Go and Tell (Mark 5:19)

After being healed from demon possession, a man asked Jesus if he could follow Him. Jesus refused and instead instructed him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). The man who had been a terror to many, “began to proclaim…how much Jesus had done for him” (Mark 5:20). This man was so grateful for Jesus’ mercy that he could not help but tell everyone about Him. What about you? Has the Lord had mercy on you? If not, you need to be saved. If you are a Christian, you should always be ready to tell someone about Him who has done so much for you.

Why Should I Share?

At FBC Scott City we are committed to bringing the love of Christ to a hurting world. We are compelled to share the good news we have received because we know the love of God. Being nervous is natural, but do not let nervousness keep you from obedience. You should want to share your story because you love God and desire to see others know Jesus as Savior and Lord. The Bible is clear that “the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom” (1 Cor 6:9). In order to inherit God’s kingdom, you must be born again (John 3:3). John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” Therefore, it is very important to share with your friends and family about how you became a Christian and how they may be saved.

What is My Testimony?

Every Christian has a testimony. Your testimony is your story of coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Each testimony has three-parts:

1. First, tell about your life before you came to know Jesus as your Savior and Lord.  You do not have to spend much time on the particulars of your sin. Share that you were a sinner living in rebellion against God. Talk about the ways you tried to fix yourself and failed.
2. Second, tell about how you met Jesus. Talk about what led you to Jesus and why you felt the need to become His follower. What happened that caused you to surrender your life to Him and follow Him? Who were some major influences in your life at that time?
3. Third, tell about your life since you met Jesus. Be open and honest about how you daily struggle against sin and daily use Jesus’ strength to live a life pleasing to Him. Emphasize that you are committed to loving God and loving others. You can say with John Newton, “by the grace of God, I am not the man I used to be.”

Write out your testimony on a piece of paper and practice sharing it. Remember the 3 C’s of effective communication: Clear (don’t ramble; stick to the main points), Concise (approximately 5 min), Compelling (this is an important story).

Your goal is to conclude (if you are given the opportunity) with a gospel presentation and how your friend can become a Christian. There are many great ways to do this and one method is 3 Circles: Life Conversation Guide by the North American Mission Board. The 3 Circles method is a quick and effective way to share the Gospel. This method utilizes three circles which represent:

1. God’s Design – God created everything and it was created to be good.
2. Brokenness – Man sinned against God and our sin leads to brokenness. We try in vain to fix ourselves but are always left discouraged.
3. Gospel – If we repent of our sin and believe in Jesus Christ, we are freed to recover and pursue God’s Design for our life and break the power of sin in our life.

Please contact Pastor Jeremy for training and booklets you can use to share this gospel method with your friends and family. There is also an app for your Smartphone. Make the commitment to share your testimony and the gospel with your unchurched family and friends. Pray for God to grant opportunities and to give boldness to do so.

What do I do if they say…?

After you have shared your testimony and the good news of the Gospel, Ask them if they would like to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Do not be embarrassed to ask this question because it is an extremely important question. If they say:

“No.” Don’t be discouraged if they say “No.” It shouldn’t make you happy, but it should not cause you to abandon hope. Keep in mind that you cannot make them believe; therefore, you are not accountable for their decision. You are accountable for sharing and there is great joy in being faithful to do what God commands you to do. By sharing your story with them, you have boldly testified about Jesus and God will reward your faithfulness. If they reject the gospel now, keep praying for them and praise God for giving the opportunity to share. It is possible that sharing the gospel with someone may cause them to stop being friendly to you. Do not be discouraged if you lose a friendship. Continue to pray for them to be saved and love them.

“Maybe.” Some people need time to process a major decision such as this. Entrust them to the Holy Spirit, but do not abandon them. Trust that God is not only stirring you to pray for them but also working in them to draw them to Christ. Tell them that you understand their need to give this more consideration. Let them know that you will be praying for them and would love to meet with them again soon. Pray that God would open their heart (Acts 16:14).

“Yes!” Praise the Lord! You have led someone to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! Your friend has become a child of God and has had their sins forgiven! Also, you are officially a spiritual parent and this new Christian needs your help to grow in spiritual maturity. Let them know that the next step of obedience is to be baptized (Matt 28:19). Be willing to help them develop good spiritual habits as they grow in spiritual maturity. Invite them to your local church so they can make this decision public and be baptized.