Have you tried witnessing to a family member, friend, or neighbor? Did you find yourself dancing around the hot topics? Have you ever stopped short of sharing the gospel only to invite them to church instead?
I have done all of the above, but friend, Jesus Christ didn’t commission us to extend invitations to church so the preacher can share the gospel, getting us off the hook. Here’s what Jesus commanded us to do:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)
Make disciples? Teach them? Wait! Before you decide this sounds too difficult, allow me to share some encouraging truths about sharing the gospel. Before we teach them about Christ, we must introduce them to Him.
Would it surprise you to know Moses made more excuses than we do? Of course, God did expect more out of Moses than witnessing to unbelievers. God chose Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. What a relief that we only have to witness. Let’s turn to Exodus chapters three and four to glean what we can in order to evangelize with confidence.
Do you feel unqualified to witness? Perhaps, like me, you can’t repeat any Bible verse word for word if it’s longer than “Jesus wept” (John 11:35 NIV). We can’t define the word "doctrine", and we didn’t attend seminary. Moses said it best when he asked God, “Who am I?” (Ex. 3:11 NIV). Who are we that we should evangelize others?
A lack of self-confidence can be a good thing because we need to depend on God and not ourselves. Without God, our words lack the punch only God can provide.
As a blind woman, I have slipped into that red superman cape, and I have failed miserably when I tried to rely on myself to navigate my unseen world. After each failure, God reminded me I’m too self-reliant. He wants us to rely on Him, especially when it’s all about Him, in sharing the gospel.
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12 NIV)
God never abandons us. He commanded us to do this work, so why would He leave us to mess it up? Before starting your day, pray about witnessing to people.
Here’s a prayer I like: Heavenly Father, prepare the heart of someone who crosses my path today that I might share Your goodness with them. Amen.
Notice God gave Moses a promise in the above verse; Moses would worship Him on that same mountain. One day, Moses would return to that same holy ground and receive the Ten Commandments.
Now that promise isn’t for us, but Jesus didn’t ascend to heaven without giving us a promise to cling to. We looked at it earlier along with the Great Commission, but let’s take a closer look:
“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b NIV)
Jesus promised to be with us through each step of evangelism. He’s with us, giving us the words to speak. He’s with us when we answer the hard questions, and it’s ok to say, “I don’t know the answer to that.” He’s even with us when things don’t go well, and the person wants nothing to do with God or us.
When you share your testimony with someone, don’t be afraid to say something like: “and I couldn’t have done it without the Lord.”
Many times, I find myself in a conversation with no intention of sharing the gospel. People love to inquire about my blindness. Then I feel that nudge from the Holy Spirit, and I say, “God has used me and helped me in amazing ways.”
Then I might share about the time I had to cross a busy intersection while a lawnmower prevented me from hearing any cars. I didn’t have my trusty guide dog then, just a white cane.
When I reached the man mowing his grass, he turned that lawnmower off. I thanked him, and I thanked God as I crossed the street safely.
God gives us our stories and when we share them, He keeps His promise.
Moses continued making excuses, so God chose to demonstrate His power to Moses so Moses would know he could depend on God.
In Exodus 4:1, Moses asked God “What if they do not believe me?”
Moses held a staff in his hand because he watched his father-in-law’s sheep. The Lord said, “throw it on the ground.” (Exodus 4:1 NIV)
Moses tossed his staff on the ground, and it became a snake, so Moses raced away from it (Exodus 4:3).
God told him to grab the snake by the tail. When he did, it turned back into the staff.
But God wasn’t finished with putting His power on display. God caused Moses’ hand to become leprous. Then God restored the hand of Moses.
God didn’t do these signs and wonders for Moses’s benefit alone. He told Moses if anyone refused to believe he had talked with God, he could show them these signs.
Aren’t you thankful that when we share Jesus with someone we don’t need staffs to turn into snakes? I’ve never had anyone seek a sign, not even an atheist, but if they did, I can point to my husband.
Doctors gave him twelve to eighteen months to live on Valentine's Day 2000. He’s still here thanks to the power of God. What have you overcome in your life? That’s your sign of the power of God on display.
Last week, I attended a writers and speakers conference. My guide dog, Iva, keeps me from bumping into obstacles, but she can’t read signs, so I needed some human assistance. One of the many women who helped me shared her testimony while we walked. She had been in a wheelchair at one time, but here she stood helping the blind woman navigate. That’s the power of God.
Are you ready to witness yet? Not Moses. The snake thing didn’t wipe out his insecurities. Moses came up with another excuse. Moses had never been eloquent of speech (Exodus 4:10).
This brings back memories of my first self-published book. I couldn’t read my book to proofread it, and I knew errors peppered the pages. My husband had a family emergency, so no one could help me.
With tears flowing, I screamed at God, “Why did You call me to write when I can’t see to proof my work?”
Later, in the life of Moses, he held his staff over his head so Israel could win a battle against one of their enemies, but his arms grew heavy. Two friends helped Moses keep his arms above his head by holding his arms up (Exodus 17:11-13).
God sent me two friends who took my book and proofed it for me. Because of that incident, I love the way God answered Moses concerning his speech impediment:
The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:11-12 NIV)
God never calls us to start anything He won’t equip us to finish. Friend, the Holy Spirit lives within us, teaching us and directing our steps. Our holy helper provides us with all we need to be effective mouthpieces for Christ.
After all of this, Moses begged God to send someone else. In His anger, God told Moses that his brother Aaron could help him, but what if Moses had refused to obey? What happens if you or I don’t tell someone about Jesus?
God will send someone else to do His work, but we will miss the blessing. We don’t want to miss out on those beautiful blessings of God. Nothing can replace the joy that fills our hearts when we feel the Holy Spirit at work within us, sharing the gospel. As part of the body of Christ, we must all work together to further the kingdom of God. Experience the abundance of Christ when you walk in your calling to fulfill the Great Commission.
Are you ready to tell someone about Christ now? You can do this because you don’t depend on yourself. You depend on God; His presence, His promises, His power, and His divine help.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tero Vesalainen