Week 3: The miracle of sharing the Gospel

This five-week series addresses what Jesus says to Christians who want to stand firm in their convictions and engage both with people outside the church and people inside the church who are in need of repentance.

When trying to persuade others, we should be motivated by Christ’s love, expect hostility, act with gentleness and respect, and model our approach after biblical examples.

Read Pastor Tito’s Sermon Summary below

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Unapologetic Apologetics

The means of sharing the Gospel

“His voice leads us not into timid discipleship but into bold witness.” Charles Stanley

Being a parent is rewarding and unpredictable. No two kids are the same, and what worked at one time won’t always work every time. Personally, one of the hardest parts of being a dad is not being able to answer some genuine and tough questions from my kids. How would you respond if a child asked you the following; Why is water wet? Why can’t I see my eyes? Do cats have eyebrows? What is zero? Where do babies come from? There is only one response that comes to mind when I get questions like this, and it’s “Go ask your mother.” We’ve all had our fair share of questions that have left us stumped, especially when it comes to what we believe as Christians.

Not everyone can dedicate the time to be a theologian. No matter how much you know, you will never know as much as you’d like. What works in our favor as believers is that God asks us to prioritize knowing Him personal over having to defend Him publicly. The better we do the first, the more effective we will do the second because there is only one question that every believer must be able to answer. “What is the reason for your faith?” Said differently, “What do you believe, and why?”.

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8–9 (ESV)

Around 60 A.D., the Apostle Peter writes this letter to a Church of probably Gentile believers in Asia Minor. Not being Jews, they had little to probably no understanding of the Old Testament and God’s redemptive storyline. They more than likely didn’t have access to many of the letters that make up our New Testament. Also, these believers were not present to personally see Jesus’ ministry. They believed without seeing, yet their eyes were opened, and they were able to see because they believed. Around the time of this letter, Rome had begun to increase its efforts is trying to wipe out this Jesus movement. Peter decides to encourage them in the faith by challenging them not to hide the Gospel out of fear.

Sharing our faith with outsiders begins with how we live out our faith with insiders. Paul’s call for unity and brotherly love among believers through the Spirit will help them to respond to the evil they are experiencing with good. In his letters to churches, the Apostle Paul outlines so many examples of this brotherly love that Jesus too taught. Our behavior towards believers should be characterized by the way to encourage one another, carry one another’s burdens, being patient, kind, compassionate, and loving towards with one another, in the same way, Jesus loved and treated us. How we “one another” one another will inspire others, for this is what we are “called” to do according to Peter.

A community that is bound with this kind of love is better able to resist insulting those who insult them. Through Christ, we are blessed to be a blessing. The better of a blessing we are, the more blessings we obtain because our relationship with God will not be compromised. Rather it is deepened. We can have a “resting blessed face”, not because bad things don’t happen to believers, but because God gives us the strength to endure life’s storms and the provisions to satisfy our deepest needs. Blessing people is what is best for people. Peter learned this from Jesus, that our behavior as believers towards other believers reveals the evidence of our hope which is placed in something outside of our circumstances and ourselves. Being counter-cultural will catch people’s attention and make them curious about our conviction.

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:13–16 (ESV)

If you were able to talk to the same Christians that Peter was writing to, wouldn’t you ask them why they would continue to believe in the face of death and persecution? I’m sure family, friends, neighbors, and strangers were probably asking them, “Why would you continue to believe in this person named Jesus? Is it worth your safety and for the safety of your family? Why not stop this nonsense and save yourself?” I’m convinced that people must have thought they were crazy for being Christians. Much hasn’t changed over the years. Though we don’t have to go out looking for ways to suffer, we must be willing to embrace it when necessary. We cannot truly enjoy the benefits of the resurrection if we are not willing to identify with Christ’s crucifixion.

There is one thing that Peter says believers don’t have to sweat about, and that is having to answer to every objection that others might have. The one answer we must be willing and quick to give is why we believe what we believe. If we want thinkers to believe, then believers must be willing to think and apply reason when necessary. Sharing our faith in this way is simply retelling the steps that we took in discovering our need for a Savior and the aftermath of what God has done in our lives since then.

Many people, both then and now, have questions that have made it hard for them to believe. It’s hard for many to reconcile the idea of a good God and all the evil that exists in the world. One great question is, “How could a God who says He loves the world in the New Testament kill women and children in the Old Testament”? This question is really a mask that is covering up a deeper issue. The question that people are asking when they bring this Old Testament objection is, “Does God care about people?”.

Our response should be something like this, “I don’t believe in Jesus because of the Old Testament or because something was written. I believe in Jesus because He rose from the dead. If you are wondering, ‘Does God love people?’, then let me tell you how Jesus loved people and how He has shown me that love personally!” That might not be good enough for everyone, but it is the best approach. We don’t have to fear answering everyone’s questions or objections when we share our faith. The answer that carries the most weight is our “why”.

The means by which we are to share the Gospel is to boldly tell the truth of our story (serpents) with grace, compassion, and love (doves). Doing this with a good conscience, with sincerity and boldness, will lead others to wonder what we have that they do not have.

Peter’s words are a great encouragement to us today, especially for those of us who are living in a post-Christian culture. He wants to remind Christians back then and reveal to Christians today that we are witnesses, not prosecuting attorneys. If you’ve ever read a book or watched any courtroom inspired movie or TV show, you know that prosecuting attorneys have the sole responsibility to research, collect, and analyze every piece of data in order to lead a panel of jurors and a judge to decide a case in their favor.

They must make such a compelling argument that leaves no room for doubt. Witnesses are different. They are only responsible for doing one thing, that is testifying to what they have seen and experienced. Nothing more, nothing less. As a Christian, it is beneficial if we educate ourselves in understanding objections to our faith, but what matters most is that we bear witness to the power and life of Christ that is at work within us. Smart answers aren’t enough. Jesus is enough!

There is something basic we must consider when we bear witness to the Gospel. The A.B.C.’s of sharing your faith is “Always Be Confident” in who Jesus is and what He has done for you. No one can deny your experience, even if they choose not to believe. But as we boldly display this confidence in Christ, which grows in Christian community, the Holy Spirit will lead us to share our faith without fear. This confidence is important because people need to accept the bad news that they are sinners before they can accept the good news that Jesus died for sinners. Only the Holy Spirit can bring this revelation, but He has recruited us to speak this truth and live this truth so that He might give life through us.

2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (ESV)

When I was a kid in Sunday School, the running joke was that every answer to any question was always “Jesus”. It turns out that we weren’t wrong. There is only one answer that we must give above all else when asked, “Why do we believe?”. That answer should center on who we believe Jesus is and what He has done for us. In this way, the Spirit of the living God will place an eternal hope in the hearts of others when we boldly proclaim the reason for the hope that we have in Christ. This answer is enough because Jesus is enough.