a sweet or ask them if they are regular travellers. Unless we learn to talk about everyday events we will never be able to share what really matters in a way they can appreciate.

5.  Get to the Point

This is perhaps the most difficult skill to learn, needing both an element of determination as well as tact. Tact has been well described as the ability to get your point across, without stabbing someone with it! Remember, although most people are disillusioned with church services, thinking that they are outmoded, boring, and largely irrelevant places where people sing hymns, they will all have a spiritual hunger. This God-given need is part of our makeup.

The first goal of any gospel conversation is to reach the point when you can pop the question,

‘Are you committed to Jesus yourself – or aren’t you sure about these things?’

Clearly the wording can be altered, but in essence this is the key question. It is important to give people an acceptable alternative answer so as to avoid cornering or embarrassing them - hence the rider ‘. . . or aren’t you sure ?’ Without it many will just say ‘Yes, I am,’ which causes problems in continuing the discussion! With the rider people will often say, “I’m not sure” or “I wish I was”, which is great to follow up on.

How can we get to a point in a conversation so that this question doesn’t seem out of place?

There are many ways to gently steer a conversation round to the point when you can ‘pop the question. People are always happy to be asked, ‘What job do you do?’ so I often start with this. They inevitably reply with the same question to which I like to reply,

“I have two jobs, one paid and one unpaid.”

They usually want to know more,

“I work as a surgeon, but I am also very involved teaching both in our local church and in universities, trying to help people understand the Christian gospel. So many people today have rejected a caricature thinking that is the real thing. Excuse me asking, but are you committed to Christ yourself or aren’t you sure about these things?”

Move to the subject of church

One of the first approaches I learnt was to get onto the subject of church and then move to the gospel. When travelling home from university by bus I would try to sit next to somebody and start a conversation. After general chatter, it was simple to steer the subject onto where we lived. If they lived in a village I would ask if it had one of those old churches there. I then asked,

“Is it a keen church?”

The inevitable reply was,

“What do you mean?”

So a gospel conversation started after which it was easy to ‘pop the question’.

Similarly in a conversation anywhere it is relatively simple to get talking about whether they did anything interesting at the weekend. Invariably they will then ask what you did.

“We’ve got involved in Christchurch Baldock, which is quite a new church. Have you heard of it or been there?”

Whatever the reply it is simple to say what attracted me there, and then it is natural to ‘pop the question’.

We were having coffee after a church service with a couple in their sixties who had not been to our church before. They explained that they lived in a nearby town and that a friend had told them that they would enjoy our church. That was the key introduction, so I was able to naturally ask,

“Are you committed Christians yourselves or aren’t you sure about these things?”

To this the husband replied after a moment’s hesitation,

“I would describe myself more as a committed churchman but my wife is a committed Christian?”

“That’s a interesting reply” I said, “We have Basics course starting shortly where we try to work through whether the Christian faith is really true and what being a Christian involves. We would love it if you could come and join us.”

They did come to that Basics course and it was not long before he came to put his trust in Jesus and now both he and his wife are lovely, caring, outgoing Christians, fully involved in gospel ministry.

Dealing with problems

Many people have practical problems such as health, housing or a general hopelessness that come up during conversations. Sometimes people can put up problems as a smokescreen to prevent them looking for answers. After spending some time understanding the problems and discussing practical solutions, what better way is there of showing your real concern than by asking,

“Do you have a faith that helps you at a time like this – or aren’t you clear about such things?”

Again it is vital that the person you are talking with should not feel cornered, hence the escape clause.

Medical students are taught to ask questions of all their patients when taking their history. They ask about the ‘Present Condition’, ‘Past History’, ‘Family History’, ‘Drug History ‘ and ‘Social History’ - so why not add a ‘Spiritual History’? One medical student attended a conference at which taking a ‘Spiritual History’ was discussed. The next day he had to ‘clerk in’ two patients. The first patient, when asked if he had any faith or wasn’t sure replied that he had been a Pentecostal minister but had given up on the Lord. They later had a great conversation and that hospital admission brought him back to his senses. The patient in the next bed replied, “I wish I had”. The student lent him a copy of ‘Cure for Life’ and the revitalised minister in the next bed spent many hours explaining the gospel to him. All that just from asking two questions!

We may well be asked our opinion about theological issues. It is wise to avoid saying ‘I think’ as the natural reply is ‘I don’t’. Instead learn to ‘blame Jesus’ and his apostles. By sharing what they teach will naturally lead on the question of their authority which is the core of the gospel.

Testimonies

It is often helpful to keep slipping into ‘Testimony mode’, particularly if people appear uncertain or apprehensive. Explain how you came to put your trust in Jesus, starting as close as you can to the position they seem to be at.

“I used to think like that. I rejected school religion, where the chaplain dressed up like the Mikado and threw incense around the chapel. I couldn’t see how an Almighty God could be impressed by such antics. But then at university, I met some Christians in the hockey club who helped me understand that a Christian is primarily a person who believes in and is committed to Jesus Christ. I became a Christian at university when I became sure about his claims to be God’s chosen king and about my need for a saviour if I was to have a hope of being confident before God. Have you ever looked at all the evidence for this . . . ?”

