Have you ever tried to learn to play sports in a classroom setting?

Imagine your son (or daughter) learning to play soccer. His coach sits him down and teaches him the rules. Then he shows videos of other soccer players. Then he takes him to a soccer game played by professionals. Day after day, months after months, he is taught to play soccer by reading, memorizing, watching, etc. But he is never actually taken out to the field to kick the ball or play in a game. Everything is learned in a classroom setting. Imagine he did this for 10 years. At the end of 10 years, does he know how to play soccer? No!

Many Christians been going to church 10 plus years. And yet they do not know how to share their faith! They don’t know how to answer some basic questions from unbelievers. They don’t know how to actually lead someone to Christ. Many don’t even know what it means to live by faith. Why?

Because they don’t know enough? No. Because they never shared their faith. That’s right. They don’t know how to share their faith because they never shared their faith. Oh, they have learned it in a classroom setting. They sat through many many sermons about sharing the faith. They have gone to conferences. They have even seen other professionals (Pastors and evangelists) do it. They memorized verses. They read books on it. But because they have never actually engaged in it, they don’t know how to do it!

And so our faith never grows! What? What’s our faith not growing have to do with not sharing our faith? Listen to this passage:

Philemon 1:6, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

Did you notice the consequence of sharing our faith from the passage? It says that when we share our faith, we “will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” It says as we share our faith with others, we are reminded of the great things we have in Christ. In other words, as we share our faith with others, our faith grow!

The reason why are dying spiritually is because we are not sharing our faith. Faith is one of those things that the more we share, the more we have. The more we give it away, the more we possess it.

You know enough. Just do it. You will mess up. You will fumble. You will make a fool of yourself. Remember the first time you played anything? But do it anyway. You will see your own faith grow. And your joy…

PH