Let’s take a closer look at what these means from a scriptural perspective and how we are to go about doing this.

Witnessing

We are told by Paul and others that we are to share what Christ has done for us.  This is our personal message of the impact God has had on our lives.  We should each be prepared to share 1) How we came to Christ and 2) How Christ has changed our lives.

We should all prepare this beforehand so that you are ready to share when the opportunity presents itself. This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out diatribe.  It should be just a couple of minutes for each of the two parts mentioned above.  Below is an example of a personal message regarding a witness of Christ.

How did you become a Christian?

When I was a teenager in high school, my brother started attending a local church and became a Christian and he witnessed to me.  I decided to go with him to church and see for myself.  I had always had a general belief there was a God, but knew very little about Him, outside of the Sunday School stories I had heard the few times I went when I was a child.  I heard how God forgives sin if we believe in Him and that appealed to me at the time.  My brother’s zeal also appealed to me.

I decided to believe and started reading the Bible.  I was confused by most of it and it didn’t really sink in at all.  When I went to college, I got busy with my studies and pursuing a relationship and lost my focus on God.  It was only after about 30+ years of trying to live a “successful” life from the world’s perspective that I realized I was unhappy in that pursuit.  I knew something was missing and it wasn’t money or power. 

My wife and I took a trip to Yellowstone National Park and kept running into the same couple at every stop.  We introduced ourselves and decided to have dinner with them after a pleasant conversation.  That night at dinner they witnessed to us.  I am now certain they prayed for us as well.  It wasn’t long after that my wife returned to her forgotten belief in Christ and led me back.  When I heard her talking about Jesus, it clicked with me, that is what I was missing!

I had spent my adult life pursuing worldly desires and relationships.  What I had managed to build up and the relationships I had been in left me longing for more.  Jesus showed me through the power of the Holy Spirit what I was missing and how to fill that void.  This has given me peace of mind and a desire to help others understand that truth.  God has forgiven me and granted me eternal life through the sacrifice Jesus made on my behalf.  I owe Him my life, that He gave me from the beginning.  I realize that now and am now committed to living my life in service to Him.  This brings joy and happiness to my life, despite any worldly circumstances I may be experiencing.  Nothing can take that away from me now!

Sharing the Gospel

What does it mean to go out to the “ends of the earth” to share the gospel?  Are we all to quit our jobs and become full-time ministers or missionaries?  That wouldn’t make sense, as we would all have the same job.  That is not what is described in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, in which we are told we are all members of one body and have different parts for different purposes.  All of these different parts (jobs) have an important function in the world and are needed.  So clearly, we are not all supposed to be ministers or missionaries. 

“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” (1Co 12:12)

So, what does this mean?  It means we are to always put God first in our minds (thoughts) and make sure our actions come from that godly, righteous way of thinking and use that thought process when interacting with others. We are to look for opportunities to share when a door is opened by God. 

Let’s take a look at the perfect example of how this is done.  We will use Jesus’ own example, which is in John 4:7-29.  In this scene in Samaria, Jesus met the woman at the well with a purpose in mind, to share the good news!  Notice how Jesus shared the good news.  He didn’t just walk up to her and tell her what He wanted her to know.  He engaged with her, starting with what was going on in the world that He could tell was affecting her.  He started talking about the water she was drawing out of the well in the middle of the day.  For historical context, the women were responsible for going and getting the water they needed for their daily consumption and cleaning needs.  They did this in the morning for two reasons, 1) they needed the water first thing, 2) it was too hot in the middle of the day.  Jesus knew that the woman was there at an uncommon time for a reason. 

Jesus followed up a worldly focused brief discussion with a correlation to a spiritual topic.  Then He made a point about how the spiritual relates, but is different than the worldly and the benefits it provides.  It was at this point that Jesus was able to bring up the points relating to the gospel.  We should aim to do the same thing.

Delivery Method

This brings us to the method of our delivery. This starts with a focus on the ultimate goal.  That is to shine God’s light on the people we come in contact with.  If we follow a general process, which will of course need to be flexible, depending on the person we are interacting with and the situation, we can at least take steps towards the gospel.  We are not required to stand on the street corners and preach to anyone who is walking by.  There are people who are good at doing this, but it isn’t for everyone.  We need to take steps towards the gospel and keep an open eye for opportunities to discuss it.

Here is the general process for getting into a discussion that has a chance of getting to the gospel.

1. Start with a light discussion regarding something relevant going on in the world around the person we are interacting with.
2. Depending on the situation and how well you know the person, ask them questions to engage them that help you gain a better understanding of where they are at in terms of their understanding of the gospel (learning questions).
3. Then morph the questions to transition into spiritual topics (leading questions). This is best done with preparation.  Come up with a list of such questions beforehand.
4. Now it depends on the person, their responses and the situation, but this is when we can open a spiritual discussion. You can even be so bold as to ask them if they know Jesus.  Again, this will depend on the situation.
5. Always stay open to the possibility of sharing and look for the opportunities to guide people to spiritual topics. They are much more prevalent than you might think, especially if you are prepared for them.

Organized Ways to Spread the Word

When you are first starting out in doing this, you may feel uncomfortable.  You might want to start by discussing spiritual topics with other believers.  Here are some other ways you can learn to and have the opportunity to spread the Word.

1. Bible studies – these are be good to learn more about the Word and discuss it with others. This can help other believers and yourself grow.  It also gives you the opportunity to ask others how they interact with non-believers about such topics.  This is a great learning environment.
2. Church organized outreach events – Churches will often organize outreach events. These are designed to go to a specific place in a group setting and offer information to people that are curious or interested.  The church will likely have pastors and deacons that will help guide you in doing this.
3. Volunteering at a help center – These can be soup kitchens, homeless shelters, nursing homes, etc. Your church might have a specific outreach to these, or you can call them up or look on their website for volunteering information.  This will give you the opportunity to help those in need in an organized manner.  They will be able to help you understand how to help.  That will likely open doors to discussing the gospel.
4. Mission trips – Your church may offer mission trips to specific foreign locations that are in need of help, both worldly and spiritually. If your church does not, you can look up mission trips on the internet and find a wealth of information on how to participate.  Some of these will even cover most of the cost of the trip, but you will likely need a passport and the ability to travel.  Again, this type of organized activity will provide a structured way to help out and speak to others about the gospel.