PRAYER CONVERSATIONS: Speaking To People About God (a)

OPENING ILLUSTRATION

Just over 4 yrs ago I changed boats

I’d seen the ad on GUMTREE and was interested .. I rang the owner .. David .... and he was happy to negotiate the price and suggested I go to Currumbin to have a look and take it through its paces and see if it was what I wanted .. and then he said:

“I’d better warn you .. I have a disease .. but nothing you can catch .. I have LUNG CANCER and it’s probably TERMINAL, I’ve been in remission for 12 months but it’s all come back”

Y’see .. he’d bought a brand new boat to enjoy for however long he had left in this world .. and so he was selling his old one

I prayerfully considered the next step and decided to take a copy of Dave McDonald’s little book HOPE BEYOND CURE .. where Dave outlines his own struggle with lung cancer and the hope that is in the gospel .. forever

I met David at Tallebudgera Ck boat ramp .. kicked the tyres .. put it on the water and we went for a spin

We put the boat on the trailer .. negotiated a price and I agreed to pick it up in a weeks time

I said to him “Very sorry to heard of the struggle with cancer” and we chattered for a while. .. every other word was an F’n expletive … he said he was confident that he’d beat it etc etc …

He asked the inevitable “What do you do for a living?” I told him and added

“My friend Dave McDonald had a very similar cancer and wrestled with the issue of where HOPE lies coz we all have to face death .. and he wrote this little book .. HOPE BEYOND CURE .. no pressure, would you like to read it and have a chat when I come up next week?”

David’s eyes moistened .. the bravado slipped .. he said “I’ll read anything at the moment”

I asked if he’d be happy for me to pray for him .. which we did

I’ll tell you how that finishes a bit later

This morning .. as we continue to explore Colossians 4 .. we start thinking through the second part of the PRAYER CONVERSATION .. Talking to people about God .. lets take a look

Be Wise

Paul assumes that Christians are committed to communicating gospel truth by our lips as well as our lives

While only some are called to preach .. EVERYONE has the responsibility of ‘speaking to people about God’ .. and you have to notice that this “witness” is not standing on a soap box .. RATHER.. it’s so natural .. it’s our CONVERSATIONS

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

It is a stress here on seeing and accepting the openings that are created rather than making an opening

Some Christians are very keen sometimes to let the world know that they are Christians and to let others get the good news too

That zeal is to be commended but .. note the emphasis the Scriptures give .. Be wise !

Some Christians tend to be as harmful as snakes and wise as doves when it comes to outsiders

Your work place is exactly that - the place where you are employed to work - and your response is to work heartily and cheerfully for you serve Christ (3:17,23)

It is not wise to antagonise and upset the boss because you are so busy “evangelising” the work isn’t done - other people (ie the ones you are evangelising) have to do more work to cover for you - people will get a bit snakey!

Some people go up to complete strangers and give out pamphlets .. knock on doors .. in fact in the park near Brisbane Town Hall there are sometimes people singing gospel songs or a person yelling out the gospel - is it effective outreach - thought out wisely ?

Salty Conversations

Y’see ... the stress here is not getting a soap box .. or a high pressure gospel outline .. it’s in our ordinary conversations ... in the to-ing and fro-ing of life .. BE READY .. reflect who you are in the way you speak .. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt

In the first century the Christians were a weirdo bunch of people .. just what was this strange “religion” .. or was it some Jewish cult? Christians were called atheists .. because they didn’t have statues of their God .. what did they believe?

So Paul stresses the need to explain yourself ... remember what Peter states - 1 Pet.3:15

But in your hearts set apart 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,

Same here .... v.6 so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Now opportunities do come our way - we sometimes bump into people .. complete strangers .. someone in the doctors waiting room .. or in the Plaza when you’re shopping .. or a receptionist .. or someone you’re buying a boat from etc etc

HOWEVER .. as we’ve been stressing over the last 2 weeks .. the BEST conversations are with those people we have a regular relationship with - if we’re working, there are the times when in conversation we can very naturally share with people

Y’know .. classic questions like “How was you weekend?”

There’s a number of ways we can answer that

You can talk about the NETFLIX series you binged on .. or a great day gardening .. the petunia’s are doing well .. had coffee on the yatch whale watching

OR .. I really enjoyed time gathering with my church family .. learning a little more of God’s way to live .. we have Zoom meetings at the momment although I miss not being able to gather physically as much but it’s great to do what we can

NOW .. what’s the WISE thing to do? We could just leave it there .. you’ve been praying to God about people .. who knows what they will say next

Y’see .. your friend might just ignore your comment .. and ask how the petunia’s are going

HOWEVER .. They might just ask for the Zoom link to our scattering .. coz it’s an easy way to look into church at the moment .. a number of people in these COVID DAYS are doing just that

ALSO .. in conversation someone at work .. or a neighbour / friend might be grieving over the loss of a loved one, anxious over a sick friend whatever

Y’see .. we’re told to make the most of the opportunities NOT to make the opportunities

