6
Share Christ with Your Neighbor
Question 1:
What’s the nicest thing a neighbor has done for you?
THE POINT
We love our neighbors when we tell them about Jesus.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
For many of us, the initial news of a virus in China was just that—news—and we moved on to the next news item. It didn’t take long for that little news blip to become something far greater. Within a few days, the flurry of news stories became an avalanche that affected every sphere of our lives. Overnight, everything changed throughout the world. We had to adjust to a whole new way of living.
One bright spot in that season of uncertainty and grief was how people cared for one another. Neighbors checked in on each other. Food banks saw record-breaking donations. Social media friends even helped each other find toilet paper! People felt a sense of responsibility for one another.
The devastating effects of COVID-19 pale in comparison to the desperation of being separated from a right relationship with God and the urgency of our mission to reach those lost people with His message of reconciliation. Let’s consider how we can love our neighbors by helping them find their greatest joy and deepest need—the Lord Jesus Christ.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
John 1:40-42
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated “the Christ”), 42 and he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”).
We make sharing the message of Jesus far too complicated. As helpful as evangelism methods and training programs might be, the most effective witness you can give is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to use the gifts and the personality God gave you. You see the different approaches and responses from Jesus’s disciples in how they witnessed.
When Andrew responded to Jesus’s invitation to follow Him, he had already been listening to the preaching of John the Baptist. As one of John’s disciples (John 1:35), it is apparent that Andrew already had publicly turned away from his sins and was waiting for the promised Messiah, God’s Anointed One. After John professed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, Andrew didn’t waste any time. Interestingly, verse 41 notes that Andrew “first found his own brother Simon and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah,’ ” indicating that telling his brother was a top priority to him. Also, it implies that Simon may have been the first person he told, but Andrew probably told a lot of other people this good news as well.
Question 2:
What makes our testimony such an effective tool when sharing the gospel?
When many of us think of evangelism, we think of an activity that we do, but what we find in the New Testament is something more akin to a lifestyle that we live. The early disciples were so completely devoted to Jesus that He had changed everything they were living for. The New Testament Christians didn’t compartmentalize their spiritual lives—all of their lives became spiritual.
We tend to approach life differently, especially since we live in a culture influenced by what’s called the “sacred/secular divide.” We put our Christian selves in one “box” and our work selves in another. In fact, we probably have multiple “boxes”—family, recreation, entertainment, and so forth—that represent different aspects of our lives.
But as John Mark Comer describes, that mindset is incongruent with how Jesus approached the spiritual life: “It’s easy to forget that Jesus was a builder or a carpenter. And if working an ordinary, unglamorous ‘secular’ job wasn’t beneath the embodiment of the Creator Himself, why would it be below us? … So do your work—whatever it is—as a follower of Jesus. Because there are no compartments. The way of Jesus should permeate and influence and shape every facet of your life.”1
What does this have to do with your witness for Christ? Everything! God has already placed you in a mission field and called you to reach the people nearest you with His good news. You don’t need to go on an international mission trip or even go door-to-door in a community, as important as those ministry opportunities are. You can just start with the people closest to you like Andrew did. No matter where you are, people need to hear about Jesus.
John 1:43-46
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” 46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him. “Come and see,” Philip answered.
Did you catch Philip’s approach to evangelism in verse 46, when Nathanael was skeptical? Philip simply said, “Come and see.” Those three words tell us as much about what evangelism is not as they tell us what evangelism is. As followers of Christ, we are simply messengers, heralds who invite people to encounter the Lord Jesus for themselves. We’re not sharing our message; we’re sharing His message.
That simple truth is incredibly freeing when we feel inadequate to be His witnesses. We only need to share the message. It’s not our job to convict. We don’t even have to persuade. We only need to invite them to “come and see” who Jesus is and what He has done.
It’s easy to give up on people in frustration, impatience, or even despair. Friends may have been coming to church, talking with you about the gospel, and even connecting with other Christians, but they still don’t believe. The heartbreaking truth is that some never will trust in Christ. But for others, they just need someone to accept them where they are, keep patiently sharing Christ with them, and loving them enough not to give up.
When we look at how Jesus shared His message of salvation, we see His love for others on display. We see Him show mercy to those with physical and spiritual needs. We watch Him teach His followers to value loving one another more than perfectly following religious rules. We see Him respond to others’ failures with kindness and forgiveness.
Jesus is the Good Samaritan who saw our helpless state when we were still His enemies and stopped to rescue us. He is the gracious King, who delights in forgiving the debts we can never repay. He is the Incarnation of patience, kindness, and self-sacrifice. When we see Jesus, we see love.
Question 3:
Who first invited you to come and see Jesus?
John 1:47-49
47 Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered. 49 “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!”
We see the heart of Jesus in how He greeted Nathanael with a blessing. He said Nathanael was an honest man. There was no deceit in him. His heart and motives were pure. How did Jesus know this? Because Jesus is God. He created Nathanael. He knew Nathanael better than Nathanael knew himself. Jesus knows what is in the hearts of all people (John 2:24-25). He knows our sinful state and He sees our corruption. No one could accuse Jesus of being overly optimistic about the human condition.
Question 4:
When have you seen friendship start someone on the path to Jesus?
When Jesus saw Nathanael, His first words to him were kind, even identifying what was admirable in him. Jesus could have begun with words of condemnation or judgment, but instead He started with words of grace. That principle should guide us as we lead our family and friends to “come and see” Jesus. For example, we might affirm someone’s desire to be a good person and start a conversation with the truth that none of us can live up to even our own standards, much less God’s standards. Or we might begin by pointing out the ways God has blessed them and how He gives all His blessings so that we would know and love Him.
An invitation to “come and see” can lead someone’s eyes to be opened through exploring the claims of Christ. As he encounters Jesus, the Holy Spirit does His work of conviction. It’s the kindness of God that works in a person’s heart.
At this point of Nathanael’s encounter with Jesus, Philip was in the background. Phillip simply made the introduction; it was Jesus who met Nathanael’s need. With our friends, we show love when we invite them to “come and see” Jesus. We make the introduction, tell what we experienced when we “came and saw,” and trust God to work in their hearts. The epitome of our friendship can be when we bring them to an even greater friendship in Christ.
Question 5:
How can our group be a helpful means in leading people to Christ?
Engage
TELLING ABOUT JESUS
Choose one of the following images that best illustrates a way to begin a gospel conversation. Then write a prayer asking for an opportunity to share the gospel with someone this week.
My Prayer:
_______________________________________
“Evangelism is just one beggar telling another where to find bread.”
D. T. NILES
LIVE IT OUT
We love our neighbors when we tell them about Jesus. Choose one of the following applications:
Trust. What holds you back from sharing Christ? Pray and ask God to make your faith in Him greater than your fears.
Invite. With the same “come and see” mindset seen in both Andrew and Philip, invite friends to come with you to your Bible study group. Your group can provide a non-threatening way to “come and see” Jesus as your group discusses God’s Word.
Share. Draw three circles and make a list of people God has put in your life. In the first circle, include your closest relationships. In the second circle, write a list of your friends and coworkers. And in the third circle include acquaintances or neighbors you don’t know well. Who in those circles does the Lord want you to reach with the gospel? As you pray, look for opportunities to share Christ.
Most of what we know about viruses isn’t good. But they can teach us a lot about how things spread. The good news of Jesus spreads when one person, overcome with the love and grace of the gospel, tells another person, who then tells another person, and on and on and on. Let’s be that person who gets the good news spreading!
Teacher's Notes:
In the first lesson of this series about “How to Love Your Neighbor,”
we learned just who our neighbor is.
In an unusual twist, Jesus teaches us that our
neighbor is the person to whom we can be a neighbor.
It is more about who we are to them than who
they are to us.
Then we were challenged to love our neighbor as
God loves us by taking their needs to God in prayer, showing them honor by
seeking what is best for them, and forgiving those who offend or hurt us.
And today - we address our neighbor’s greatest
need of all – to be told about Jesus.
What if you just don’t want to tell them about
Jesus?
“Go to Nineveh and preach…J1:2 / Where did
Jonah go?
“Go and make disciples…M28:19 / Where are you
going?
Could I be a Jonah?
Point:
We love our neighbors when we tell them about Jesus.
The Importance of ONE
John 1:40-49
Do you believe that your personal influence can
make a huge difference in your community or in the world?
Is it possible that you are where you are
because God wants to use your personal influence to make an eternal difference
in the life of someone else?
People believe that because we live in such a
big world, where there are so many people, it is so easy for us to
underestimate the impact that our one life can have. Often, our mindset is:
"I am just one, and what can just one
person do?"
However, the more you study the Bible, the more
you will find testimonies of people who were willing to entrust their “one
life” to God and allowed Him to use them according to His perfect plan.
Who's your ONE?
John 1:40-42
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the
two who heard John and followed him. He first found his own brother Simon and
told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated “the Christ”), and
he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of
John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”).
1. Witness
to Your Family
Andrew finds his brother first and brought him
to Jesus. This is instructive for us. Let’s be careful not to be seeking to
reach the neighborhoods and the nations when one hasn’t sought to reach his own
family circle. It would be a sad indictment against us if our parents,
children, siblings, cousins, nieces, or nephews die, when we have the
life-changing truth of the gospel. We must pattern after Andrew and get our
closest relatives to Jesus. Being introduced to Jesus calls for a decision to
follow Him or not to follow Him. Finding Jesus ought to lead to our finding
others who need to know about Him. Our message of Jesus evolves from our
experience with Him. We may bring others to Jesus, but Jesus is the one who
makes the change in the other person’s life. Entering a relationship with Jesus
is the beginning of a journey toward becoming a faithful follower.
John 1:43-44
The next day Jesus decided to leave for
Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from
Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.
2. Witness
to Your Friends
Andrew brought Simon to Jesus, Jesus called
Phillip, and then Phillip found Nathaniel and brought him to Jesus. Again, this
is instructive for us. We ought not be consumed with bringing our friends to
prestige, prominence, or prosperity. We should be committed to bringing our
friends to the Prince of Peace.
If I was a policeman and saw a crime being
committed and didn’t stop the criminal, what kind of policeman would I be? If I
were a doctor who had the cure for cancer and didn’t share that cure with
cancer patients all over the world, what kind of doctor would I be? If I were a
fireman and saw a building burning and wouldn’t help put the fire out, what
kind of fireman would I be? If we are Christians, and we have news that can get
people to heaven and we don’t share it with our friends, then what kind of friend
or Christian are we.
God in Christ took the initiative to come to
us, to search us out, and to invite us into a right relationship with Him. Friends
tell friends about Jesus.
John 1:45-49
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have
found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the
son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Nathanael asked him. “Come and see,” Philip answered. Then Jesus saw
Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israelite in
whom there is no deceit.” “How do you
know me?” Nathanael asked. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the
fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered.
“Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of
Israel!”
3. Invite Others to Come and See and Leave
the Rest to God
Trust God to work in the hearts of others.
Andrew didn’t know if Simon Peter would
believe, he just brought him to Jesus. Phillip didn’t know if Nathaniel would
believe, he just brought him to Jesus. When we share the gospel, we must leave
the results to God. Only He has the power to save. You and I must plant the
seed of gospel and trust God to work in the hearts of lost people. Nathaniel
was skeptical, but Phillip told him to come and see. Right after that, Jesus
confirmed that He indeed was the Messiah. You and I must know that God is able
to glorify Himself and magnify His Son. God can give spiritual sight to those
who are spiritually blind. Our responsibility is to love our neighbors enough
to witness to them — and leave the results up to God.
Thank
You for the Holy Spirit's power in us to pray, care, and share Christ with our neighbors.
· Closest Relationships
· Friends & Coworkers
· Acquaintances & Neighbors
Why won’t we tell others about Jesus?
How could you express a love for your neighbors
that would really make a difference in their lives?
Again, who is my neighbor?
Of
all the needs we have, none is greater than the need for salvation and eternal
life. We can help our neighbor with a lot of physical, emotional, or relational
needs, but more than anything else, they need Jesus.
We
cannot meet this need for them, but we can point them to Jesus, the only one
who can provide eternal life.
Conclusion:
This is the true essence of what it means to be
a neighbor. We love our neighbors — next door and around the world — when we
tell them about Jesus.
10 reasons why you won’t share the gospel
Let’s look at some other reasons why people
won’t share the Good News they claim means so much to them.
1. You believe it will hurt your relationships.
Honestly, there is a small chance the gospel
will drive a wedge between your relationships. After all, Jesus said He came to
bring division (Luke 12:51 ESV) — if you enter a gospel conversation with
humility and genuine concern for the other person, most will receive it warmly.
They may not believe what you believe, but they’ll see your love for them by
bringing up an awkward conversation.
If you currently have a significant
relationship with that person, why would they not want to hear about the most
important thing in your life? Some people will say, “I’m waiting for the right
opportunity.” There is never bad timing to lovingly share about the greatest
sacrifice imaginable.
We forget it’s not our relationships with
others that are most important. It’s others’ relationships with the Creator.
Sometimes our relationships need to take a backseat so our friends can enter a
saving relationship.
2. You think the way you live your life is
pointing people to Jesus.
Maybe you live by the quote credited to St.
Francis of Assisi, “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.” First,
Francis never said this quote. In fact, he was a great speaker placing high
emphasis on the Spirit of God working in and through his sermons. He often
would preach up to five times a day in towns and villages around Italy. Second,
the reason you’re reading these words is because people used words to express
the gospel. The gospel cannot be shared without words.
Paul tells us in Romans 10:14 (ESV), “And how
are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to
hear without someone preaching?”
I thank our Lord for those words I heard
clearly presented when I was in high school. You tell me, when was the last
time someone came to you dying to hear the mercies of God because you don’t
curse or drink alcohol? Preach the gospel. Use words.
3. You don’t know what Scripture says.
It’s commanded in the Great Commission to make
disciples (Matthew 28:19). Evangelism, or sharing the gospel, is just one
process in making disciples. You CANNOT make disciples without sharing the
gospel. You CAN share the gospel without making disciples.
Evangelism is a lifestyle driven by prayer.
Read Colossians 4:2-5. Paul urges the believers to pray for opportunities to
share the gospel with clarity. Repeatedly scripture points us to share Jesus
with others. It is our joy as a believer to get to be the mouthpiece of God
while the Spirit changes the heart.
Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t just
pluck us up into Heaven when we become believers? It’s so He can get even more
glory by using broken people like us to lead others into eternity.
4. You are a part of a church or ministry that
gives you a “way out.”
I know you’re a rock star there because you
show up consistently and bring people often, but if the applause you’re hearing
isn’t coming from Jesus Himself, you’re missing the point. God put you in the
lives of people to share His Good News with them. Taking someone to church on
Sunday or your weekly campus meeting is not the equivalent of evangelism. I
could tell you countless stories of people who sit in church every week that
we’ve seen come to know Christ because someone took the time to sit down with
them, answer their questions, and invite them to follow Jesus as Lord. Unfortunately,
some churches and para-church ministries provide easy excuses not to share the
gospel. Their standard is not high enough. If a ministry’s only concern is YOUR
personal growth, you’re in the wrong ministry. Contrary to popular belief, the
Bible is not about you.
5. You don’t truly understand grace.
Let’s be honest. We’ll never fully understand
the grace God has shown us. It’s that amazing. Most people equate grace with
mercy, but the two are not the same. Mercy is not getting what you deserve.
Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is what draws people to you.
Grace motivates them to die for you. Look throughout the scriptures—mercy drew
all the disciples to Jesus. Grace led them to give their lives to share the
gospel. Mercy is what drew you to Jesus. Understanding grace will lead you to
share the gospel despite what others may think.
6. You don’t understand true humility.
Oswald Chambers said, “The things that sound
humble before God may sound the opposite before men.” It’s humbling to put
yourself out there and initiate a conversation with someone about his or her
eternity. They could laugh at you, dislike you, or you might be labeled as that
guy pushing his beliefs on everyone. That’s the opposite of what God thinks.
By sharing the gospel with someone, you’re
essentially saying, “I don’t care what you think of me. I care what you think
of Jesus.” We must lay down our own lives and reputations for the glory of the
Father!
7. You think you might mess it up.
This brings us back to how much pride we have.
We really cannot mess up sharing the gospel if we’re walking in the Spirit. We
give ourselves too much credit thinking it’s our presentation that saves
someone’s soul when it’s the Holy Spirit. I remember teaching a friend to share
his faith for the first time and we found someone who would listen to us. My
friend was incoherent in his presentation even referring to Moses, Noah’s Ark,
the red sea, the bronze serpent on a staff, and angels. I thought, “I need to
jump in here and save this!” but it was clear as day when I heard the Spirit
say, “You keep your mouth shut.” So, I did. My friend babbled on and on and
finally out of nowhere said to our listener, “I know that’s a lot, but what do
you think of Jesus, and do you want to put your faith in Him?” I was ready to
get laughed out of there. The guy looked at us and said, “Yes, this is exactly
what I need.” God is so powerful He can make even the least articulate sound
like Paul, Peter, or John when they step out in faith.
8. You don’t know the will of God.
Most every believer has asked, “What is God’s
will for me?” And most of the time they’re thinking of a career path, potential
spouse, school, etc. The question shouldn’t be, “What is God’s will for me?” It
should be “What is God’s will?”
That’s clearly spelled out in the Bible. We
are called to make disciples (Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20) and love
God while loving others (Great Commandment, Matthew 22:37-38). An
illustration would be someone sitting along the bank of a river. The river
represents God’s will. It’s flowing and moving. Most people are sitting on the
bank hoping for some of God’s will to splash on them. The fact is, God’s will Is
going to happen with or without us. We should stand up and dive into the river
and let it take us wherever it goes. God has a will. Dive into it and enjoy the
ride.
9. You’ve never seen that first smile after
someone gives his or her life to Jesus.
If the Lord blesses you by allowing you to lead
someone into a relationship with Him, you’ll never forget that feeling. It’s a
high like no other to know God has used you to change someone’s eternity. When
you share the gospel with someone for the first time and you listen to their
prayer of repentance and acceptance of Christ, it’s the surest you’ll ever be
of God’s will.
10. You feel it’s
unspiritual because someone challenged you to share your faith.
“If it’s predictable or pushy, it’s not led by
God,” I’ve heard many say. Some feel having a plan or strategy for sharing the
gospel is putting too much emphasis on man’s work in evangelism and less on the
Holy Spirit, yet the Apostle Paul had a strategy. He would enter a new town and
immediately preach Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection in the Jewish
synagogue. Those in the synagogue would have some understanding of Old
Testament prophecies about the Christ so it was a perfect place to start. Many
of the Jews were offended, but many of them also believed!
In the same way, most people around you have
some understanding of Jesus, but they are not trusting in His name for their
eternity. Some might be offended, but some others will give their lives to
Christ!
