“I’m sure they’ll get to know Jesus somehow or other.”
“I’ll just pray that they hear the Good News of Jesus from someone.”
Do these statements sound familiar? I think they resonate for all of us. I mean, just think of it… 95% of Christians never have and never will share their faith with another person. Isn’t that staggering?
I sometimes wonder why? If Jesus is that precious pearl of great price… if Jesus is that treasure out in the field… if Jesus is that lost coin… if Jesus is… well… the One and Only Savior… then why don’t we tell others?
Bottom-line. It’s uncomfortable. Our comfort level in America is so part and parcel to our daily experience that anything smacking of discomfort sticks out like a sore thumb. So that palpitating heart… those sweaty palms… that lump in the throat are all red flag indicators that squelch even the thought of sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. “What will he think?” “What will she say to others about me?” “How will I be looked upon?”
What’s funny is that I believe Christians are more leery of talking about Jesus than non-Christians are. Although the world around us may not believe as we do or understand our faith-stance… they are more often than not open to discussing and dialoguing in the context of relationship. So certainly the days of door to door evangelism may not be what they once were… but… the days of sharing the hope, the forgiveness, the joy of the Gospel in the context of relationship is very real and very possible. We just have to be willing to get uncomfortable.
Personal and/or small group questions:
Do you agree that we all have a responsibility to share our faith in Jesus?
What’s it take to be willing to tell another person about Jesus?
Why is the truth of Jesus as the distinct and only way to the Father so critical to us moving out to evangelize?
What are the challenges to sharing Jesus today? Further, what do our reactions to these challenges say about what we believe about God and our own faith?
Scripture Memory Verse: "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone" (Mark 16:15, NLT).
