Dear Christian friends:

Last Sunday we began to answer the question How Should I Tell About Jesus? We learned that we must trust Jesus to help us; that we should practice with our children and spouse at home; and that we should pray for ourselves and for those we intend to talk to.

Today we continue to answer that important question:


Be a friend of those in trouble and help them in their need. Then perhaps they will ask you, "Why do you do this?" Then you will have your chance to tell them about Jesus.

In our text Peter writes, "If anybody asks you why you believe as you do," and he implies that people will ask you if you really live like Jesus teaches and follow in His steps. You will be different than the unbelievers and people will notice that you are different, that you love others and are more like Jesus. Then they will ask about your faith and your church. And you will have your chance to tell them.

A missionary came home from Africa to give a report to his home church, The people asked him, "Rev. Jones, tell us what you found at your mission station." "Found? I found people worse than a bunch of tigers in the jungle," he replied. "What do you mean?" they asked. He said, "Those people were worse than animals. A mother would throw her sick baby into a ditch and let it die. If a man saw his father break a leg, he would leave him by the roadside to die of starvation and cold. They had no pity or kindness."

The people asked, "Did you preach to them?" "Preach? No: I lived? When I saw a baby crying in a ditch I picked it up and brought it to my house and my wife and I took care of it until it became well. When I saw a man forsaken by the roadside with a broken leg, I brought him to my home and set the bone and made a cast and cared for him until he could walk again. When I saw people in trouble I helped them. After a while those people began coming to me and asking me, "Why do you do this?" Then I had a chance to tell them, and I told them I did it because of Jesus. Then they wanted to know more about Jesus." "Were you successful?" the people asked. Rev. Jones replied, "When I left their village, I left a church."

Same, you and I can get people's attention and many opportunities to tell about Jesus if we do like Rev. Jones did. Show love and kindness to those you want to win for Christ. By helping someone's sick body we often find a way to help his sick soul. Other people's troubles are our opportunities. Be a friend to someone in trouble, and soon he'll be going to church with you.

Another good way to tell about Jesus is to watch for opportunities to tell.

In our text Peter says, "Be ready always to tell someone who asks you about your faith." "Be ready!" That means be alert and watch for chances to tell someone.

One day a man visited a friend at the friend's home and said to him, "Your house is not insulated. It ought to be." The friend asked, 'How do you know that?" The man replied, "When I go past your house on a frosty morning, I see that heat is escaping through your ceiling and melting the frost on the roof." The friend answered, "I am surprised you noticed that." "Man, I sell insulation, and I watch for those things," the man replied.

Do we watch for persons who need to hear about Jesus? We are little bit like salesmen. We don't sell insulation or refrigerators, but we "sell" Jesus.

When Chuck Colson, Nixon's hatchet man, was sent to prison for his crimes in the Watergate cover-up, he witnessed of Christ to many prisoners and won several of them for Christ. As you perhaps know, Chuck Colson had become a Christian before he was sentenced for Watergate crimes.

So we should watch for chances to tell others about our faith in Jesus. And we should be ready no matter where we are.

It is not easy to tell others of Christ. Learning to witness of Christ is much like learning to ride a bike. You can't learn to ride a bike by reading a book. You must get on the bike and try and have some falls before you learn the skill to balance yourself and steer and pedal the bike all at the same time. And although you fall several times, you continue trying until you learn the skills. You want the joy and pleasure of riding that bike. Same it is with learning to witness of Christ. You will fail the first few times perhaps. But the more you do it the more skill you will learn, and after you learn the skills of witnessing for Christ you will have great joy and excitement.

O Jesus, help us to be ready always to give an answer to those who ask us about our faith in You. Let us experience the great joy of winning someone for You.

Amen.