That’s right. I don’t think that your personal testimony may be the best approach to reaching others with the good news of salvation. It certainly won’t be universal by any means (not everyone can relate to your story). Does this mean to never use it? No, of course not. I’m just saying that it may not be the best way to reach that person who is seeking a proper relationship with their Creator.
Relationships are personal; they’re intimate. So what worked for you may not (probably won’t) work for anyone else – certainly not a lot of others. This is one reason I think that we should avoid the use of our “personal testimony” to reach others with the Gospel.
I know that this position flies in the face of 90-some percent of what our brethren tell us to do in “witnessing” to the lost. But then, just how effective have we (as a body) been in reaching the lost lately? My observation is that we aren’t (and haven’t been) all that effective.
In this message I’ll try to lay out my reasons for using a different approach to reaching modern day America (and other folks).
Certainly, one thing that we DO need to do is establish a rapport with our listener. Befriend that person in a very genuine, open, and honest manner.
“… if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.”
1 Peter 3:15b-16a (NLT)
I’ve already pointed out that your hearer may not be able to “relate” to your story. Even if your struggle or path or story is somewhat similar to theirs, chances are that there are different factors that may take the listener to another place in their mind while you’re speaking, and then you’ve just lost them. They’re busy thinking about their own life and may no longer be actively listening to you about yours. Or they may be somewhat critical of how you handled your situation, or some other thought may occur to them that could take them away from the core message – which ought to be the cross of Christ.
Another possibility could be that they don’t want to hear how “great” your life is now that you’ve had some experience that they may or may not be able to relate to. I mean, if they are still struggling with some bad activity, habit or situation in their life, it might be somewhat belittling or hurtful to hear how wonderful life is for you since your conversion. Sure, you mean to entice them with a better way to live, but don’t forget that such conversion might seem impossible to that person at this time. In the end, you could be responsible for sending them deeper into their misery or self-destructive lifestyle, or at least further from Christ. This is a big reason that I don’t recommend this approach. You may do more harm than good. At the very least, you could come off as judgmental, hypocritical, or condescending (dare I add “preachy”?).
Perhaps the most important thing to consider in attempting to lead others to the cross of Christ is that it is NOT your job to SAVE them. Or, it isn’t your place to FIX them. Addictions, harmful lifestyles and the like are just a condition of our fallen mortal state. Trying to cure someone and clean them up is contrary to what we are called to do. We don’t have that kind of power anyway; the Holy Spirit does. Attempting to “fix” anyone is perhaps the absolutely WORST thing anyone attempting to share the love, message and cross of Christ could do. And it should be avoided at all times. In my opinion, this one thing (trying to clean someone up while sharing the Gospel) has been the most destructive element to the evangelical efforts of American Christians. More than any one thing, this is what I’ve seen people point to as the utmost turnoff toward the Christian message.
Now, am I advocating the use of some sort of “watered down” message that will be more palatable to the modern mind? NO! Absolutely not! What I AM advocating is the use of an EFFECTIVE message that will cut through the tarnished varnish that has not worked well for a very long time.
In a nutshell, here is what I am saying:
- Trying to “fix” people before (or while) leading them to the cross of Christ is not what we are called to do. Nor is it effective.
- Using our own personal stories of success in our spiritual battles can be easily confused with trying to fix the listener of the Gospel.
- Speaking of our own success could be considered as condescending, “preachy”, or hypocritical.
I have found that using a neutral, “We’re all in the same boat” message that focuses on the cross and how it is the ONLY thing (or way) by which we can be made “right” with our Creator is the most effective method. We do this by showing how all of us are impure, imperfect, and drenched with sin (a sin nature that never goes away as long as we are in this mortal flesh) from conception and that we are completely powerless to change. Be ready to share your failures, if anything. Or at least display a humble demeanor.
Effective discipleship (preferable to evangelism) is accomplished by doing the following:
- Demonstrate the need for the cross: our fallen nature and our inability to change it.
- Demonstrate the nature of Christ: fully man; fully God; completely loving and forgiving; completely righteous and the Judge of all.
- Show the need for approaching God in humility, being willing to accept His solution for our sin dilemma, with agreement that it is needed (see #1).
- Explain how the cross is effective to justify us in the eyes of our Creator, without any human effort involved whatsoever.
- Lead them in the direction they should go after accepting the cross (whenever that may be in their life – pressure tactics are rarely effective): that they must give themselves over to Him as an act of obedience, and that they must continue to obey Him for the rest of their days on earth.
- Encourage them to go and make disciples of others (right away).
So, in other words:
- We need the cross – nothing else will work.
- Jesus is the only One through Whom it can work.
- Be contrite when addressing God.
- Believe that the cross is effective – and only the cross.
- Turn your life over to Christ forevermore in obedience.
- Spread the word. Multiply the Church.
Be blessed and go,
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the people, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ~ Jesus
Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)
Gary
