Tell Them Where the Bread Is

This past Sunday, we looked at Paul’s various trials leading to his trip to Rome. We arrived at the conclusion that these were ultimately stories about evangelism. Paul is shown standing before the great and the small boldly preaching a resurrected Christ. He does this after being beaten by a riotous crowd, in jail, and in front of Roman governors and kings. He is setting an example for the Christians of his own time as well as for those of us who believe today. I wrapped up my sermon with a challenge to be ready to share the Gospel and then to do it. But how do we actually tell people about Jesus? Here are a few ideas.

Identify Your Mission Field

In order to begin sharing your faith, you have to get an understanding of who you may be sharing it with. Take a look at your family, neighborhood, work place, and/or school. Are there opportunities to share the Gospel in those places? Do you neighbors know the Lord? Does your boss? The intention of these questions isn’t to shame or create unhelpful pressure. Simply to help begin a thought process of who in our lives may need to hear about Jesus. We have been created with specific gifts and talents and placed where we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Let’s figure out what that looks like in our context!

Focus on the Gospel

Our culture can be hostile toward people of faith (all faiths, not just Christians). The pluralistic culture that exists in America tolerates faith but doesn’t often embrace it. This can mean that when we do share our faith, the conversation can start shifting away from the Gospel and toward other topics. Remain focused on the message of love, grace, mercy, & hope that is offered in the Gospel. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that our lives and actions often speak louder than our words. In addition to focusing on the Gospel with our words, we must strive to live a consistently Christ-centered life. We can do this by pursuing Christ and by loving our neighbors as ourselves without arrogance or pride. And when it comes time to tell someone about Jesus, it can be as simple as sharing John 3:16 with them. The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say as you seek to follow his lead.

Share How God Has Worked in Your Life

Humans love a good story. We are by nature attracted to narratives. As we share the Gospel with those around us it can be extremely helpful to share the truth of how God has worked in your life. Has your family seen him sustain you through a trial? Have you experienced his peace as you navigate a challenging but critical conversation with one of your kids? How have you experienced the joy that Christ offers? Tell others these stories. They are how we clearly communicate the work of God in our present age.

Hopefully, this gives us all an idea of how to get started with sharing our faith. As Pastor Pete often quotes, “We are simply beggars telling other beggars where we have found some bread.” Let’s get out there and tell everyone where they can find some bread!

Josh Cervone

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