I Am Afraid to Share My Faith | Evangelism

Описание: To hear more about overcoming your fears and being a faithful witness for Christ consider listening to the following sermons from the Word of God by Dr. Richard Caldwell:

Confidence and Conscience:    • “Confidence & Conscience”- 2 Corinthians 1...  
Convictions That Fuel Gospel Courage:    • Convictions That Fuel Gospel Courage  
Answering Gospel Objections:    • Answering Gospel Objections  
Christ’s Witnesses:    • Christ’s Witnesses - Acts 1:8  

Description:
This week on the Straight Truth Podcast Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot discuss another listener’s question about sharing the gospel. Dr. Philpot shares that Brenda has written saying that she has always struggled to share the gospel with others. She states that she has done it a few times but never in a direct way. She tells us that as she has examined her heart, she sees that she fears the rejection of man, she’s afraid to be offended and feels inadequate. She shares that she has a desire to share the gospel but it just seems like she can’t. She asks, ‘how can I overcome all these sins and share the gospel with boldness?’
Dr. Caldwell says it sounds like Brenda knows the answers. She has already identified that the fear of man and the fear of rejection are a big part of the problem. He tells us one of the ways that we can overcome these hindrances is by our very desire. If you desire to share the gospel and give a reason for the hope that is in you that is a great thing, now you just have to be ready to do it. But, that readiness will not come by just having all the right information. Being prepared to share is as important as having the right knowledge to share. Something that might be helpful is to sit down with someone a little older in the Lord. Ask for help, ask about ways that they witnessed to others, ask about ways to introduce the gospel into the conversation, and what to do if the conversation takes a wrong direction. So in your readiness and preparedness, recognizing your human weakness and frailty, also remember that God is sovereign in the matter of salvation. People's eternal destinies are not hanging on our abilities to convince them to trust Christ. All that we can do is know, love, and embrace the truth with a willingness to share the truth as best as we can in the strength and boldness that our Lord provides. Dr. Caldwell says that God constantly uses crooked sticks to draw straight lines. He takes frail, weak and imperfect vessels, using them to do things that are mighty and eternal in nature, making clear that it is all His work and that all the glory goes to Him. So you can relax in the knowledge that it is not all resting on you, your role is to be faithful.
Dr. Caldwell reminds us we need to remember that when sharing the gospel we won’t always be harvesting. Sometimes we’ll be planters, sometimes the waterers and at other times the harvester. We don’t have to get everything we know about the gospel, in totality, into every conversation. It is okay to give a partial witness, it’s okay to drop a seed or only speak a few words. We need not bear a load of guilt when an opportunity has only afforded us a moment or two to share some gospel truth. We just need to be faithful and do our very best in the time that has been given to us. It's God who saves that has allowed you that opportunity, in that particular situation, that was limited in nature.
In terms of the fear that you experience when it comes to gospel sharing, the answer is to turn to the scriptures. You need to remember what the scriptures say about you, what you can expect as a Christian, and you must be armed for suffering. This is not about you, it’s about Christ, is about a great Savior who has had mercy upon you. Each time that you are obedient to share, the more you go about being faithful in the opportunities that are given, you will gain confidence. The more you do it the more confidence you gain, and greater yet, the confidence to continue in it. This your opportunity to tell others about the greatest person who exists, the God of the universe and the Savior of the world, allowing your pride to be mortified by the greatness of God.