Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Jesus Told Us to Go

Go, and do not be afraid. At once these instructions are both so easy, and yet for many Christians they are also so difficult. Despite God’s clear command to teach others about our faith and His reassurance that He will be with us, American culture is in the midst of a staggering trend against evangelism. In 1993, a Barna Group study showed that 89% of Christians believed it was the responsibility of every Christian to share their faith. By 2018 that number had dropped 25 points to only 64%. 65% of Christians said they share their faith by the way they live instead of (not in addition to) talking to people about Christ.

Why the Hesitation?

Why are people so hesitant to open their mouths and declare the name of Jesus? Yes, we should be living out our faith with our actions, but Jesus specifically said to “teach” people. That requires us to talk to them. Yet so many Christians are afraid to do so.

Have you ever heard any of these statements?

Conversations about religion always become so heated.
What if I don’t know how to answer their questions?
How do I even get the conversation started?

These are all common refrains that hold people back from talking about their faith. The reason they hesitate isn’t because they don’t know they should be evangelizing. It’s because they’re afraid they don’t know how.

Two Main Fears

In my experience people’s hesitancy is largely driven by two main fears. First, “How do I get the conversation started without sounding awkward?” Second, “What if I don’t know how to answer the other person’s questions?” What follows is a brief introduction to how we can overcome these fears while at the same time showing courtesy and respect so as to keep the conversation cordial.

Talk with People

First, how do we begin the conversation? For starters, we need to talk with people and not at them. We may have a whole list of important information about the gospel and we just have to get it out. We launch into a rapid-fire monologue, taking short breaths in between sentences, so the other person doesn’t have time to interrupt our incredibly important litany. After all, if they get a word in edgewise we might get sidetracked from our list.

Shields Up!

When we talk at someone, our primary concern is to convey all the information we think they need to hear. But when we talk with them we are more worried about listening to what they have to say and engaging in a two-way dialogue. The moment someone senses you are talking at them their defenses will go up and any opportunity for a meaningful conversation will be over. They’re not listening to you. While you’re rambling on, their mind is planning out their counterattack.

Talking at someone places the focus on us. Talking with someone places the focus on them. The people we are speaking to are individuals, not targets. Showing respect to someone means being invested in who they are, not just in what you want to tell them.

For many people I’ve probably just ratcheted up the anxiety level even higher. After all, it’s a lot harder to talk with someone than it is to talk at them. If I’m talking at a person, I’m in complete control. I don’t have to worry about anything they might say because … I’m never giving them a chance to say anything. But engaging in a dialogue is scarier. All of a sudden I have to worry about what someone else is going to say to me, and that’s what I don’t know if I can handle.

But dialogue doesn’t need to be scary. In fact, it’s a lot easier than many people think. There are three easy steps that can serve as a broad outline to any faith conversation, and with just a little bit of practice all of us can all become more comfortable declaring Christ both with our actions and our words.

First Pray

The first step should be the most obvious but is one I think too many people today skip over. Pray. God has told us not to be discouraged because He will be with us. Do we believe Him? Walking with us in our times of need is an incredibly small thing compared to dying on the cross. If God did the latter, shouldn’t we be able to trust Him to do the former? Yet we live in a culture that tells us to pick ourselves up by our own bootstraps and praises individual accomplishment. So ironically even in much of our ministry, many Christians try to “do it on their own” without first stopping and asking the Holy Spirit to be a part of what they are undertaking. Just like we should pray before every ministry meeting, we should pray when we set out to evangelize.

Then Look for Opportunities

Second, we need to look for opportunities. They’re all around us. Most of the time we’re just not paying attention. Michael Ramsden, President of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, tells a story about a time he was in a hair salon and overheard the owner say to a stylist next to her, “My business is doing so well but there must be more to life than this.”[1] That was an opportunity, and he took it. There is more to life than succeeding in business, no matter what our culture says. By paying attention to what was going on around him, Mr. Ramsden was able to start up a conversation that led to an hour and fifteen-minute discussion of the gospel.

Keep Doors Open

Not every opening will be that obvious. Recognizing when these chances arise will often require us to have at least a basic understanding of the topics that are permeating our culture. Maybe it’s a meme circulating on social media. Maybe it’s the acceptance speech some Hollywood celebrity just gave at an awards show. Maybe it’s the latest blockbuster in the movie theater. People are always talking about something, and those “somethings” very often will open the door to a discussion on faith. The question is simply whether we are going to walk through it. We don’t need to immerse ourselves in every aspect of contemporary Western culture. But at the same time, we can’t be completely oblivious to it either. Paul knew what the Greeks valued when he spoke at the Areopagus. We need to be aware of what unknown god our culture is worshipping.

