Sharing Our Hope

Learning from a Mormon

A couple of weeks ago I was spending time in Houston with an associate who also happens to be a devout  Mormon.  Watching him "operate" was very interesting.  In the two casual, after-dinner meetings we had while we were together, he opened conversations about his beliefs with the person he was sitting next too.  In one of these conversations he went fairly deep. 

Two things "impressed" me as I witnessed this:

• First - because his faith was central to his life, it was very easy for him to link almost any conversation to his beliefs
• Second - because he didn't try to "soften" the reality of his beliefs or apologize for them, he could easily move the conversation deeper with those who stayed with him.  He wasn't tactless or insensitive to how others responded, he just wasn't ashamed.

While the gospel of faith alone in the biblical Christ alone wasn't part of his discussion, It was a great learning experience.

Finding God Through Suffering

Jesus seems to find his children when they are suffering.  In fact, a biblical connection to God takes place in the milieu of our great need and despair (my sin and helplessness - God's perfection, love, and forgiveness).  Suffering should, not only serve to draw us closer to Jesus, it should be an opening for the gospel in the lives of those around us.

• Suffering strips us of the illusion of control
• Suffering moves us toward the needs of others
• Suffering causes us to consider cosmic realities

I should be more connected to those in need

What's the diagnosis?

J. Mack Stiles, in his book "Speaking of Jesus", includes a helpful chart that I use when I teach evangelism classes.  The chart is designed to help people understand why they might be having problems.

Stiles would have us consider three basic components that are important if we are to succeed.  First - Are we motivated? (Do we really want to share the gospel?)  Second - Are we available? (Do we have connections?)  Third - Are we equipped? (Do we know how to share the gospel?)

For example: If you have no motivation, you do connect with many unsaved people (you are available), and you don't know how to share the gospel you may be apathetic to evangelism.  Try it out.  I've found it helpful.

preach the gospel or speak the gospel

Can we state the gospel in a simple way?  Sure we can, "Jesus fully absorbed the judgment of God for all who trust him."  While these twelve words inform us of the most wonderful event in human history, not everyone will actually understand the magnitude of this.  We need to help them.

In the New Testament, the Greek word for "preach" is used 95 times and is always connected to the gospel.  To preach the gospel is to declare, or proclaim, or tell, or announce the good news to a group*.  Preaching is not dialog-based.  It's a one way declaration of good news.  For example:

I am obligated to both Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.  That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. - Romans 1:14-15

The Greek word for "speak" is used, as we might expect, much more - over 300 times.  This term represents the common, verbal communication between people with an emphasis on understanding the message.  When we read of the gospel being delivered to individuals, this is the term that is used - not preaching.  For example:

At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual to the Jewish synagogue.  There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. - Acts 14:1

The gospel should be shared in different ways - preached to the masses and lovingly shared with individuals such that they can understand it.

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*The only exception I could find to this rule is in Acts 8:35 where Philip preached the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch.