Hey guys!
Now this is the fourth video of our series called
"How to grow spiritually stronger in God"
and in this video we're gonna look at the fourth wheel of spiritual growth
which is to TESTIFY
To share the gospel to other people.
Let's get to it!
All right! So you became a real Christian, you study the Bible
and you have a real relationship with God; where you talk to Him and He talks to you.
You joined a church where you have fellowship with other believers...
And so what's next?
Well, it's time to share your testimony!
It's time to testify!
It's time to share the gospel - the truth of Jesus Christ - to other people.
[Romans 10:13] says,
'For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written:
"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"'
Now listen carefully to this:
'So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.'
So true faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
And God wants to use people; He wants us to share His truth with other people.
And you know the first thing that will happen when you start to share the gospel, God's Word,
is that you will grow spiritually fast - a lot faster.
Why?
Because to share the Word, you need to know the Word.
How can you share it if you don't really know it?
[2 Timothy 4:2] says,
'Preach the word!
Be ready in season and out of season.
Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long- suffering and teaching.'
It is the Word of God that changes people.
His truth changes people through the Holy Spirit.
Yes, God can use our talents or gifts to
change people; He works in us and through us,
but it is ultimately God that changes people - not us.
It's very important to remember that.
We are only the messengers.
Now, I need to say something here;
There are a lot of Christians who don't share the gospel...
because they fear rejection...
Let me ask you:
Do you fear rejection?
Do you have these thoughts in your head that just pop up
and things like...
"I'm not good enough.
What will they think of me...
I won't be accepted.
They won't like me anymore."
You know, I used to get these thoughts when I was a young Christian.
And one thing I realized is that IT IS NOT FROM GOD!
It is SELFISH because then I just think about myself.
I don't think about the lost (people) out there,
who are in need of a Savior.
This feeling is from our old nature -
not from the new spiritual nature that we have received from God.
Paul says in [Romans 1:16],
'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believe,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek.'
Look, you need to accept this.
You need to understand it and accept it,
that some people will always reject the truth, and some people will accept it.
That's how it's gonna be.
You just need to be obedient to God and share the gospel
when the Holy Spirit leads you to do it.
And then leave the result up to God.
Even if you say the perfect words in the perfect way,
people will still reject you.
Remember they rejected Jesus,
and He was perfect in everything He did!
So when you talk to other people, when you share the gospel,
your focus should not be on yourself,
but on (1)God, so that He can lead you,
and (2) on other people.
There's something you need to remember that's very very important here:
Focus on being led by the Holy Spirit.
Let the Holy Spirit lead your own will, your emotions and your intellect,
in sharing the gospel.
Don't do it just through yourself,
because you won't achieve anything.
Actually, you might make things worse.
But ALWAYS let the Holy Spirit guide you
and do it ALWAYS with prayer - ask God to help you.
Now, there are basic things that you need to know about sharing God's Word.
1. YOUR OWN LIFE IS PART OF YOUR WITNESS
Your story has now become your testimony.
People don't just look at what you say, but they look at your life.
2. People will only really listen to you and
care about what you have to say if YOU DO THE SAME.
If you really listen to people
and if you show them that you truly care about them,
then they will also care about what you have to say.
Remember you can't just go in and charge and just start to talk about them or
your own story because you have no idea who you are talking to;
what mindset they're in.
You gotta listen and get to know the person first.
If you do that,
then you will know how to share the gospel with them better.
3. You gotta try to see the real problem behind their words.
When you go to the doctor, when something is wrong,
we usually focus just on the symptoms,
so you explain things that are bothering
you like for example; you have a runny nose or
you have a headache,
but you cannot tell the doctor the root of the problem
because you don't know.
And in the same way, we usually
only talk about the symptoms when we talk about our own life
because we don't know what's really going on - DEEPER.
And always remember this;
Sin is usually always the problem.
And you know what the cure is right?
It is Jesus Christ!
Jesus is ALWAYS THE ANSWER.
But remember,
unbelievers don't understand this yet,
they don't understand that Jesus is the answer to all their problems -
not until God opens their spiritual eyes while you talk to them.
[1 Corinthians 2:14] says,
'But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness to him;
nor can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.'
And [2 Corinthians 4:3] says,
'But even if our gospel is veiled,
it is veiled to those who are perishing,
whose minds the god of this age has blinded,
who do not believe,
lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God,
should shine upon them.
For we do not preach ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord'.
4. KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Of course it depends on who you're talking to, but
most of the time you need to keep the gospel simple.
Because the gospel is simple.
Even a child should be able to understand it.
