On Sunday, I’m speaking on”Why We Talk about Jesus”. The Bible calls the message about Jesus, the Gospel (which literally means “good news”) because Jesus accomplished something previously impossible – the lasting forgiveness of sins, reunion of relationship with God, and connection to the complete riches of Christ (John 3:16, I Cor 15:1-8, Col 1:22-23, and many others). This all happened in and through the cross (I Peter 2:24, Acts 2:23).
God clearly calls us to proclaim this message. Our lives should definitely demonstrate what we believe, but ultimately people are not saved by our good lifestyles; they are saved because they have been found by Jesus and have followed him as Savior (John 6:44).
The Gospel is transmitted through human relationships. The Bible records this over and over. People hear the message of Christ from others! And often times, God is preparing them for this message (think about Cornelius in Acts 10).
When we spend time with people who don’t know Christ, we are opening the door for an opportunity to talk about Jesus. This is not saying that we need to shoe-horn this into every conversation, but it is opening the possibility for a dialogue with eternal consequences!
I encourage Christians to take a solid first step – befriend someone who does not know Jesus. Sounds so simple! This might be a neighbor, co-worker, or international student. It might be someone on your child’s soccer team. It might be a person you know through a civic organization. Invite them for coffee or lunch. Get to know them. Ask them about their day!
Second, be prepared for a spiritual conversation! What if someone gave you five minutes to explain why you follow Jesus? What would you say? How would you engage that person?
Over the years, I have regularly shared this message with people on a napkin using just one verse from the Bible, Romans 6:23. This verse says:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Navigators provide a simple description of this method. For those who learn by watching, here’s a good YouTube link with someone drawing the diagram and explaining it.
Of course, there are many other tools available. But the important invitation is for Christians to choose one and master it so that it becomes second nature. Nothing worse than to have an opportunity and then to become so flustered that we cannot easily explain why Jesus is so important to us.
For those who are a bit techie, I just ran across a new tool. CRU has put out a brand new smartphone app. It is called “God Tools.” Download it in your App Store. This cool app provides the Four Spiritual Laws in multiple languages and answers to commonly asked questions. It certainly does not replace a vibrant spiritual conversation, but as a simple tool it has its place.
Christians believe that Jesus has given us true life. It is not something we have earned, but something received as a free gift. It is one of the greatest joys in life to tell others about Jesus, watch the lights go on, and see them respond to His call.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Brian Boone 
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