Keeping It Straightforward and Simple

by Evangelist Frank Tyler

Introduction

Sharing our faith with others remains the single most intimidating thing we do as Christians. Fear of loss, fear of failure and fear of the unknown are but some of the fears brothers and sisters experience when doing the work of evangelism. Most Christians attempt to resolve these tensions by more intently studying the good news and cross in order to be better prepared for an opportunity to share. While the study of God’s Word is always an important part of our worship of Him, evangelism requires a somewhat counter-intuitive approach. We must learn to pray, trust the Holy Spirit and keep our message straight-forward and simple.[133]

A Brief Window of Engagement

When we study and invest time learning more about our Lord, the cross and the gospel, you and I discover a depth and richness that is both awe inspiring and utterly consuming. On the other hand, most evangelistic moments are very brief encounters requiring a straight-forward, simple interaction. Even with people we have known well for years, those with whom we have spent countless hours working or engaging in common pursuits like golfing, hiking, carpentry, etc., our window of engagement is oftentimes brief and sporadic.

Understanding the Bubble

Do this exercise with a brother or sister in the Lord. First, ask how long you have known each other.

Exercise: Shaking Hands 1) Reach out your hand and shake his or her hand as you would normally. Ask you your brother or sister how he or she felt shaking hands with you.

How near were you to each other? And, how long did you shake hands? 2) Shake hands again, but this time stand very close to your partner and shake his or her hand for longer than usual. Ask how he or she felt shaking hands with you the second time. 3) Discuss the differences in how both you and your partner felt during each encounter. Reverse roles and do the exercise again.

Through this exercise, you and I learn that each of us has an invisible, yet very real bubble or zone of social comfort surrounding us. For those of us who are married, have we not heard our spouse, at one time or another, say, “I need some space or time to myself?” Regardless of the intimacy we experience in our relationships, when this bubble or zone is crossed, our level of anxiety or social discomfort increases.

Avoiding the Great Irony

Sharing our faith requires that we engage the bubble or zone of social comfort of others by learning to do and say just enough, but not too much. Ironically, the very thing you and I do to prepare for sharing our faith by diligently increasing our knowledge of His Word, quite often causes us either to overstep our boundaries with others or to avoid sharing altogether by not engaging others. Instead of an encyclopedia of knowledge, we need a straightforward, simple message to share, a seed to sow in the time and space allotted to us by others.

Consider and choose one of the following five promises of life from the Gospel of John. Jesus promises:

• For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).
• If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water (John 4:10).
• Amen, Amen, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life, and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life (John 5:24).
• Amen, Amen, I tell you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life (John 6:47-48).
• I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die (John 11:25-26).

Having chosen one of these promises, practice saying it until you have Jesus’ promise memorized and are comfortable saying it to others. This promise along with your personal witness and the gift of the Gospel of John will be the simple message you share with others, a seed sown for the Lord to bring forth life. How long does it take to say your passage?

Our Personal Witness

When you and I believe in Jesus and His promise to us of eternal life, our personal testimony or witness should reflect the truth of His promise. For example, consider the simplicity of my own personal witness in the green colored font. Jesus promises:

• For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). God loves me and has given me His Son Jesus. I have eternal life and will not perish.
• If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water (John 4:10). I know the gift of God. I have sipped the living water and have eternal life.
• Amen, Amen, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life, and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life (John 5:24). I believe Jehovah’s witness about His Son. I have eternal life and will not come into judgment. I have already passed from death into life… eternal life.
• Amen, Amen, I tell you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life (John 6:47-48). Jesus is the Bread of Life. I believe in Him and have eternal life.
• I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die (John 11:25-26). Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Though I may die, I will live and living I will never die.

When you and I believe Jesus’ promise of eternal life, we have exactly what He promises… eternal life. Using the example of my personal witness, write in your own words your personal witness for the promise of life you have chosen. Throughout the day, practice saying Jesus’ promise of life along with your personal witness; how long does it take to share Jesus’ promise of life and your personal witness?

