I’ve Got A Question…
How do I Tell My Friends & Family about Jesus?
Luke 8:26:39
During these summer Sundays, we are allowing you to pick the topic of our discussion times. We’ve already looked at questions about the DaVinci Code, assurance of salvation, how we can make the Bible interesting for our children and the Significance of Baptism. When we looked at the topic of baptism last week, one of the verses of Scripture that we focused on was Matthew 28:19, which is known as the Great Commission. I described it last week as the “Job Description of the Church.” In it, Jesus said,
Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.
We focused on the baptizing part last week, and today our focus changes to the very beginning of that verse as we examine the question that has been posed for this week, “How Do I Tell My Friends and Family About Jesus?”
I don’t think that any of us would be surprised to learn that sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ is an expected behavior of every believer. Throughout His teaching to His disciples, Jesus made it clear that each of us who is a follower of Christ has the responsibility and the privilege of telling others about Him. Mark 16:15 was one of the first verses I memorized after I became a Christian at age 8 – Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” In Luke 10:2, Jesus sees the masses of people coming to Him, and said to the disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” We are to be those workers – bringing in the harvest of souls.
But telling others about Jesus, is not just a requirement, for most of us, it’s a desire – we want to tell others, we know we should, but we are not sure how. We feel intimidated, and ill prepared. We aren’t sure how to approach people, what to say to them, how to answer if they have questions, so we usually say nothing. In our hearts, however, we know that we need to do something – we know the stakes are high and the consequences could not be more ominous.
There are a number of issues here. In particular, I think it’s important to ask whether we really believe in the lost-ness of people, and in the reality of hell. If we did – if we really understood and believed the Biblical teachings about hell and the only escape from hell, we would be motivated to see everyone come to saving faith. Do you understand that our friends and family members are facing an eternity of very real torment, and ultimate loss without Jesus, and it has been left to us to bring them the only way to escape that destiny. Do we really believe it? I sometimes don’t think we do – because we put our own momentary comfort ahead of their eternal torment. If we really believed the Bible, we would never do that!
The fear we have, and our grows out of pride. If our neighbor’s house was on fire, we wouldn’t sit and wonder what they would think about us if we went over uninvited, and dragged them out of the house. We would be only thinking of them – their safety, their lives. But when we stop thinking about them, and think about ourselves, then we begin to hesitate. “What will they think about ME? What if they laugh at ME? We are more concerned about what they will think than about the danger they face! My friends, this should not be.
So today we look at this question, “How can I tell my friends and family about Jesus?” The moment I read this question, my head went to a particular story from the Bible that I want us to look at for a few moments. On your tables you will find an episode from Jesus life taken from Luke chapter 8. Let me read it with you, and then we’re going to take a couple of minutes to discuss it.
[Read Luke 8:26-39]
At the bottom of your sheet, you will find discussion questions, take a few minutes to discuss them around your table.
[Allow three minutes for discussion.]
Here we have the story of a man who has been delivered from a terrible existence. Running around in the tombs, naked and tormented. Feared by the people of the community, at times arrested, bound with chains and shackled. What a terrible life! And what an amazing deliverance! One encounter with Jesus, and the man is found “clothed, and in his right mind.” Imagine the liberation this man feels – to be able to think clearly, to not be tormented by demons day after day! The man is a new creation!
No wonder he wants to go along when Jesus gets into the boat! Luke tells us that he begged to be taken along! I don’t blame him – look at the reaction the people of the town to Jesus – they were “overcome with fear,” and demanded that he leave the area. I find that shocking! Jesus has obviously done a great thing for this man – a wonderful act of liberation. You would think they would want Him to stay and heal more – to bring deliverance to the entire area – but no, they asked Him to leave. If that’s how they treated Jesus, how do you think they are going to act toward they man who was delivered? If they asked Jesus to go away, do you think they’ll hesitate to tell him to get lost? Not for a moment.
So the man wants to get away. He wants to just stay with Jesus for the rest of his life. I can relate to that – can you? There are times when I wish that we could just go to be with Jesus when we trust in Him – be free from this world and its troubles and battles and struggles. But that’s not what Jesus has in mind.
