The Journey: Part 6 – “Telling Others About God”

     It is difficult to talk about God because too often Christians are only answering one question, while most the world is asking four. This is largely due to the idea that talking about God used to be a presentation. It worked for a while, but those days are long gone and the presentation has been replaced by a conversation. It’s a conversation that many are not equipped to have because they don’t understand the questions that form the conversation.

     I believe that most people live life feeling like they have begun watching a moving half way through. They have no idea how they have arrived at their present, nor what is good or bad about their present, and have no idea where the movie is going or how it will conclude. Most are simply floating around trying to do the best they can with what they make of the situation. 

     Perhaps talking about God means allowing those around you to push the pause button and ask you what in the world is going on. Can you tell them how the story began? Can you tell them how the characters have arrived at their present state? Can you explain what is good and bad about the character’s situation. Can you provide insight to where the story is headed? I think this is why telling others about God is a conversation requires a conversation.  

     The conversation must be told from the perspective of a witnesses. Examples of this are found in the gospel accounts. These examples include those who have been healed (Luke 8:38-39), and those who recognize Jesus based upon how He fulfills his role (John1:40-41). In both these cases the witness tell others about Jesus based upon their personal experience in line with the teachings of Scripture. This type of conversation is to include and transfer of the teachings of Jesus as commanded in Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus states, “18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been  given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age".

     As you may have already concluded, telling takes prior preparation. A familiar text in our church makes this point clear. We are challenged in 1 Peter 3:15 to, “honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”. Based upon this and other texts, I suggest the following strategy. Pray, study, live as an example, serve, and prepare to answer questions. I believe this strategy to be what is needed to present yourself as one desiring to be used by God.

     Finally, with the example of Paul the Apostle, we are to tell the simple things of Gospel in a culturally aware manner.  Examine how Paul does this in Acts 17:17, 20:20. Here we read, “17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace, every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean        and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean."

     Paul’s message was strange because its focus was on the death and resurrection of Jesus. This same focus is strange in our day as well. Two aspects of our culture that make it strange begin with secularization. Secularization defines our culture as one that no longer depends on religious institutions as sources of truth. Alongside secularization is pluralism. Pluralism defines our culture as one with no dominate worldview. This also causes many to define the Christian message as religious babble.

     This brings us back to our main thought. Telling others about God is not a script, but a conversation. This conversation needs to answer the four worldview shaping questions of our day. Christianity must be communicated with the context of questions of origin, meaning,       morality, and destiny. May your life speak into the conversation in such a way that offers the hope of the Gospel.