User Guide for sharing the Good News
Using the “sunrise” pamphlet

Roland Clarke

Introduction

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Have you considered why Jesus includes Samaria in the list of places where his followers must go and preach the Gospel? Note: Jesus had already shown his disciples in John 4 why he “had to go through Samaria” befriending Samaritans and bringing them the message of salvation. I want us to notice something about Christ's encounter with the Samaritans. I want us to pay close attention to how he engaged the woman at the well in conversational witness that was “gracious and seasoned with salt.” There are obvious similarities between Christ's interaction with the woman he encountered in a fairly typical daily life scenario and how we ought to graciously make conversation with the unbelievers we may meet in the normal routines of our daily lives.

Let us read Colossians 4:2-6: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Having met a Samaritan woman at the well Jesus engages her in conversation about water. Not only so, he does so in a very interesting way by graciously hinting that God is offering her a gift. At the same time, he sparks her curiosity about a special kind of water he calls living water. Somewhat puzzled by this unusual expression, she asks, “Is this water really better than the water our forefather Jacob drank?” This perplexing word picture stimulated her and paved the way for her to think outside the box. Jesus then explains that living water means eternal life. In due course, Jesus correlates this gift of eternal life with salvation. And then, over a two day period explaining various things to people from her village, these Samaritans declared that they now believed for themselves that this Jewish man is indeed the Saviour of the world!

Let's pause now to consider, “How did Jesus make such a seamless transition from an earthly topic like water to a heavenly topic like eternal life?” And how we can follow his example?

Of course, it is no secret that Jesus was an effective teacher who knew how to stimulate his listeners by using creative imagery including illustrations, metaphors and parables. This method is also evident in the introduction to the book of Proverbs, “Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser ... by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.” (Proverbs 1:5-7)

For many years I have offered people a gem of proverbial wisdom which reads as follows: “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die … God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end … A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die, is better than the day you are born.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,2,11; 7:1-2)

As you might expect, the vast majority of people gladly accept it, in fact it often prompts a smile and even a friendly conversation. One time I entered a store where I had been on many occasions. The ladies at the counter smiled as was their normal custom. This time I sensed the Spirit gently prod me as I queried within myself, “Why have I hardly shown any response to these ladies, other than perhaps a flicker of a smile. I've given hundreds of people the gem of wisdom from Ecclesiastes 3:11, so why haven't I tried offering it to these friendly ladies?”

This prompted me to go over to them and say, “Thanks for the friendly smile you always show as I come into the store. I'd like to give you something that I think will make your smile even bigger.” I gave the little paper with the saying on it and went about my shopping.

Several minutes later when I was about to join the queue to pay for my groceries, I was curious to see the lady approaching me – the one I had given Eccl. 3:11. She said, “I've been looking for you around the store so I can tell you that I really want to thank you for giving me that little card!'”

From time to time, I see this lady at the store and have learned that she came to Canada from Tanzania. Interestingly she is a Muslim. I had an opportunity to suggest she consider looking at the idea of eternity in our heart in light of how racing pigeons are wired with a homing instinct. I trust this will be another step toward fuller understanding.

Based on many positive experiences like this, I can't imagine a more gentle way of engaging unbelievers in meaningful spiritual conversation, nor can I think of a more heart-warming and intriguing approach.

Picture worth a 1000 words?

The last few months God has opened my eyes to another perspective on the heart-longing for eternity, otherwise called the quest for immortality. I came across a beautiful picture of the early morning sun breaking the horizon which correlates beautifully with Solomon's observation in Ecclesiastes 11:7, “Light is sweet; how appealing it is to see a new day dawning.” (NLT, bold added for emphasis)

Anyone who has read the Bible is aware of the Messianic significance of the imagery of dawn and light. The prophets described Christ coming as a great light shining in the darkness or as the “dawning of the Day.” (Luke 1:78; 2 Peter 1:19, Isaiah 49:6)

Speaking of the imagery of dawn, a pair of Biblical proverbs come to mind which correlate with life and immortality. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.” Proverbs 12:28 also speaks of the way of righteousness linking it to eternal life, “In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.”

