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I want to begin by saying that God has put each of us who are Christ-followers in this time, in this place in history, as we read in Esther, “for such a time as this.” So, we must first see this as an opportunity, privilege, and blessing to be part of God’s plan for this time. It’s no accident that we are living in this culture.
Now, here’s my first suggestion for sharing the gospel with people who don’t care: Share your life. If anyone is going to be open to the gospel, it will be because they sense we are real people and we really care about them.
Don’t you hate those cold calls you get trying to sell you something? Usually, they try to sound so friendly and make you think they really care about you personally when they’re selling a new cable system or whatever. But no matter how slick their presentation may be, you know they don’t know you and they don’t really care about you. They’re just trying to make a sale.
If we come off that way when we talk about our faith in Jesus Christ, it simply won’t work. In reaching the people in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul wrote that: we dared to tell you this gospel in spite of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you (1 Thessalonians 2:2-3). He was facing very similar circumstances there as we do here, and he made it known that he was sharing the gospel with them because he cared for them. His motivation was transparent and pure. There was no hidden agenda with him.
He further wrote: We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us (1 Thessalonians 2:8). When people believe we are sharing our faith in Jesus Christ with them because they are dear to us and that we are sharing not only our faith, but our lives with them, then there’s hope that they will begin to believe the gospel is relevant, real, and worthy of consideration.
So, if there are some people in your life right now who just simply don’t seem to care about things of God, about hearing the truth of the gospel, don’t be discouraged and don’t give up. Share your life with them and let them know you care about them personally. That is a big step one in sharing the gospel with people who don’t care.
Here’s another suggestion that can be powerful—tell stories. I never cease to be amazed at the power of storytelling. Jesus used parables almost exclusively in his short ministry on earth. That should give us the first clue that storytelling is an effective way of sharing truth because you and I will listen to a story, give it our full attention, and remember it better than anything else. Stories stick with you.
Stories from the Bible are, of course, very powerful, so the more familiar you are with the stories of Scripture, the more you can tell them to others. For example, suppose you have a friend who is grieving over a wayward son or daughter. You could at an appropriate time tell them the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) and encourage them to believe that there is hope for their child, too. Or if you’re in a discussion about social issues, helping the poor, homeless people, or something similar, you could tell the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). You don’t have to read from the Bible; just tell the stories of the Bible in your own words.
I think of a friend, Kate, who spent five years in Afghanistan in a culture totally opposed to the gospel. She was very effective at sharing the gospel in that environment. Besides loving the people and caring about them, she also found that telling the stories of the Bible was the best way possible to share truth with them. Time and again God opened a door for her to share a Bible story. The women listened and learned, and many came to saving faith.
Keep in mind it is not your job to win people to Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. It is your job and mine to sow seeds that may take root and bloom into eternal life. We can’t make them take root and bloom; all we can do is sow seeds, and stories can be very powerful seeds we sow.
Remember the basic principles of sowing and reaping: You reap what you sow, you reap more than you sow, and you reap in a different season than you sow. So, those seeds of storytelling may not produce anything right away, but they’re like time bombs of truth that can explode at any time. That’s another great reason to sow good stories into the lives of our children as they grow, isn’t it?
Another important thing to remember, if you want to share the gospel with people who just don’t care, is that your motivation must come from a heart of unconditional love. It must be clear that you love the person whether they ever become a Christian or not.
So, the first thing is to ask yourself is: Do you love them unconditionally. Now, the kind of love that I’m talking about is described in 1 Corinthians 13. It is not necessarily good feelings or warm fuzzies. It is a love that is evidenced in actions—such as patience, kindness, and perseverance.
Are you a part of any group of people who are not yet Christ-followers? Sometimes we segregate ourselves so much from those who do not share our faith that we simply don’t have an opportunity to show unconditional love to people who just don’t care. So, maybe you need to move outside your comfortable box of fellowshipping exclusively with other believers and find ways to have meaningful encounters with those who are yet not convinced of the truth of the gospel.
