Creative Ways to Share Your Faith

“I think a good rule of thumb to follow would be to presume the Lord wants you to share the gospel with everyone unless He leads you not to.”

DANNY LEHMANN

Kirk Cameron’s Comment

This lesson is where the rubber meets the road. Study this carefully, and then put what you’ve learned into practice. Nothing in all my years of being a Christian has been as thrilling and humbling as verbally sharing the whole gospel (sin, Law, righteousness, future judgment, and grace) with a complete stranger, and seeing how effectively God brings genuine repentance and faith. It’s truly amazing.

Questions & Objections

Lesson

How deep is your love? Here’s the way to measure it. I’m sure you are concerned about your immediate family’s salvation, but what about your other relatives? How about your neighbors? What about strangers? Are you concerned for the salvation of people you don’t know? How about your enemies? Are you deeply worried about the salvation of people who have crossed you? Do you love your enemies enough to be troubled by the fact that they will go to hell forever if they die in their sins? If you have measured up to all of the above, congratulations—you are a normal biblical Christian, who has been commanded to love your enemies and your neighbor as much as you love yourself.

Here’s one way to demonstrate the depth of your love. Do you say “hello” to strangers? It may not come naturally to you, but for the sake of the gospel, I would like you to try this experiment. The next time you are leaving a restaurant, or anyplace where someone is standing—maybe at a counter waiting to pay for something—study the person’s facial expression for a moment. It will probably look a little grumpy. We don’t like to admit to it, but we all look a little grumpy while we are waiting for something; the burdens of the day tend to find expression through our face. Here now is the experiment: Forget about your fears, and with a warm and enthusiastic tone to your voice, smile and say, “Hello.” Then watch the person’s expression change from grumpy to happy. The individual will almost certainly smile.

If by chance the person doesn’t respond, you have lost nothing (you will just feel very slightly silly). However, if there is a smile, there’s your opportunity for the gospel. Reach into your pocket, and say (as if you had just thought of it), “Oh ... did you get one of these?” I like to use our tract “101 of the World’s Funniest One-Liners.” With this tract, instead of the person seeing you as a religious nut who is trying to ram religion down the throat of a complete stranger, you will be seen as someone who is trying to brighten the person’s day.

Here is something else that I have found to be very effective. An excellent way to gain instant credibility with young people, particularly teenagers, is to approach a group of two or three and ask, “Did you guys see this?” Then show them our pink and blue “Curved Illusion” tracts. That will get their attention. For credibility, have about ten one-dollar bills in your pocket, and ask (while holding the bills in your hand), “What’s the capital of England?” When someone responds, “London,” give him or her a dollar bill. (They will often say things like, “Can I keep this? Do you really mean it?”) If they don’t know the answer, ask for the capital of France, or the capital of your state. After two simple questions (and after giving another dollar bill), say, “Which of you folks think that you are a good person?” Usually someone will say, “I’m a good person!” Then ask, “Do you want to go for $20? I will ask you three questions. If you prove to be a good person, I will give you $20. Do you want to give it a try?” If one is interested in trying, ask the person’s name and say, “Okay, John. I’m going to give you three questions to see if you are a good person. Here goes. Have you ever told a lie?”

Most people will say that they have. If John says that he hasn’t, press him with, “You’ve never told a fib, a white lie, or a half-truth?” When he says that he has, ask what that makes him. Most will say, “Liar,” while others may say, “Not a good person.” If John doesn’t want to call himself a liar, ask him what you would be called if you lied. That usually gets the person to admit that someone who has lied is called a liar. Once he has admitted that he is a liar, ask him if he has ever stolen something. If he says he hasn’t, smile as you tell him that you don’t believe him because he has just admitted that he is a liar. Then say, “Come on, be honest. Have you ever stolen anything ... in your whole life ... even if it’s small?” When he says yes, ask what that makes him. He will more than likely say, “A thief.”

Third question: “Jesus said, ‘Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’ Have you ever looked at a woman with lust?” Males usually laugh when they say that they have, so soberly say, “John, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, adulterer-at-heart, and you have to face God on Judgment Day. If God judges you by the Ten Commandments on the Day of Judgment, do you think you would be innocent or guilty?” If he says, “Guilty,” ask him if he would go to heaven or hell. If he responds, “Hell,” ask if that concerns him. If he says, “Heaven,” ask why. Then follow it with this verse: “All liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire” (Revelation 21:8, paraphrased). This verse may sound harsh, but quote it anyway. It’s God’s Word and it is quick and powerful. Also quote 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10: “Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards ... will inherit the kingdom of God.” This covers the First, Second, Seventh, Eighth, and Tenth Commandments. It also covers the Fifth; someone who proves to be a lying thief has dishonored his parents’ name. Your goal at this point is to awaken people to the standard of God’s Law and to their desperate state before the Judge of the Universe.

Show genuine concern for their plight. Try to ensure that all your hearers (the other teenagers) are listening and let them know that they too have to face God. Say, “I don’t want you to go to hell. You don’t want to go to hell, and God doesn’t want you to go to hell. Do you know what He did so that you wouldn’t have to go there?” Then take them to the cross of Calvary, stressing their urgent need to repent, and inform them that they may not be here tomorrow.

Take great confidence that you don’t have to convince a sinner of the reality of Judgment Day. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. John 16:8 says that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The mind of the unsaved cannot understand the judgment of God: “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; your judgments are far above out of his sight” (Psalm 10:4, 5, emphasis added). The Greek word used for “convict” in John 16:8 is elegcho, which also means “to convince.” The same word is used in Jude 15: “To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds...” Only the Holy Spirit can convict a sinner about his sin and convince him of judgment. We can’t do that. All we can do is plant the seed of truth. When the sinner repents and trusts the Savior, the Holy Spirit then dwells within him and seals him (John 14:17; Ephesians 1:13).

Feathers for Arrows

Christians often find themselves in a dilemma when it comes to explaining the things of God to a sinner. It is like trying to explain color to a man who has been born blind. Think of such a situation. You say to a blind man, “What a lovely blue sky,” to which he asks, “What is ‘blue’ like?” What can you tell him? Nothing can explain what color is like to a man who has never seen light.

The same applies to those who are blind to the things of God. The Bible says that the god of this world has blinded their minds (2 Corinthians 4:4). If they are not born of the Spirit, they cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Scripture also tells us that unless they are born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). This is why we must be both gentle and prayerful.

Words of Comfort

A young pastor in Costa Mesa, California, was officiating at the wedding of a Mr. Bill Henry and Miss Talia Crooks, his lovely bride. In a cool, clear voice he said, “We are gathered here today to celebrate the wedding of Bill and Henry.”

Questions

1. Why do you think giving a dollar bill would establish credibility with young people?
2. Why ask your listeners questions?
3. Why should you quote Scripture when witnessing?
4. What is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit in witnessing?
5. What is our responsibility as Christians?

Answers to these review questions are provided in the back of the printed book / source PDF.

Memory Verse

“Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Last Words

John Milton (1608–1674) ranks with Shakespeare and Wordsworth as one of the three greatest poets of England. His famous Paradise Lost enshrines in stately verse the general scheme of Puritan theology. Because of the God-ward aspect of his life, we can appreciate his farewell saying: “Death is the great key that opens the palace of Eternity.”

John Milton