Tell Someone: You Can Share the Good News

Well, I will be honest -- it has been quite a while since I read this book and I do not entirely remember it. There were a lot of anecdotes, and far fewer practical tips and biblical explanations than I think I was expecting, but that is not really what matters here.
What matters is that we are living in a society where a book explaining the importance of sharing the gospel is necessary. When and why did we stop? If God is truly such an important part of our lives, we should be sharing that with people all the time. I think that Greg Laurie's chapter about the importance of personal stories highlights this. Personal anecdotes, real experiences that are relatable and understandable, are the best way of helping people to truly see the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. Perhaps, in a way, that is why Laurie's book feels so anecdotal. He proves this point by helping us to see the impact of evangelism by relating some of his experiences. This not only shows us how many lives have been changed for the better, it also illustrates the practical side of evangelising.

To go back to my question, why don't we share the gospel openly and often when we claim that God is our highest priority, our Father, our greatest love? Why would we not want to share that joy with everyone? Western society is so centered on impressions and acceptability. Somehow we think that it is better to be accepted by others than to admit that we are part of that "foolish" group of people who believe in a Creator they have never seen. Or we feel that telling people about their own folly and sin is bad. But if we are aware of the fact that sin must be punished by death, and we know that every single person is a sinner, do we not have a responsibility to offer people a way to escape that punishment? Do we perhaps think that we are better than some of these people in need?
There are numerous reasons why we do not share, and they are as complex as they are selfish. What is certain, however, is that sitting by and refusing to tell others about salvation through Jesus Christ is wrong. No, we don't have to force the gospel on everyone we meet, but every person should be given the chance to hear about and accept God's gift of forgiveness. "It is written: 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself." (2 Corinthians 4:13-14)
Religion and morality are becoming less popular, less common, than they used to be. And yet we are less mission-focussed than we should be. If we stay idle, the gospel's reach will shrink and many people will lost the chance to ever enter into a personal relationship with Christ. Missional living is not just about reaching people in remote places, it is about, letting those around us know that God loves them and sent His son to die in their place so that they do not have to pay the price for their own sins so that they have the chance to make the decision to follow Christ. God has offered us an alternative to His just judgement -- life in place of death -- so let us selflessly present that offer to others as well. "All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." (2 Corinthians 4:15)