Regarding the relevance of our personal witness, consider the Apostle John’s words in his first epistle:

5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.

5:10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself ; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son . (1 John 5:9-11; underlining added)

We believe Jesus’ promise and have what He promises. Our personal witness remains transparently God’s greater witness for He has graciously gifted eternal life to us; you and I literally have His witness in ourselves. Let’s be transparent and share God’s witness; as born-again believers, let’s share what God has so graciously given us, eternal life! It really is that straightforward and simple!

The story of how we came to believe in Jesus differs from our personal witness. While both my story and personal witness remain vital in evangelism, my story of how I became a believer in Jesus remains the lesser witness of man and often requires far more time to share than my personal witness. Given the time and social constraints imposed upon us, respect the other person’s bubble or social zone of comfort by keeping it simple. Share Jesus’ promise of life and your personal witness first and then, if time permits answer questions and share your personal story.

Above all else, pray continually for an open door and trust the Holy Spirit to give you words and boldness to speak:

6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

6:19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:18-20)

Lastly, give the gift the Gospel of John; it remains the greater witness of God purposed to bring forth life in Jesus’ name and will be the primary way you answer an unbeliever’s questions.

Practice to Keep It Simple

God has explicitly purposed one book of the Bible for a person to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and receive eternal life. Consider the Gospel of John’s purpose statement: Jesus actually performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name (John 20:30-31). The Gospel of John is literally God’s Witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who gives eternal life to those who believe in Him. Consider the words of the Prophet Isaiah:

55:10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

(Isaiah 55:10-11; underlining added)

If you and I trust our Lord and Savior and His greater witness, we have a very straightforward, simple message to share, one that will not return to God void… even with perfect strangers. When we gift the Gospel of John to those with whom we share our faith, we share the witness God has set aside specifically to persuade them of the truth regarding His Son and the gift of eternal life. Whenever possible, use the Gospel of John as your first and primary resource to answer questions; always encourage the person that you share with to pray and read John for answers to questions about Jesus, or just as Phillip invited Nathanael, simply invite him or her to, Come and see (John 1:46)!

Practice makes perfect; use the following example to practice sharing. First, pray to the Lord and ask for an open door to share your faith, then trust the Holy Spirit to give you the words to speak (Ephesians 6:18-20):

• You and I: “Good morning, my name is _________________; what’s yours?” (Shake hands.)
• George: “I’m George.” (If time permits, engage George in conversation about his day.)
• You and I: “George, it’s great meeting you. Before I go, I have a gift for you. (Hand George a Gospel of John.) George, Jesus says, Amen, Amen, I tell you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life (John 6:47-48). Jesus is the Bread of Life. I believe in Him and have eternal life. I’m living it right now. Please check it out for yourself. Thanks for taking time with me; have a great day.”
• George: “Thank you.” (Shake hands.)
• You and I: “It was a pleasure to meet you.” (Our faith is in the Lord and His word; walk away and pray for George and God’s Witness, the Gospel of John.)

Our practice script remains very simple and easily modified to meet the circumstances of life; nevertheless, you and I need to practice it with one another until we are comfortable. How much time does it take to complete the script? Are we willing to trust Jesus and His greater witness, the Gospel of John? If so, then you and I can sow or plant a seed for the Lord by sharing a straightforward, simple message, a message that can never return void: So shall my word be… it shall not return to Me void (Isaiah 55:11).

The Big Picture: Following Paul’s Pattern

At the end of his life, Paul tells Timothy: … I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life (1 Timothy 1:16; underlining added). Paul isa pattern to those who are going to believe on Jesus for everlasting life. In 1 Corinthians, chapter three, Paul identifies this pattern for the Corinthians:

3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?

3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

3:7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

3:8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:5-9; underlining added)

Are you and I willing to be ministers through whom others believe on Jesus for everlasting life? If so, then we should follow the pattern Paul shares with us: 1) plant or sow a seed; 2) water the seed; 3) wait upon the Lord to bring forth the increase (pray and be longsuffering or patient); and lastly, 4) reap by affirming what the person believes and inviting them to fellowship with you. Afterall, they have been reaped from God’s field and now must be challenged to become a vital part of God’s building!

