If it Ain't Broke . . .

Bree Johnson

I once had a pastor tell me that if I didn’t give my heart to God, I would one day walk out a door and fall head-first into the pits of hell. Imagine being fifteen years old and having to cope with that! Isn’t it funny the tactics some Christians use to scare or shame others into accepting Jesus? And isn’t it interesting that such tactics always fail?

In Acts chapter three we read about the crippled man who waited at the Beautiful Gate, hoping to receive alms from those going to pray in the Jewish Temple. Along came Peter and John to heal the man in the name of Jesus in the plain sight of countless unbelievers. The man was instantly healed and leaped off, praising God all the while. This got everyone’s attention and opened the door for Peter and John to share the Good News of Jesus with all that would receive it.

And apparently, there were many who wanted to receive it. Acts 4:4 states, “But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.” (ESV)

Men. The number of MEN came to five thousand--as in five thousand heads of households, as in men with wives and children. So, the number of believers could automatically be tripled into ten to twenty thousand easily when women and children are added to the equation. That’s a lot of people to suddenly convert from Judaism to Christianity and the Jewish priests no doubt felt threatened--threatened so much in fact that they found it imperative to silence Peter and John.

This Jesus, this Man everyone now sought after, He challenged everything they ever believed or taught others to believe. The Sadducees taught that there was no life after death and these men, Peter and John, were contradicting everything with their talk of a Savior who promised that this life was just the appetizer before the succulent entrée to come. The priests couldn’t have their faith rivaled and Peter and John were imprisoned.

What happens next is interesting: When Peter and John sit before the Counsel of the Jewish rulers and elders, it is never questioned whether or not the miracle actually took place but by what authority they, two fishermen, performed the miracle.

Acts 4:8 says that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he addressed the Counsel. Interestingly, Jesus promises His assistance for this very moment back in Luke 12:11-12: “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (ESV)

Last year, Stephen and I participated in a FAITH ministry. FAITH promised to teach believers how to convince non-believers of Jesus and show them how they could be saved. For weeks, we struggled to memorize verse after verse that would help lead others to Christ. When the time came to go door-to-door (something I’ve always hated doing-- I see it that if you’re unsaved, the last thing that’s going to convert you is some sweaty bible thumper disturbing your dinner to share the Good News of Someone you don’t even believe exists) we would get so nervous that we couldn’t remember the verses and would stand there looking like fools as we searched for something to say. Needless to say, the twelve weeks that followed were long and cumbersome and not a single soul was saved as a result.

The problem stemmed from not being prepared for reality. On our FAITH visits, we were armed with a script and a list of responses for what unbelievers said to us before they slammed the door in our faces. We didn’t speak from the heart and we didn’t trust the Holy Spirit to guide us. We tried to script our way to saving souls and our efforts failed miserably.

I wish we could’ve been more like Peter. He wasn’t afraid or nervous because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He just told them how it was, he didn’t quote countless bible verses and try to outsmart them. He didn’t try to scare them with the threat of demons or hell. He was bold and straight-forward just as we should have been.

A pastor made a statement in a sermon a few months back that Stephen quotes all the time. It’s a statement that the pastor probably doesn’t even remember making but one that Stephen and I will never forget. He said, “The only way to be saved is through Jesus. You’re welcome to try alternate methods if you want to. They won’t work, but you’re welcome to try.” We liked that. It was clear and to the point. The statement wasn’t meant to mesmerize or scare anyone, it was just the plain and simple, shoot-from-the-hip truth. And it was a lot like what Peter told the counsel when asked by what authority they healed the man.

To share Jesus with others, we need not offer a shock-and-awe factor. There’s no need for theatrics and Roman chants to play in the background. We don’t need to nag unbelievers to the point that they run for cover every time they see us walking their way. We just need to tell them the truth--the unashamed, it-is-what-it-is, take-it-or-leave-it truth: there is no other name by which one can be saved. Once the unbeliever wraps his or her mind around that fact everything else will fall into place.

It’s not up to us to make this or any other moment a moment of epiphany for unbelievers. We just need to tell them what we know and if we want to add a few words from personal experience for extra sustenance, that’s great. But the best way to share Jesus is by example, just like Peter and John did. They lead thousands to Jesus and they didn’t make up stories or prey on people’s fears to do it. They showed them what Jesus was capable of and shared with them what they knew. And despite having walked with Jesus on earth and witnessing first-hand His miracles, they weren’t holier-than-thou about it. They shared Jesus with truth and simplicity-- by example and their methods have worked for thousands of years. I think I’ll stick with what works.