Ask Questions

So, we’ve prayed, we’ve seen an opportunity arise, and now we’re wondering how to seize it. What do we say to get the conversation started? That leads into step 3, ask, don’t tell. This one seems a bit counter-intuitive to some people. If we have all this information we want the other person to hear, shouldn’t we be the one doing the talking and they be the one doing the listening? Actually, you can accomplish even more by primarily using questions, plus you gain some other important advantages.

Questions invite the other person to speak. They can’t shut down because you are talking at them if they are doing most of the talking. But even though they are doing most of the talking, you are actually in control of the conversation. Questions determine which topics are up for discussion, and you are the person asking all the questions. Finally, questions foster conversation. When one person is asking a question and another is giving an answer, there are two people invested in the discussion. Our goal is not to lecture, but to listen and have a dialogue.

Greg Koukl has a fantastic book called Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions. Anyone who wants to learn more about how to effectively evangelize should have a copy, read it, and keep it handy. Koukl calls his primary tactic the “Columbo Tactic,” named after the famous television detective played by Peter Falk. Columbo was famous for asking question after question while investigating a case, and our approach to evangelism can look very similar.

Three Ways to Direct a Conversation

Koukl explains three ways we can use questions to direct a conversation. The first is to use them to gather more information. An example is, “What do you mean by that?”[2] When a person makes a statement, the first thing we should do is ask a question. Something of the variety of “What do you mean by that?” not only allows us to make sure we are understanding them correctly, but sometimes it gets the other person to think through what they’re saying. In today’s social media age, many people are merely repeating slogans they’ve heard that sounded good, but they have no idea what they actually mean.

The second way to use questions is to reverse the burden of proof. Koukl’s example for this is, “How did you come to that conclusion?”[3] There is a trap that almost all of us have fallen into from time to time. Someone makes a statement that we know is false. Our immediate instinct is to explain to them why it is false. So, we launch into our long explanation, rattling off all our evidence, convinced that in the end the other person will come around and see things our way. If we do that, we end up talking at people again and their defensive walls will spring right up.

There’s a better way to handle this situation. When someone makes a statement that runs contrary to what God has told us to be true, just ask them a question. Start out by making sure you are understanding them correctly with “What do you mean by that?” But then follow it up with “How did you come to that conclusion?” It may surprise you to hear that the vast majority of conversations I engage in with people when they make claims like this never need to get past this second question. Most people have no idea how they arrived at any particular conclusion. Their claim wasn’t borne out of some rational evaluation of the arguments and evidence resulting in a well thought out conclusion. They read some meme online that they agreed with, so now they’re just repeating it. If someone else makes a claim, it is not your job to refute it. It is their job to defend it. Asking them politely “How did you come to that conclusion” is one way to respectfully place the burden on them, where it belongs.

The third way Koukl suggests we can use questions is to make a point.[4] This is where you finally have the opportunity to inject all that information you have inside your head into the conversation. But you still need to resist the temptation to talk at people. The most inviting way to insert information into the discussion is to use a question. “Have you ever considered…?” “What do you think about…?”

Ask, Don’t Tell

There’s a fundamental difference between merely telling people information and asking them questions about it. When you tell, you may come across as if you believe you are smarter or superior. But when you ask, you are showing genuine interest in them and their opinions. At the same time, you are inviting them to think through something they may not have thought about before. They are much more likely to do so if they don’t feel like they are being “preached at.”

Suppose you know absolutely nothing about embryology, but you hear someone say, “Christians have no right to object to abortion unless they’re willing to take care of all the extra babies that will be born if abortion is outlawed.” You can still ask them a “what do you mean by that” type of question. For example, “I just want to make sure I’m understanding you correctly. You’re saying that no one has the right to object to unborn children being killed unless they’re willing to take care of those unborn children, is that right?” You could follow it up with a question of the “how did you come to that conclusion” variety. “How is it that my not having the resources to personally take care of a child makes it okay to kill it?”

Too often people hesitate to evangelize because they don’t think they know enough. They want to leave that sort of thing to the “professionals,” like their pastor. But each and every one of us is expected to share our faith, not just those in church leadership. Anyone can ask questions, so all of us know enough to get out there and get started.

Admit You Don’t Know

But what if someone says something that you don’t know how to answer? That is one of the biggest causes of anxiety, and yet at the same time it is one of the easiest questions to answer. If someone asks you something you don’t know how to answer, you politely say, “I don’t know the answer to that. Let me look into it and I’ll get back to you.” Then you politely end the conversation.

