Archive for: Christ
Let’s face it. Whether it concerns politics, religion, or almost any other topic, our culture frowns upon those who state that their way is the only way. Such claims are viewed as arrogant, self-serving, and narrow-minded.
To some degree, I concur with that assessment. I cringe when I hear political commentators who boast that their opinions are superior to all others. They claim that anyone taking a different view is either uneducated, uninformed, or unintelligent. The mere tone of their words is enough to make me change the station or navigate to another website.
Christians can fall into the same trap. While it is important that we present Christ as “the only way,” we need to constantly keep our tone and attitude in check. When talking with non-Christians, “how” we say it is just as important as “what” we say. I am not saying that a loving tone takes precedence over truth, but it is just as important and often forgotten. A superior attitude can immediately put the brakes on a conversation about Christ.
The apostle Paul put it best when he said, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2.
One of the best ways to keep myself in check when discussing the exclusive claims of Christ and Christianity is to constantly evaluate my motivation. If my motivation is to win the argument or put someone “in their place,” I am in the wrong. If my motivation is more about my good over and above the good of the person to whom I am speaking, I am in the wrong. I not only try to monitor this during the conversation, but I evaluate it after the fact. Several times I have had to apologize to a non-believer because I realized after the fact that my motivation in the discussion was selfish. The motivation of being perceived as “being right” can get in the way of my love for someone else.
Knowing my motivation is love, wanting the best for the other person, I then can proceed with answering their questions and statements about the exclusive claims of Christianity. I always try to direct the conversation to the claims of Christ as found in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That way I let them know that my belief is rooted in the claims of Christ, not in my desire for my opinions to be “superior” over others.
Basing the discussion on the words of Christ Himself allows us to talk about “why” He said that He is the only way. He is the only way because He is the only one leader of a major religion to have risen from the dead. He is the only way because He truly is the only solution to our sin problem through His work on the cross. And, most importantly, be sure to share your personal reasons why you believe He is the only way. People don’t just want to hear “textbook” answers, but real testimonies of Christ’s impact on your life.
Q: I have many opportunities to share Christ when I travel. How do I follow-up with the ones who trust Christ when I probably won’t see them again?
A: This question comes up a lot, and here are some of my suggestions.
First, ask for their contact info so you can send something to encourage them. We suggest sending information to help them grow as a Christian. Then follow up with a call or email of encouragement after they have had time to go through the material. Many have used our…
Second, ask permission to give their name and phone number to a church in their area. Your pastor should be able to help locate one. Then call the pastor or staff member of that church, and ask if they could follow-up.
If that is not possible, explain to the new believer their need of a church home as well as the characteristics of a healthy church. A church should believe that a person receives the gift of eternal life through faith alone and that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. The members of a healthy church love one another and demonstrate a commitment to introducing non-Christians to Jesus.
Lastly, don’t hold back from sharing the gospel with someone you may never see again. The Lord brought you into their life for such a time as this to bring the gospel to them. Trust Him to bring other believers along to help them grow and, above all, remember to pray for them.
I got my D.Min on Christianity in the Workplace in January 2009. The particular subject was Business Leadership and Ethics in the Workplace. I’ll never forget something that was shared during the study.
A speaker shared that he knew of a survey taken amongst workers and they were asked the question, “Why don’t you talk about Christ the way you should in the workplace?” The number one response was, “I haven’t lived the life I should”. Although it’s unfortunate that this was the truth about their lives, they are aware of a very important thing. Consistency, in terms of how we live our lives, matters in the workplace. To say one thing with our lips and another with our life can be a detriment to people believing the gospel.
That consistency relates not only to their actions but our reactions. If we say we are to forgive one another, are we forgiving others? If we say we need to return love for hate, are we doing that? If we say that we as Christians can rejoice, not just when life is right side up, but when life is upside down, do they see us living for Christ during times of hardship, or are we the same on Monday as we are on Friday? How quick are we to overlook other people’s faults? All those are of extreme importance.
Consistency matters. God want us to live the Christian life twenty four- seven.
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In talking to someone recently, I told them of how I think there are more people with gifts in evangelism in the local church than often recognize the presence of the gift. I think there are two unfortunate reasons for that. The first is a thought that unfortunately is accepted as truth when the fact is it’s not. That thought is, “If you have the gift of evangelism then you’re never afraid to evangelize”. That is simply not true. I’ve never met a person with the gift of evangelism that does not at the same time have times when he or she is afraid to talk to others about Christ. As I tell people, the presence of an evangelistic gift could also mean the presence of fear. People with evangelistic gifts are as afraid as anyone else is. Once, a pastor and I were having lunch with a woman who said to me, “There are times I think I have the gift of evangelism but there are times I’m afraid it is obvious I don’t”. That gave me the opportunity to tell her that if there were times she’s afraid it might mean she has the gift of evangelism, because fear is one thing that often characterizes the gift. So, if you are afraid to evangelize, that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have the gift of evangelism.
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Prepare to let out a gasp—–I don’t always care about the lost. Phew, OK—got that out.
So, what does that mean and why does it matter?
If you know anything about Larry Moyer and EvanTell, you have probably heard about Larry’s (and as a result, the ministry’s) “heart for the lost”. And if you’re new to EvanTell and Evangelism.net, you will quickly understand what I’m talking about. The concept of concern, or heart, or caring for ‘lost’ people is pervasive throughout our curriculum, Larry’s books, our articles, etc. It is expressed as a primary (if not THE primary) motivator for evangelism.
But sometimes I not only don’t care about the lost, I have disdain and contempt because of their general attitude toward believers. I don’t mind being honest and admitting that. Christians are consistently the only people group who anyone can safely ridicule without fear of retaliation. Try commenting negatively about any non-Christian special interest group, religion, “campus” club, ideology, nationality, etc. –then see what happens. Try the same with Christians and it’s not only OK—it’s most often encouraged. So naturally, it’s easy to project ill-will toward those who propagate the negative stereotypes of Christians and, more seriously, mock God. The warrior in me loses patience knowing that they speak in ignorance about that which they do not know.
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One thing all believers have in common is a personal testimony, and your own testimony can be the most effective tool for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Why? Because it is personal, identifiable, factual, unarguable, and engaging.
Your testimony can be the thing that turns the conversation to spiritual things and makes them receptive to the message you have to share. It may be the thing that the Holy Spirit uses either to convict them or soften them up to hear about the death and resurrection of Christ.
Whether you share your testimony in front of an audience or a single person, you will want to make sure that your testimony is encouraging and clear on the specific issue of trusting Christ. Some testimonies are dramatic and inspiring – touching heart strings and connecting with others, but if your testimony does not tell someone exactly how that can have what you have, then it has not really changed anything for anyone. How do you tell your story in such a way that a non-Christian might say, “God used your testimony to bring me to Christ?”
In Acts 1:8, Jesus says, “You will be my witnesses…” Give the eyewitness account of what Christ has done for you so that they can see what Christ can do for them.
