How to Share the Good News – Part 1 - Called as a Witness

How to Share the Good News – Part 1
Called as a Witness

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Text: Romans 10:13-15, Matthew 28:16-20

We have been called by God as a witness.
What does a witness do? They tell what they have seen and heard.

Most of us have heard all our church lives about our responsibility to share the “Good News,” but I think it happens on a small scale.
I want to spend some time looking at this topic, How to Shair The Good News.

Its amazing to me that God didn’t leave this task in the hands of angels, but to people like me and you – imperfect real people with real lives.
Today our mission is still the same – build Church buildings & maintain them, have potlucks and on Sunday mornings – No!
Our mission is to share the “gospel” with the world.

Rom.10:13-15
To most, the word preach throws people off.
The word preach = to herald, to proclaim.
Living Translation – “unless someone tells them?”

It is important for us to realize that Jesus has sent us to share God’s love with those around us, and to the world.

But how do we do that?
In Mat. 4 when Jesus called His disciples, in ver.19 “He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Note the pronouns - Jesus is promising His presence and power in us to help us share His truth.

Like many of you I have been in church for a long time and heard many messages about the importance of telling others about Jesus.
Yet I wonder if we haven’t been stymied by the misconceptions toward the dreaded “E” word?

What image comes to mind when you think of the word “evangelism?”
What happens inside your heart when you hear again that God wants you to be an evangelist?

Does it cause enthusiasm and excitement, or carry negative connotations?
Do we think evangelism means going door to door, or standing on the street corner loudly preaching to those “SINNERS” who are passing by?

Our enemy has hindered the church by causing us to think we have to fit into a mold of evangelism that we know just won’t work for who we are.

When I went to Bible College, one of my main goals was to learn how to do personal evangelism.
I actually took a class called “Personal Evangelism” designed to teach you a method of evangelism.
It was a great experience – and I learned a lot about evangelism and about me.
One thing I learned is I’m not called to go door to door and witness.
I found myself overwhelmed with anxiety while standing knocking on the door praying nobody would answer.

I believe in learning a method of personal evangelism, but then adapting that method to fit who I am.
How you evangelize will look different than how anyone else does it.
It may look similar, but our greatest asset towards personal evangelism is to strategically be yourself!

Notice in scripture, no two people approached evangelism the same.
Peter was confrontational.
Paul was intellectual.
Barnabus was gentle.
Jonah preached Hell, Fire & Damnation.
Stephen waited tables.
The blind man gave his testimony.
Tabitha sowed clothes for the poor.

This season, I want to share different tools to place in your tool box so we can be equipped to be followers of Christ, and be fishers of men.
To know how to “Shair the Good News.”