Answering Their Questions

It’s interesting to me how we as Christians treat the Non-Christian and their questions. We sometimes forget that some of the people that we are talking to were not raised in the Church. They don’t have a solid foundation in anything spiritual. So, how do we reach them in a manor that is not overwhelming or pushy in it’s approach? Let’s get real folks; we often come off as raving loons that try to cram Christ down their throats with very little thought of the big picture. Then when they tell us to get out of their face, we take offence, brush the dust off or feet and leave, thinking that we’ve planted a seed…well, not so much.

The Non-Christian mind doesn’t think the way you and I do. Matter of fact, most Non-Christians think that you are trying to get them to go to YOUR specific church, which in some cases (not all)…GUILTY AS CHARGED! As much as you are trying to lead people to Christ, if there is an underlying attempt to get them into your Church, you’ll more often then not, loose them and quick. You might ask, “How do you know this?” Because I was one of them; I was an adult Non-Christian that couldn’t stand to have people invite me to THEIR Church. It was always, “Come to our Church and see! Our pastor will…blah, blah, blah.” At that point I was lost. I didn’t need to hear how their pastor was going to answer questions…I needed Christ in my life!

The question you need to ask yourself is; are you leading people to Christ because you care about their salvation, or because you’re trying to fill pews at your local church? If you’re trying to fill pews…you’re on the wrong path. You have to care about their salvation…you have to LOVE people, which is why Paul told us that love was the greatest gift of the Spirit; without love all others are useless. Now, don’t get me wrong, bring a friend to Church to help lead them to Christ is not an over-all bad idea, but you might want to call the pastor first and see what the sermon is going to be about. There’s nothing that turns a non-believer off more then a good deep sermon on the evils of drinking or living a sinful lifestyle. It’s better for them to hear a “Good News” Sermon; how about giving them the salvation story first.

Other things that need to be thought about are the ways in which we approach the non-believer. If I give the non-believer the idea that I want him/her to change their way of thinking RIGHT NOW! They’re lost; they become unreceptive to anything that I’m telling them from that point on. However, I’ve found that simple discussions on topics like, “Here’s why Christians believe what they believe.” Or, “Here’s why Christians try so hard to convert other people to Christianity.” Or, “Here’s why Christians believe their way is the only way.” Tell it in a manor of, “Here’s our point of view,” not, “You should believe what I’m saying because….” This usually brings on a multitude of questions from the non-believer…which is not a bad thing. If they’re asking questions, they want to know who Jesus is…they’re seeking.

When the non-believer starts asking you questions, always start out with, “If I can’t answer a question, I’ll find it and get back to you.” You don’t have to be a PHD to tell someone what Jesus has done in your life. You just have to know where to find the answers.

Tell people why we believe, tell them about what he has done in your life, and most of all tell people that we love them.

Rodney