Lately at our church, we’ve been emphasizing this acronym: TAMWYTHAYC – Take As Many With You To Heaven As You Can! The Lord has commissioned us all to make disciples of all people, acting as His ambassadors & spokespersons in the world (Matt. 28:19-20, 9:37, 2 Cor. 5:20, Acts 1:8).
What does it take to tell the world? We have to be willing to say, “Here am I. Send me!”(Is. 6:8). But we often make excuses for why we can’t go. We look around & figure no one else is going (which is generally true), so why should I? Or we claim to be busy (which is also probably true). We don’t feel qualified or knowledgeable enough to talk to people about spiritual things (assuming the need to go “deeper” to be a witness). What it probably comes down to is either fear (of embarrassment or rejection or accusations of hypocrisy) or indifference (not really caring enough or truly believing in the realities of heaven & hell).
That’s why we also need a compassionate spirit. If I discovered the cure to a fatal disease, how could I keep it to myself?! We need to believe that non-Christians aren’t the enemy, but people who need a friend to point them to the way, truth, & life (John 14:6). You earn the right to be heard by your genuine interest in & concern for them. Compassion shouldn’t translate into timid niceness. God’s love compels us to break out of our comfort zones & share what they need for hope, freedom from guilt, & a fresh start (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
We also need a holy boldness (Rom. 1:16, Acts 4:29-31, Eph. 6:19-20). If you’ve built a relationship with someone, prayed for them, lived a consistent Christian lifestyle in front of them, it’s likely they’ll be interested in what you have to say. But if they don’t bring it up, don’t be afraid to break the ice on spiritual matters. Find a way to bring the topic around to Jesus himself. Dare to speak the word forbidden by polite society: Jesus (other than as a curse word). Don’t get sidetracked by other religious or even biblical matters that take you off point.
Use your most effective tool–your testimony (Mark 5:19, John 4:39). Your story of encounter with Jesus makes it more relatable & practical because it shows what your life was like before Christ, & the process or logistics in how you became His follower. You could ask, “Where do you see yourself on your spiritual journey?” You could also employ the classic question: “Can I ask you a very personal question? If you were to stand before God tonight, do you know for sure you would go to heaven? If He were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven,’ what would you say?”
The answer will give you a handle on their approach to spirituality, which typically is works-based: “I’ve tried to be a good person.” Translated: “I deserve to go to heaven.” They need to understand that although God made us & loves us, our sin separates us from Him. We can’t make up for the wrongs we’ve done because we need to be forgiven. Being good isn’t good enough. We need God’s grace!
So walk them through “The 3’s” Plan of Salvation (a pamphlet in our church lobby or at southpoint.church/about-us/the-3s). Invite them to church, offer them a Bible or helpful book [such as “The Case for Christ” by Strobel, “The Faith” by Colson, “Mere Christianity” by Lewis, or more briefly “More Than a Carpenter” by McDowell or “Considering Christianity” by Saltzgiver]. Ask afterward, “Did it make sense to you? Would you like to talk more about it?”
The more you share your faith, the more competent you’ll become. If you have only a sketchy understanding of the Gospel, you won’t have the confidence to tell others. You have to know at least the basics of what you’re talking about (who Jesus is, what He’s done for us, & how one becomes a Christian). Secular people are essentially ignorant of basic Christianity, so assume nothing & start from scratch. If you can’t answer someone’s questions, admit it, & then ask someone who can help you find an answer (or try a website like gotquestions.org). Your honesty & willingness to research difficult questions will go a long way towards building credibility.
We do this with gentleness & respect (1 Pet. 3:15). We don’t witness through hostile confrontation, but through loving confrontation. Let the Spirit do the work of convicting & convincing. There’s power in the Word that works on a person’s heart long after we’re done talking. They may not be ready until they experience a crisis. So, who they gonna’ call? The godly person with a real connection to God–someone they’ve come to admire & respect for their lifestyle (even if they’ve ridiculed you for it). When life begins to crumble, people realize they don’t have all the security & answers they thought they did. They often don’t look up until they get knocked on their backs.
What you do personally will ultimately drive what we do corporately–that is, our church will only be what you personally make it to be. If you remain outreach-minded, then we’ll remain an outreach-minded church.