31 Oct 2021
When I first attended Evangelism Explosion, we learnt that when sharing the gospel, the testimony of a changed life is very powerful. A typical example of a conversion testimony is – “Before I knew Jesus Christ I felt anxious, rejected or life wasn’t working out for me or I was on drugs/pills, felt depressed, empty. After I received eternal life I have peace with God and purpose in life”
However, I always struggled with that format because I became a Christian when I was 12 years old. There was no notable change in my life. It wasn’t an exciting conversion story. Although it was not dramatic, I’m thankful that God had nurtured my faith in Him, even though I couldn’t go to church for the initial 3 years.
MY CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY
I became a Christian in 1982 when the bible study teacher asked who would like to be a Christian. I was attracted to Christianity because I read story books and the kids celebrate Christmas, go to church on Sundays. But because the teacher did not share the gospel, I didn’t understand the need for genuine repentance, why Jesus had to die for our sins or the depth of his sacrifice and suffering on the cross.
My sister, Sheue Yann became a Christian later that year too – one of FGT youth had reached out to her. After attending church camp, she refused to hold joss sticks and pray to our ancestors during Chinese New Year. My dad was furious and humiliated. There was a big scene in front of all our relatives before the ancestral family altar. We weren’t allowed to attend church after that as my parents felt that church taught us to dishonor our elders, family traditions etc.
TESTIMONIES BUILD & STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH IN GOD
I thank God that although we could only attend bible study class and Christian Union club in school, He nurtured our faith – we didn’t have the benefit of follow up classes or systematic bible teaching. At that time, God’s faithfulness in answering my prayers, and testimonies from other Christians was key to my faith. It showed me that God was alive, listening, He cares about the little details in my life in addition to important, bigger world issues.
FOCUS ON THE DEATH & RESURRECTION OF CHRIST
However, I later learnt that we should focus on the death and resurrection of Christ when sharing the gospel. Paul says in 1 Cor 15:14 “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.”
If Jesus Christ had died and stayed dead like any other human being then as Paul says in V19 “Christians are of all men the most pitiable” because our faith is based on a lie.
• The Death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most extensively proven and substantiated fact in history.
• Focusing on our personal experience may inadvertently destroy another person’s faith. There is no guarantee that God will do the same in another individual’s life even if our circumstances are the same.
Last week, I saw my oncologist for a follow up visit as I had discovered cancer 2.5 years ago. The doctor informed that my blood test results showed no trace of cancer cells. I’m very grateful and thankful to God for healing me. But when I share this testimony, I emphasize that “even if I’m not healed – God is still good.”
This is because hinging our listener’s faith on an expectation of answered prayer may cause them to be angry & disappointed. Either God is not powerful enough to change their circumstance, or God doesn’t love them as much as he loves us.
TESTIMONIES SHOULD BE FRESH, SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED RECENTLY
• We should always have ready examples of His goodness in our lives.
• It must be relevant to the listener. Adapt our testimony base on their needs e.g. peer pressure, financial or health concerns, difficult family situation
ASK PROBING QUESTIONS
Questions are like a pebble in our listener’s shoe, intended to get them to pause and search for answers. Example:
a) What gives your life meaning?
b) What is the purpose of life?
Many will say family, health, wealth.
There have been high incidences of suicide during the Covid 19 pandemic – due financial hardship, loss of jobs, abuse, depression, loneliness. We hear of migrant workers stranded overseas, deep in debt & separated from their families. They may conclude that life is meaningless.
But what gives our life purpose and meaning shouldn’t be temporal things that can be taken away.
It’s important that we follow up on that conversation, and really listen when they share what’s in their heart. After some time, they will ask you “So what gives your life meaning and purpose?” This is an excellent opportunity for us to share our faith.
c) Why God doesn’t end suffering? Is He not good? Is he not able/powerful?
Even if we don’t know the reason for a suffering/tragedy, it doesn’t mean there is no good reason for it. We can trust in God’s character – He is always just, righteous, perfect in every way.
Due to the pandemic, death is a common topic. We can ask questions like:
d) What will happen when you die? Do you think you will go to heaven?
e) Are you ready to meet God?
If our listener fears death and/or does not know, we can tell them about Jesus and how they can have assurance that they will be with God in heaven.
To recap:
1. Our testimony has to be fresh, appropriate to the listener
2. Their faith in God must be founded on facts, not our experience of answered prayer. We should not mislead them to treat God like a cash dispensing machine or Santa Claus.
3. Ask questions which set them on a path of thinking
4. Follow up regularly & pray for them. Build a relationship so we can continue the conversation. People rarely accept Christ at the first instance.
Let us be living testimonies that attract people to Christ – may we always have fresh encounters with God which we can share with others.