I read an article this past weekend in Tabletalk magazine by Donald S. Whitney and I just have to share it.
It does little good to encourage people to discipline themselves to evangelize if they do not know the gospel. Try this experiment in your church, class, or small group to reveal one's level of preparedness to share the gospel. Distribute paper and then ask people how many times they think they've heard the gospel. Some, if they've professed faith in Christ for many years, may answer that they've heard it hundreds or even thousands of times.
"Good", you say. "Now, please write the gospel on that piece of paper".
Then watch people freeze and stare at you as though you've asked them to list the names of every member of congress.
Be prepared for an uncomfortable silence and many blank sheets of paper--despite the presence of some your most devoted members.
By repeating this exercise, I've become convinced that a great percentage of even the church's most committed members are so unclear on the gospel that they cannot write it in their own words and in the simplest terms, even in the comfortable context of a gathering of believers. And if they cannot communicate the gospel in such a friendly situation, how can we expect them to share the gospel in the world?
The gospel must be clear to believers before they can share it clearly with unbelievers. This is not to say that a person must be able to articulate every nuance of the gospel before they can effectively witness, nor is it to imply that God cannot use an imperfect presentation of His gospel to save people.
Wow!! This is only part of the article but it delivers a punch. While I was reading this article it made me think. I had to dig in my mind about what the gospel message is...and I was rather taken back with how laxed I've become. I know the gospel message but it was like it was not readily available in my mind. I had a brain freeze. I or we need to be ready at all times to present the gospel to the world.
How about if you were in the recent tornado disaster and needed to share the gospel message to a fellow human being. Would you know what to say?
Well, this would be a good exercise to do with the children to make sure they are equipped and ready to evangelize. I will incorporate it into their home school schedule. I am so glad I came upon this article because it was like the Holy Spirit talking to me and waking me up out of a slumber. Now, you know what the bible says about slumber?
It does little good to encourage people to discipline themselves to evangelize if they do not know the gospel. Try this experiment in your church, class, or small group to reveal one's level of preparedness to share the gospel. Distribute paper and then ask people how many times they think they've heard the gospel. Some, if they've professed faith in Christ for many years, may answer that they've heard it hundreds or even thousands of times.
"Good", you say. "Now, please write the gospel on that piece of paper".
Then watch people freeze and stare at you as though you've asked them to list the names of every member of congress.
Be prepared for an uncomfortable silence and many blank sheets of paper--despite the presence of some your most devoted members.
By repeating this exercise, I've become convinced that a great percentage of even the church's most committed members are so unclear on the gospel that they cannot write it in their own words and in the simplest terms, even in the comfortable context of a gathering of believers. And if they cannot communicate the gospel in such a friendly situation, how can we expect them to share the gospel in the world?
The gospel must be clear to believers before they can share it clearly with unbelievers. This is not to say that a person must be able to articulate every nuance of the gospel before they can effectively witness, nor is it to imply that God cannot use an imperfect presentation of His gospel to save people.
Wow!! This is only part of the article but it delivers a punch. While I was reading this article it made me think. I had to dig in my mind about what the gospel message is...and I was rather taken back with how laxed I've become. I know the gospel message but it was like it was not readily available in my mind. I had a brain freeze. I or we need to be ready at all times to present the gospel to the world.
How about if you were in the recent tornado disaster and needed to share the gospel message to a fellow human being. Would you know what to say?
Well, this would be a good exercise to do with the children to make sure they are equipped and ready to evangelize. I will incorporate it into their home school schedule. I am so glad I came upon this article because it was like the Holy Spirit talking to me and waking me up out of a slumber. Now, you know what the bible says about slumber?
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