Liberty University

4MAT Book Review

Share Jesus Without Fear







Jonathan Gillies
EVAN 525
Dr. Jeffries
6/05/2014


Abstract
Sharing Jesus with others is the greatest aspect of being a Christian. The great
commission requires all Christians to go forth and share the love of Christ with everyone; in the
hopes that they too will find salvation. The idea of evangelizing others and the actual action is
much different however. There is a lot that stands in the way of others reaching out and
accepting Christ. Sharing Jesus with others cannot come from a sense of Christian duty alone,
but has to come from a love of others and the help of Christ. This is one of the best ways you
can demonstrate your love for him as well as for God.
1
The Lord will work through the
Christian, and plant the seeds of Christ in others; Christians just need to take every available
opportunity.
If all people were to accept Christ, this would be a perfect world and there would be no
sin. In the real world however, many people are not willing to accept Christ for one reason or
another. The author prepares the reader for the different responses that a potential convert might
give in response to evangelizing techniques a Christian might use. These responses are no-
nonsense, and rely on scripture for support. While it is important to know scripture and trust in
the Lord, these responses are helpful in that they open up dialog between the Christian and non
believer.
2

The main aspect of the book is the evangelist opportunities are everywhere; one just has
to have the faith to see them. A Christian cannot just sit by and be passive, it takes an active
spirit to go forth and make disciples and Christians of others. Just as Jesus went and preached to

1
Fay, pg. 82
2
Ibid, Ch.8
others in different places, so too must modern Christians. There is no opportunity that is too
small for a Christian to turn into a time to teach someone about the Lord.
3

Concrete response
One of the immediate memories that came to mind while I was reading the book is when
I had a friend in college ask me a question about God. She asked me Why does God allow bad
things to happen to good people? She was a non believer and a staunch atheist. I didnt know
how to answer her and she never grew in her relationship with Jesus. I will always remember her
asking that question because it bothered me for a long time. I never knew why the Lord allowed
bad things to happen to good people. I had always assumed that it was an aspect of free will that
allowed people to choose between good and evil, the Lord knew which we would choose, but he
could not dictate that destiny.
After reading about how I could have shared Jesus with my friend, I am more prepared. I
still do not fully understand why the Lord allows bad things to happen to good people, but
perhaps no human can know that.
4
All I can do is follow the Lord and believe in the teachings
and practices of Jesus Christ. When a Christian evangelizes, they focus on Christ and how he can
work within us to provide support. Even though people may experience some of the negative
aspects of life, the Lord will help see us through it.
Reflection
One of the questions that kept arising in my head as I went through the book was how the
author was able to be so blunt in his explanations to the different people he encountered. In my
evangelizing experience, although it is limited, when people are uncomfortable, they tend to push
back or retreat. I would think it would be very difficult to evangelize when people are backing

3
Fay, pg. 116
4
Ibid, pg. 109
away because the words that are being used are not comforting, but they are creating distance
between the Christian and the non believer. The authors responses were very upfront and very
no-nonsense. Fay did not accept defeat from any of his encounters.
Another issue was how converting people seemed to be as easy as following word
tracts of Scripture.
5
In reality, people need to hear more than just the scripture. There are many
different aspects that are competing for the time and resources of a non believer. In order to gain
the attention of someone, time and energy needs to be spent with them. Reading the Scripture
and having them read it as well is a good starting point to having the seeds of Christ planted in
them, but follow up needs to be done. A person can easily fall back to their sinful ways in they
do not have a strong Christian support system.
The connection between sharing Christ with the non believer and then accepting Christ
was often blurred. I have seen that the conversion process is often a much longer process. For
someone to truly accept Christ into their hearts requires more than reading the scripture over
coffee one day. It is possible to be a lifelong Christian from this action, but many others will
require more involvement from the Holy Spirit in order to be successful and to rid themselves of
their past sinful activities.
Action
My life will be the greatest aspect that will be changed because of the additional
information that I have learned from the book about sharing Jesus. So far in my evangelism
efforts, I have been too selective in where I am going to be evangelizing and when I am just a
regular person. This will be changed. Sharing Jesus needs to not be a special activity and needs

