How to be a Christian in that has job

[Follower]

Hi Ive been tryin to keep a discipline of praying and reading the Bible but Ive only a few times actually preached the Gospel.  And I realized I really don't know how and Ive never preached the gospel at work.  I worked must if my life in the work force in fastfood restaurants and I've never really preached the Gospel in any workplace.  Anyhow, my last two experiences have been really challenging.  First Im not giving testimony of the Jesus at workplaces and second I dint know how to preach the Gospel.  When I first started where I now live (Virginia US was shocked to hear how teenagers openly say sexual explicit stuff and even flirt with adults and adults engage in this behaviour.  Ive know from adultery to happen in my workplaces to statutory rape, fornication you name it.  How do you deal with this and be a Christian with out being nice and approving what's clearly affecting the work culture and environment and not compromise you testimony of Jesus by staying quite and approving by omission or is it not approval to stay quite or should I just preach the Gospel in the streets.  I really struggle with the contradictions of living a modern life in a first world country and being a  Christian that follows Jesus, denise himself and is shaping culture as the primitive church did in ancient Rome.  Does anyone feel the same? Any practical advice? Thank you.  God bless

[Who me]

11 hours ago, Follower said:

really struggle with the contradictions of living a modern life in a first world country and being a  Christian that follows Jesus

You work in restaurants where staff and customers engage in sexually explicit talk and casual blasphemy etc.

 

You have to be different, by not taking part of having a potty mouth.

You can also talk about church.

 

You will be the ' religious nut job ', stick to your guns,be the one who is always helpful, cheerful, who never runs others down or is spiteful etc etc. 

Be ready to give a reason for why you are different and be sure to have a reason, and not a fluffy mysic faith.

Christianity is fact based and is reasonable, while atheism is unreasonable.

 

[JohnD]

There is a spiritual high when you first come to Christ or when you have

had a huge turn around / change in life. I call these honeymoon and

reaffirmation experiences. They are wonderful! No doubt.

But you quickly learn that most do not share your enthusiasm. 

You can go to meetings / Church were people in the same state

can congregate / fellowship and share in the experience.

You can also fast and regain that spiritual high as often as you want.

But this rarely translates into "vivals and revivals..." {wink}

I used to pin a cross on my Postal Uniform every day when I

was on this mountain top. 

Jesus jargon and Christianese were all I spoke... 

I was motivated for and by the love of Christ alright,

and I was in total evangelist mode... peddling the Gospel 

as the greatest deal of all time....

So few believed it, saw it, even cared. 

I was an oddity and an old hat at the same time to these folks.

Now I believe there are some gifted and called to be the kind of

collar grabbing evangelicals "Say, stranger, have you heard the Word of God today?"

But I'm not one of them.

If you are, WONDERFUL !

Have at 'em !

But most of us are meant to be salt to season the circumstances of our lives. 

You don't scoop salt onto your food. If you witness that way you will get the

same results as if you dumped a scoop of salt on their food.

Some will say that we cannot hide the Gospel message because of the way

it isn't received or outright rejected.

This is true in extreme circumstances...

and martyrdom tends to follow this time of testing.

But generally, we are called to prepare to give an

answer (meaning inquiry / being asked) to every man 

with gentleness and respect and I would say with love (for

Christ and for our fellow man).

1 Peter 3:15 (AV)
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

I found that by our sanctimonious bombastic methods (especially over emphasizing elite exclusiveness and judgmental attitudes) 

turns people away from Christ / the Gospel. 

Finding common ground / having common ground in our lives with the lost

is a much much more effective place to witness from than "You heatherns need to be saved !"

(This may not be what you are doing exactly, but it's how it comes accros).

Greg Koukl did a series on his radio broadcast "How not to be spiritually weird."

Many Christians of the many many varieties tend also to incorporate in their witness

the various theological hobby horses of their denomination / congregation / etc.

Pontius Pilate stared Truth personified in the face when he mouthed his

exasperated pessimism "What IS truth?

He'd heard it all before. Everyone who ever believed in anything goes about

the landscape claiming to have found THE truth...

This is how it looks to unbelievers when we overreach in our witness.

Remember... we are to try to reach them not push them away.

Don't compromise.

Gently reach.

I have witnessed to atheists and homosexuals

with love and respect that they were shocked when I gave it to them.

The reach may not have grown to fruition, but a seed was planted

that they did not outright reject.

I told an atheist I respect his choice not to believe there is a God.

God respects his choice, I said. Why wouldn't I?

Choice is what it is about. Not Christ by the sword or else!

Remember, the Gospel is only:

BELIEVE the genuine Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

Everything else is between God and them.

Lifestyles, prayers to pray, water baptism, etc. ← these are attempts to

add Old Testament legalism into New Testament grace... which the New Testament

points out is an adulteration of the Gospel and actually nullifies it in each case.

The New Testament doesn't begin until the death of Christ on the cross:

Hebrews 9:16–17 (AV)
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

So all that traditional adding to the Gospel of Grace

because it appears in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

BEFORE the cross... was under the Old Testament Law

and referred to the Law.

The Sermon on the Mount, all of it.

Now there was (as with all of the Old Testament) an element of

prophecy regarding the New Testament covenant...

But the Gospel itself is believe and be saved. 

No circumcision, no preferred race, or gender, no 

qualification other than being human.

And the rest is up to God.

[Riverwalker]

Be a light. You don't have to volunteer any information, they will ask you.

Now some people will hate you for being a light bearer, and that is just a price we pay

Some may come to the light

But you will stand strong and do your job, both as a Christian and a Worker.

[JohnD]

We need to remember that though we ourselves practice Christian ethics at

work, we are not to interfere with work even for the sake of the Gospel.

Paul made tents for a living. There's no indication he said a word about the

Gospel while working.

Do the Gospel preaching on your own / our own time.

If briefly in such a way that it does not disrupt work / production... we have a

mention to a coworker etc and direct them to after hours discussion etc.

that would be okay.

Use your good sense or consult the Lord if lacking any... {wink}

[JohnD]

Remember also, Jesus gave us the commission to disciple all nations.

He did not call us as  soldiers in an army but as minutemen... or as pastors 

everywhere we go.

He wanted us to reach people where we live and work using our own lives and life styles

as a ministry others can identify with.

If just being a cookie cutter Christian would work,

all people would have to do is come to Church.

But God wants us to be normal, lead normal lives as Christians (his chosen / his property).

If we start preaching like in Church, people Jesus told us to reach out to will revile the Gospel.

Be yourself for Christ.

[BK1110]

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." -- Matthew 5:14-16

Notice that Jesus didn't command us to light a lamp and then beat someone over the head with it. You don't need to; if you are a light in the darkness, people will naturally take notice. If it's God's will for them to engage you at that point, it will happen. Ask Jesus to help you be light every day. It may be something as simple as quietly saying "I'd rather not talk about that" if the dirty gossip starts up, or whatever. If they ask why, you tell them you don't believe you would be honoring God by engaging with that kind of talk. You will be scoffed at, maybe ridiculed, certainly privately and maybe to your face. But that's how it goes. Ask God to strengthen you in those moments.

[francesco]

Dear Follower,

I understand exactly what you are speaking about.  I too struggle with the process of evangelization.  We do live in a time and place where living a Christ centered life can be extremely challenging.  What God wants from us is that we try to extend the gospel message outward into the world according to the gifts that He has given us.  St Paul tells us that we all have different abilities, but that we all are parts of the same body: the body of Christ.  Each of us has certain strengths, as well as, certain weaknesses.  We should pray for discernment which will allow us to identify what our given abilities are, then capitalize upon those strengths in order to reach people that God puts into our lives.  From the research I have done, for a person who is introverted (like myself) or is having trouble spreading the word, it is best to begin with people with whom we have some relationship.  It is usually better accepted when a prior relationship exists which will foster a willing to listen to what we have to say.  Also, we should practice becoming good listeners ourselves instead of doing all the talking.  By listening we can learn better how to approach a particular subject with any given individual.  Those are just a few ideas.  Good luck to you.     

[Leonardo Von]

On 1/16/2021 at 2:24 AM, Follower said:

I dint know how to preach the Gospel.

This is simple:

• 2Co 4:13  -> "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;".

Speak and live what you believe.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Leonardo Von