Keeping our understanding of this pattern straightforward and simple remains vital to sharing our message. One last exercise, making paper airplanes, helps illustrate the importance of this concept to evangelism.

This exercise may call to mind pleasant experiences from our youth, but it also illustrates the idea of pattern, practice and our teamwork in the gospel.

When you and I share the good news, if we have a pattern to direct our efforts and are willing to practice it, we can more easily coordinate our efforts with our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. Without a pattern to follow, we have a random process with each team member making paper airplanes according personal childhood memories. This kind of thinking fits in well with the “I did it my way” approach to modern life; sadly Israel, under the Judges, suffered because they did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6, 21:25). Since each of us has different memories of the various airplanes we made in the past, the person following after us in the process is often at a loss to continue the process. The same is true with the gospel, but even more so. Thankfully, if we ask in prayer, the Holy Spirit becomes our moderator, fills us and helps us overcome our fears in order to give a well-coordinated witness. Learn and practice the pattern Paul established so long ago; you will be amazed at the doors the Spirit opens for sharing good news.

A strategic progression lies at the heart of this pattern. You and I pray for opportunities trusting the Holy Spirit to share our faith; and, when the door opens, we begin by sowing or planting a seed. The person we share with may have questions. By answering his or her questions, using the Gospel of John and sharing our personal story, you and I water the seed. In time with prayer and longsuffering, the Lord brings forth the increase. When the seed comes forth with life, we affirm this life and invite the new believer into fellowship in order to grow and become a disciple (Matthew 28:18-20). The pattern is utterly simple, yet supernatural. Although it begins with prayer and sowing or planting a seed (no seed, no life), only the Lord brings forth eternal life. Pray throughout each stage in this pattern for the supernatural, namely for the person to believe in the Lord for everlasting life.

Conclusion

You and I overcome our fears in evangelism by praying and trusting the Holy Spirit and by keeping our message straightforward and simple. Let’s start today following the pattern God gives us through the Apostle Paul: 1) plant or sow a simple seed–Jesus’ promise of eternal life, our personal testimony and the gift of John’s Gospel; 2) water the seed–when asked, answer questions using the Gospel of John, and when time permits, share our personal story; 3)pray and wait upon the Lord to bring forth the increase; and 4) reap by affirming their faith and inviting them into fellowship. Throughout each stage in this process, you and I must continually overcome our fears by praying and trusting the Holy Spirit for words and boldness (Ephesians 6:18-20) and by keeping our message straightforward and simple that those, with whom we share Jesus Christ, may in the Lord’s perfect timing believe on Him for everlasting life (1 Timothy 1:16).

Appendix: Important Questions

Regarding the practice of evangelism, important and commonly asked questions need addressing.

1) Can you and I share our faith in Jesus without discussing His crucifixion and resurrection?

Yes, we can, but the issue becomes: Do we share a sufficiently persuasive message? When you and I sow or plant a seed, we focus on a very brief message that invites the person we share with to read the Gospel of John, a wholly sufficient message explicitly purposed for them to have eternal life. Remember that the highpoint of John’s account, to which all of the signs and discourses point, is the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. In the short time allotted to share our faith, we must prioritize carefully. The vast majority of people in the United States know that Jesus was crucified and resurrected; what they do not know is what that means. Again, the Gospel of John is explicitly purposed to communicate that meaning and is a perfectly sufficient message. Invite the unbeliever to, Come and see (John 1:46).

2) When sharing the gospel should we call unbelievers to repent?

While the Apostle John uses the Greek word for believe roughly 100 times, he never uses the Greek word for repent in his gospel account. Ironically, other than Luke, the Apostle John uses the word repent the most of any New Testament author, twelve times in Revelation. If the reception of eternal life requires repentance, then John misleads his audience in the purpose of his account (John 20:30-31) by failing to include repentance as a requirement to receive eternal life. This simply is not possible. According to John’s account, many individuals believe in Jesus for eternal life, yet He calls none of them to repent in order to receive the gift of eternal life.

