Category: The Gospel

Share How God Showed Up

Paul continued his testimony by introducing the supernatural part of his story.

As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. 7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8  “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ Acts 22:6-8 (NLT)

Our testimony is about how God intersected our lives.

Unless God intervenes, all of us are headed for hell. We don’t need any help to pull that off. That was certainly the case with Paul. He was “hell bent” on persecuting Christians in an attempt to stamp out what had become known as “the Way.” As the chief enemy of the faith, he was perhaps the most unlikely of all people to have an encounter with the risen Christ, which is exactly the point. Later he wrote the following.

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16  But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NLT)

A good testimony invites people to consider that God is real, cares about us, and can communicate effectively.

Most people are unaware that this sort of thing can happen, and, even if they know it can, they do not believe it will happen to them personally.

If we convince our hearers that they are candidates for divine intervention, just as we were, perhaps they will seek God for themselves.

God does not turn away any sincere seeker. If our listeners will honestly turn to God and ask him for help, the Lord will not turn his back on them.

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)
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The Importance of Sharing Our “Back Story”

Paul continued his testimony by telling his Jewish listeners that he previously opposed the gospel, just as they were doing at that time. This let them know that he understood their motives.

And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. 5  The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished. Acts 22:4-5 (NLT)

If people are meeting us for the first time, they have no context for understanding how Christ has impacted our lives. It can be helpful for us to relate what we were like before we became followers of Christ. This is especially important if we are speaking to someone with whom we share a common background. Our listeners can profit from knowing that we were not always as we are today.

Sharing our “back story” is another way for us to establish common ground with our listeners and sets the stage for relating how Christ intersected and transformed our lives.

People may argue with our doctrine and conclusions, but they cannot deny our personal story. This sets us up to share the gospel as the “how” and “why” for this transformation.

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I am just like you…

Paul was in Jerusalem when hostile Jews attacked and falsely accused him. In order to quell a riot, Roman soldiers took him into custody. On his way to the military outpost, the commander granted Paul permission to speak to the crowd.

Paul provides us with a model for sharing our personal testimonies.

Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. Acts 22:3 (NLT)

The first thing Paul did was identify with his persecutors, who thought that he had turned his back on his God and nation. Most people do not understand what motivates Christians to follow Jesus. Hopefully they noticed something different about us after we professed faith in Christ, but sometimes being different is viewed suspiciously.

If I find myself conversing with someone who admits to being a Roman Catholic, I will usually mention that I, too, was once a Catholic. This communicates that I understand them and what they believe, while simultaneously arousing curiosity as to why I no longer identify as one.

If we want to increase our chance of being heard, we might try showing our listeners that we understand them.

Since Paul was addressing Jews, he first established that he was one, too, and understood their issues. Not only was Paul Jewish, he also had been a man of stature in the community, having studied under the finest teachers. In other words,

Paul told his audience that he was one of them.

Secondly, Paul complimented them on their zeal, however misplaced. As mentioned in a previous article, if we can find common ground with our listeners, it helps a lot. It is rarely a good idea to launch an attack on those whom we are trying to lead to Christ. Even though his antagonists hated him, Paul found something for which to praise them: their zeal for Jewish beliefs.

We can also look for something we can acknowledge as being good in our listeners in an effort to establish solidarity prior to sharing the gospel.

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What is the Worst Response to the Gospel?

After Paul addressed a crowd in Athens, his listeners responded in three ways. Which do you think was the very worst?

When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33  That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34  but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. Acts 17:32-34 (NLT)

Lack of interest is the worst response to the gospel. Far better that a person be hostile than be indifferent.

Jesus warned in Revelation:

I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16  But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! Revelation 3:15-16 (NLT)

Even though Jesus spoke these words to the church, the principle still applies. If people actively resist the gospel, it is because they are seriously listening and do not like what they hear. There is hope for such a person. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will bring them around as they continue to ponder the implications of the gospel. The “lukewarm” disinterested person, however, will probably not give the gospel a second thought. He does not think he is rejecting the message, just saving it for later consideration, which quite probably will never happen. Procrastination is not a virtue when it comes to the gospel. The “hot” response is most to be desired. These people “get it” and respond positively right away.  The next time someone becomes hostile to the message, we should give thanks to God. At least we were heard.

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Can I Quickly Summarize the Gospel?

While addressing a crowd in Athens, Paul summarized Bible history from creation to the resurrection in one paragraph.

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25  and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26  From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. 27  “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28  For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29  And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. 30  “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31  For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:24-31 (NLT)

Sometimes we find ourselves in situation where we have a very small window of time in which to communicate big ideas.

To be an effective gospel communicator we need to learn how to share the good news with great thoroughness when given the opportunity and with brevity when that is required.

I am not sure what kind of time pressure Paul found himself, but it seems that he knew his audience’s attention span was short. He covered thousands of years in a few sentences. Let’s see what he established in that one paragraph.

  1. God is the Creator.
  2. Man-made religion and idols are useless.
  3. God is sovereign over the affairs of the world.
  4. God’s purpose for mankind was for us to seek and find him. He is near at hand.
  5. God is calling everyone to repent and turn to him.
  6. He will one day judge the world through one he raised from the dead.

Paul did not share the entire gospel in this paragraph, but he did manage to get their attention and provoke a response. He found out who was open and who just wanted to debate, which was a decent outcome.

Do we understand the gospel message well enough to share it succinctly? Can we go into detail?

We owe it to God and unsaved people to study the gospel message and learn how to share it effectively.

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Find Common Ground

When given the opportunity to address a crowd in Athens, Paul found a way to segue into the gospel message.

