I’m back on movies again, who’s seen “The Maze Runner” series? I certainly found it an entertaining story where you fell in love with characters and wanted to see humanity saved.  I had actually read the books, which were far better, but I never noticed the allegorical element until the movies.  Sometimes I’m slow or need a visual!

Allegory-a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

No, this isn’t an English class, but its crazy to me the parallel that the story holds. Thomas was sent to the Glade and from the beginning he’s different from all the other kids that have been sent. He tries to live differently and do things differently in front of the rest of them and ends up being the one to help them find a way out and leading them …fast forward to the end of the series where his blood contains the cure for humanity.

I’m not suggesting that the Maze Runner is a Christian movie or perfectly exemplifies Jesus, but I do see some similarities and by the time we realize that Thomas’ blood has the cure and vaccines can be made from it to share with everyone, we’re ready to run around vaccinating the world. I get really into my books, but see how a movie quote could turn into a gospel conversation! You make that connection, you start a conversation about Jesus!

Gospel Conversations Don’t Happen Without Intentionality

 We do have the death cure…and we don’t even have to stab anyone with a needle to share it.

While studying Acts with our youth, the one thing that jumped out to me the most on this topic was the different approaches Paul took to sharing the gospel message in different situations.

In Acts 17:16-34 Paul addresses the People of Athens…when I read this one I can’t help leaping into a chair and reading in my very best Shakespearian/heralding voice. Paul takes some time to get to know his audience and then addresses them in a way that is not demeaning, but the way they are best communicated to.  In Acts 22:3 when addressing the Jews, Paul’s own people, who knew all of things he had done, he employed a personal appeal.  His own personal testimony.

 I heard it quoted in my Contemporary Evangelism class one time, although I did not catch the professor’s name from the student who was quoting it,

“If you know enough to be saved, you know enough to lead someone to Christ.”

likely Dr. Matt Queen

  That stuck with me in a big way.  This one did too.

“No one can refute your personal story about what Christ has done in your life.”

Dr. Seiberhagen

 One of the most valuable exercises I have participated in to be able to equip me share my testimony is writing it down.  There is something about dragging a pen across the page or typing words so they’ll appear on paper or a screen that forces you to be still enough to truly think through your salvation and articulate it (meaning put into words).  As far as sharing the gospel goes, your own testimony is one of the best, easily accessible tools in your toolkit because it is your personal story about how Jesus changed your life which makes it far more difficult to forget.

In doing this exercise with our youth one time, asking them to write their evangelistic testimony (tell me about when you were saved) one of our youth approached us and said he had just realized he didn’t have a testimony and was not saved.  I had shared my own testimony as a way of modeling to them how to both write it and share it, then go back in and add the verses from the Bible that helped share truth about coinciding events happening in their own story.  He realized there was never a point that he recognized Jesus had paid the wage of sin for him or professed with his mouth Jesus as Lord after repenting of those sins.  It was because of the Lord obviously, but his family and mine were somewhat similar, and because the major faith tradition I had been raised in was similar to what he had heard, something about my realization about sin and the cost of it from my personal testimony ,coupled with the Scriptures to support how to have Jesus Venmo that to him (yah…that’s not in Scripture) clicked with him just the way it had with me when Josh McDowell shared the gospel at  a concert when I was 13.  Your personal testimony is an easier conversation to have than walking up so someone and saying HEY DO YOU KNOW MY FRIEND JESUS!!!!??????

There are many tools you can use to get to that question too, but if you haven’t built a decent relationship with them through conversation or life or don’t have a reputation for being goofy it may turn someone away rather than to Christ!

One of the easiest ways to insert the gospel into a conversation that I have personally witnessed youth doing is FIRE….we actually used to call it FIRM but since I’m a firearms instructor and DR. B called it fire in class we adopted that….plus it makes me think of the flaming tongues coming down at Pentecost so the gospel could be shared to everyone everywhere in different languages, which is what FIRE is all about.

Family- You might ask if they have brothers or sisters and then share about your own.

IInterest-You might ask if they play sports, have hobbies, or have pets, and share about your own.

Religion (think holidays) You might ask their favorite holiday or if they celebrate Christmas or Easter and then share how and WHY you do.

Evangelism- If they celebrate Christmas and Easter because they profess to be Christian too, you can rejoice with them and tell them about when you first believed, if they don’t you can transition really easily from why you celebrate Christmas and Easter the way you do, share your testimony, and offer them an opportunity to ask questions or respond.

This is helpful for evangelism with people you don’t know.

What about everyday conversations with people you do know?

Still intentional…. You have to be intentionally committed to allowing or steering the conversation there when given an opportunity.  This doesn’t always look like sharing the Romans Road. It may look like.

Friend: “Why aren’t you coming to the party?”

Me: “Well there’s going to be things going on there that I don’t need or want to be tempted to participate in. I remember what happened the last time (he/she) had a party and what went down. I’m asking the Lord to give me wisdom to help me understand when I need to stay away from or avoid tempting situations.”

This gives you an opportunity to not only live out the faith you profess, but you could then easily transition into your testimony or a FIRE conversation with this friend. Some of these questions you likely will already know the answer to, so it will be easier. Don’t forget to ask your friend what they think, or if they have any questions about it or would like to respond.

Friend: “Why do you always have your little brother in the car with you even when you’re just dropping off a boy after church?”

Me:  “Well he’s cute, I’m cute, together we know we’re cute which could have the potential to escalate into something that doesn’t honor God so if my Little Bro is always with us then his presence keeps us both accountable.”

When your friends start seeing you talk about and make decisions based on the faith you say you believe, it becomes an opportunity to model Biblical behavior and an easy way to transition to gospel conversations where you get the opportunity to tell them about Jesus and disciple, after all, Jesus said to teach them to obey all I have commanded-make disciples! 

You may even try FIRE with them, already having some of the answers, you may carry a gospel track with you that you can use as an outline when sharing the scriptures, you may use the 3 circles app-story.  Sharing the gospel is just like anything else, the more you practice the better you become. It’s a great idea to equip yourself with different tools you feel comfortable with like the 3 circles app, FIRE, and carrying a written copy of your testimony with a highlighted track in your purse, phone case or wallet you can use as an outline.  You can’t use a flat head screwdriver on a Phillips head screw, nor could you bang in a nail with your Phillips head screwdriver, you might be able to, but both of you might be worse for the wear after, it certainly wouldn’t be the best tool for the job. Different tools are better in different situations. Also don’t hesitate to get with friend and practice sharing your testimony and role play these conversations, this will make it so much easier when the opportunity arises with others!

What about questions you can’t answer? NO ONE knows everything!  I think just because we went to college forever, sometimes my kids and our youth think we know everything….really I think it just impressed upon me the fact that I have a lifetime of learning to do because God is A LOT…..which means you’re going to encounter questions you don’t know the answers to.  That doesn’t necessarily mean you drag the asker to your pastor or youth pastor’s office and lock them in there. It’s a great time to say, “you know what, I’m not sure, but I’d love to find out with you.” Then you appeal to someone who may have a direction in the Bible you should look so you can all mine(dig it out) the Scripture together!  That’s how discipleship starts organically (naturally without forcing it)! Without you even having to try! Did Jesus say make disciples or just make converts? Disciples are those who have been taught about the word of God in a way that they can teach someone else. A convert is someone who has just believed in the truth of the gospel message and received or professed Christ. Untether yourself from feeling like you need to know everything before you can start, know you’re going to need to study, and use it as an opportunity to do discipleship! Remember, “if you know enough to be saved, you know enough to lead someone to Christ!”