Conversion Is the Holy Spirit’s Job

We often put way too much pressure on ourselves. We think that each and every conversation needs to result in the other person accepting Christ or else it was useless. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have to remember that conversion isn’t our job. We can’t convert anybody anyway. That’s the Holy Spirit’s doing. Our job is to do as we have been instructed, so that if the Spirit wants to use us as an instrument through which He works, then we are obediently available.

To Sum It Up

Greg Koukl describes a more modest goal he sets for himself when engaging in evangelistic conversations. “All I want to do is put a stone in someone’s shoe. I want to give him something worth thinking about, something he can’t ignore because it continues to poke at him in a good way.”[5] We worry so much about what other people will say because we think we need to have all the answers. We don’t. Just set yourself a modest goal and get out there and share the gospel. First, pray. Second, look for opportunities. Third, ask, don’t tell. Use questions to gather information, to reverse the burden of proof and to make a point. We all know that we should be sharing God’s good news. Hopefully this basic outline can help reassure you as to how.

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[1] Centre for Public Christianity, “Conversation Apologetics – Michael Ramsden,” March 24, 2018, video, 44:32, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MJb5_2CABI.

[2] Greg Koukl, Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,2009), 49-52.

[3] Ibid., 61-64.

[4] Ibid., 77-87.

[5] Ibid., 38.

“The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land.  Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”  (Psalm 95:5-6)

 

The Lord is the Maker of all things.  In His hands are the caverns of the deep and the dry land is His.  All that is has come forth from His hands.  To whom else are we to compare anything when all things came into being through Him?  Come then, bow down and worship the Lord, for He is Your maker and the One through whom you have your being.  He is worthy of all honor and praise and in Him is life.

 Lord, Help me to understand more clearly that all things of this world are only things which You have made.  Everything is in You and apart from You is nothing.  Guide me, O Lord, according to Your goodness to walk in Your counsel.  Lead me in the way of righteousness that You have established.  Guide me to walk humbly with You, my Maker, that I may live according to Your will.

Holy Spirit, come and minister to my heart that I may walk in the peace that You give amidst the hostility of this world.  Lead me in the right way of living that I may now and always walk in the way You have established from the beginning.  Help me this day to see in You the hope that only You can give and live upright amidst a world filled with tribulation.  Guide me now and always.  Amen.

“They have said, “The Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob pay heed.”  Pay heed, you senseless among the people; and when will you understand, stupid ones?”  (Psalm 94:7-8)

 

There are many who rail against the Lord wondering where He is.  He does not do as people imagine a god would do things.  The Lord of Hosts has declared His purpose and you have heard of His law.  You and I are not in a position to rail against the Lord, but only to receive the reality He has declared.  When will we learn?  It is as it has always been.  The Lord is God and there is no other.

Lord, help me to ignore those who do not hear and will not listen.  They are speaking to me all the time and I am influenced by their poison.  Guide my heart to see the truth that You alone are God.  Let me not fall prey to those who rail against You.  Let the meditation of my heart be upon You who has made all things that I may walk humbly in Your sight and live according to Your Word.

Lord Jesus, You have come to rescue as many as would listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as we are called out of the rebellion of this world and into the light of Your presence.  Guide me this day to walk humbly in Your sight and see the truth of Your grace  as it shines forth in my life.  You are the Savior and I need to be saved.  The stupid ones will always be here in this age.  Help me to not be one of them.  Amen.

“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:11-12)

 

How many times has something not happened because you were being protected? How many calamities did not come your way? We often think in terms of what happened, but do not realize that the Lord is watching over us and there are many things that did not happen because He is watching over us. Give thanks to the Lord in all circumstances, knowing that He cares for His own.

Lord, give me an eye to see more clearly those times when Your protection was over me. Let me have a heart that is thankful in every circumstance, knowing that You are watching over me. Lead me to know that Your promises are forever and that You have provided for our every need. May I grow in thankfulness and steadfastness in faith, knowing that You are watching over all that I do.

Savior of the world, You have given Your Holy Spirit to lead each one of us every step of the way. Your holy angels have charge over us to keep us from evil and lead us in the way of salvation. Guide me, O Lord, in the way You would have me go that I may now and always walk according to Your never-failing love. Lift me up to give You praise in thanksgiving. Amen.

“You also turn back the edge of his sword and have not made him stand in battle. You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground.” (Psalm 89:43-44)

 

Those who go against the Lord will come to an inglorious end. No one stands against the Lord and thrives forever. Their gain is fleeting. Those who are in the Lord may experience the trials and travails this world brings, but nothing happens that does not bring about goodness for those who love the Lord. Come into the Lord’s presence and know the blessings He gives to those who love Him.

