In 2018, sixty-five percent of American adults proclaimed to be Christian. This percentage has decreased by twelve percent in the past decade.
If you look around, particularly in the northeast, it seems that very few people are Christians.
Sharing the gospel continues to be a crucial need for everyone who has a personal relationship with Jesus. Because it isn’t always easy, we’re showing you five ways to share the gospel.
Table of Contents
1. Volunteer With a Christian Ministry
Francis of Assisi famously said, “Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.” This means that there are subtle but impactful ways to spread the Word of God.
One of them is volunteer work. If you’re plugged into a church, find out what kind of Christian ministry they do in the community or internationally.
If you’re in high school or college, consider volunteering for a month of your summer camp. Although you’ll probably work behind the scenes by washing dishes or bussing tables, you are working as a humble servant.
Think about the servants who filled the jars with water in John 2 so Jesus could turn it into wine at the wedding in Cana.
The passage tells us that “the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from.” However, “the servants who had drawn the water knew.”
Though the work is often thankless, you’re cultivating a space for teenagers to encounter Jesus for the first time. Is there anything more beautiful?
2. Use Your Gifts
In a few places, the Bible talks about spiritual gifts. Here are a few of them:
- Hospitality
- Serving
- Administration
- Wisdom
- Teaching
- Faith
- Exhortation
- Evangelism
Identifying your spiritual gifts will help you discover what you’re good at and will equip you to share the gospel. If you aren’t sure, discuss it with a pastor or someone close to you.
If your gift is teaching, for example, the church could use you for children’s classes on Sunday, or VBS in the summer.
If your gift is hospitality, why not plan a few get-togethers with people from work? As twenty-first-century Americans, we’re so used to fast food and microwave meals, that a homecooked dinner is refreshingly welcome.
People notice it, too. In addition to gorging on unhealthy foods, we’re individualistic. We don’t always like to share our space. Inviting people into our homes is a quiet but powerful way to share the gospel.
3. Pursue a Christian Ministry Degree
To spread the gospel, we must have a deep-rooted love for Christ. This starts with an intimate knowledge of the Word of God.
Although we’re certainly capable of studying gospel verses on our own, a Christian ministry degree will equip us for those hard-hitting questions about the Christian faith.
For a first-rate Christian education, look no further than christianministryedu.org. They’ll help you search for degrees in ministry.
4. Start a Christian Business
In this secular world, we need people to stand up to the godless businesses that shape culture. We need courageous individuals who can be part of the counter-culture.
It doesn’t even need to be overtly Christian. Rather, they can have Christian values. Think of Hobby Lobby or Chick-Fil-A, which are closed on Sunday for the Sabbath. This small decision makes a huge statement.
Even technology companies like ANKOM incorporate Christian values into everything they do.
We need God to be living and breathing into everything we do in order to witness to the world. As Romans 12 says, “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Read that again. Serving God is an act of worship. We mustn’t ignore this command.
5. Share Your Story
If you grew up in the church, you may be familiar with the idea of a testimony. In short, it’s the story of how you came to know Christ. It’s an illustration of who you were without Christ, how He transformed you, and who you are today.
Our last suggestion is to get good at sharing your testimony. This doesn’t mean embellishing it so it’s more dramatic. No, we mean giving an honest account of your brokenness, no matter how “boring.”
Even people who grew up in the church have a story to tell. They still recognized their sinfulness and repented.
Don’t underestimate the miracle of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. Your story is powerful.
We’re suggesting this because you never know when the details of your story will resonate with someone. Maybe they, too, struggled with addiction. Maybe they grew up in the church but don’t have a personal relationship with God.
As humans, we identify with stories on a heart level. Think about particular books or movies from your childhood that have stuck with you for decades. Through God’s grace, our story can have this same effect on others.
Why You Should Share the Gospel
If you already know the Lord, what is the point of sharing the gospel?
It’s necessary to share the Word of God because Jesus has commanded us to do so. Let’s look at Matthew 28. Jesus’ last command before ascending to Heaven was to “go and make disciples of all nations.”
Turn forward a few pages to the Gospel of John, and we read about Jesus’ instructions on how to do this. In verse 35, He says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
In other words, love should be the undercurrent of sharing the gospel. It was God’s motivation for sending his son Jesus to die for us, and it should be our motivation to share the gospel, too.
Sharing the Gospel
At one point, you were lost. Through God’s intervention, you were found. Your sins were forgiven, and you were adopted as one of God’s children.
Think of the four friends who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus in Mark two. You too, need to nurture this same kind of resolve for reaching others for Christ. No matter which of these five ways you share the gospel, start today.
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