How Can I Share the Gospel If I'm Introverted?

How can I evangelize. If I'm introverted, that's just one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. We would love to hear from you and here's our phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 always leave us a voicemail with that number and you can post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Germany in Fresno, California, Germany what your question for Pastor Israel yet.

Thank you.

Forgiveness called everyone what your question so will my daughter. My only daughter and she wheat we got into a discussion driving about morality issues and I brought up that she believed in God. What she did was pretty much renounce her faith in God fish doesn't believe in God anyway. God and I really do know how to respond. I was I was completely slammed by. So my question to you is where where do I go from here. I don't want to cause division between us. But I would like to try to reach out more to her and try to come up with a resolution yeah well I guess I want to want to take a moment this this day to pray for your daughter and invite all of the listeners to to pray for her and for you as well. I'm sure that that must've been very very difficult to do here in and unite in terms of reaction right. Obviously I think that that the proper response would first be prayer the Lord is the one who softens the heart by his word, and so in a situation like this I think you know you want to you want to be able to have conversations. Oftentimes I know him. When these kinds of things happen that you know are our kids just aren't interested in talking of the if they make the sort of declaration they don't want to hear it. And so I think praying that the Lord would by the grace of his Holy Spirit begin to soften your daughter's heart and create a sense of openness to the gospel to these kinds of conversations. Obviously she knows you care about this and as you show her affection if you love her, and as you as you speak the truth in love term. It may be that at first she she shuts it out, but I think I think continuing to do that in in a way that doesn't drive her away further but is is sensitive, while also firm that's that's that's hard right me feel like you're you're walking a tight rope, but let me just say for you. Don't lose hope. I think that week we can we can have these experiences and just think, all man. One week we beat ourselves up because we think II wish I would've done more. Maybe I could have done more. Have I have I ruin this in some way and that's I think that there can be guilt in a situation like this and and I would say it in that situation you will you look to the Lord. You say God have mercy but but don't give up knowing that God is the one who is able that he is all-powerful.

I oftentimes think of that that wonderful story of St. Augustine, his mother, who prayed for him for years and years and years amine here was a guy who basically said no. I don't believe in God and in his mom would try to talk to him about the Lord and he would argue with her. He would mock her, and for years for decades. He did his own thing. He lived this immoral life and his mom.

He says water to the ground with her tears as she prayed for him faithfully and if she continued to share the truth of Christ with him in the Lord opened his heart and transformed his life and I would you say to you. Jeremy is a father commit to praying for your daughter like that to crying out to the Lord took continuing to love her to be there for her. Even though you have this this this strong disagreement. You him you want her to know the Lord and to love the Lord and so speaking the truth in love, and maybe some of that is also going to look like growing in your own understanding of how to communicate that the truth of the way, why them either a lot of good reasons for why we believe in Jesus and the gospel is that the resurrection of of the dead. We have some those resources that we can make available to you that might help you as you have some conversations with your daughter, let me just pray for for you guys right now and asked the Lord to to do the work that only he can do.

Father we live Jeremy up to you and we lift his daughter up to you, Lord, and God. I pray for her that you would soften your heart to your word Jesus that you would by the grace of your Holy Spirit shine your light Lord upon her mind upon her heart to receive your truth to be open to the encouragements of her father, Lord, that she would understand your love for mankind, revealed in the gospel when we know that so many people are our leaving the church of banning the church. Many people who really didn't even understand the greatness of your love.

To begin with, and I pray that she would understand that love and that it would draw her to you and that you would do a great work and in her life and for for Jeremy.

What I pray God is he is a discouraged and struggling that you would give them wisdom that you would give them opportunities to continue to have gospel centered conversations with his daughter. Lord, that you would sustain them when when he's discouraged and strengthened his faith in you. As he clings to you, Lord, and seeks your face in this matter. So would you be with them and what would you work Lord God in the situation we ask in Jesus name amen man in Jeremy we would love to send you a copy of the book core Christianity, which might be helpful to you in some of the conversations that you are gonna be having with your daughter over the next couple months. Other some wonderful material there that will help you maybe articulate the gospel really clearly to her and no guarantee that you know shall accept that but a starting place. Yeah. And I think being asking questions. Being able to ask questions and soak it. Why is it that you come to that. You know what it was at the at the root of this, what are you rejecting and asking those kinds of questions to to really get an understanding of and that might also give you an un-unopened door to be was it will actually seems to me like what you're rejecting is is not the gospel it's is maybe a misunderstanding of who God is and what he's revealed in his word, and so so asking questions, probing a little bit more and then responding with the truth of the gospel in some of the reasons that we have to believe and hopefully these these resources.

It was a sinner and help you out. Jeremy said thank you for calling us this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez we had an email from Anna and she asks this. She says thank you so much for your broadcast. I have an issue. I'm very worried about. We are called to share the gospel but I don't have any family and my friends are all believers. So the only people I can share the gospel with our strangers. I'm not ashamed of my faith in Christ at all, but I've always been socially awkward and uncomfortable in general with people I don't know so I don't know how to randomly bring up the subject of Christ. Will we be held accountable before God for not sharing the good news. I'm so worried about grieving the Lord, you're not alone, sister, and a lot of people who I met with as we think about evangelism. It can make us uncomfortable can feel awkward, it can feel like you know, forcing the that the gearshift in your car as you try to change the convert conversation to other things of the Lord, maybe with with a friend and ended especially when you know when most the people we know if if you know you're here in the church. He spent a lot of time with believe you don't have a lot of non-Christian friend let it if it's us. I will how do I even begin to do this well I think of what the apostle Paul said, here's one encouragement I think what the apostle Paul said in first Thessalonians chapter 4 beginning in verse nine he's talking about the look at the life that is pleasing to the Lord how it is that we should we should live. He begins X in verse one. Finally, than brothers we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing that you do so more and more and so he's he saying like this are your your call to live as a Christian, then in verse nine says concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers.

To do this more and more and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one he saying just be faithful in in your life and work hard, live a life that is an example to the people around to outsiders of of purity of holiness of love for God and love for neighbor and as you do that sister as you continue to live in that way, pray and of that the Lord would give you opportunities.

I think that that's a prayer that the Lord will answer, pray Lord guide me. Give me opportunities to share with others about what Jesus has done for me people that I can encourage people where I can I can share my faith and that that boldness doesn't oftentimes come naturally. I think of the disciples in the book of acts they prayed for boldness. They ask God for boldness because even for them. This wasn't something that just was was easy. That came naturally and a lot of us struggle with this so you're not alone. And that's trouble I would say go to the Lord. Pray for boldness and pray for opportunities as you are living faithfully loving you know the body of Christ. The people around you, working hard, and in whatever it is that the Lord is as called you to do whatever your vocation is and and being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit into the people that God is going to bring into your life open to having these kinds of conversations to do. Being able to talk about the Lord asking the Lord will open those doors. I think that's a prayer that God will answer and so just just be faithful and those and in those little things and I think the Lord will bless you and that Anna, thanks so much for your question and for listing the core Christianity want to take a moment and thank a very special group of people we call them our inner core. These are people that are leaving this program by believing what we do, so much so that they feel God has led them to make a monthly donation to help support this ministry. Yeah, in the in the inner core is a group that supports us with the monthly gift of $25 or more and also with their prayers, which is really important you have.

I've already said it it it really is only a work of the spirit. It's only to the blessing of God that what we want to see happen will happen and that is lives changed, people coming into a deeper relationship with the Lord to a proper understanding of his word to a proper understanding of the core doctrines of the Christian faith that we need to continually recover and set before our minds and our hearts because of their those doctrines that are gonna release shape us and nourish us and strengthen us to be able to share our faith and to to be able to defend our faith when when people challenge it. And so if you been blessed by this broadcast.