Lord, each day You are there to guide me. Whether I listen or not, that is another matter. Clear my ears and open my eyes to see this age simply as it is. There are those who will follow You and those who will not. I do not know who they are, but You do. Keep me to the tasks You give me that I would serve You knowing that You are working all things together for good for those who love You.

Holy Spirit, in those times where my mind is conflicted, bring Your comfort. When I am in doubt, bring me to the place where I see Your hand and remember Your provision for all the faithful. Guide me in the way of truth that I may walk the path You have before me in faith and hope, knowing that I am being conformed to the image of Jesus. Lead me this day that I may be faithful. Amen.

You Yourself crushed Rahab like one who is slain; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all it contains, You have founded them.” (Psalm 89:10-11)

The times and seasons are in the Lord’s hands. He holds the ages in His mind and all things will come to pass as the Lord has determined. Why do you worry about the events that happen around you? Are they not in the Lord’s hands? Why do you make your faith conditional? Will not the Lord bring to pass all the He has spoken? Come to the Lord and live in the hope of His Word.

Lord, I do fret over the circumstances of this world. I see so many things and there are so many that are conditional. Teach me to simply come to You knowing that all things are now and always have been in Your hands. Guide me in the way of faith that I would trust You above all things. Lead me, O Lord, and I will be led into the promises You have given for all throughout the ages.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your goodness and grace which You have purchased for all who believe. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for the guidance You give moment by moment. Lead me in the way I should go so that in all I do the Father may be glorified. Keep my mind and heart close to You that what happens around me is seen as only the unfolding of events that You knew would happen. Amen.

“Forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, and they are cut off from Your hand. You have put me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the depths.” (Psalm 88:5-6)

The wicked shall go to the dust and their deeds be remembered no more. Why then pursue the way of the wicked? Who wants to remember evil? Do we not applaud the deeds of those who do good? Even history proclaims the truth of the deeds of those who do good. Be remembered by the Lord and stand in His presence, having done what is pleasing in His sight. Know the Lord and learn the good.

Lord, You call to all who will listen in every generation. There are those who hear Your voice and respond to Your call. Count me among those who hear You and teach me to walk in Your ways. Guide me according to Your goodness that I would now and forever live according to Your Word of truth which has been spoken from the beginning. Lead me, O Lord, in the way I should go.

Holy Spirit, I need Your ministry in my life. I need what You alone can do. Guide me this day according to the will of the Father to walk in the way You would have me go. Lead me according to Your goodness to see those things which are right to do and then guide my feet to do them. Help me now and always to live according to the promises You have spoken that I may be amongst those You remember. Amen.

THE SECOND PRIME OF LIFE

Devotional for December 31, 2017 based upon Luke 2: 22-40

 

Something I really enjoy watching or listening to is someone totally using their best gifts in the prime of their life.  Whether it is in music or sports, or the chance to hear really great preaching, or whatever, I enjoy seeing, hearing, or watching someone function when they are at their absolute best.

But then there are others who will say, “I am past my prime.  My best days are over.  The best days have all come and gone.”  I wonder if Simeon and Anna ever felt like that.

By the time we meet them, Simeon is an old man.  When he was younger, Luke tells us, “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.”  Can you imagine what that would be like?  To be told that you would not die until something really great had happened.   

And there must have been a time when Anna dreamed of a glorious life.  But Luke tells us that her husband died just “seven years after her marriage.”  Things had not turned out like she had planned.  Anna was now eighty-four years old.  You get the picture of an older widow and an older single man now spending most of their time hanging around church.  Luke tells us, Anna “never left the temple,” but worshipped there day and night.  Most people would say that their best days were over.  The best had come and gone.  They were long past their prime.

But the world defines “the prime of life” in a way that is very different from the way in which God defines it.  The world sees the prime of life as that season when we are most physically strong and mentally alert.  God sees the prime of life as the season when we are the most spiritually strong and spiritually alert.  Exactly what Simeon and Anna’s first prime of life looked like – to what extent it corresponded to the worldly version of youth, health, wealth, and influence – that we really do not know.  But we do know that these two people had clearly come into the second prime of life.

For one thing, they were truly FAITHFUL PEOPLE.  The Bible says that Simeon was “righteous and devout.”  Which does not mean that he was perfect.  But it does mean that he stayed close to God.  Luke tells us how Anna maintained her intimacy with God.  She was in the temple day and night.  She had established a daily rhythm of worship, prayer, and fasting that built up her spirit even when her body was breaking down.