Recently I had the opportunity to share this pair of thought provoking proverbs with a cashier while I was buying a drink at a coffee shop. I commented, “You've probably heard of a saying that goes like this, A picture is worth a thousand words.” He agreed, so I handed him a pamphlet with a beautiful picture of the morning sun breaking the horizon. I said, “This picture makes that saying come to life. Isn't it lovely?” He smiled warmly as I asked, “Do you think this is a sunrise or a sunset?” He thought for a moment and then answered, “Sunrise.” “You're right,” I replied.

Since there were no other customers queuing up to be served, he turned the page where he saw another picture showing a more radiant scene of the sun higher in the sky. His eye naturally moved down the page as he read the two proverbs at the bottom. The first one likens the path of the righteous to the first gleam of dawn which grows brighter until the full light of day. The second one says, “In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.” Lewis enjoyed reading the remainder of the short pamphlet and I told him that I hope to come back some time for another coffee.

Experiences like this have shown me how effective it can be to use a picturesque sunrise as a backdrop to enhance the wise saying about eternity in the human heart. I also realized that Solomon's proverbial description of light as life and immortality links with what Scripture says in the Gospel. (see John 1:4,5,9; 8:12)

Let me conclude by quoting a Bible proverb that underscores the value of using words with pictures, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Prov. 25:11, NKJV)

I trust this brief explanation of what inspired me to write this meditation has blessed you. May it encourage you to share it with friends. Bear in mind these insights apply to everyone, including Muslims. This 4 pg “sunrise” pamphlet is available online here: https://tinyurl.com/ycng4a7r

A 12 pg pocket style booklet is also available. It has the same two sunrise pictures as the short booklet but contains a fuller discussion of the theme of light. I do not expect other Christians to mimic exactly how I explain the Gospel. I simply want to sketch an outline showing some possible ideas for sharing the Good News in a gracious and seasoned-with-salt manner. I trust that my example encourages you to follow Christ being confident that God's Spirit can enable you to apply the insights and principles in the sunrise pamphlet.

The initial lesson we looked at in John 4 focuses on living water/eternity as a way of sparking an unbeliever's interest. Next we move on to consider ways to guide the conversation to further explore spiritual things. Let us assume that you have sown a seed by giving someone the sunrise pamphlet. It is natural to ask, “Was there anything about this meditation that impressed you?” “Is there anything that perplexes you or possibly intrigues you?” “Did it raise any questions you'd like to discuss?”

Regardless how your friend answers, it shouldn't be that difficult to address his concerns. Sooner or later you will want to help your friend gain a fuller understanding of two key truths – sin and salvation. Neither of these terms are explicitly mentioned in the pamphlet although salvation is certainly implied in 2 Timothy 1:10, where Jesus is called, “Saviour”.  It is also implied in the unusual, if intriguing, idea that Jesus “destroyed death.”

As you continue reading this user guide notice how the Gospel is explained beginning from the OT, then unfolded and fulfilled in the NT. According to Psalm 119:130, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”

Jesus saves from death

Here is a question that will help you explore the meaning of death. Ask your friend: “Does it seem somewhat strange to describe Jesus as destroying death?” There may be various reasons why this strikes people as strange. People tend to assume that death is normal. It happens to everyone, so we must learn to accept it and get over it. In fact, many movies minimize the painful feelings associated with loss of a loved one and portray death as somehow being a bridge to a better life, e.g. the hope-inspiring image of a light at the end of a dark tunnel.

However, God's Word says death is fundamentally abnormal and negative. We see hints of this in the way humans feel towards death. People grieve deeply and we fear death. (Ecclesiastes 7:1-5; Psalm 49:6-8,15; John 11: 33-38; Hebrews 4:15) Consider also how we respond intuitively to being diagnosed with a life threatening disease like cancer. We deeply dislike death and resist it. Indeed, it is not uncommon to hear people talk about fighting it.

