Sharing our Faith can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be so!

Sometimes we wish we didn’t have to use spoken words to share about our faith. Even though actions speak louder than words, we need to hear the words because they reinforce our actions. Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33, NIV). So, once we have in our hearts “set apart Christ as Lord,” we must be "prepared to give an answer to everyone" who asks us the reason for the hope that we have. However, we must “do this with gentleness and respect” (cf. 1 Peter 3:15, NIV). 

It is true that sharing our faith can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be so. Generally, there are two reasons that Christians give for not sharing their faith. First, they express fear in terms of being ridiculed or their message being rejected. Secondly, they say they don’t know what to say when they find themselves in a witnessing opportunity. These are both legitimate reasons for not witnessing. However, we can, with the Lord’s power, overcome them. 

The two inhibiting factors as far as witnessing is concerned are dealt with in God’s Words to the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah.  The Lord told Jeremiah, the prophet: “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth” (Jeremiah 1:8-9, NASB). Likewise, the Lord had these words for the prophet Isaiah: 

“I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
    the Lord of hosts is His name.
And I have put my words in your mouth
    and covered you in the shadow of my hand,
establishing the heavens
    and laying the foundations of the earth,
    and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

(Isaiah 51:15-16, ESV) 

For the two prophets, it was rather scary at times relaying God’s Word to the Nation of Israel, but the Lord assured them of His presence and power to help them. Specifically, He put His words in their mouths.  

To be successful in our witness, i.e. to faithfully share the Word and leave the results with God, we must depend on the power of the Holy Spirit as promised in Acts 1:8. John Stott put it this way:

“Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship [which begins with evangelism] would be inconceivable, even impossible.” (1990, p. 60) 

Action Points:

1.     To learn from five evangelistic principles found in Acts 8:26-40, read this article: http://samkirui.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-meaning-of-evangelism-and-five.html

2.     To trace John Stott’s whole quote and how the Spirit brought thousands from many countries to the Body of Christ consider reading his book, “The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church and the World (Bible Speaks Today),” published by Intervarsity Press in Downers Grove: Illinois.