Second, they were PERSEVERING PEOPLE.  For eighty years Simeon and Anna had kept trusting God.  Through tragedies like the early death of Anna’s husband, and through the long wait between God’s original promise to Simeon and its fulfillment on that first Christmas, these two people persevered in trusting God.

And third, Simeon and Anna were SPIRIT-LED PEOPLE.  Anna was a prophetess.  Which means that she was someone who expected to hear from God, and she was someone who dared to speak for God.  And the Gospel writer Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit rested on Simeon.

Which means that Simeon went places and did things as he sensed the Spirit was directing him.

It is hard to overstate just how much faithfulness, perseverance, and being responsive to the Spirit count with God.  But in this story we see that at a time when the world probably would have regarded them primarily as candidates for senior housing, God chose Simeon and Anna to do one of the most important tasks ever performed in all of human history.  They declared the true identity of Jesus.  They helped Jesus’ parents prepare for what lay ahead.  Simeon said to Mary, “A sword will pierce your soul also.”  And they passed on a blessing, which eventually was passed on to us.

So what about you?  No matter how young or how old you are today, you might be like Simeon and Anna were earlier that day – about to do the greatest and most important thing that you do in life.  Are you in your prime – your first prime?  Are you just coming into your first prime?  Are you in your second prime?  Or do you feel that you are past your prime?

Are you FAITHFUL like Simeon and Anna?  Are you practicing the spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, and fasting?  Are you nurturing what Luke said Simeon had – a “righteous and devout” spirit?

Are you PERSEVERING like Simeon and Anna?  In spite of all your setbacks, doubts, and questions, are you still waiting for the one who is the hope of us all?  Are you helping others trust in the promises and the good plans of God?

Are you SPIRIT-LED like Simeon and Anna?  Do you have a good word from God that others need to hear?  Are you willing to go where God tells you to go?  Is God calling you, like He called Simeon and Anna, to declare the true identity of Jesus, to help others prepare for what lies ahead, and/or to pass on a word of blessing?

Whether you are just coming into your prime, in your prime, or in your second prime, never see yourself as past your prime.  Rather be like Simeon and Anna.  Faithful, persevering and following the lead of the Spirit wherever you may be in life.  

Dennis D. Nelson

President of the Board and Director of Lutheran CORE

Wednesday, December 13, 2017 Devotion

“For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name.  You will prolong the king’s life; His years will be as many generations.”  (Psalm 61:5-6)

We look to our God in our desires and want from Him those things we think we need.  God provides for everyone and everything.  Will you trust in the Lord’s provision and see that all things are now and always have been in His hands.  He who made you knows what You need even before you ask.  He will lead you if you will follow.  He will guide you in all of your ways.

Lord, I often do not even know what to ask for, but You are always providing.  Turn my heart to You to see all the good things You give knowing that only in You is there hope and a future.  Lead me according to Your goodness to walk humbly in Your ways, knowing that in You alone is there hope for all.  Guide me to go deeper into Your presence and Your ways now and always, knowing that You are the giver of life, faith and hope.

Lord Jesus, I need what You alone have done.  I need Your salvation and in You alone is the hope for eternity.  Guide me through the Holy Spirit to walk humbly with You wherever You lead, doing what You give me to do.  Lead me, O Lord, that I would act according to the Father’s will.  Amen.

Saturday, December 9, 2017 Devotion

“Moab is My washbowl; over Edom I shall throw My shoe; shout loud, O Philistia, because of Me!”  Who will bring me into the besieged city?  Who will lead me to Edom?”  (Psalm 60:8-9)

Who is able to counsel the Lord?  Who can speak to Him words He does not already know?  What secrets are there that are hidden?  The Lord knows the days of us all and has planned for all that shall come about.  Do not worry about what tomorrow will bring, but come into the counsel of the Lord and walk in His ways.  Learn from the One who made all things and grow in wisdom.

Lord, Creator and Sustainer of all things, You know, yet You allow for the wicked ones to rail against You.  Help me, O Lord, to see through the darkness of this world and be as one who is Yours.  You have come to lead me through the ups and downs of this world and to walk humbly with You my Maker.  Guide me, O Lord, that I may have Your praise upon my lips all the day long.

Lord Jesus, You have called as many as believe to walk with You now and always.  Lead me, O Lord, to humbly submit and learn to listen as the Holy Spirit speaks.  Guide me in the eternal ways already established and form them in me.  Master, walk with me this day, leading me into the eternal wisdom You have brought for those who turn to You. Teach me Your ways.  Amen.