Dear Friends,
I remember one of the first times I shared my faith. I was a young pastor outside of Syracuse, N. Y. and I had been to a conference on evangelism. I knew as a pastor I needed to share my faith more often than I was doing.
I decided that I would visit the home of Don and Mary Wallburger who had visited our church several times.
I purposely parked my car far enough from their home, so that they wouldn't notice me if I chickened out and left without being noticed.
I remember approaching their door in fear as I offered a few light taps on the door hoping they wouldn't hear them, so I could avoid doing what I knew God had called me to do. Quite frankly this young pastor was scared to death to share my faith.
The Wallburgers did hear the knock and opened the door, and for the next hour I tried to share my faith. I bumbled and stumbled through a gospel presentation, and while they graciously listened, I knew I was not connecting. After what seemed like an eternity, I left embarrassed, feeling like a complete failure in my efforts to reach them for Christ. I am happy to say, however, that this wonderful couple did eventually pray to receive Him in spite of my ineffective witness.
Perhaps your first experience witnessing was something like mine, and you too felt like a complete failure. You were fearful because you felt untrained and ill equipped to share the faith.
At that point I could have decided to write off evangelism because of my colossal failure. I could have said I don't have the gift of evangelism and left witnessing to others, except for the fact that I knew every Christian has been called to share his faith.
The greatest obstacle to sharing our faith is fear, and almost every believer has to overcome that initial fear. What if those to whom I speak reject me? What if they are not interested in what I have to share or I can't remember any of the verses, and I make a complete fool of myself?
I have news for you. Almost everyone who witnesses for the first time feels that way I did.
The key to witnessing is to remind ourselves again and again that we are not alone and that the omnipotent One, the Lord Almighty is speaking for us and through us. We are only his vessels, His messengers, and it is the power of the Holy Spirit that takes our imperfect words and uses them to pierce the heart of the unbelieving soul.
Jesus says, "You shall be my witnesses' when the Holy Spirit comes upon you," and you can be confident that He will come upon you when you are faithful to share the truth of the gospel. "It is not by might or power,” says the Lord, but it is by my Spirit," and when you trust not in your own abilities but trust completely in the Holy Spirit you can be sure you will always be successful
I love that wonderful definition of witnessing used by Campus Crusade for Christ: "Witnessing is sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to God."
You are successful whether or not the person comes to Christ. You success comes not from your results but from your obedience. You are faithful, regardless of the results.
I love the words of Matt Smethurst who states in Before You Share Your Faith these words: "Imagine- especially if you didn't grow up in a Christian home- if the person who first spoke the gospel to you had instead been frozen by fear. What if they had concluded, No, Lord, not me! I'm still not equipped, still not ready. Plus, the environment isn't ideal. Where might you be today?"
Witnessing is for every believer, and I hope you will heed His call to be faithful in sharing the transforming Gospel message that once changed your life.
Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
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