If you're encouraged by the work they were doing.

Would you prayerfully consider joining the inner core and when you do you get a copy of that book will Christianity Dr. Michael Horton's excellent book core Christianity will send that to you and you will have advanced copies of all of the resources that we offer here at core Christianity. Those go out to our inner core members first. You can learn more about becoming a member of the inner core by going to our website which is core Christianity.com/inner core. What here's a question from Russell in Kansas City, Missouri. He says why don't people take the warnings about gossip seriously. I never hear sermons about Proverbs 18, eight, or Proverbs 26, 22 yeah well I guess I I think it's one of those may be respectable since you know the one of those sins that people don't often think about you and sometimes there can be kind of pious form of gossip Kent there where it's it's sort of paper.

The sister praised her for this sister because you know she is really struggling in our walk with the Lord and let me tell you all about it and I think we gotta be really careful friends with how we use our speech and and James says we all fail in this there isn't one person who has perfectly bridled their tongue the minute. It's one of those things that really should. Because of fear and trouble you think of what Jesus said, working to give an account for every way word word that we speak and so we talk about something that should humble us and and cause us to fall on our knees and say Lord have mercy of the passages of Scripture that that Russell was was referring to Proverbs chapter 18 verse eight the words of a whisper are like delicious morsels. They go down into the inner parts of the body yet that they sink down there pretty deeply and then later in the book of Proverbs Proverbs 26 verse 22 the words of a whisper are like delicious, more morsels, they go down into the inner parts of the body.

The little bit earlier in verse 20 says, for lack of wood and the fire goes out, and where there is no whisper quarreling ceases. In other words it's it's it's sort of like wood for the fire. It's like adding wood to the fire. That's what it doesn't end been the result is quarrel that the next verse, verse 21 as charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife, and so we need understand that our words are art the way we use our words can be very dangerous for for others, for ourselves for the Christian community. We should ask the Lord to help us in our speech to bridal our tongues to speak in ways that are good and edify and build up the saints and protect the saints. Neither are there are times a week where we do need to use strong language and and that I think that's that's important. Our context for that. But we ought to use her speech primarily to build up the body of Christ not to reveal people, secrets, or to gossip and soap.

Why don't we hear about this a lot. Well, maybe it's because this is just one of that. This is a lot of people struggle with and they don't want to talk about it, but it is important for us to to just say what the Scripture says and to encourage you to use your speech in a godly way.

Russell, thanks so much for the great reminder. It is so important for us in the body of Christ not to be gossiping. As Pedro pointed out and let's go to another question we receive. This is why voicemail from one of our listeners.

Names are read my role, which is much to the same way you would have them number one rule in the Bible all their number one or number 216.

Bless you and thank you for for that question. So here Jesus is talking about the fulfillment of the law. Everything that the law and the prophets pointed to. You can summon up in in in in this essentially right, whatever you wish that others would do to you, Matthew chapter 7 verse 12, do also to them for this is the law and the prophets very similar to when Jesus talked about the greatest command you.

He was asked teacher what is the greatest commandment. And Jesus said love God perfectly and love your neighbor as yourself, which I think is just an another way of you know if it's with that but the second part their love your neighbor as yourself, or think that's that's verse 12 here due to others. What we want them to do to you it's it's it's a positive note, often everything about God's law, we think, primarily negative it. Are you and I should do this a session murder. I should commit adultery. I should do that. But there is a positive element to it and it's not just about not killing that murdering it's about the flourishing of life and caring for others positively unit. We think that if we just don't do bad work were good with truth neutral place but but righteousness actually got calls us to is something positive is to loving the people around us in in the way that Christ loved us and so is a II think that this is you know a really helpful thing for us to see.

It's the summary of the law.

If you will, in ultimately we think about is interesting to be talking about you.

How we use our our speech what it looks like to to fulfill the golden rule. Who of us does this perfectly right like who perfectly uses their speech in a way that the build others up all the time and in it were always praising the Lord.

But how often do we not treat others with the same grace and love that we want them to treat us with it so it part of what Jesus is doing here in the sermon on the mountain in Matthew chapter 7 is he's exposing our need for grace our need for the gospel. He's highlighting the fact that our righteousness is pretty pretty dim and so evident. It's it is important for us to understand it now in Christ we believe in Jesus Christ were born again sealed with the Holy Spirit and by the Spirit that we start to work towards this the spirit of God working in us right it to fulfill the righteous requirements of the laws.

The apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 8, when it comes to standing before God our justification. Boy it's not on the basis of how perfectly we keep the law or the golden rule because we fall short of it. And so we flee to Christ and in Christ filled with the Holy Spirit. We seek to love others as God is loved us and us as we want them to love us as well. Your listing to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. If you have a question you can always email us at core questions at core, Christianity.com that's questions at core, Christianity.com, Shirley sent us this email address. She says if someone has done you harm in your past and you are forgiven them in your prayers to God. Do you have to tell them you have forgiven them if they are still alive such a difficult situation.

I don't know that I would say that you have to tell them that you forgiven them.

Now if if someone has sinned against you. You think about Matthew chapter 5, you know, when we sin against a brother or sister. We are called to go and pursue reconciliation as the offending party if we know that somebody has something against us we should go to them and NCP seek reconciliation confess our sin be be forgiven. It sounds like this. This individual has not done that with you and you have because Jesus calls us to in places like Matthew chapter 6 forgiven this person who sinned against you. Do you need to tell them that you've forgiven them that that you I had a change of heart that God has been gracious to you and so you want to be gracious to them.

I don't know you have to, but I think that you could, and I think that that could be a positive thing as you pursue this person and want the best for them as well Ray I think part of forgiveness is is really wanting the best for this person who has sinned against you.

I don't know the details of the situation.

I do know you know all the ins and outs, so I there are some instances I would say you know if it was a situation of abuse or something like that in the trauma that I would probably encourage you not to reopen those wounds by going back to this person, but if were talking about something else, maybe do something where you can go and and it could be healing for for you and also for this under the other individual. Maybe it's something where they don't even know they've seen letting them know they've they've hurt you, and it would would shine a light in an area for them to be able to to repent and draw near to the Lord but I don't know the are obligated and I wouldn't say that you're obligated to go to this individual and tell them I'm grateful that in your own heart you feel like you've been able to forgive. And that's precisely what Jesus calls us to. And I know that that requires a firm grasp of the gospel. The only way were ever able to forgive the people who sinned against us is when we know and have a habit, a deep understanding of how gracious God is been to us, even though we've sinned against him.

And so that's the way we forgive others. It sounds like sounds like you've done that and and so if if as you pray about this and the Lord continues to to lead you, you have a sense of how you want to go to this person and tell them that I forgiven them in and hopefully there some healing even for them that can take place then then yeah I would say if you want to go for it and and maybe the Lord is is in there working in that situation, but I wouldn't say that you're obligated to do that this core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Dan has this question for us. What is the meaning of second Peter chapter 3 verse eight let me turn to second Peter chapter 3 verse eight. This comes in. In the context of the, the coming of Christ, the day of the Lord as it's often return referred to in the minor prophets and and Peter says this verse eight.

Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. Now why does why does he say this. He goes on, the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you that wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance and was people were saying that God Jesus doesn't come back at he's taking his time, everything is continuing as as it has since the very beginning, let's you know, eat, drink and be merry.

Who cares, and of the leave these tarrying and Peter says I don't forget this might seem like a long time to you with with the Lord thousand years is like one day and so he's not taking his time, his long-suffering toward you. He doesn't want you to Paris. She wants you to come to repentance, to experience his grace and so it really is God's mercy and grace on display. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

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