In his Second Letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul has some advice about sharing Jesus with others.
Encourage. No one was ever argued into believing in Jesus. Some people will want to believe but have not quite got there yet. Others once had faith but find it slipping away. Encourage.
Tell the truth. Don’t ignore the reality of their lives. People know they have made mistakes. Address the truth of their lives and tell them the truth about Jesus.
Be ready, in season or out, whether the time is favorable or not. People aren’t ready to talk about spiritual matters when you are ready. They are ready when they are ready.
Be persistent. That doesn’t mean that you should badger them, or that you can’t talk about anything but Jesus. It does mean that you should be persistent in sustaining your relationship with them, so that when they are ready to talk about spiritual issues, they know who to talk to.
Pay attention to Paul’s words when he talks about Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and his appearing and his kingdom. Let people know that you really believe that Jesus is coming back and will be Lord over all the creation. You don’t need to insist that other people believe what you believe. But you don’t want to be ashamed of the reason for the hope that is within you. It is your hope that gives you something to offer them.
In our sermon this Sunday we will look at how our personal stories fit inside the big story of God, and how we need to be persistent in sharing Jesus.