Teleios
recently completed a survey of visitors to the Instagram site,
GodsHolyScriptures. We had 224 participants, 93% were adolescents (<18) and
millennials (18-34), 60% evangelicals and 60% female. We asked them what someone
must believe to be a Christian, and how they explained this to others. Wow, we
received some amazing answers!
Last
week we discussed what extra beliefs many people add to salvation. This week
let us explore how people share the gospel. The survey respondents’ favorite
means to spread the gospel is in Table 1. Fortunately, directly sharing the plan
of salvation was the most popular (39%). Also frequently mentioned was living a
good life (35%).
Table 1 -
What is sharing the Gospel?
Response
|
%
|
Verbally telling a nonbeliever the
specific message of salvation
|
39%
|
Living as a good example
|
35%
|
Encouraging others
|
9%
|
Inviting others to church
|
7%
|
Praying for others
|
8%
|
We
are fortunate that our gracious God has entrusted to us to be involved in other
people's lives by telling them they can spend eternity with God. What a
wonderful truth to impart to others!
However,
we have to tell them! If you discover a good recipe or sport site on the internet
or social media, and are excited about it, do you verbally tell someone else or
text them to let them know? My guess is you do not depend on a wordless
lifestyle that would somehow magically transmit to your friends information about
your new favorite site. You must verbally relay this message specifically, of
course.
Unfortunately,
people cannot interpret our lifestyle, as important as this is for a framework
in sharing the Gospel (1 Thessalonians 2). Romans 10:15-17 is very clear, that for
person to come to faith, they must hear the explicit plan of salvation and
believe. Here is a simple direct ‘ready to use’ Gospel message.
Salvation is a
free gift of God! You can have confidence you are saved:
·
Each
person has done misdeeds (sin) that deserve judgment and punishment from a
perfect and just God.
·
However,
God being loving, sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins on the cross
to take the punishment that we deserved.
·
Consequently,
God will see us without sin by accepting through faith the forgiveness that
Christ provided by his death on the cross. This gracious forgiveness heals our
relationship with God allowing us to obtain eternal life!
Teleios
examined why people are resistant to sharing the explicit plan of salvation at a
Midwest bible-believing Church. We found the most common reason was not only social
rejection but also not knowing how to say the Gospel itself.
In
the hundreds of Bible studies we've been blessed to teach no student could tell
us clearly the gospel, even non-succinctly. This not only prevented them from
sharing with others but also at times caused doubt in their own minds because
they could not coherently tell themselves that they were forgiven and really
saved.
Unfortunately,
the hesitancy sharing the Gospel is one of the greatest hurdles of believers advancing
in their knowledge of God (Colossians 1:9-10). Further, this hesitancy is associated
often with fear on one side while creating internal guilt on the other side.
This self-defeating battle is unfortunate as sharing the Gospel does not need
to be this way. It is actually quite easy and next week we'll discuss exactly
how to do it!
Thank
you for joining us today. I counted a privilege that you would read my blog.
WC Stewart
Response policy - The purpose of the comment section is to promote discussion that
is encouraging, propels the further search of Scripture and raises interesting
and thought provoking Biblically related questions. You may feel free to
disagree with me in a constructive manner using appropriate language. I reserve
the right to remove your comments if they are profane, pornographic, libelous
or I do not consider them constructive or consistent with the policy
stated above. By posting you no longer own your comments and you are granting
me an unrestricted worldwide license to use your comments.
Copyright © 2016
Teleios, Inc. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment