Giving a Reasoned Defense for the Hope We Have - Part 4

The Manna Podcast

"How would you know what it is like to experience [fill in the blank]...?"

"You have no idea what it is like to be [fill in the blank]..."

"You don't understand."

And chances are, they're absolutely right.

Does that mean the validity of the Christian message is lost? Does our ability to talk to others as Christians boil down to whether or not we've experienced the exact same things as the people to whom we're witnessing? Because if that's the case, then we might as well hang it up.

But that's not the case.

You don't need to have experienced everything someone has experienced to proclaim the reality of the gospel not just with them, but for them. Who our God is and what he has graciously won and done for the world is not contingent on whether or not you - as a Christian - understand in experiential entirety what the person you're speaking with has gone through.

In spite of the fact you most certainly do not share their exact experiences, how powerful it is for you to remind them that you share the same Jesus. How powerful it is to remind them that at the other end of their catalog of all the confusion, the questions, the hurt, the heartache, and the pain in their lives, their Jesus is still there.

So listen, ask questions, and seek to understand - and find comfort knowing you don't have to share their exact experiences to share Jesus.

This episode marks the final episode of a four part conversation between Pastor Justin Shrum and Pastor Sam on evangelism and apologetics in a postmodern, post-Christian world. Enjoy!