Interestingly, humans are not the only ones who fight death, God himself is violently opposed to death. We see this in Isaiah 25:7-9, a prophecy that stands out like a beacon of hope. “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (bold font added)

Notice the terms “destroy” and “swallow up” are often used in relation to overpowering an enemy. (1 Corinthians 16:25-26) We find another clue to understand death as an enemy by reflecting on how things were at the very beginning. This perspective is appropriate since Ecclesiastes 3:11 makes it painfully clear that humans “cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.” (NLT)

Genesis, the first book of the Bible, explains that the world was originally created “very good.” But then death came as an intruder when Satan deceived and enticed Eve and Adam to disobey God. As a direct result they were sentenced to die, physically and spiritually. For this reason, Jesus called Satan “the murderer from the beginning.” (John 8:44)

Isaiah 25:7-9 foretells the coming of a day when God will destroy death. Furthermore, Scripture makes it clear that the Messiah will bring God's salvation to the ends of the earth. Seven hundred years after the time of Isaiah, Jesus came as the Messiah and fulfilled this promise in two ways:

1. He rose triumphantly from the grave at the very place where Isaiah predicted death would be destroyed, i.e. Mt Zion, Jerusalem. (cf. Luke 18:31-33)

2. Notice, however, that Jesus not only saves people from death, he also saves us from sin. As it is written, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

Jesus saves from sin

You may need to help your friend take sin seriously*, so that he will repent and turn from it. If necessary he may also need to make restitution. Part and parcel of repenting is believing that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins. It means accepting forgiveness and eternal life as a gift.

We've touched briefly on some key Scriptures which you can use to explain the Good News to your unsaved friend. Of course, there are many different ways a conversation might unfold. Don't be worried or timid about what to say. God has given his Spirit to guide and empower us to be his witnesses.

Have you noticed that several of the Bible passages we've mentioned engage people on more than just an intellectual level? They touch our whole being, including the aesthetic appeal of a beautiful sunrise, our heart longing for eternity as well as various negative emotions related to death. Why not encourage your friend to share experiences from his own life involving these “feelings”? Doing this will help “season your conversation with salt.” (Colossians 4:2-6)

To help you further probe these glimpses of Gospel light, I suggest you carefully read the following online articles, Meditation on Light, Is death the end?

All Bible quotations are taken from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.

If you would like to correspond please email me here.

Endnote

Some readers may wonder if this article is relevant to Muslims, especially considering that it does not mention Islam. This article and the accompanying sunrise pamphlet contain several themes that are very relevant to Muslims.

1. “The path of the righteous” is a phrase that resonates with Muslims. (see surah 1)

2. Since “Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth” it makes sense to Muslims that this pathway leads to a brighter and brighter destiny.

3. Muslims believe Sulaiman (Solomon) was a prophet endowed by Allah with exceptional wisdom.

4. It is important for Muslims to think much about death, not unlike how Solomon advised in Ecclesiastes 7:1-5 as referenced above.

5. The Qur'an, like the Bible, depicts Satan as the evil enemy who caused the downfall of Adam and Eve. It was he who deceived and enticed Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.

6. Authoritative Islamic writings called Ahadith, affirm that “Every son of Adam is a sinner and the best of sinners are those who repent constantly.” Furthermore, the Qur'an says, “If God were to punish men for their wrongdoing, he would not leave on the earth a single living creature, but he shows respite.” [shows forebearance, postpones punishment] (Surah 16:61)

7. Whereas the earlier 6 points involve similarities between Christianity and Islam, there are of course, differences. For example, Islam categorically denies that Jesus is the Son of God. Also Muslims emphatically reject the central teaching of the Bible that Jesus died on the cross to take away the sin of the world. Faced with this challenge, let us be strong and courageous. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power, love and self discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather join me in suffering for the Gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:7-8)

Footnote

* Muslims tend to underestimate the seriousness of sin. On the one hand, Muslims teach that all the prophets were sinless, and on the other hand, Islam also denies that sin is the root cause of death. Tragically, humans are easily deceived. As it is written, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:12) Pay careful attention to how the article, “Let there be light” concludes by giving a warning against deceiving oneself about having light, when in fact, one may actually be shrouded in darkness. One way of giving a friend a gentle, yet firm, wake up call is to ask him/her, “Can you think of an example showing how a person can be deceived about having light?”

