Christmas Time – Why Many Struggle Sharing Their Faith (Part 2)

You would think sharing the love of God with others and telling how God sent his only Son into the world as a baby would be an easy thing to do and yet many believers never share Christ, even during the Christmas Season. In this article we will be looking at just some of the reasons why so many struggle with expressing their love for God even when the season sets the stage for communicating their own salvation experience.  If you haven’t read the first article on “Christmas Time” please read that one first as there are some important things to consider before reading this second part.

When you think about Christmas songs with lyrics like “Go Tell It On The Mountain That Jesus Christ is Born” or “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Let nothing you dismay – Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day to save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray Oh tidings of comfort and joy Comfort and joy Oh tidings of comfort and joy.”  It seems the Holy Spirit of God is pitching us a softball, to coin a phrase, of incredible opportunity to articulate the love of God to a lost and dying world. It has become second nature for singers of our secular world entertainment system to sing these Christmas tunes without even realizing they are preaching the gospel.  People like Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion and Mariah Carry all get on the band wagon to create and sing about Christ being born and coming to earth to save mankind.

So, why does it appear believing Christians can’t seem to voice their love of God publicly during such a ripe season? I think the question is more complicated than a simple singular answer, yet I will attempt to identify the first two major reasons and then, in part 3, identify lesser reasons that hinder us.

First, if believers are not convinced it is their privilege and obligation to witness for Christ during the rest of the year more than likely they will find it disingenuous to do so during the Christmas season even with all the help from the secular world with all the songs and special shows.

When I got saved during the Jesus movement in California during the 60s and 70s I was taught that Christ expected me to share my faith because he died for me to save my soul. Two days after I gave my life to Christ my leaders took me to a wharf in my city at 10pm and told me to share my story with strangers. I was terrified and said “What Story?” and they asked me if Christ saved me and I respond yes. They continued to ask if I now understood and had experienced that God loved me and again I said yes. They told me then “Tell Your Story Of God’s Amazing Love” the best way you can. That night I started to have conversations with strangers about how God had changed my life since Jesus saved me. That was over 45 years ago and every time I get to share my testimony I start to tear up because that decision to yield my life and follow Jesus is real and continues to move my soul. I am amazed today to discover “Christians” who have never shared their testimony to anyone.

Secondly, my testimony of coming to Christ is important as to whether a person had what I call ….“A Radical Conversion”or just an emotional experience with Jesus .If a person came to Jesus to be forgiven of their sin and yet they never yielded their soul to obey God, to follow him as the Lord of their lives, they merely embraced a symbol of Jesus and his story and not the person. Look at the following scripture and see the correlation between wanting Jesus as a savior but not as the Lord of their life.

Mark 10:17-20       “Rich Your Ruler”                                                                                                                           

As he was starting out on a trip, a man came running up to Jesus, knelt down, and asked,…“Good Teacher, What should I do to get eternal life?” …“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.

But as for your question, you know the commandments: ‘Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. Do not cheat. Honor your father and mother.’  “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a child.”

Here is a young man who wants forgiveness and eternal life. He believes Jesus has the authority to give it to him. So he asks a simple question (not so simple really) that could change his life forever – “What Do I Have To Do?”  Look what Jesus says to him.

Mark 10:21-25                                                                                                                                                                      

Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him. “You lack only one thing,” he told him.  “Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.” At this, the man’s face fell, and he went sadly away because he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for rich people to get into the Kingdom of God!” This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to get into the Kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

We think Jesus is just talking about money but he is not.  Jesus always wanted to help people see what their stumbling block was in life and sometimes it was money and sometimes it was pride. Jesus wanted to help this young man, but the greed of his heart for money was greater than his desire to get right with God.  Whatever we value most in our life is what we live for. It is, in a sense, our god.  Jesus will not share his place in our hearts with a lesser god.

When we truly get converted to Christ and become a Christian we agree to not only receive forgiveness but to promise to obey Jesus. In fact, Jesus said if we love him, we will obey him.

John 14:15       

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

So if we love God we enjoy telling people about Him, even if the people we share with don’t appreciate that love.    If we love God we won’t “just” tell our story of experiencing God’s love and forgiveness during Christmas when its easier.  We will look for ways and times throughout our year because we are so thankful for God’s generosity to us.

So, the question of why we reluctant to share the gospel during Christmas time needs to look at these two fundamental points. Is Jesus the Lord of our lives and are we willing to live like Jesus did?

Philippians 2:4-7  

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. [5] Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, [6] who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 

Questions:

When you asked God to forgive you did you also promise to follow him? Jesus is Lord of all or not Lord at all

Do you long to tell others of Christ’s love for you and them? If not, have you experienced it?

Romans 10:9                                                                                                                                                                                 

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Pastor Dale