When we share our testimonies, we should make sure we include how we too came to this realization. Knowing that Jesus is Lord is vastly different from knowing him as savior. Being forgiven makes no demands upon us, but when we surrender to Jesus the Lord, are lives are no longer our own.

Gospel in a Minute

Paul continued his testimony by introducing the supernatural part of his story.

As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. 7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8  “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ Acts 22:6-8 (NLT)

Principle: Share How God Showed Up

A testimony is essentially the relating of how God intersected a life.

Unless God intervenes, we are headed for hell. We don’t need any help to pull that off. That was certainly the case with Paul. He was “hell bent” on persecuting Christians in an attempt to stamp out what had become known as the Way. He was the chief enemy of the faith and perhaps the most unlikely of all people to have an encounter with the risen Christ, and that is exactly the point.

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16  But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NLT)

A good testimony invites people to consider that God is real, cares about us, and is able to communicate effectively. Most people are unaware that this sort of thing can happen, and, even if they know it can, they do not believe it will.

If we have successfully made people realize we were just as unlikely a candidate for divine intervention as they are, our testimony may require them to come to terms that the gospel might be for them, too. When I share with people how God intersected my life and revealed to me that Jesus is truly who the Bible says he is, I always tell them that God does not turn away any sincere seeker. If our listeners will honestly turn to God and ask him for help, the Lord will not turn his back on them.

A testimony offers people hope that God will intersect their lives, too.

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)

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Gospel in a Minute

Paul was in Jerusalem when hostile Jews attacked and falsely accused him. In order to quell a riot, Roman soldiers took him into custody. On his way to the military outpost, the commander granted Paul permission to speak to the crowd.

Paul provides us with a model for sharing our own testimonies.

Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. Acts 22:3 (NLT)

Principle: Establish Solidarity

People generally think that followers of Christ are at least a little weird. I became a disciple during what was called the “Jesus Revolution” or “Jesus Movement” back in the early seventies. Society labeled those who turned to Christ during that great awakening as “Jesus Freaks.”

Anyone who is not like everyone else arouses suspicion. When we promulgate a message that runs counter to the accepted norm, we become a threat. Gospel communicators must be aware of these two barriers by first establishing solidarity with the audience.

Since Paul was addressing Jews, he first established that he was a Jew. People need to know that we understand them. Not only was Paul Jewish, he also had been a man of stature in the community, having studied under the finest teachers. In other words,

Paul told his listeners that he understood them and was like them.

Secondly, Paul complimented them on their zeal, however misplaced. As mentioned in a previous article, if we can find common ground with our listeners, it helps a lot. It is rarely a good idea to launch an attack on those whom we are trying to convert. Even though his antagonists were in the wrong, he found something for which to praise them: their zeal for Jewish beliefs.

We also should look for what we can acknowledge as being good in our listeners in an effort to establish solidarity prior to sharing the gospel.

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We should not waste this crisis. Let God do in us everything he desires.

Gospel in a Minute

After Paul addressed a crowd in Athens, his listeners responded as follows.

When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33  That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34  but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. Acts 17:32-34 (NLT)

Principle: Be Glad for a Hot or Cold Response to the Gospel

Lack of interest is not what we hope to obtain when we present the gospel. Far better that a person become hostile than simply ignore the greatest gift ever offered. This agrees with Jesus’ warning in Revelation.

I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16  But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! Revelation 3:15-16 (NLT)

Even though Jesus spoke these words to the church, the principle still applies to all. If people actively resist the gospel, it is because they are seriously listening and do not like what they hear. There is hope for such a person. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will bring them around as they continue to ponder the implications of the gospel. The “lukewarm” disinterested person, however, does not have much hope at all. His or her mind and heart are not engaged.

We should be glad for a “hot” response by those who readily receive the gospel. We should also be glad when we encounter hostility, knowing that at least the message is being heard.

Be assured that God’s word will accomplish his desired end.

It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. Isaiah 55:11 (NLT)

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Gospel in a Minute

While addressing a crowd in Athens, Paul covered from creation to the resurrection in one paragraph.

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25  and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26  From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. 27  “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28  For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29  And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. 30  “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31  For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:24-31 (NLT)

Principle: Be Able to Quickly Summarize the Gospel

Sometimes we find ourselves in situation where we have a very small window of time in which to communicate big ideas.

To be an effective gospel communicator we need to learn how to share the good news with great thoroughness when given the opportunity and with brevity when that is required.

I am not sure what kind of time pressure Paul found himself, but it seems that he knew his audience’s attention span was short. He covered thousands of years in a few sentences. Let’s see what he established in that one paragraph.

God is the Creator.

Man-made religion and idols are useless.

God is sovereign over the affairs of the world.

God’s purpose for mankind was for us to seek and find him. He is near at hand.

God is calling everyone to repent and turn to him.

He will one day judge the world through one he raised from the dead.