We will get them - be ready to give an answer - to show kindness eg. “I believe in prayer can I prayer for you as you suffer this grief” .. maybe a quick simple prayer there and then OR the promise to pray for your friend (I’ve never been refused when I ask) .. and please .. follow that up - it might lead to a conversation about Christ and the gospel .. HOPE even in death

This is what is stressed in these verses Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,

Conversation is what we all get into and Paul stresses that our conversation should be gracious - but not insipid or boring - rather seasoned with salt - our answers should compel some interest and attention - words with content - wisdom ... perhaps a degree of challenge .. is some (most?) conversations we may be doing a lot of LISTENING so we can contribute some well seasoned words

NB .. we don’t necessarily have to give EVERY aspect of a gospel presentation .. y’know every 6 steps of TWO WAYS TO LIVE .. we can get so absorbed with getting our point(s) accross we are not wisely understanding where people are coming from .. it’s a bit like anxious parents responding to little jonny or Susie asking where they came from! .. be clear in what your answering and what people have the ability to take in

Where we can give answers we need grace to be calm and not confrontational ... FULL OF GRACE

We are confident and clear and very tactful - BALANCE

It is also necessary to be clear when we don’t know the answers - we are not doing Christ a service with our half-baked ideas

Think about a helpful little book or website

Hopefully our personality will be winsome and the God we present will touch their hearts

APPLICATION

We can see why Paul stresses the need to pray well as we mix with people .. to have a godly wisdom .. coz NOT EVERYONE IS THE SAME .. while the message of the gospel will never change .. the WAY we go about that is not ONE SIZE FITS ALL ... how to answer everyone is a bit of a challenge ... some people are very aggressive .. they’ve had bad experiences of church and “christians” and are on the attack and you’re not going to persuade them otherwise and we need the Spirits help to be calm and gracious and listen, because it’s more in what we do than say that counts .. some people are quite sensitive ... Some people like to find some answers to the questions they have .. some outsiders are dear to us because they are family which can make speaking to them very hard

But friends .. this is the heart of our witness .. as FOLLOWERS of Jesus .. it’s not the big event tent meeting .. or .. the carols service at Christmas .. which may have it’s place .. some events are good to clarify and testify to the gospel but I’m more and more convinced that the work of the church is every one of us in the family of God BEING Christian ... it’s not living a certain way while we are away from church, and putting on the holy behaviour and talk Sunday morning ... that’s hypocrisy

BE BOLD .. In speaking to people about God we need to be natural and ourselves and unapologetic

We don’t need to be converting people in every conversation - we need to be thoughtful and aware of what people are saying and where they are at

Perhaps you are developing a friendship with someone where questions about the faith are filtering through.. It is good to have a gospel outline in our heads -

NEXT WEEK I want to share some ideas about WHAT the BIBLE is guiding us to say to people about God what are the ESSENTIALS WE WANT TO SHARE Ultimately without the backing of a genuine authentic Christian life that goes beyond church to our homes and work and school, our words of witness will lack the ring of truth - they will be very hollow

Conclusion

Connecting with people means that we have a strong connection with the Lord .. Speaking to God is a great privilege and we NEED WISDOM … GOD IS THE SOURCE! .. the POWER

The outcome is in God’s hands

David .. the guy I bought the boat from .. read most of the book I gave him .. HOPE BEYOND CURE ..

When I picked up the boat I asked him what he thought .. was there any questions

David said “I really identified with the emotions and feelings your friend explained as he grappled with cancer and the treatment .. it was so much my experience too. I didn’t really understand the GOD STUFF .. I’m just not into God”

I asked David if he wanted to talk about the GOD STUFF .. to which he said “Yeah .. but not right now .. but I’d love to wet a line with you (fisherman speak for .. GO FISHING) and then we could have a chat”

I said “Sure .. your boat or mine??”

We lined up some dates .. I was praying .. mates were praying .. the day before we were to meet up he rang to say he had to go to hospital .. pain was increasing .. he said he’d give me a ring with another day .. but the call didn’t come .. one Sunday afternoon I received a text from his wife ..

Her beautiful David has lost his battle with cancer .. she was sure he was with the angels .. thanks for your help Steve, he liked talking to you

We didn’t finish the conversation .. I don’t know that he ever finished the book .. I don’t know that I’ll see him with the angels .. but that’s not my BUSINESS .. I don’t CONVERT PEOPLE

Friends .. For a while I kept thinking I should have made more effort .. keep in more contact .. talk on the phone about his questions rather than waiting for the fishing trip

Believe me .. I’m no one special .. I was nervous .. I thought of just leaving the book in the car BUT .. Talking to people about God is vital

I’m a NOBODY who wants to talk to EVERYBODY about SOMEBODY who saves souls

The message we want them to know is that Jesus dies in our place .. and that heaven and eternal life are there as we put our faith in Him

This week be purposeful - pick out a name - a friend, family member, uni/work mate etc and pray for them

Ask the Lord to give you the opportunity to share in words what you are seeking to live out before them every day

The Lord adds to His church through the quiet faithful lives and testimony of His persistent prayer warriors