After giving your friend an opportunity to express his opinion, it is appropriate for you to ask, “May I tell you a story that comes to mind?” Two Scriptural examples are the story of Adam and Eve. Note their deception led to death. Another example is the story of the rich young ruler as recorded in Mark 10:17-31. What makes this story particularly relevant is how it correlates with the themes of immortality and eternal life which are so prominent in the sunrise pamphlet(s).

APPENDIX

What does the Scripture mean, “Let your conversation be full of grace, seasoned with salt”?

We Christians aren't the only people who believe God is light. Muslims and Hindus as well as many other people also believe this. In fact, V. Jayaram, a devote Hindu is correct when he writes, “light is universally associated with divinity or godliness in almost every culture and civilization.” This calls to mind how the apostle Paul was keen to use common ground to gain a hearing and win lost people to Christ and it raises the question, “Could this topic of light be a helpful way of engaging unbelievers in meaningful conversation about spiritual things?” I am convinced the answer is “Yes” having seen it work countless times.

Before I give some examples, let me fill in a couple details to help you connect the pieces of the wider puzzle. The Bible says Jesus brought light in a spiritual sense. For example, the Messianic prophecy spoken by Isaiah: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob ... I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” In keeping with this, Jesus claimed in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.” This idea is easy for Muslims and Hindus to accept. In fact, the Qur'an plainly says that Isa (Jesus) brought the light confirming the Law as revealed through Moosa (Moses). It makes perfect sense, therefore, to show our Muslim friends these above mentioned Scriptures linking Jesus with light.

We also should bear in mind a number of other Scriptures that use slightly different imagery involving light. For example, in 2 Peter 1:19 we are urged to “pay close attention to the prophets because their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place--until the Day dawns and Christ the Morning star rises in your hearts.” In a similar way Luke 1:78-79 describes Christ metaphorically as “the rising sun from heaven.” A third example is Proverbs 4:18, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”

Recently I had the opportunity to share this thought provoking proverb with a cashier while I was buying a drink at a coffee shop. I commented, “You've probably heard of a saying that goes like this, A picture is worth a thousand words.” He agreed, so I handed him a pamphlet with a beautiful picture of the morning sun breaking the horizon. I said, “This picture makes that saying come to life. Isn't it lovely?” He smiled warmly as I asked, “Do you think this is a sunrise or a sunset?” He thought for a moment and then answered, “Sunrise.” “You're right,” I replied. Since there were no other customers queuing up to be served, he turned the page as though he seemed curious to answer the question, “Can you believe what happened next?”

Not surprisingly, the sun rose higher as pictured on the inside cover. His eye naturally moved down the page as he read the two proverbs at the bottom. The first one likens the path of the righteous to the first gleam of dawn which grows brighter until the full light of day. The second one says, “In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.” The man enjoyed reading the remainder of the short pamphlet and I told him that I hope to come back some time for another coffee.

I'm sure you're curious to know what the rest of the pamphlet says, so let us continue reading from page 3. Solomon made a profound observation, “God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.” (Eccl. 3:11) Until now – 3,000 years later – people are still pursing this elusive hope of immortality, the fountain of youth, etc.

The prophets revealed many glimpses of this hope. God kept his promise and the long awaited Messiah finally came. As it is written, “God's grace has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” (2Timothy 1:10)

The words of the prophets are "like a lamp shining in a dark place – until the Day dawns.” (2Peter 1:19)

Sunrise ... Sunset??

