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For so many, sharing the Gospel is a daunting task. That is part of the reason that so many Christians do not share the Gospel with people in their lives. A friend of mine has a saying that says, “if you know enough of the Gospel to be saved by it, you have enough of the Gospel to share it.” The first time I heard that, I was cut deep by its profoundness. If we know we are going to Heaven when we die, we should be able to tell people how to get there as well. The problem is we are often too afraid to open our mouths and start talking. This fear is straight from the devil and this fear is winning way too much. One thing that I have learned through the years, is that the more we speak the Gospel the better we will be in sharing it. Like anything else in life that we hope to get better in, we need to practice. The more we practice the better we will be in sharing the Gospel differently depending on who we are talking to. I believe that Christians as a whole need to investigate culture to be able to speak to people raised in their particular culture. The best tool we have in this is to listen to people share their story. Last week, I met the owner of the house across the street from me. He has been renting his house for several years while he lived in Kansas. I walked over to introduce myself, and we talked for about 25 minutes. In that conversation, I was able to get a pretty good picture of his worldview and how I can share the Gospel with him, if the opportunity present itself soon. By listening, I was able to see how I needed to contextualize the Gospel to enable him to understand it better. All throughout the Apostle Paul’s ministry, he constantly contextualized the Gospel depending on who he was speaking with. He never changed the Gospel but changed how he shared it. The Gospel does not change, but depending on the context, the way we share it will most likely change. Contextualizing the Gospel attempts to communicate the Gospel in word and deed and to establish the church in ways that make sense to people within their local cultural context. People from different parts of the country, or from different cultures generally will respond to the Gospel differently.  I we need to be prepared to listen first and then speak when given the opportunity.

            The first question is, “can you speak the Gospel?” If you cannot, then you need to start right there and begin to speak the Gospel to your Christian friends first to practice. Do not be satisfied with not being  able to share the Gospel. A second question is, “are you actively praying for opportunities to share the Gospel?” Actively praying will help us to be more open to the opportunities God will bring our way. You might have people in your family that you need to share the Gospel with. There are people you will encounter each day that need to hear the Gospel. Are there neighbors, that you do not know their spiritual condition? The opportunities to share the Gospel are far greater than we are taking advantage of. Start with these two questions and begin to share the Gospel to anyone who will listen.