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Ed: Jon, I believe you over simplify sharing the gospel. Nowhere do I see in yoru simple outline, any effort on your part to let the person you you are sharing with, question why they should accept your word or why they should believe that you care about them.

And Dave I have known people who had effective Tract Ministries and they neither just walked up and handed folk a tract nor did they just leave them on urinals. BTW I have know women who have tract ministries and I have been told their are no urinals in the ladies restrooms. (of course, that may change)

The absolutely most callous use of tracts I have personally observed: is leaving a tract with a headline "Here is a tip for you" for a waitress" with no cash included.

Every New Testament example of "sharing the gospel" that I can find involves meeting the needs of the people who were about to receive the message first. I think what Dave means by "earning the right" to share the gospel is simply that people need to be able to receive it before they will hear it. Even something as simple as feeding people who hadn't eaten all day was important to Jesus. The verbal sharing followed the need being met. In some cases, meeting the need was essential to the message, as in the case of the lame beggar Peter and John healed at the Temple. I'm not sure how effective the gospel message would be when it's not accompanied by at least a little bit of empathy, and ministering to a hurting spirit.

"I want to share the gospel of Christ with you. My political perspective won't allow me to change my mind about the fact that you are here illegally, and I'm opposed to this executive action that helps you out because the law is the law. But here's Jesus and oh, by the way, I'll pray for you." I think faith in Christ demands that we do much more than that.

I’m in agreement with Sandy and Haruo on this one.

When a person is in physical need, or feeling some sort of emotional trauma/disturbance or feel that they are subject to some social ill-treatment, they usually need these sores improved before they will feel the love of God. It is not that it is impossible to accept Jesus without other needs being met, but it is not the normal course of events. Thus as a tactical matter, helping meet human needs is a better approach to evangelism that trying to convince someone of some point of professed belief.

And once they feel that love of God’s people helping them, then the genuinely affected will in turn meet the needs of others. God’s greatest desire for His Creation is that we work together.

Public professions of faith without the fruits are not genuine, imo. They are often just to get some degree of group membership (a feel good sense of acceptance from others that act the same / believe the same - iow, perfect Pharisees who most of all love themselves).

Maybe some of you that have more time than I currently have (and are slaved to biblical proofs), might read about Jesus’s Encounters with People in Luke and John (or the other Gospels)




I have not proven it, but suspect mental ascent to say "Jesus is God” is not what Jesus was usually after. It was more a “Will you Follow Me” question.

Sometimes meeting the need of a person is to hear their pain and sense of need. Not every situation demands food, money, or anything tangible. By "earning the right to share the gospel," I have not intended to say that we do something to gain the power to share, but our best gift is often the gift of presence. On a mission trip I shared, there was a lady next door to where we were working had just been informed that her father had died. I left in construction clothes to go sit with a stranger. Later, I had the opportunity to share Christ because I had simply sat with her in that time. In her eyes, I had earned the right to tell my story because she knew that I cared.