This also has the advantage of keeping up a sensitive dialogue. Preaching at people in a one to one situation is so counterproductive. The purpose of giving our evidence is to draw people to Christ. That is what we are working for.

The Core Gospel

It is vital that those hearing the gospel understand both who Jesus is, God come in the flesh, and why he came, to tell us the gospel and to be that gospel. He was to take our sins on himself so that we could become acceptable to God through him. Without Christ no-one is acceptable to God. Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The apostles told the Sanhedrin when they were on trial for their lives,

“Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

A personal submission to the Lord Jesus is fundamental and basic. Everything such as a godly lifestyle and a desire to evangelise comes from this. Attempts at holiness and evangelism cannot earn salvation, that only comes through a simple childlike dependence on Jesus and his death for me.

Follow up

After having a conversation about spiritual matters, make a point of thinking about the follow up. “Would you like to read this booklet (or book) that I have found helpful?” or “Would you like to come with me to hear Mr. X explain these things better than I can?” or even “Let’s have another game of squash next week and carry on this conversation.”

It is through relationships that the gospel is really seen and understood, so we should all make every effort to develop real friendships with those who are uncommitted to Christ. ‘Given to hospitality’ is a vital Christian doctrine

One of the great principles of personal work is to write down the name and contact details to enable follow up. An address book that visitors sign is a good way to do this at home.

Lend books or give some literature

Some helpful books that you can make available to others are invaluable. If we have introduced the gospel it is sometimes easier for detailed teaching to come from a book. This is particularly true if people are very close to us. ‘More than a Carpenter’ (Kingsway Publications) and ‘Cure for Life’ (Lost Coins) are simple introductions to Jesus and the Christian message, but there are many others that fit different needs.

Recently I got chatting to a very pleasant young man who worked in the city on a train journey. I asked him if he knew of St Helen’s Church in Bishopsgate. He had heard of it. I explained the influence that it had had of my life and mentioned their lunch time services. He explained that his mother was a Hindu and his father a Moslem, but that his brother had become a Christian. We then talked about what had happened to his brother and I explained how and why I had become a Christian. My station was approaching so I asked if he would like to read about what had convinced me and gave him a copy of ‘Cure for Life’ that I carried in my suitcase. As usual I wrote in it a short note and my e-mail address. The next day I received a message titled, ‘Jesus in the train’. He promised he would contact me again when he had finished the book.

Give Invitations

More people have become Christians by being invited to hear a gospel talk than by any other means. It is therefore essential that in your church or area there are such events. Some churches run regular ‘Guest Services’. We have occasional ‘Open Suppers’ in our home to which we invite friends and those we come into contact with. Many Christians use their homes to invite mixtures of Christian and non Christians for a meal or cup of tea. If people are praying and looking for opportunities to talk about Jesus, it is almost impossible for this not to occur! We hold a regular five week ‘Basics Course’ in our church, which is geared for those who are uncertain about Christian things. Many Christians bring friends, that they have been talking with, along to these.

Pray and pray again

The most difficult thing about sharing the gospel is getting the openings. When travelling to London by train on my own, I pray for opportunities. When I pray, coincidences happen, when I don’t pray, they don’t. After a conversation about spiritual matters keep praying. We are in a spiritual battle and or real adversary is Satan himself. Only when God’s Spirit is active will people turn back to God.

This Easter two people, who were not regular churchgoers, came to our Easter service. One of them we had first met at a party a year before. There, after a warm conversation, we had invited her to come to our church. Occasional contact was made by phone but no progress was apparent. Then her friend suggested they went to church for Easter day and they discussed where to go. Then Christchurch came to her mind and there they were. They were invited to have lunch the following week and they came. They have now been invited to a Christianity Explored course and then . . . God knows!

There are countless ways that we can help others find a relationship with God through Jesus - if there is a will, there is a way.

The time is short

Some years ago there was a Bible Reading in the Union of Cambridge University. It was a missionary weekend and there were two speakers booked, each having half an hour to speak. Unfortunately the first speaker went on and on, so that the second speaker, Jim Broomhall, had only three minutes left to speak. He stood and read his text.

“There are some who are ignorant of God, and I say this to your shame. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 34.”

He looked at the clock and then said,

“I have just got time to read this to you again, “There are some who are ignorant of God, and I say this to your shame” .”

He then sat down. One young man listening was so struck by the words of that verse that he committed his life to telling others about Jesus. His name was David Wheatley-Price. He eventually went to Kenya as a missionary. Some ten years later David was back in that same Union and he recounted this story, reading out the same verse. Another student, Peter Pattison who had been converted in his first year was very much impressed by the same verse. He likewise committed his life to sharing the Christian gospel with others.

It is certainly to our shame if people around us remain ignorant of the gospel.

BVP