Pass It On Week 3

Opening

How important is it to share our faith with those outside the church?

What are the obstacles to sharing our faith outside the walls of the church?

Opening Truths:

Passing on our faith is a process not a one-time event.

Passing on our faith is more than just evangelism. Passing on your faith consists of evangelism, mentoring, discipleship and service.

The most effective means for passing on our faith is through relationships. Relationships give both opportunity and validity to the gospel message in the hearts of those we are called to share our faith with.

What Does God Say?

Matthew 28:18–20 NIV

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.”

The clearest commission of the Lord to invest in one another is found in Jesus’ final words to his disciples. Go and multiply yourselves. Multiplication takes place as we intentionally go and invest in others by showing them what it means to follow Jesus, how to obey what He has commanded, and how to lean into the Lord and trust in His grace and presence.

1 Peter 3:13–16 (NIV)

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

The world we live in is desperate for answers. We live in a world that fails to make sense and is ever changing, jumping from one trend to the next. The eternal answers of Christ bring order and meaning to our upside down world.

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 (NIV)

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Paul’s testimony was not built upon the flowery words and the arbitrary wisdom of man, but rather, Paul’s testimony was lived out in fear and trembling and complete dependence upon the Holy Spirit.

Romans 1:16–17 (NIV)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Our faith demonstrates the righteousness of God. Our obedience to follow and hold steadfast to our faith revels the truth of the Lord to an unbelieving world.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

Be reconciled to God is the foundation of our faith. We are not passing on a mere truth to be believed but rather we are passing on our relationship with the Lord Almighty who has reconciled us to Himself.

Matthew 9:36–38 (NIV)

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

It is with the greatest compassion that we share our faith for the Lord has made ripe the harvest. Are we willing to venture out to reap the fruits of His hard work?

Application

Building Relationships

The adage goes, “People do not care about what you know until they know how much you care.” Like all adages, there is truth and wisdom in its words. Relationships are a powerful means to show others that you care for them. Striking up a relationship with your neighbors, co-workers, and family members is often difficult when you have conflicting worldviews and goals at opposite ends of the spectrum, but God has uniquely placed you in your families, jobs, social circles and neighborhoods for the intent of surrounding you with a mission field for His glory.

God reminds us that we are in this world, but not of this world (John 15:18-19). In other words, our citizenship is in heaven with the Lord, but we have been sent into the world for the sake of taking part in the mission of reconciliation, started by Jesus. As we follow in Jesus’ footsteps of making disciples through relational life on life investment, we will see the mission of Christ fulfilled in our neighborhoods, workplaces, homes and beyond.

Practical relationship building tools:

Pray. Pray and Pray some more. Prayer is the continual reminder to our hearts that we can not pass our faith on apart from the Holy Spirit. Prayer also softens the heart of the hearer and heightens the sensitivity of the your heart to the movement and leading of the Holy Spirit.

Create connection opportunities. Be intentional about creating opportunities to build a relationship with those around you. It could be offering help to others, bringing a pie to your neighbors, hosting a block party or an invitation to dinner. Creating connection opportunities serves as the means by which meaningful discussions take place and care is expressed between parties.

Point your conversations toward the Lord. As your relationship develops with those around you, be intentional to point your conversations toward the Lord. In times of need or concern, offer to pray for them. When the opportunity allows, direct the conversation to things of God or your trust in God. Talk about how you lean into your relationship with God in times of concern or distress. Share your life with Christ. Your story is powerful.