March 26th Follow-up

March 28th, 2023
by Dean Ceccarelli

1 Corinthians 2

"The Spirit of God, working through the word of God, using servants of God

I have a brother-in-law who is very forthright in sharing the gospel with others. It doesn’t matter where he is or what the situation is, if there is an opportunity to share Jesus with someone, he will. I know there are other believers like him, but there are many more who are not.

Found this from Lifeway research:
Despite the openness and relationships with Christians, few unchurched Americans have ever had someone explain exactly how to become a Christian or why they should think about doing so.

Only 3 in 10 unchurched Americans (29%) say a Christian has ever shared with them one-on-one how a person becomes a Christian. Only slightly more say a Christian has told them about the benefits of participating in a local church (33%) or the benefits of becoming a Christian (35%).

For 4 in 10 unchurched Americans (40%), they’ve never had a Christian explain any of those things to them.

I believe there are 2 primary reasons why Christians don’t share their faith with the unsaved. One is fear and the other is not being sure of what to say.

First, like Paul, you must be determined to trust that it is the word of God and the Spirit of God that will save people, not you. Remember, it’s not your job to get people saved. It’s not your job to convince people they need Jesus. The gospel is foolishness to the unsaved. They cannot see or understand the truth of the gospel apart from the working of the Holy Spirit. You are simply the vessel God has chosen to use to introduce them to Jesus.

Secondly, for many, there is a hesitancy to tell others about Jesus because of the uncertainty of what to say and how to say it. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 10 before sending them out – “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

This doesn’t mean we don’t have responsibilities. We are responsible for knowing what we believe and why we believe what we do. The best way of doing that is by reading your Bible every day and being a part of a church family where the word of God is being taught.

Go out this week and be ready to share the gospel when opportunities arise. Don’t rely upon human reasoning or your ability to speak. Let the Holy Spirit speak through you. Trust the message, not the method.

Posted in Sunday Follow-up