Nonetheless, repentance can be and often is a vital part of evangelism; some individuals cannot hear the truth of the gospel without turning from the deafening effect of particular sins. Although repentance neither guarantees the person will believe, nor is a requirement to receive eternal life, if you know sin or a particular sin pattern keeps an individual from hearing the good news, then call him or her to repent. God expresses His love, by allowing individuals to turn from sin in order not to experience its temporal consequences–and in so doing, uses this first-hand experience to persuade unbelievers of His goodness.

In marked contrast to the salvation of the individual, God’s plan for Israel’s national salvation requires national repentance: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15). As the Prophet Jonah discovered much to his chagrin, this general call for national repentance and the expression of God’s love are not entirely exclusive to Israel (Jonah 4:2 and 4:9-11).

3) Must unbelievers pray the sinner’s prayer in order to be saved?

Interestingly enough, the sinner’s prayer cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. In the Gospel of John, Jesus never uses a prayer to close a gospel presentation; instead He gives His promise of eternal life. Believing in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and His promise of eternal life gives us eternal life. Thankfully, many times individuals believe prior to saying the sinner’s prayer. Should you and I pray for an unbeliever and encourage him or her to pray? Absolutely, pray for understanding of the gospel and conviction of its truth. Should you and I pray with an individual who has just believed in Jesus for everlasting life? Absolutely, pray for fellowship, prayer and the word in his or her life. The sooner the baby believer finds fellowship in a church, the sooner he or she will be trained up to serve the Lord. Nevertheless, when sharing the gospel never confuse praying to the Lord with believing the promise of life.

4) Should we ask unbelievers to confess with their mouth unto salvation?

Nowhere in the Gospel of John or the Bible are unbelievers called to confess with their mouth in order to receive eternal life. A call to confession is found in chapter 10 of the book of Romans, a book written to believers and a chapter addressing the nation of Israel’s unbelief. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10): The salvation Paul speaks of is for the one, who has already believed unto righteousness (see Romans 5:9-10 also), that he might be delivered or saved from the temporal wrath of God against all who sin (Romans 1:18). The Apostle John includes himself when he instructs believers: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). By forgiving and cleansing believers (John included) Jesus restores them to fellowship with God and their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

5) Is using the Gospel of John the only way to share our faith in Jesus?

Absolutely not, but because John’s account is explicitly purposed to share with unbelievers, the Gospel of John will always remain the most straightforward and simple means of sharing the good news of eternal life. When quoting the Pauline epistles, heed the Apostle Peter’s admonishment in 2 Peter 3:15-16 and keep the message straight-forward and simple. Recall Jesus’ rebuke of the two travelers on the road to Emmaus: Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself ( Luke 24:25-27). Clearly, the good news of Jesus Christ is throughout the Old Testament. Again, keep it straightforward and simple.

6) How can we be sure we have believed in Jesus and His promise of eternal life?

By grace, God has made us alive together with Jesus through faith in Jesus independent of our good works (see Ephesians 2:1-9). Consider the Apostle Paul’s words to the Romans:

4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed , not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

4:20 He (Abraham) did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

4:21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

4:22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

(Romans 4:16, 20-22; underlining added for emphasis)

Like Abraham, when you and I believe, we are fully convinced that what God has promised us He is also able to perform. In this sense, to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and His promise of eternal life is to know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who has given us eternal life. If we know or are fully convinced that we have life in His name, then we have already believed in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and His promise of eternal life.

The Christian life is full of experiences that try our assurance of who we are as God’s children. If we find ourselves straying from this essential truth, pray and re-read John’s account. Specifically, read John 6:47-48 and then ask yourself, is Jesus the bread of life? If so, is Jesus telling the truth when He promises everlasting life? If so, despite all of your subjective feelings to the contrary, what do you have? Take Jesus at His Word; assurance really is that straightforward and simple.

© 2019 by Frank Tyler; copy, print and give away freely, but do not alter or sell.

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