"No longer will you need the sun to shine by day nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light.” (Isaiah 60:19)

This is a typical example showing how I've been sowing Gospel seed in the hearts of many people over the last few months. Some are strangers and some are friends. Well over 90 percent of these people accepted it gladly, in most cases, with a warm smile. My prayer is that these seeds will be watered, whether by me or another Christian.

My aim in this sermon is to explain key themes in this meditation, such as light and eternal life. What inspired me most was Christ's example in John 4. Any illustrations that I may share from my life are secondary. The bottom line is if you find any inspiration from my example, be assured that you are ultimately following Christ's example. As Paul said, “Be imitators of me as I also am of Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1)

The apostle John summarizes Christ's character in John 1:18 saying that he was “full of grace and truth.” I want us to keep these traits in mind as we review the familiar story of Jesus meeting the woman at a well. I believe Christ's encounter with the woman of Samaritan is a prime example of how we ought to share the Good News with unbelievers. Notice how Jesus mentions Samaria in Acts 1:8 which is so foundational for understanding God's plan to bring the message of salvation to the whole world. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Now let's read the first couple paragraphs of John 4.

Notice, at the very beginning how Christ showed respect and grace towards the Samaritan woman by talking with her and asking for a drink. This was in stark contrast to the aloofness and disrespect which most Jewish people showed to their Samaritan cousins. Also notice, it wasn't as though Christ's disciples showed a much better attitude than their fellow countrymen!

In fact, his disciples were very surprised when they saw Jesus talking freely with the Samaritan woman. They were uncomfortable with the easy-going and friendly way he was acting towards her as a Samaritan. (v. 27) Their suspicious and negative attitude towards Samaritans is underscored on another occasion where James and John wanted to call fire down from heaven against a Samaritan village just because the local innkeeper declined giving them a bed! (Luke 9:51ff)

So let me ask you, “What people do you think correspond to Samaritans in our society where Judeo-Christian roots have shaped mainstream Canadians? What group in Canada are comparable to Samaritans in the 1^st century who shared significant cultural/religious commonalities with their Jewish cousins, yet were shunned and disdained by the mainstream Jewish community? (v. 9) ... Yes, Muslims of course!

Time does not allow me to list the many similarities between the two monotheistic faiths, Islam and Samaritanism, which ironically fueled a deep sense of rivalry over which was the true worship centre – Mt Zion or Mt Gerazim? Whether in the first century or today, both of these polarized scenarios involved a longstanding legacy of heated debates. [A fuller explanation of this is available online in the introduction to my book, What every Christian needs to know about sharing the Gospel with Muslims.]

Although time does not permit us to explore these fascinating parallels, we do have time to look at an example from John 4 showing how Christ's conversation was “full of grace, seasoned with salt” as mentioned in Colossians 4:2-6; “Devote yourselves to prayer ... that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, ... Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Notice, Paul instructs us to be “full of grace,” which calls to mind how Jesus was “full of grace.” So how did Jesus show grace towards the Samaritan woman? By simply engaging her in friendly conversation Jesus was gracious. But even more so, he showed grace by offering her “the gift of God”!

Now let us consider the idea of “seasoning our conversation with salt.” How did Jesus demonstrate this with the Samaritan woman? Notice how he stimulated her curiosity and spiritual thirst by describing eternal life using an intriguing word picture, i.e. living water. Notice, he didn't directly offer eternal life, but rather living water, as if to imply it is very special.

Then, as the conversation continues to unfold Jesus makes it clear that eternal life is, in fact, salvation. (v.22) The woman acknowledged Jesus is the Messiah. We see this in the way she strongly encouraged her fellow villagers to come and meet this remarkable man. Her rhetorical question, “Could this be the Christ?” clearly expected a positive response (v.29) Interestingly, most of the villagers were persuaded to come and hear him. Then, after hearing him for two days, they too acknowledged that he is, indeed, the Saviour of the world. (v. 42) This is, of course, exactly what Isaiah predicted, that the Messiah would bring God's salvation to the world. (Isaiah 49:6)