I remember once starting a Bible study group in my home for a few women who were my neighbors, most of whom were not yet followers of Christ. I had to learn to use different words, how I had to speak their language, so to speak. And I began to do other things with them, like go out for dinner and other social things. In other words, they had to know I wasn’t just trying to chalk up a success of hosting a Bible study, but I truly cared about them personally.
Think about the people in your life who don’t yet know the freedom Christ can bring to them. Are you sowing the unconditional love of Christ? Remember, love never fails.
Here is another suggestion for reaching people with the gospel—even people who don’t seem to care. And that is, showcase by your lifestyle the power and the truth of the gospel.
Recently a dear friend and prayer partner endured a terrible tragedy, the sudden loss of her grown daughter. Those of us who are parents would all agree that losing a child is the most unnatural and horrific experience we can imagine. And to add to her sorrow, my friend is the only one in her family who is a true Christ-follower. But for years she has lived the life—showcased the gospel to her friends and family by the way she lives.
As I visited the wake for her daughter, I was simply amazed at the impact her life is having on her friends and family. She was a tower of strength and peace while others were desperately trying to cope. And it was obvious that everyone was impressed and amazed at how she was handling this terrible tragedy. She showcased the difference Jesus makes in a life by the way she dealt with sorrow and pain.
I believe all of us have opportunities to showcase the gospel by the way we live—by the way we handle adversity, the way we respond to difficult people, the way we deal with stress and disappointment, the way we respect and treat others, just to mention a few. People who may not care to hear what you have to say cannot deny the way you live, and if you live empowered by God’s Spirit, displaying the fruit of the Spirit, it is an undeniable testimony to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now, if you’re like me, you like instant responses, quick resolutions. But let’s face it—very few people come to saving faith in Jesus in one brief encounter.
For example, it’s very rare indeed for a person to have what you might call a doorstep conversion: Someone knocks on their door, they listen to an explanation of the gospel, and before they sit down, they’ve accepted Jesus as Savior and committed their life to him. For most people it’s a journey, from the time they are confronted with the claims of Christ to the time they become a true disciple.
Think about the Apostle Paul. He had a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9 1-19), but that was the culmination of all the seeds that had come before. Think of the teaching he had received from Gamaliel even in his youth, so he was very knowledgeable about the Scriptures. Also, he had already had encounters with some of the disciples. Think of the impact it must have had on him to watch Stephen die a martyr’s death. All those experiences culminated on the road to Damascus when he heard the call of Jesus on his life.
And that is true for most everyone. So, play—and pray—the long game with the people in your life who don’t seem to care to hear about your faith in Jesus and what Jesus can do for them. Don’t expect a doorstep conversion and don’t give up even when much time has passed. I think of my dear friend, Fran, who never gave up on her father, and two weeks before he died at the age of 92, he confessed Jesus as Lord of his life after many years of praying, loving, and talking by Fran. Don’t ever give up believing that God’s arm is not shortened. He can save anyone, even the person in your life who simply doesn’t show any interest at all in hearing about Jesus.
And lastly, share your story when appropriate. Your story of the power of the gospel in your life cannot be denied. Remember the power of the gospel is not diminished by what people may say or think. As Paul said in Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…
My friend, Janet, one of our Board members, tells her story of how a coworker caused her to want to know why he was different, and that eventually led to her personal acceptance of Jesus as Savior. Afterwards this coworker told her that she was the last person he ever expected to accept Christ. She seemed like she had the world by the tail, and all she cared about was success in her career. But nonetheless he took opportunities to share the truth of Jesus with her, and that was the beginning of her amazing faith-walk with Jesus.
There is power in the gospel whether a person denies it or makes fun of it or tries to ignore it. So, keep sharing truth even with people who don’t seem to care. Underneath their seemingly callous and indifferent attitude is often a heavy heart desperately in need of Jesus and his love.
