BLESS – Share Your Story
PROBLEMS it was 13 min – should have been 8 min
In my childhood I was taught to think that I was superior to others because my religion was true and theirs was not. How are we supposed to relate to people of other religions today?
We live in a very multi-religious neighborhood. Large Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist groups are within walking distance from our church.
Here’s some shocking news: God is in the Gurdwara, the mosque and the buddhist temple. Is he not? The Holy Spirit is in each of those people drawing them to Jesus.
Maybe we shouldn’t talk about religion, but we should talk to people and talking about our experiences with God is inevitable.
When telling others about Jesus, we depend entirely on what God is doing to bring them to himself. God has put everyone on a spiritual journey to Jesus.
GOD
John 6:44 NIV “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them…”
Romans 10:13-14 NLT “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”
APPLICATION
1. Relationships are more important than doctrine.
2. Fervent prayer is always the most important thing we can do.
3. What should I say? My dad and mom shared Jesus very differently. My dad was always kind. My mom regularly confronted people and made them uncomfortable. Both were used to great effect by God. What did they have in common? They did what they did out of love. They were different people but both had the heart of God and God used both.
4. Share your story God created you to talk to others about Jesus in a new way. When you talk about your life, be honest about the place of Jesus in it. The point of your life isn’t how awesome you are; the point is that God is awesome!
VISION
Story 1 – I once had a friend who I tried to tell about Jesus. But then our other friends started to be antagonistic against Christianity, openly speaking out against it, and between them and the media, his heart just went kind of cold. Soon after. I ended up moving away out of state, and I was left with disappointed memories. But years later, I got a letter in the mail. And he said, “I wanted you to know that one day, recently, I went to church, and suddenly everything you said made sense.” And he gave his life to Christ and was thoughtful enough to send me a letter. So what advice would I have for those of us who might be reluctant or discouraged in sharing our stories? I would say keep praying and keep listening.
Story 2 – About five months ago a friend of mine had an impression that he needed to be praying for a friend specifically related to a health issue in his family. His friend’s response was basically, “Thanks, but no thanks. We’re all fine here.” About two weeks later he got another text from him indicating that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. My question is, “How do you account for that?”Story 3 – Over the years I have developed a friendship with a man who is Hindu. The last time we talked he shared with me that his father had recently passed away and it was difficult for him emotionally. I shared about my recent losses and we talked about the emotional difficulties of it. I then asked if I could pray for him. He agreed and specifically requested that I pray that God would reincarnate him as his father’s son again. I am praying for him… that he would soon become his heavenly father’s son. I am waiting for God to reveal what my next step is in sharing Jesus with him.
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