Sharing our Story

(Luke 10.1-9

1Peter 3.15)

As I was thinking about this morning' gospel reading, Jesus sending out the Seventy-Two, I was wondering how they must have felt.

How would you have felt if Jesus had appointed you to go to various towns and villages to tell people that "The Kingdom of God is near".

Pause

The nearest thing that has happened to me occurred when I was 20.

It was between my first and second year at university, ...during the summer vacation. I'd been working with Courtaulds at Derby, and was looking forward to returning to my home in Newcastle for a few weeks rest.

I knew that when I got home my church was going to have a parish mission. I didn't know much about it, (because I'd been working ...but I knew that a team of people were coming from Cambridge to lead a week of evangelistic meetings.

And then I got a phone call.

It was a message from my vicar.

One of the team members from Cambridge was unable to come, would I be willing to take his place on the team.

My heart sank. I desperately wanted to say "No".

I felt totally inadequate. I'd had no training. What would I have to do? What would I have to say?

It was one of those occasions that you look in your diary hoping to find that you have some other engagement. ...But my week was totally free.

I racked my brain for some other plausible excuse, but I could think of none.

I knew that the only reason I could give for saying 'No' was that I was afraid, ...and that seemed rather pathetic, ...so reluctantly I said 'Yes'.

It did wonders for my prayer life! I don't think I'd ever prayed so much in the days leading up to the mission!

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the Seventy-Two felt rather afraid when Jesus appointed them, ...especially when Jesus told them, "I'm sending you out like lambs among wolves!"

I can imagine them asking Jesus, "What will we have to do?", ..."What will we have to say?"

And I can also imagine them thinking about the sort of questions that they might be asked, ...and rehearsing the answers that they might give.

I know I did!

And Jesus said to them:

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

(Lk. 10.2)

In his first letter, Peter wrote to some Christians:

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, ...but do this with gentleness and respect..." (1Pe. 3.15-16)

Not all Christians are evangelists like the Seventy Two. The Bible makes it clear that the gift of evangelism is something that God gives to some Christians, but not to others.

Not all Christians are able to express in words the essential message of the Christian faith. If someone were to ask you, "What exactly do I have to do, in order to become a Christian?". Some of us would find it quite hard to put into words.

But one thing that all Christians are called to do, is:

to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have, ...and to do this with gentleness and respect.

Now I must admit that I've never had anyone come up to me and say: "Can you please give me the reason for the hope that you have".

...but people have asked me:

"Why are you a Christian?"

"How did you become a Christian?"

"What difference does being a Christian make to your life?"

And all these sort of questions give us an opportunity to share our story.

A member of our church was telling me about something that happen to them a few weeks ago, (and she's given me permission to share it with you).

It was at a barbecue that we hold each year for families who've had a child baptized.

During the afternoon, one of the parents, (who doesn't come to church), asked her: "So what is it that has made the difference in your life?".

It was a question that came out of the blue, ...and this lady told me how annoyed she felt with herself because she wasn't able to give an answer.

Questions like that may not come very often, but if people know that we're a Christian they will come from time to time.

And they are God-given opportunities. ...In situations like this we're not forcing religion down someone's throat, ...quite the opposite. The person who's asking us is often genuinely interested, and is looking for an answer.

...But I guess that many of us would fail to give an adequate response.

It's not that we haven't got an answer, it's just that we're not properly prepared.

Given an hour's notice I'm sure that we could all give a good answer. But questions like this come out of the blue, ...and that's why Peter urges these Christians to:

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have".

And being prepared involves us sitting down and thinking about our story.

...and if you don't know where to start, let me give you a few pointers.

For a start, is your story more like that of Paul, or more like that of Samuel?

Paul wasn't always a Christian. But one day he experiences a sudden and dramatic change in his life, ...a conversion experience, ...and if Paul were to tell you his story he could tell you what happened, and how he changed.

With Samuel, on the other hand, things were far more gradual. If Samuel were to tell you his story he could tell you how he grew in faith over long period of time.

Both stories are equally valid, and equally valuable.

But which is your story most like? Did you become a Christian suddenly (like Paul), ...or did you grow in faith gradually like Samuel?

Now if you choose one of these two, you only have to listen to half of the remaining sermon!

Lets begin with those whose story is more like Paul, (...although probably less dramatic!). Well in preparing to tell your story, some key words to consider are BEFORE, ...HOW, ...and SINCE.

So what were you like BEFORE you were a Christian?

What were your attitudes?

What was your outlook on life?

Paul tells his story in Acts chapter 26. And he begins by describing his life as a Pharisee. How he was convinced that he ought to do everything possible to oppose the Christian faith, ...and how he threw many Christians in prison.

Perhaps your outlook was very different to Paul's. Well how did you think, or feel, before you were a Christian?

What were your beliefs or disbeliefs?

(Pause)

Next consider HOW you reached your "crunch point".

In his story, Paul describes how he reached his "crunch point" on the road to Damascus. He describes a light from heaven blazing all around him, and the voice of Jesus speaking to him.

As I say, for most of us it's far less dramatic than that, ...but consider how you came to see your need of Christ.

(Pause)

And finally, what's happened SINCE?

How have you changed, or how are you changing?

Paul goes on to describe how he changed. How instead of persecuting those who believed in Jesus, he started to preach that everyone should believe in him. ...And consequently he himself had been arrested.

And also how his beliefs had changed, ...and how he was now convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead.

So what's changed for you?

How are you attitudes different to those you had before you were a Christian?

BEFORE, ...HOW, ...SINCE. They're three great pegs upon which you can hang your story of faith.

But not everybody's story fits this pattern. For many people, faith is something that has grown gradually.

So lets now think about those whose story is more like Samuel. And in this case it's more appropriate to choose a different set of key words, WHY, ...HOW, ...and WHAT.

So begin by thinking "WHY am I a Christian?"

Of course we couldn't ask Samuel that question because he was born before Christ, ...but you could ask him "Why are you an Israelite believer?"

You can read his story in 1 Samuel chapters 1 to 3, and he might have said that he saw the reality of his parents faith, ...or that he felt a sense of "rightness" about it as he grew up, ...or that he had experienced God for himself.

Once again, each of our stories will be different, so why are you a Christian?

(Pause)

Next consider HOW YOU KNOW you're a Christian.

Samuel might have mentioned his on-going experience of God, ...or the fact that his faith works, and it helps him to make sense of life.

But how do you know you're a Christian?

(Pause)

And finally, in practical terms, WHAT does it mean to be a Christian?

Samuel might have talked about the need to obey God, no matter how difficult it may be, ...or having a growing sense of a call to serve God.

Once again, we're all different, but what does being a Christian mean for you in practical terms?

Each of us is unique.

Illustration

Every one of us here this morning has a story to tell, and they are all unique. It's a great privilege when someone asks us to share our story of faith, and it's something we can all do with a little preparation.

So can I encourage all of you to think about your own story. If the pegs I've mentioned are useful, then use them:

For Paul the key words are BEFORE, HOW, and SINCE.

For Samuel they are WHY, HOW, and WHAT.

If you don't find them helpful then forget them! But please spend a little time to think about how you can share your story of faith.

God may not send us all out like the Seventy Two, ...but he may send people to us with questions to ask, ...so let us:

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, ...but do this with gentleness and respect..." (1Pe. 3.15-16)