Let me suggest that “seasoning our conversation” not only involves evoking a person's curiosity or stimulating their thinking, it also implies making food more appetizing or appealing. How can we do this in terms of conversational witness? One way is by appealing to the longing for eternity that God has planted in the human heart as Jesus did. Another way is to appeal to people's innate attraction to light as Scripture says, “Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.” (Ecclesiastes 11:7)

It is not easy to describe a beautiful sunrise using only words. How much more effective, to combine words with visual images! There's no denying that putting the two sunrise pictures on the cover of the pamphlet enhances the two proverbial sayings. In fact, Solomon penned another proverb affirming this two pronged approach: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)

So far we have learned we have learned that God is pure light and Jesus does too. Now let us consider how light leads to immortality. This will gradually become clear as I tell you a story about how I befriended a newcomer from Syria together with his family. I met Moe about two years ago and have developed a close friendship over that period. We've shared many casual times where we enjoying being together and hearing each other's stories. It was not difficult for Moe and I to include God and faith in our conversations since we both acknowledged God as an integral part of life. I made a point of drawing appropriate Scriptures into our conversations from time to time which resulted in an almost seamless intermingling of grace and truth.

1. I met Moe at a church which rents out space to an ESL class. I happened to be there while the students were having a coffee break. Moe was alone so I went over to him and plucked up the courage to greet him and introduce myself. Once the ice was broken we quickly became friends. We exchanged phone numbers and continued to meet each other at a coffee shop.

2. Early in my friendship with Moe I shared a wise saying of Solomon that goes like this: “There is a season for every activity under heaven, a time to be born and a time to die. God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume and the day you die is better than the day you were born.” Being a devout Muslim, Moe respects the prophet Sulaiman highly. Also he believes that Allah gave Sulaiman an exceptional gift of wisdom. Furthermore, Moe seemed to resonate with the key idea in this verse, i.e. God has planted eternity in the human heart.

3. Last Summer my wife and I planned a recreational day-outing with Moe and his family to see the market in a nearby city and a couple interesting sights at the waterfront. We even drove half an hour north along the coast of a lake.

4. On Christmas day we invited them to our home. We wanted to give them a glimpse of the real reason why we celebrate Christmas, so we read them the story of how the wise men saw a star and travelled a long distance from the east to find the new born king. Half way through the story Moe interrupted me to explain that he doesn't believe Jesus died on the cross to take away the sins of people. The fact that he went out of his way to interject something we had never broached with him previously, shows how deeply entrenched his thinking is in terms of the Islamic spirit of anti-Christ.

5. There were also other occasions when Moe responded defensively as I read him a Scripture passage. However, this has not deterred me from continuing to read appropriate Bible passages from time to time. One example is John chapter 4 which makes no direct reference to any topic that is likely to offend a Muslim.

6. In the last 3 months I've started to see Moe's attitude change. For example, I read him a verse from the Bible and one from the Qur'an which affirms that God is light. (1John 1:5; Surah 24:35) Then we read the two proverbs relating to light which are at the bottom of the second sunrise picture on the inside cover of the pamphlet. (Proverbs 4:18 and 12:28) I noticed that Moe was carefully comparing the English and Arabic Bible. Also, he is now willing to spend much longer time reading and discussing the Bible than previously! Interestingly, the idea of following the path of righteousness also resonates with him.

7. The challenge comes, of course, as we unfold the Good News and show how it is fulfilled in the New Testament. I will never forget the day when Moe and I read the fascinating prophecy in Isaiah 25:7-9 describing how God will destroy death, wipe away all tears and bring to completion his plan of salvation.

It reads as follows, “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

You may not realize at first glance, how intriguing this prophecy can be to a devout Muslim like Moe. In case you don't know this; Muslims believe that in paradise/God's home, there is no death or tears. I continued to explain salvation by showing Moe Isaiah 49:6 where God foretold he would send his special servant the Messiah to bring his salvation to the ends of the earth.