I've seen some Christians talk about it...
they go deep into certain doctrines and things and theology,
to people who are still 'babies' in Christ
or to unbelievers, who have no idea what they're really talking about yet.
And it's too much....
if you use certain words, even religious terms
that they don't understand, it'll just confuse them even more
and they won't understand the gospel.
You need to keep it simple.
The gospel is not complicated.
We are all sinners
and we deserve punishment for our sins.
And Jesus; God became flesh.
He lived the perfect life. So He had no sin.
And then He took our punishment, that we should have received,
He took that punishment on the cross, and He died in our place.
He was buried and He rose again.
And if we accept Jesus and what He did for us on the cross,
WE WILL BE SAVED.
We need to repent and turn away from our old sinful lifestyle and be baptized.
And then we just continue to live right before God
and get to know Him better,
which will give us that peace that surpasses all understanding.
Keep it simple.
Of course with time you can help them to grow more spiritually and deeper
into the Bible and learn the doctrines so that they're more steadfast in their faith,
but at the beginning...
SIMPLE
5. MAKE DISCIPLES.
Your aim should not just be to preach the gospel so that people will be saved,
but to walk with them - to make them disciples,
so that they can make more disciples
and those disciples can make more disciples
and it goes on and on and on.
Of course sometimes this is difficult, it depends on your situation...
I mean I've been in countries where I'm just there for a few days or one day,
so it depends on your situation, but if you have time
and you know you're gonna spend some time
or you're gonna see this person for a longer period of time,
then walk with them and make them disciples.
Help them to grow spiritually in God,
And then very importantly;
GUIDE them in the right doctrine of Scripture.
There are a lot of false teachers out there.
Jesus warns us in [Matthew 7:15],
'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.'
I also want to warn you here,
to BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU SAY to other people.
If they ask you a question
and you're not sure what the answer is,
don't just suck something out of your thumb,
because you might just tell them something that is not true...
So just tell them, "Look, I'm not a 100% sure,
but I'll get back to you."
and then you go and you find out.
6. PRAY A LOT.
You need to spend a lot of time in prayer with God,
where you talk with him and He with you, so that you continually walk in His will.
And ask Him that He will send you the right kind of people.
The right kind of people that need to hear His truth.
And ask Him to work through you.
[Isaiah 64:8] says,
'But now, O Lord, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.'
This is something I pray for a lot.
For this channel; that I'm just the clay and God is the potter.
That He should just use me as He pleases
to bring value to other people's lives, to save them and to help them to grow spiritually.
And you should do the same, for whatever God chooses to use you.
7. Join other MATURE CHRISTIAN brothers and sisters to share the gospel.
You know, Jesus called twelve disciples to Him that He walked with,
and then later on He sent them out in pairs to preach the gospel.
[Mark 6:7],
'And He'd called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two'
Remember you are only part of the Church - of the body of Christ.
We have different talents and different gifts, everybody is unique.
I remember I spent a lot of time in China and South Korea with
one of my best friends, Jeremiah,
and I could just see how God used our unique talents and gifts -
differently, but together at the same time, to share the gospel.
Now, if you don't have a close brother or sister in Christ,
you can pray for it.
I did it a few times.
Pray that God will send you God-fearing friends,
who will grow with you in Christ.
Now just some last advice,
remember that when you share the gospel,
always share it in LOVE and TRUTH.
Don't do it with harsh arguments.
And then also try to think like them,
to be able to share the gospel effectively.
Remember we have different cultures, we think differently, we come from different backgrounds,
different languages and different worldviews.
So what you've got to do, is you've got to find the right door to start the conversation.
Now, I'm not saying that you should change the truth of the gospel.
NO NO NO
Preach the truth - the Word of God.
But do it in a way that they can understand.
Paul said in [1 Corinthians 9:19],
'For though I am free from all men,
I have made myself a servant to all,
that I might win the more;
and to the Jews, I became as a Jew,
that I might win Jews;
to those who are under the law, as under the law,
that I might win those who are under the law;
to those who are without law, as without law
(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ),
that I might win those who are without law;
to the weak, I became as weak,
that I might win the weak.
I have become all things to all men,
that I might by all means save some.'
And now it's your turn to save some.
And remember, if you ever doubt yourself,
it's fine because we're not perfect,
but never doubt the Holy Spirit in you.
If you live right before God and ask Him to help you, He will.
Now, when you start to share the gospel,
you will find that most people
will start to ask you the same kind of questions.
Like: 'How do I know God exists?'
'Why does He allow pain and suffering?'
...and so forth.
And that's why I started this whole playlist
of questions and answers that will help you.
And you can check it out right here!
Now remember:
God loves you
and I love you too
BYE