Have you ever been in in a conversation with a friend, family member or stranger and started to hear that little voice, “You should tell them about Jesus…” In the moment, you know you should, but you just don’t know how to. Well the answer to “How do I turn the conversation toward Jesus and the gospel?” may not be what you think. In some ways its probably easier than you imagine; and in other ways a whole lot hard.

So how do you turn the conversation? Let’s break it up into two sections: (1) Before the Conversation, (2) During the Conversation.

Before the conversation:

• Posture: Person not a Project: These people have families, loved ones, scars, delights, and a lot of questions. You’ve got to work hard to listen to people and not simply think about what your going to say next.  Look at people in the face, really try and understand them.
  • This will keep you away from the superficial turns with superficial wins/losses
    • “Speaking of the beach…you know where else its hot”
    • “You like reading books? That’s great, why don’t you come to my book study next study morning?”
• This is why Im not going to focus on techniques:
  • Techniques focus more on a system than they do a person
  • Focus is on people

• Daily/Momentarily Cultivate Christ: If you are not regularly treasuring Christ through the word/prayer/service then it will be difficult to have genuine turns in the conversation
  • At same time…you cant wait till you get right with God
  • Is/was it difficult to tell your friends about your husband/wife when you first started dating them?
  • Ignatius: Apart from Christ, let nothing dazzle you

• Conversation about Christ has to be Comfortable: If its awkward for you to talk about the greatness of Christ with your Christian friend right after church, then it is going to be near impossible to talk about Him to the person that cares very little about Him.
  • Talk about Sermon
  • Discipleship
  • Speak up in Community Groups
  • “Regular” conversations with fellow believers (husband/wife)
  • “Cultural Christians might talk about religion or church in generic terms, but you will rarely hear them use the name of Jesus or speak of His death on the cross or His resurrection. If you raise the subject, you might find that they are uncomfortable and don’t care to talk about the very thing that thrills the heart of those who possess authentic faith.” Wilberforce

• Don’t Remove the Stumbling Block:
  • “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (18)…(22-24) For the Jews demand signs and Greeks wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
  • We do not want to give people air conditioned rides to hell
  • The more palatable you attempt to appeal to the tongue that has no taste for the Gospel, the more you change the recipe that satisfies the longing of the soul
  • “How much more would a few good and fervent men effect in the ministry than a multitude of lukewarm ones!” Horatius Bonar
  • The Gospel is offensive…if you attempt to remove its offensiveness, you remove the Gospel itself

• Understand what “successful” evangelism is:
  • Successful Evangelism is the faithful proclamation of the Gospel
    • Means you have to know the Gospel (60 seconds)
• Jesus wasn’t Unsuccessful when the Rich Young Ruler walked away from him
• Jesus isnt after the numbers of disciples…He’s after your faithfulness
  • Salvation belongs to God, not to you
• The end of evangelism is the glory of God, not the glory of your ability to evangelize…let that end drive your evangelism…
  • Evangelize like an Arminian and sleep like a Calvinist

• Preemptively Pray:
  • Pray before, during, and after
  • Ask that the Lord would be pleased to move in the hearts of those you will meet with that day
  • ORB: Pray for opportunities, recognition of those opportunities, & boldness in them
  • If you are not praying for these things we are left to wonder if you really care to see disciples be made
  • “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” Matt. 26.41

 

In the next post, we’ll look at some ways to think about turning a conversation during the conversation.