What is the most important thing that has ever happened to you? If you are a Christian, it was when you decided to receive Christ into your life as your personal Savior! And this is good news to share with others! As followers of Jesus, we have the privilege and responsibility of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those around us! When you “witness” about Jesus, you are telling about who He is and what He has done for you.
Think for a moment about the people you know and interact with on a regular basis who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Q. Who are these people?
Q. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with them about Jesus?
Q. If so, what kind of response did you get? If you haven’t had a conversation, why not?
In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”
This verse is for all believers! You are a unique person with a unique sphere of influence no one else has.
Q. What does this verse tell you about sharing the news of Jesus with others?
A witness is someone who tells what he or she knows about a given situation. When you “witness” about Jesus, you are telling about who He is and what He has done for you.
You are a unique person with a sphere of influence no one else has. As you ask the Holy Spirit to direct you, you will find opportunities to “witness” everywhere!
Q. What excites you most about talking with others about Jesus?
Q. What concerns you most about talking with others about Jesus?
Peter wrote these words in the New Testament:
“But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess.” —1 Peter 3:15
Q. What keywords do you see in this verse?
Q. Why do you think Peter added the instruction here about gentleness and respect?
You don’t have to make a complete presentation of the Gospel to make an impact for Jesus Christ. The key to sharing your relationship with Jesus is to be available. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to someone who is open to hearing more about Christ. If you sense that person is open to hearing about Jesus, but may not be ready for a real conversation about Him, you can:
- Invite them to attend church with you or to visit a study group you are part of.
- Ask them to join you at a Christian event.
- Introduce them to other Christians.
- Give them a Christian book or tract along with an invitation to discuss it with you after they finish reading it. Start out with an easy question to get you into a spiritual conversation.
If the Holy Spirit is directing you to have a conversation with someone, you can start out with an easy question to get you into a spiritual conversation. Here are a few ideas:
“Do you think about God very often?”
“Have you ever read the Bible?”
“What is your purpose in life? Why are you here?”
Q. Write down a couple of conversation starters of your own that would probably work in your situation and circumstances.
One of the greatest problems we all face is the problem of getting started. This is a great barrier to communication of the good news of Jesus Christ. The great evangelist Bill Bright once said, “Successful witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit—and leaving the results to God.”
Do not wait for people to come to you. Go to them with the good news! Be friendly. Focus the conversation on Jesus Christ. Ask God for wisdom as you talk. God loves this person. You don’t need to be pushy or preachy or combative. Expect results. When you are under the Holy Spirit’s control and you talk about Jesus, you can expect results … not on the basis of positive thinking but because of your confidence in God and His love for people! Expect people to respond because Jesus himself has commissioned us to go into all the world and spread the good news!
Most people reject Christianity because they really don’t understand what it is all about, or they misunderstand and think it is just “religion.” They don’t realize being a Christian means having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ!
The best way to witness … so that people really understand what the Bible says … is to stick to the facts of who Jesus is. For this reason, it can be very helpful to use a good Gospel tract, such as Would You Like to Know God Personally by Cru—you can access this information at https://www.cru.org/us/en/how-to-know-god/would-you-like-to-know-god-personally.html), or The Bridge to Life by The Navigators available online at https://www.navigators.org/resource/the-bridge-to-life/).
This JO App also has several articles (“Evangelistic Articles”) and videos (“Evangelistic Videos”) you can share with others. Explore “Share Jesus” from the main menu.
If you are really ambitious, you can memorize this information during your daily time with God and then you’ll have it available to you whenever you want to share it! Many times it can be helpful to share your personal testimony. Your “testimony” is when you “testify” as to what God is doing in your life. Your testimony should be short—less than 5 minutes—and should focus on how Christ has changed your life … and how much He means to you. Be enthusiastic … but not phony. Be transparent. As you think about your testimony consider these three questions:
“What was my life like before I had a relationship with Jesus Christ?”
“When did I begin my relationship with Jesus Christ?”
“What has God been doing in my life since I began my relationship with Jesus Christ?”
Take time to write out your testimony. Share it with a trusted friend and get some feedback. Keep your sharing short and to the point. Stay Focused! You fight a spiritual battle when you share Christ with an unbeliever.
There may be unusual interruptions …or the person might try to evade the real issues and get you off track. Focus on Christ’s love and his death on the cross. Emphasize how important that person is to God. At some point in the conversation, as the Holy Spirit leads, ask for a decision. Expect God to be working in their heart. Ask one of the following questions:
“Does this make sense to you?”
“Would you like to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ?”
“Would you like to ask Jesus to be a part of your life?”
Finally, if they are ready to receive Christ, pray with them, using the prayer in your tract (or go back to lesson 3 at the beginning of all of this study!). Encourage them to find a church or another Christian to help them grown in their relationship with God.
When you wake up each morning, thank the Lord Jesus that He lives within you, tell Him that you are available, and stay alert so He can use you to speak of His love and forgiveness at every opportunity throughout the whole day.
Application
Ask God to bring someone into your life whom you can introduce to Jesus!