Then I read Luke 18:31-33 where Jesus prophesied something not unlike Isaiah 25:7-9. In a similar way to how Isaiah foretold death would be destroyed on Mt Zion, (Jerusalem) Jesus foretold he would be killed in Jerusalem and three days later rise again. The implication is: he triumphed over death as it clearly states in 2 Timothy 1:10. We read in Luke 18:31-33,

The amazing thing is: Moe did not object to reading this passage about Christ's death and resurrection, as he had 13 months earlier, when we simply read the story of the wise men! For two years my wife and I have patiently shared the grace and truth of Jesus to Moe's family. We've unfolded God's word beginning with the OT and have shown how it is fulfilled in the NT. Now Moe is finally beginning to see the light. As a simple, non-scholarly Muslim, he is gaining understanding as it says in Psalm 119:130)

Like Moe, the Samaritan woman was also a simple, non-scholarly person. Perhaps you doubt whether God can really use a simple, ordinary Christian like yourself to share the Good News with Muslims or even non-Muslims. I trust you've been encouraged as you realize that our message resonates with the longing for eternity implanted in people's hearts. Not only so, the Gospel can be portrayed with aesthetically appealing imagery of a beautiful sunrise. However, in spite of these encouragements you may still be feel hesitant. You may still lack confidence or courage to step out of your comfort zone to share a reason for the hope you have.

What could be some of the underlying reasons behind our inhibitions? Feelings of inadequacy, timidity, fear or perhaps even shame? Let me encourage you and bolster your faith by reminding you that “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather join me in suffering for the Gospel.” (1 Timothy 1:7-8)

Obviously Paul didn't necessarily mean that Timothy should become a prisoner like Paul. He wanted Timothy to faithfully proclaim the Gospel regardless of the consequences he might suffer. Paul's challenge to Timothy was given so long ago that it may seem distant and irrelevant to us. Not only so, we experience very little persecution in Canada. But when we consider that persecution of Christians in the non-western world has risen on a yearly basis over the last 3 years to the extent that it has now reached unprecedented levels, this can help us take to heart Paul's remarkable challenge to Timothy to “join me in suffering for the Gospel.” What this means, at the very least, is that we ought to “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” (Hebrews 13:3)

Let us put ourselves in the shoes of over half the world's Christians living under the shadow of persecution, by asking, “What kind of consequences am I willing to endure in order to maintain a witness for Jesus? And how does this compare with the way my fellow believers in the non-western world answer this question?”

If I am not willing to take the risk of broaching spiritual things with an unbelieving friend because I fear that he/she may not accept my witness or testimony what does this indicate about my relationship with Jesus? Do I take their rejection of my message as personal rejection? Do I allow this to shake my confidence, to intimidate me or make me feel ashamed?

Review and final words of encouragement

I began the sermon by sharing an example of how I gave the sunrise pamphlet to a cashier at a coffee shop whom I had never met before. Then I explained how Jesus shared the gift of eternal life with the woman at the well, and finally I summarized a two-year friendship with Moe in which I highlighted several key Scriptures I shared with him.

I realize it is so easy for Christians not to take to heart this challenging message. They tell me that they feel inadequate to witness to Muslims because they don't have enough training, e.g. how to avoid doing certain things that might offend Muslims or how to answer questions/objections that Muslims typically raise. Let me assure you that you don't have to be an expert. God's Almighty Spirit who indwells you is the one who empowers each and every Christian to be a witness for Christ. (Acts 1:8; 8:1ff) In fact, I'm convinced that some of you ORDINARY folk can share examples how you've been a witness. Perhaps you greeted a newcomer like I did with Moe while he was on a coffee break. Perhaps you shone the light by doing some acts of kindness (Matthew 5:16) or you sowed a seed of Gospel truth. Let's take the few remaining minutes to hear some of you share your stories as a way to encourage and spur one another to love and good deeds as Scripture tells us in Hebrews 10:24.

[ Note, the text of this appendix is a sermon that I preached in May 2018. ]