So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23  for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. Acts 17:22-23 (NLT)

When we have the opportunity to converse with friends, neighbors, workplace colleagues, and even strangers, wisdom teaches us to look for “common ground” in which we agree. Finding areas of mutual interest and agreement increases the likelihood that we can have a decent conversation because our listeners will not have assumed a defensive posture. Paul found common ground with the Athenians in a most surprising way. Instead of negatively focusing on their pagan idolatry, he pointed out one thing they shared – worship of who to them was an unknown God. He offered to identify this God for them, which I am sure piqued their interest. He no doubt anticipated that most of the Greeks would reject his gospel message, but at least he got the chance to share it by finding common ground.

Finding common ground with our listeners can open the door to deepening a relationship or even sharing the gospel.

When we talk with people, we should be alert to opportunities to share the gospel. We should ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us where we can find a launching point to share Jesus, if it is appropriate. I am not of the persuasion that every conversation needs to end up with our sharing the gospel. That is a good way to alienate people. If we hope to have a long-term connection with our listeners, we must be socially aware and smart. If we are preaching at a gospel crusade, we can be a gospel bulldozer that flattens everything in its path, but in one-on-one conversations, we need tact and wisdom.

Sometimes God will open a way to share the gospel in a first conversation with someone. Other times we may need to cultivate a relationship. If we know we will never see the person again, we might be more aggressive. If we love people, it will make it easier to decide what to do. We will do the loving thing.

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NLT)
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Those Who Love to Debate May End Up in Hell

While in Athens, Paul…

...had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.” 19  Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. 20  “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” 21  (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.) Acts 17:18-21 (NLT)

Some people love acquiring knowledge but are not willing to commit to the truth.

This might be like contrasting a womanizer with a faithful married man. Both like women in general, but when the latter finds “the one,” he realizes his quest was completed and commits to just one person.

Some people love to debate more than they love truth.

It does not matter to them which side of the argument they defend. Such people may end up in hell, if they are unwilling to forsake everything when they find the truth.

Jesus is the Truth, and when we find him (or he finds us!), it is immensely satisfying. We realize that our search has ended because we found “the one.” Jesus said:

...“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NLT)

Beware of people who merely want to debate, but who are not really looking for truth. They are a waste of time and energy, like trolls on social media.

People cannot be saved through debate, only by making a commitment to the truth, who, it turns out, is a Person.

I close with Paul’s words to the church in Thessalonica.

He [the man of lawlessness, the antichrist] will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 (NLT)
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Get in the Game

Paul next traveled to Athens, Greece, where…

...he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17  So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. Acts 17:16-17 (NIV)

Paul visited two places where people gathered to look for opportunities to share the gospel. God wants us to be alert for such chances to talk to people about Jesus. A skilled fisherman will go where he believes there will be fish to catch. The skilled angler will know what bait to use, at what depth to fish, etc. God wants us to use our wits to go where we can find people, but, more importantly, to listen to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus advised his disciples to…

Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see [to be reconciled to God].’ Matthew 22:9 (NLT)

I believe this translates to our getting out in our neighborhoods with the intent to talk to people about Jesus, should the opportunity arise. This must be done with wisdom, love, and consideration. We don’t want people running inside every time we go outside. 🙂

I believe it is a great idea for us followers of Christ to make it a practice to be present where people gather with the express purpose of seeing what God might do.

This will require us to be alert, relaxed, and lovingly bold. It will give us an opportunity to hone our conversational skills so that we can easily talk to people about spiritual things without making them feel uncomfortable. If we use conversation to discover more about them, their situations, and needs, we will likely find a way to offer to pray for them or to share how Christ could be the answer they seek. The more we do this, the easier it will get, the more relaxed we will become, and the more we will enjoy it. The Holy Spirit is waiting for us to get in the game, so to speak. We cannot make an impact on anyone by sitting on the sidelines. God is already at work in people’s lives. He is looking for teammates.

So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Matthew 9:38 (NLT)
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Look for Open-Minded People

Paul and Silas made it to the city of Berea where they encountered people who were open to truth.

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12  As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. Acts 17:11-12 (NLT)

Most of the Jewish leaders had already made up their minds to reject Jesus and his teachings. Such closed mindedness blinded them to the beauty and truth of his words and the testimony of his many miracles. They imagined that they were the custodians of truth whose job was to root out those who had veered away from their teachings, not realizing that their teachings had long since departed from God’s heart.

And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ Mark 7:6–7 (NASB95)

Humble open-minded people are willing to consider an idea and check out its validity for themselves. Instead of being manipulated by those who hated Paul and the gospel, the Bereans examined the Scriptures to see if the gospel’s claims were true.

Jesus described this sort of people in his famous parable of the sower.

And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. Luke 8:15 (NLT)

Rather than wasting time with those who steadfastly resist the gospel, look for those who are open-minded.

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Preaching vs Discussing

As Paul and Silas continued on their second missionary journey, they arrived in the city of Thessalonica in Greece.

Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2  As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3  He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Acts 17:1-3 (NLT)

The Greek word translated “to reason with” in verse 2 above is dialegomai, which can also mean to discuss with, preach, or address. There is quite a difference between talking to an audience and holding a discussing with a group. It is the kind of difference in experience between listening to a “talking head” in a large auditorium and sitting in a living room talking with a group of people.

When people are open to engage the scriptures, it is important for us to present the gospel in a way that enlists our hearers to think through the its claims and hopefully arrive at the desired conclusion.

Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to see truth, however. Our part is to reason with people. His part is to open their understanding and reveal Christ to them, causing faith to spring up in their hearts. 

There is a divine logic to the gospel, but only those whose eyes and hearts have been opened by the Holy Spirit can perceive it.

You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5–6 (NLT)
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