But one thing that I absolutely cannot stand is when someone tells me about their evangelism outreach and constantly say, 'share', 'sharing', 'shared', or any other form of the word. It gets on my nerves. I mean really gets under my skin.
What's worse than just hearing the word though is enduring the bad doctrine that normally accompanies it.
A testimony from these 'sharers' sounds like this:
Looking at the words, does any of that make any sense whatsoever? If you are a 'sharer' let me exhort you to STOP SAYING 'SHARE' and say what you mean!!!When I was just a little boy our church held a revival meeting. I heard the preacher preach on hell that night, and when I got home, I was afraid to sleep. My parents called the pastor and he came over and 'shared' with me. After he had 'shared' with me I bowed my head and asked Jesus into my heart.
The next night I went to the revival meeting and during the invitation I 'shared' with everyone there. I was baptized the following Sunday.
Since then, I have been on the outlook for different ways to 'share' with others. While we 'share' with others, God uses our 'sharing' to bring others to salvation. Now, I just want to 'share' with you. Will you ask Jesus into your heart?
Thank you pastor for allowing me to 'share'.
Let me give you an example of what this testimony should look like, 'de-shared' and 'Gospelized':
Anyway, just one of my pet peeves.When I was just a little boy our church held a revival meeting. I heard the preacher preach on hell that night, and when I got home, I was afraid to sleep. My parents called the pastor and he came over and expliained the Gospel to me. After he had told me of Christ's death on the cross for my sins, I bowed my head and repented of my sins and placed my trust in Christ alone.
The next night I went to the revival meeting and during the invitation I told everyone there the wonderful news of God's grace towards me. I was baptized the following Sunday.
Since then, I have been on the outlook for different ways to approach others with the Gospel. When we proclaim the Gospel to others, God uses His Gospel to bring others to salvation. Now, I just want to tell you the Gospel message. We are all sinners. But God loved His creation so much that He sent His Son into the world, in human flesh, to die for sinners. Since we are all sinners and cannot pay for our own sins, it took a perfect man to pay for our sins. Jesus is that man. He was nailed to a cross and while on the cross took the penalty for our sins that we deserved, and gave us His own righteousness. And now, by simple faith in Him and His atoning work, we can have eternal life. Will you come and trust Jesus as your Savior now?
Thank you pastor for allowing me to tell of God's wonderful gift.
15 comments:
Hey Jeremy,
Thanks for sharing that!
HA HA HA!!! I beat everyone to it!!!
(laughing wickedly)
Yes! Kill all the "sharers!"
Just kidding. I see your point.
I get tired of the act of sharing (at least in the local church) I almost can't take it.
The "sharing" I'm talking about is when someone says "I'd like to thank Jesus for..." then goes on to explain what a Godly person Jesus made them. It's really more about the person speaking than the work of Christ.
I'm sure I've been guilty in the past. Still, I'm at the point I cringe when I see one coming. I don't know - maybe I've oversensitive to it. Regardless, it drives me up the wall.
BTW, I finally posted again in your former post. Sorry it took me so long - I know you were eagerly anticipating it. ;D
By the way, thanks for the testimony. I'll use that!
Was that one better than Gerstner's?
I have absoluty no share in my salvation! It was all of God's grace. Good post and responses.
Cheerfully in our Lord.
If Gerstner could have read your suggested testimony, I'm sure he would have used it instead of his!
Phooey! your brother beat me to it! Foiled! I wanted to share too.
Yeah that one has bugged me too but in a slightly different context. Campus Crusade would come up with different ways to say things in order not confuse people with our "Christianese" so they would say I am going out sharing instead of evangelizing. Another one that was even more annoying than that is when they did not say testimony but said "story".
Yep, yep. Good stuff. I'm going to post a pet peeve of mine on "Accepting Christ" versus "Receiving Christ."
Thanks for the inspiration!
JRush
There are many wrong intentions in Lost Sheep Whistling (preaching Christ). I guess I like the word share myself but I will think about your statements some more.
My personal feeling is that it should be about preaching/sharing the words of Christ so that the Sheep hear His voice.
We should be excited to see God's Kingdom Grow and His Will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. I think there are problems in this sometimes though where people are boasting in something other than the cross of Christ when they get so excited about numbers rather than faithfulness to the lost.
Or excited at the privilege to suffer hatred like Christ and boast in the Cross of Christ when we preach Christ and the sheep hear his voice.
I personally believe most evangelicals in general all need a better heart for the lost (especially me) that is willing to pray for them and weep for them (Jeremiah is a great example of this and Paul in his work with the churches committed to them) that the sheep would hear his voice and that how excited we can be to see God's plan unfold in calling us to preach into all of the world and every tribe and tongue coming to faith in Christ.
Our hearts are first and foremost enthralled with Christ and His Glory and not in human response, but delighted to see when people come to faith in Christ from every tribe and tongue and more praise comes to Christ.
I am getting a bigger and bigger heart for those of India and those trapped in the Hindu religion. I have in a few days been going to Hindu sites and responding to "Christians aren't good at pondering or meditating or contemplation" since there seems to be such a confusion over with some from the Hindu religion. I pray God would use me to Share Christ's words with them so that the lost sheep would hear the voice and follow Christ.
meant to say "faithfulness to God" rather than "faithfulness to the lost
I just want to say that I just get tired of always just hearing people just repeat the word just when they pray, too. Just thought I'd throw that one out there. Just. Do they do that just down South or is that just an Ohio thing? (Language idiosyncrasies peeve me too).
Hey Jeremy,
Thanks for sharing that!
HA HA HA!!! I didn't beat anyone to it!!!
OK, but I so totally agree. "Let me 'share' this with you" has gotten so cliche that it is obnoxious!
A pox one anyone who uses cliches.
Cliches bum me out.
Oooo. That sure sounds clicheic.
Rose,
Yeah, we gat the 'justers' down here too.
(And God, jus', jus', just bless them.)
Shawn,
you bless my heart bro! Thanks for proclaiming how you feel:-)
Call off the Doxenhound pullleeaase! Can I have my freedom in Christ back? Thanks I thought you'd ease up brother:-) We all have personal problems. I don't like the expression "Give your heart to Jesus" but I recon I'll get over it. We have nothing to give him; but He can give us his heart and take my selfish one away.
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