Share Jesus – Part 2

In part 1 of this blog, I recommended listening to the Share Jesus Without Fear seminar by Bill Faye. In this part, I’d like to talk about how I have been utilizing this material.

I’d first like to say that I believe this approach offers several great benefits. First, the transitional questions provided by Bill Faye are excellent. These really help to transition a conversation. Second, there is a great power in having people read from the Bible directly. Even as compared to quoting a verse to them, they could still argue with what you say. But, when they read the words directly from a Bible themselves, they do not tend to argue with what it says. They may not agree, but at least they can not say that it does not say what they just read.

The verses that Bill Faye suggests are:

• Romans 3:23
• Romans 6:23
• John 14:6
• Romans 10:9
• 2 Corinthians 5:15
• Revelation 3:20

There are several things that I don’t like about this list of verses. First, there is no mention of specifically what sin is. Romans 3:23 says “all have sinned” however, the person is not personally realizing what sin is, or even what sin is. Most people seem to know that they are “a sinner” but it seems like they take that as being synonomous with being “a person”. While that is true, it does not lead them to know that they have sinner by transgressing God’s Law (1 John 3:4). Secondly, there is no mention of the need to repent. And finally, Revelation 3:20 is taken out of context since it is a message to a particular church, not a call to a person to open the door.

To deal with these concerns, I searched the scriptures, prayed and asked several people for their input. The goal was to make a list also of about six verses. We settled on nine!

• Hebrews 9:27
• Romans 3:23
• 1 John 3:4
• Matthew 19:18-19
• Revelation 21:8
• 2 Peter 3:9
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
• John 3:3, 16, 36
• Mark 1:15

I limited myself to the New Testament so that I could easily use some pocket New Testaments that I have on hand. I really like these shirt pocket New Testaments as they are easy to carry when going to witness at the mall. Inside each New Testament I write on the first page “to start turn to page 298 and read Hebrews 9:27”.

First Experience
I’ve had the chance to try this out about a dozen times now. The first time, Craig and I were in the West End of Dallas at the DART station. I explained to him what I was trying to do and told him I wanted to try it on someone. He pointed to a guy about 30 feet behind me and said, “what about that guy?” So we went over to him and struck up a conversation. Eventually we swung the conversation to the spiritual by asking what he thought would happen when he died. He said he was not sure. So, I asked, “can we show you what the Bible says?” He said yes. So I pulled out the marked up pocket New Testament, turned to page 298 and asked him to read the highlighted text.

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27)

After he read it, I asked, “what does that mean to you?” He responded with something about how we would each die and then be judged. Very good! So I asked if he knew why we would be judged. He said no. So I turned to Romans 3:23 and asked him to read it.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)

I ask him what it means. He said that we have all sinned. Very good. Wow! This was going well. So I asked him, “do you know what sin is?” He said he was not sure. So I said, let me show you what the Bible says sin is. He agreed. I turned to 1 John 3:4

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

Then I asked him again, what is sin? Breaking the law he said. So I asked, what sin do you think it is talking about? He said he was not sure. So I turned to Matthew 19:18-19

Jesus replied, ” ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.'”

Then I asked, have you kept those Laws? He said no. He had unknowingly, just given himself the “good person test”. I explained that those are six of God’s Ten Commandments. Then we turned to Revelation 21:8 and asked him to read it.

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

I asked him if he had ever done any of the things in that list? He said yes again. So I asked him, according to this verse what do you think the “fiery lake” is? He said, “hell!” So I asked, where will you go when you die according to God’s word? He said, “Hell”. I asked if that concerned him. He said yes.

We turned to 2 Peter 3:9and I asked him to read it.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

I asked, what does this say to you. He gave his answer and then I told him that it is saying God does not want anyone to go to Hell. He seemed to be tracking with us. I could see sorrow in his eyes. And at the same time, we were starting to wonder when his train might come. Craig would tell me later that he was praying like crazy that they guys train would not come yet. His prayer was answered. I assured him that there were only a couple more verses to go and turned to 1 Corinthians 15 and asked him to read verses 3 & 4.

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

Again, I asked him what this means. He said that Christ died for sin. Very good. So we turned to John 3 and I asked him to read verses 3 16 and 36

³In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

³⁶Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Again I asked what does this mean. His answer included that Jesus died for all sin. Right on! So I told him there was one last verse. We turned to Mark 1:15

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

I asked him, “what does that mean?” He said it means that he needs to repent. Great! So I asked, do you have any questions? He said, “yes, what does it mean to repent?” Craig spent a few minutes with him explaining what it meant. We had a nice conversation with him as we wrapped up. When his train finally did come, I handed him the New Testament and a tract. I told him he could start back on page 298 to read those verses again. He thanked us for our time, took the New Testament and left.

Subsequent experiences
Since that first time, I’ve used this method about a dozen times now. With one Muslim man at the mall he explained how he thought the Bible and Quran were the same basic message. I asked if we could show him what the Bible said. By the time we went through the verses he was realizing that his understanding of the Bible being the same message was false. We gave him the Bible so he could read more of it.

Now you have to realize that like any witnessing encounter this may not go perfectly each time. One Jewish man from Israel at the mall would not even take the Bible from us. However, most people we’ve tried this with will go through at least some of the verses. What I’ve found is that by asking once what the Bible says and then giving a brief explanation, asking a few questions to move through the WDJD model and then using these Bible verses the Law and Gospel is presented. In some cases we get through all the verses. In some we don’t. That is OK. But, what I’ve seen is the power of God’s Word opened up for the unbeliever to read for themselves. They really can not argue with the words that are right before their eyes.

It only takes a little advanced planning to mark and highlight a Bible. If you give it to them, then you’ll have to do it over and over again. But, to get God’s word into their hands, it is definitely worth it! Try it and let me know your experience.

In case you get the pocket New Testament from Biblica, the page numbers of the verses used are:

• Hebrews 9:27 (page 298)
• Romans 3:23 (page 204)
• 1 John 3:4 (page 322)
• Matthew 19:18-19 (page 27)
• Revelation 21:8 (page 348)
• 2 Peter 3:9 (page 318)
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (page 234)
• John 3:3, 16, 36 (page 124)
• Mark 1:15 (page 46)