The Means of Sharing Our Faith
All this talk of sharing your faith has probably made you little bit antsy. It's usually makes us uncomfortable. And perhaps you heard that whole outline yesterday and you thought, “it's just not me. I'm a private person. I'm quiet, I'm tactless”, whatever. I won't be able to do it.
The Spirit Helps Us Share Our Faith
But I want to say this to you. Yes, you can, because Christ is with you. Jesus said it in the last verse of the Great Commission, which we read at the beginning of the week. He said, “Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” I am with you always.
In fact, when Luke wrote about Jesus’ last moments on Earth, he has these words of Jesus before he ascends: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth.”
How can we get any of this right? By being Spirit-filled and knowing that Christ is with us through his Spirit. If you try this in your own strength, your own willpower, you'll fail.
My Own Failures in Sharing My Faith
I can tell you many instances when I've been prompted by God to talk to somebody about Christ. I used to take the train to work. Opportunities were many, but I would chicken out time and time again. I lacked faith. I lacked faith that God was with me and would help me. I thought it was all up to me and I didn't feel up to it. And so I left it. I didn't realize it's not all up to me. I'm just the vessel.
If I was just obedient, who knows what might have happened!?
And yes, we're going to get it wrong. Sometimes we're going to let ourselves take over if we're going to fail. You're going to share with somebody at some point it's going to go down like a lead balloon. You've got to be prepared for that and learn from your failures.
But better to try and fail than to never try at all. Better to try with faith that the Spirit is in you, leading and helping you, than to chicken out like I so often have and leave things the way they were.
Don't Be Ashamed or Afraid to Share Your Faith
You have a message, don't you, friends, that Jesus has touched your life, that you've been saved. You don't need to be ashamed or afraid, because you have saving God who's with you and will help you get there.
So be bold! Be strong for the Lord. Your God is with you. I pray that we all will take courage and share the faith this week. Maybe you've already done it. And I'd love for you to share some stories with me. You can message me if you have.
Let's not leave these important words of Jesus unfulfilled. Let's go into the world and share his message thoughtfully, tactfully, and with his power and see whose lives he changes through you and me.
