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| Amber & Josh with Trisha Ramos at the 2008 Deeper Conference |
Do you find yourself asking questions like – How can I share my faith when I am so nervous? or afraid? Can I share the Gospel and be a biblical woman? What is biblical repentance?
Fish with Trish has a great page of Frequently Asked Questions that will give us some answers to these questions on evangelism. Here are some of her answers to the above questions:
12. In the past, were you ever afraid to share your faith? What changed?
Recently I was on a flight from San Diego Airport to Dallas/Ft. Worth. My seat was in the very back of the plane and it was a full flight. After 2 1/2 hours, we landed and when the pilot turned off the seatbelt sign I was quick to unbuckle and stand up to stretch my legs. I was glad to be home. Several others got up as well. For 5 minutes we stood in silence as we waited for the line to move, which took unusually long. I looked in my purse to dig out tracts to hand them out. But I'd get paralyzed with fear and I quickly shut it. I repeated the same pattern two more times. One guy looked at me strange as if he saw the struggle going on in my mind. Then I was reminded of Judgment Day and thought about everyone in line giving an account to God. It immediately moved me to action. I grabbed my money tracts and began to pass them out, saying “Did you get one?” and to the next person, “Did you get one?” and to the gentleman that helped me with my what probably felt like a 100 pound bag (it was packed with tracts and books), “Here, thanks a million for helping me!” He smiled. They all did.
After over a decade of sharing my faith, I’m still nervous but I let my compassion for the lost swallow my fears. And I remind myself of what the Proverbs say, “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.” Prov. 29:25. If I meditate long enough on Hell it moves me to action. It moves me to press pass my fears and share my faith.
Q13. I don't want anyone to go to Hell but I feel so tongue tied. What do I do?
I'd encourage you to go to http://www.youtube.com/thewayofthemaster
and keep watching the witnessing clips until it becomes second nature to you.
Also, if you haven't heard “Hell's Best Kept Secret”, visit www.livingwaters.com and then listen to “True and False Conversion.
Q14. I want to share the gospel and still be a biblical woman. How do I do both?
One of the greatest signs of being born again is to have the desire/boldness to speak the Word of God and to tell others about his glorious gospel (Acts 4:31). A biblical woman is a woman that shares the good news of the Gospel with her family members, her children and the lost in general. There is no distinction. You can't be a biblical woman and not talk about the Gospel. The Gospel is at the very center of a biblical woman. Now don't get me wrong, she is not to shirk her responsibilities at home for the sake of “hitting the streets”. Her home should be in order – it is her main responsibility to manage (Titus 2:3) – but she can certainly incorporate sharing the good news in various ways without neglecting her duties at home, by: handing out tracts as she runs errands, preaching the gospel to the telemarketer who calls, talking about the Gospel as she rises and walks along the way with her children, joining the church door-to-door evangelism team once a month or the weekly street ministry, visiting old folks at a local retirement facility and sharing the good news, and the list can go on and on. Note: all of this presupposes that your husband is okay with you going out door-to-door, on the streets with a team, etc. If he is not, then honor him. There are plenty of other ways to be a gospel witness (namely, passing out tracts as you go along your way running errands and as you teach your children the ways of God). Remember that Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew. 28:18-20, and Mark. 16:15) to preach the Gospel and make disciples throughout the world was given to the entire church. So, Go! Share your faith one soul at a time.
Q4. What is biblical repentance?
Repentance comes from the Greek word “metanoia” it has embedded in it the idea of “turning away” from sin. Changing your mind about sin.
Biblical repentance is when an individual recognizes that they have sinned before a Holy God. They turn from their sins (forsaking them) and put their faith in Christ (the only One who is able to save them).
Here's another way to put it…Biblical repentance is a total about face—turning away from sin and self and unto God (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:9). I like what John MacArthur has to say about it, “That is no more a result of human effort than faith itself. Nor is it in any sense a pre-salvation work required to prepare a sinner for salvation. Real repentance is inseparable from faith and, like faith, is the work of God in a human heart. It is the response God inevitably generates in the heart of one He is redeeming.”
You might be encouraged by this link as well:
The above questions taken from Frequently Asked Questions at Trish's blog – I encourage you to visit her blog and be encouraged and equipped to share your faith. For creative evangelism resources visit the Fish with Trish Store.
One thing I have observed in all my years of ministry is that the most effective and important aspects of evangelism usually take place on an individual, personal level. Most people do not come to Christ as an immediate response to a sermon they hear in a crowded setting. They come to Christ because of the influence of an individual. John MacArthur
Thanks so much for sharing.