Paul did not share the entire gospel in this paragraph, but he did manage to get their attention and provoke a response. He found out who was open and who just wanted to debate. That was a decent outcome.

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Everyone experiences disappointment. Some more than others.

The reason we are disappointed is because our expectations are not fulfilled.

The higher our expectations, the greater the possibility of disappointment. Some try to avoid disappointment by lowering expectations. This is not necessarily a good idea. A better way to deal with disappointment is to submit our expectations to God. If instead we become bitter and hardened on the inside, disappointment becomes toxic and will likely destroy us, something we must guard against.

The life of Joseph provides us with one of the best biblical examples of properly handling disappointment. He began life with many advantages. His father loved and God favored him. He received a couple of amazing dreams that fueled his expectation of coming greatness. His brothers’ jealous hatred caused his life to take a sharp turn into disappointment. He was betrayed, sold as a slave, falsely accused, imprisoned, and forgotten for years. In the midst of those disappointments he kept his faith in God and refused to succumb to self-pity or bitterness. Eventually he was elevated to a very high position in Egypt’s government and was restored to his family.

The Psalms provide an interesting insight into his experience.

Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character. Psalm 105:19 (NLT)

God allows us to encounter disappointments in life to test and develop our character.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

If we rely on God during difficulties, the Bible says we will not be disappointed. That is good news.

Toxic Disappointment

Plenty of people allow disappointments to morph into bitterness. This happens because we cannot let go of what we expected and wanted and allow it to eat away at our souls.

We think we deserve better and resent those who block our getting what we want. Ultimately, our resentment is against God himself, who is the Over Ruler through whom all circumstances in life must be okayed. Bitterness destroys people. There are several biblical examples to which we are wise to take heed.

The first is Korah. He was disappointed in Moses’ leadership and decided Israel would do better under his guidance. He was able to persuade several other key leaders to participate in his rebellion. Many unwitting non-leaders were also swept up in this display of bitterness against God’s delegated authority. Here is what God had to say about it.

The LORD is the one you and your followers are really revolting against!... Numbers 16:11 (NLT)

When our disappointment produces bitterness and rebellion, ultimately our problem and rebellion is against God. He is sovereign.

When we complain about our life and circumstances, we complain against God’s rule. We accuse him of injustice and a lack of compassion. It is a serious thing to accuse God.

Rebelling against God’s delegated authority cost Korah and his followers their lives. Caving to bitterness and rebellion against God will cost us big time, too.

Absalom is another prime example of improperly responding to disappointment. His half-brother Amnon raped his full sister, Tamar, and David, their common father, did nothing about it. This greatly disappointed  and offended Absalom, propelling him to become embittered to the point of taking things into his own hands by murdering Amnon. He eventually organized a coup against his father, tearing the entire nation apart. This reminds me of the verse in Hebrews that warns against the contagiousness of bitterness.

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out th

Gospel in a Minute

When given the opportunity to address a crowd in Athens, Paul found a way to segue into the gospel message.

So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23  for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. Acts 17:22-23 (NLT)

Principle: Find Common Ground

When we have the opportunity to share the gospel, wisdom teaches us not to begin by attacking people and their beliefs. All that does is make them defensive and closes their mind against what we have to say. Paul found common ground with the Athenians in a most surprising way. Instead of negatively focusing on their pagan idolatry, he pointed out the one thing they shared.

By finding common ground he gave himself the best opportunity to be heard.

When we talk with people, we should ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us where we can find a launching point to share Jesus. I am not of the persuasion that every conversation needs to end up with our sharing the gospel. That is a good way to alienate people. If we hope to have a long-term connection with people, we must be socially aware and smart, not a gospel bulldozer that flattens everything in its path.

Sometimes God will open a way to share the gospel in a first meeting. Other times we may need to cultivate a relationship. If we love people, we will rejoice either way. Love opens hearts to the gospel.

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NLT)

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God is not the author of evil, but as the Over Ruler (Lord) of all things, he makes everything, including evil, accomplish his purposes.

Gospel in a Minute

Paul and Silas made it to the city of Berea where they encountered a different sort of people.

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12  As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. Acts 17:11-12 (NLT)

Principle: Look for Open Minded People

When we are critical and suspicious, our minds are closed. Most of the Jewish leaders had already made up their minds to reject Jesus and his teachings. Such closed mindedness blinded them to the beauty and truth of his words and the testimony of his many miracles. They were self-satisfied and smug, thinking themselves better than others. Humble open minded people are willing to consider an idea and check out its validity for themselves. Instead of being manipulated by those who hated Paul and the gospel as had been the Thessalonians, the Bereans examined the Scriptures to see if the gospel’s claims were true.

Jesus described this sort of people in his famous parable of the sower.

And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. Luke 8:15 (NLT)

Rather than wasting time with proud, dishonest, and close-minded people who resist the gospel, look for those who are open. They make the best audience.

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