Fear
October 19, 2009
OK, so I thought that this might be an interesting conversation we could all have together. This means that I’m hoping some people might comment and give their opinions. We’ll see what happens.
So, here is the topic. Evangelism. I know that in today’s day and age, the word gets a bad rap….in many cases, for good reason.
This coming Sunday, Oct 25, I’m preaching. I’ll be talking about the gospel, that it is meant to be lived and it is meant to be shared. For many of us, we do OK with the living part. It’s the sharing part that throws us for a loop. I think that the reason many of us don’t share our faith more is because of fear. (If you are still reading this, you are getting a pre-release of my sermon!)
So, here is where you come in….
What keeps you from sharing your faith? I want to know. Tell us about it.
Here’s another angle. Maybe you are not a Christ follower. What do you think of Christians sharing their faith? If someone were going to tell you what they believed, how would you want them to do it? Let’s learn from each other here. Interested to know what you think……
Matt
Posted by Matt Metzger at 8:46 am
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I think for me a lot of it is definitely fear. Fear of getting rejected, or messing up the situation. Maybe it is with a friend and if I ask them in the wrong way or at the wrong time it might turn them off completely. Other times, it just seems like I’m waiting for the absolute perfect opportunity to fall out of the sky and not willing to go out on a limb and put it into God’s hands. On the other hand, I’m also not always look for these opportunities when the do happen.
Comment by Kyle — October 22, 2009 @ 5:50 pm
i know for me, its easier to just stay in my comfort zone and make up reasons not to talk to people, than to go out of my way and into a potentially awkward situation. it makes it easier to have others with me and to be doing it on purpose, instead of just looking for random every day situations, but i’m still working on taking advantage of the every day situations.
Comment by Kerrigan — October 23, 2009 @ 9:05 am
Such a complex subject, but for me it’s not so much what ‘keeps’ me from sharing as much as don’t always follow the right ‘approach’. I’m not a fan of just laying it out, I believe profoundly in establishing relationships with certain individuals and relying on the guidance of God to show me when I should share my faith. As much as I love my relationship with Christ, it’s hard to make that known and understandable to someone who hardly knows me. So I look at it like, well if I establish a caring relationship with that person then they might be able to gain a better perspective on it. So that’s my scope, but it honestly always depends on how I feel that God wants me to act in that situation, there have been times where I just wing it out there and it’s completely Him. I’m excited to hear what you have to share about this subject!
Comment by Lance — October 23, 2009 @ 2:31 pm
Evangelize always, and if necessary, use words… Often it is how we live life that screams who we are more so than the words we use… Seekers are watching those who profess to be Christ followers; the observe if actions meet-up with what they profess…this is one of the most true and passive yet aggressive forms of evangelism…
A Christ follower is always on stage, it is not a sometime event to Evangelize, it is a lifestyle…
The word in Greek means, “good news” and why in the world would we not want to share the good news with all we come in contact with…
Why not give the best present in the world, eternity, to those we care about…why keep it a secret…
Great philosophy, but I admit that I too fall short in the intentionality of sharing my faith or who Christ is…too often I find myself rushing in life that I do not take the time to put it out there…
And I do not ask God for “divine-appointments” during the day; I wonder what it would be like if I truly asked on a daily basis for the opportunity to share my story, or my faith…rather than sit back and wait for the fish to jump into the net, I need to get into a boat and start fishing…
Sunday…go get ‘em Matt !!
Comment by Sam — October 23, 2009 @ 9:50 pm
This subject is such a difficult one. I think that while we all agree evangelism-sharing the Truth of the Gospel is important. As Christians, we often look at this issue through the “Christian lens.” What I mean by that is as Christ Followers, our reaction to the Gospel is overwhelmingly positive. For non-believers this is not necessarily the case.
So we have to ask the question, Do we wish to truly glorify God and take part in bringing non-believers to Him in a respectful and effective manner? Or do we simply wish to express our beliefs for expression’s sake?
There are two scripture passages I want to lean on here.
“but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” -1 Peter 3:15
In this passage, we can see-the preparedness, the being ready, to evangelize is vitally important for Christ Followers, yet we are called to be patient and careful in the execution-to evangelize with gentleness and reverence. We are earthly bearers of such a tremendous gift, and we should hold it in that regards. We should hold it and share it patiently and carefully with anyone who seeks it. I don’t believe however, that we should, in our eagerness, use this gift in a way that will scare non-believers away. Yes, the gospel can be offensive, but we shouldn’t use that as a crutch to be frivolous in its telling.
Next, “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives because you had become very dear to us.” -1 Thessalonians 2:8
How can someone truly “hear” the gospel without an intimate connection with the one who is sharing it? We share the gospel to others, because of our love for them-and thus our love for God. Service to others. Love toward others. and the same to God-aren’t these in fact in the same spirit?
Finally, without truly caring for someone–truly connecting with them–can we really share the Gospel in a loving and unselfish way?
For me, while I think that sharing the Gospel can be a starting point for a relationship with God, I also think that relationships with Christ Followers and the reflecting of God’s love are what make for a solid faith foundation.
Comment by Dan — October 26, 2009 @ 12:10 am