5
Fay, pg. 32
to be part of my regular routine. All aspects of my life can now be seen through the lens of an
opportunity to share Jesus with others.
6

In order to share Jesus with others, I have to be more prepared. I will have to focus my
studies on Scripture so that I am prepared for any questions that I am asked. I may be the first
and only contact someone has had with the Lord, and I need to provide a positive experience for
that person. I want to do more than just plant the seeds of Christ in that person; I want to bring
them to Christ. By being fully prepared, I can help that non believer understand their palace in
Christs family and assist them in accepting Jesus.
Sharing Jesus with those around me will bring the most immediate impact to my life. My
close friends and family who have knowledge of Christ, but have not accepted Him into their
hearts, will benefit greatly from me talking with them. It is my hope that once I share with them
the Scripture, they will give themselves over to Christ and become lifelong members of the
Lords faithful family. I do not want to give up on them even after they accept Christ however. I
will still stay in contact with them to make sure they do not relapse into their old sinful ways. I
know that it takes constant dedication in order to remain faithful. A strong Christian family can
help these new Christians stay strong when they face fresh sins.
Another area in my life where sharing Jesus with others is important is at my work.
Often, the workplace is full of all different kinds of people. There are many different kinds of
opportunities to share Jesus with others. I used to not see the opportunities, but now I can see that
each day brings a new opportunity to bring someone closer to the Lord. Showing others the path
to Christ is the best way to show them that I love and respect them. Although I may not be able
to bring everyone at my workplace closer to Christ, I can try my best to bring as many as I can to
Christ. The Holy Spirit will work through me and guide my actions.

6
Fay, pg. 27
Prayer is a big aspect of being a Christian and having a relationship with Jesus. Praying
for others at work can help bring them into the fold and help them to be closer to Christ. It can be
daunting to approach others in the workplace because they are not always receptive to the Lords
message, and hostility in the workplace can cause ramifications that can have a significant
impact on ones life. Prayer can help all of these issues dissipate.
7
When a Christian prays for
others, the Holy Spirit is allowed to work within them. The Holy Spirit needs to work inside of a
Christian before that Christian can hope to make a positive impact on others that are around
them.
One of the aspects that I will need to remember when I am sharing the Gospel with others
is to always be ready to share the scripture, yet never force the issue.
8
Not everyone is ready
at that moment to accept the Lord into the hearts, and having the Scripture forced on them will
only give them negative feelings about Christ and Christianity on the whole. Even if they are not
ready to accept the Lord into their hearts, merely by meeting them and showing them good
Christian spirit, the seeds of Christ will be planted in them. The next time that a Christian speaks
to them, they might be more receptive to hearing the Lords Word.
Lastly, my ministry will be affected because I will be able to evangelize more and take
advantage of the opportunities that are present all around me. I plan to be a military chaplain, so
need to be able to see and take advantage of every opportunity the Lord gives me. Soldiers are
always moving around, so there is not often time to have the traditional evangelistic sermons that
a regular pastor would give. I need to find unique times that fit with the schedules of the soldiers.
These brave men and women will be counting on me to bring them closer to the Lord.


7
Fay, pg. 132
8
Ibid, pg. 92
Soldiers will be in the field working, and I will look to these times as perfect
opportunities to evangelize and talk about their relationship with the Lord. Praying out in the
field while on duty is close to the atmosphere that Jesus preached in, so there will not be any
issues. I do not need to be constricted by church walls in order to preach or evangelize to others.
All I will need to serve the Lord is His help and the power of the Holy Spirit. As long as I have
the Lord with me, I will be able to reach the soldiers whom I am serving with in order to provide
religious care.
All in all, my ministry will benefit from the additional information on Christ and the
power to share it with others. All people deserve and need the love of Christ. It is my duty as a
Christian to help bring the love of Christ to all people. By using the Scripture, I can bring people
close to Christ, and they can start a new Christian life. Faith, Christian support, and the Holy
Spirit will guide me as I work with soldiers and their families in my ministry.











Bibliography
Fay, William. Share Jesus Without Fear. Nashville, TN: B and H Publishing Group, 1999.
ISBN: 0805418383.