Jesus has different plans for the man. Over the course of his early ministry, as recorded by Luke in the previous 8 chapters, Jesus has been calling all sorts of people to follow Him. Fishermen, a tax collector, revolutionary zealots and former prostitutes. And yet, according to verse 38, when this man wants to come along – Jesus “sent him away!” But He sent the man away with a plan – a plan for reaching others that I believe is perhaps the best answer to the question we are looking at this morning. Jesus sent him away with this instruction: “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.”
That’s it! That’s the most practical and effective plan for telling others about Jesus that I have ever discovered in 40 years as a Christian. “Return home and tell how much God has done for you!”
Guess what? Jesus got it right! Seriously, we tend to make this into some big hairy theological issue called “evangelism” – with myriad plans and tactics, pamphlets and cue cards. When the most effective way to reach others is also the easiest. Just go home and tell the people there how much God has done for you!
Ø Tell them that you have been forgiven for all the bad things you’ve done.
Ø Tell them of the deliverance you have experienced – freed from guilt, maybe some addiction, or fear, or shame.
Ø Tell them that you KNOW you are going to heaven when you die.
Ø Tell them that you have found a meaningful relationship with Jesus – way beyond any “religion.”
Ø Tell them how your relationship with God doesn’t FREE you from tough times, but it gets you through the tough times.
In short, just be real with them. Be who you are, and don’t be ashamed or afraid to tell your friends, family and coworkers the great things God has done for you.
You know what? People can’t argue with that! They can’t deny the reality of what you have experienced. They may minimize it, or rationalize it – but they can’t take if from you! And they will watch to see if it’s real for you or not.
One major denomination did a study of their evangelism efforts. They found that when they had church elders or leaders go door to door, they were successful in only 1% of the encounters they had – one person responded out of 100. But when they had people from the congregation go and visit with their friends, family and neighbors, half the people responded favorably – they were at least willing to come to church to find out more information. Fifty percent!
Now two words of caution: First – we must be obedient to the Lord – He told us to “Go,” so we are to go! We must be intentional in telling people what God has done for us. We can’t just assume that they will notice on their own that God is blessing us – or has forgiven us – we must tell them. We must pray for and look for those “divine appointments” when God brings a person across our path with whom we should share. We need to be alert and ready.
Secondly, we need to be equipped. I encourage you to take a moment to think it through. In these days when everyone is worried about world events from Iraq to Israel to North Korea, when the rising cost of fuel makes people feel less secure in their finances, it’s not hard to guess what people are going to talk about. So be ready. I share with people that I was raised in the late 60’s, when between the Nuclear threat, anti-war protests, Watergate, and Civil Rights, you went to bed at night not knowing if your country was going to be around in the morning. It was a time of great fear – but in the middle of that, I found that God was in control of everything, and that He loved me – and I found a way to have peace in my heart, even when the world is falling apart – because I know God loves me and has a place prepared for me.
It’s that simple. You say something like that, and if they are interested, they will ask all the questions you need to go the rest of the way. When they do, you will need to be equipped with some solid Biblical answers, so I want to give you small a tool to assist you. We gave out a card like this a few years ago, but it’s time for fresh ones!
[Pass out Roman Road Cards]
Eventually the discussion is going to come to a place where you will need to share some specifics from the Bible, and the verses on this card are a handy, Biblical way for you to walk a person through the basic truths of the gospel:
Ø We are all sinners, and deserve death and punishment
Ø God gives us eternal life through the death of Jesus
Ø If we will confess and believe in Jesus, we will be saved
Ø We can know that we have eternal life through Jesus Christ
If you couple a personal story of the great things God has done for you, along with the verses on this card, you will be making a very potent presentation of the Gospel of Christ.
If you are a believer, I want to challenge you today to pledge before God that you will tell others the great things He has done for you, and as He gives you opportunities, you will not let them slip away.
If you are not a believer, please hear me. If you have nothing to tell, because you’ve never experienced the great things that God wants to do for you, then this may very well be your divine appointment. This is your opportunity to have an encounter with Jesus that will set you free from the bondage and torment of sin and guilt. This may be your last chance. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow, or the next beat of our heart. Don’t let cynicism drive you away from the truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, except by me.” Trust Him today, and then you will have great things to share with your friends and family, too!
Let’s pray.
Discussion Questions
How do I Tell My Friends & Family about Jesus?
Luke 8:26-39
26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" 29 For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. 30 Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. 32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
Questions:
1. What was the demon possessed man’s desire after His healing?
2. What was Jesus’ “Evangelism plan” for the healed man?
3. How did the healed man respond?