Sharing your faith and making disciples
May 7, 2007
Lately, I have been having an ongoing conversation about sharing our faith and making disciples. It tends to be a conversation not about if we should share our faith, but how and when we should share our faith. Most of my friends are working at making disciples, but some (including me at times) struggle with knowing the best approach to share our faith in each situation. Our mission has been set before us (Matthew 28:19-20). The question is how do we best accomplish it.
My short answer is to “always be ready” as Peter says. Sharing your faith and making disciples must coincide with a disciplined intake of God’s word. We must be reading his revelation to us. Making disciples of others must also coincide with our own sanctification. In other words, we must be “working out our own salvation”. We need to seek accountability from a few people who we give the authority to speak truth to us. God uses these people (along with scripture) to “renew our minds.” Finally we must seek opportunities. We must remember everyday that we have been sent to make disciples. We must love those around us at work, school, or our neighborhood in such a way that they ask why we are the way we are. We must also be ready to share our faith at a moments notice. You can not have it all together before you begin to share your faith and make disciples, but you need to be in the process.
A great article was recently posted by Dr. Ed Stetzer on begining a conversation about Jesus. It is a must read.
Posted in Disciple Making
May 9th, 2007 at 12:09 am
When it comes to this issue, I believe the primary concern is not form, method, timing, etc., but whether or not we are being lead by the Spirit. We should not witness to others simply because we are supposed to—we do not share from a feeling of obligation or because of a rule or law—we share because we have the Spirit of God living inside of us. We are compelled to share because we cannot do otherwise. It is upon this base that we are then able to seek the best form, methods, and know the best timing.
God is in the process of having a conversation with every person on the planet. This means that only the Spirit can lead us to know exactly where they are in that conversation, so that we can effectively join in.
If we are only moved to action because we see the Great Commission as a law we must obey, then the call is nullified because the Spirit is not in it. Also, if we recognize that the Great Commission is a call to action, yet are unmoved by it then again, the call is nothing because the Spirit is not in it.
Your post hits the nail on the head. Stay in the word and seek those opportunities to share it. Good stuff.
May 9th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
I am very big on praying for my unbelieving friends on a daily basis. I can’t help it. Even when I read scripture I often ponder how they might understand what I am reading. When I have time I pray right before I see them, and I ask God to prepare my heart and mind so that I will be able to recognize opportunities and step into them. There is no doubt in my mind that the Spirit plays a huge part in our mission. However, I think some people do not recognize the Spirits leading.
Sometimes I am asked, “How do you know if the Spirit is leading and how do you know what he is leading you to do?”
My answer is that you need to spend more time reading scripture, especially the Gospels. also spend more time praying. Then you will be able to discern the Spirit’s voice.
I am not particularly fond of “canned” presentations because they generally do not take into account the situation of the person. I believe the best evangelism training is large amounts of scripture intake, prayer for the lost and accountability.