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People who have never been to church, never considered themselves to be religious in any way – will often say  that  Christianity is generally about doing GOOD.  And they expect those who call themselves Christians to DO good!    A month ago I looked at this in more detail as we considered the Great commandment of Jesus. And that Great Commandment is that we should A) –“ Love the Lord our God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind and all our strength, … and B) Love your neighbour as yourself.”  You may remember I spoke about the importance of this, as Christ followers, to actually put that into practice. To Do good things to who we can when we can. Near the end of that sermon I said that from time to time people may well ask us “Why have you done that?” Why did you help? Why did you care?  And we then have an opportunity to tell them the basis for our actions.

 As people get to know us, and they discover that God is important in our lives, they may ask us  “Why are you so into God?” or   “Why do you get fired up about God and church and stuff?”

Well, what do you say or do, at that point?    Do you quote them scripture? Do you go into some long and complicated story that takes hours, about how God came into your life, or  why you now come to church? ; or do you get all embarrassed and change the subject because you don’t really know what to say?       My recommendation, is that WHEN this opportunity arises – when the door opens for you to say something – simply tell your story!       Tell YOUR story!  Telling YOUR story will reveal something of yourself to your friend., it will also reveal something of God to your friend. – and it will build up the relationship between you.     When invited, we probably have only 1 minute during which we can either catch their attention and make them hungry to know more, -- or we can blow it!  But in order to make the most of this critical 1 minute  we need to know what we are going to say!  We need to be able to tell our story simply, intelligently, sincerely and compellingly.   Have you thought about YOUR story?  Have you practiced it?, have you refined it?  This is probably the most single important tool in your spiritual toolkit which can help bring others closer to Jesus Christ.   Now this wont be easy. It requires careful thought.  You even need to write it down and practice it, if you are going to do it well, and make the most of the opportunity.   There is something very compelling about a brief personal story.

In our O.T. reading this morning, when Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army , got home, what do you think was the talk of the city?  It was how he had been healed by the God of Israel, through Elisha the prophet?  When people said “What happened?” – I imagine he would have simply told them his story.

In the gospel we read about the man who was born blind, - healed by Jesus.  What did they keep asking him? –  ”What happened?”. And he simply told them HIS story.  What Jesus had done for him! 

St.Peter  in writing to Christians in the early church – exhorted them – “Be ready ,at all time, to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you..” (1Pet.3:15) 

This morning I want us to think in very practical terms, “What  do we say, and how do we say it,” when we are given that opportunity?     How do we tell our story? 

Now, I am quite aware that there may be some here this morning who may be thinking  - “I’m not sure if I have a story to tell, of what Jesus has done in my life.”  If you are one of those , then I would still like you to think along with me. Maybe God is challenging you to take another step into a closer relationship with him. Maybe God is challenging you to take a step of faith, or to put your trust  in Him. And when that happens, and things change in your life or your outlook, you will then KNOW the difference that God can make, and you will HAVE a story to tell. Or maybe its just because you never really stopped and thought about HOW Jesus has made a difference in your life – you’ve never really put it into words. This morning I want to challenge you to do that!       

        So how do we put our story together?  Well, we have an example, a template,  in the story of the blind man whom Jesus healed. When his neighbours asked him “what happened?” he simply said – “The man called Jesus made some mud, rubbed it on my eyes, told me to go to Siloam and wash my face. So I went, and as soon as I washed, I could see.” – that’s 34 words!      “I was blind, Jesus put some mud on my eyes and told me to was in the pool of Siloam – now I can see!”.  That’s the story! For the rest of his life, Im sure, he told that story thousands of times., over and over. Everyone would have heard his story. It was simple, it was personal and compelling, it was honest, it was brief, and it was sincere.  When people ask to hear our story , they are asking -  “Does knowing Jesus make a difference?”  “Has coming into a relationship with God changed you?”     Compare it, if you like, with when you discovered a new diet, or a new gym,or you bought some new gizzmo.  People DON’T necessarily want to know the minute details – they want to know  “Does it work?” How did it help you? Is it worth giving it a go?  “Has it made a difference?”     The essential of your story should be just three things: 1.  What my life was like before I met Jesus.   2. How I met Jesus . and   3.How my life is different.. 

For each of us there will be some significant or key concept which will stand out from our journey.   For one person, their life may have been dominated by fear – and Jesus changed that into confidence.  For someone else, their life may have been lived for material wealth and success – and Jesus gave them significance and purpose . For someone else they may have been caught up in always trying too impress others, and Jesus changed them into being someone more humble and liveable.  Someone who felt alone in the world, Jesus changed them when he brought them into a new family. Each of us has own own simple, real story to tell.  We need to clarify it and craft it as best we can, in our own words. No one else can do that for us.  

I have told you  my story before – and for some it will be more relevant than for others. But that’s ok. Its MY story.- I will tell it to you again, because it may just connect with someone here today who is trying their best to be religious, but still finding it hard to know God.. 

   “I look back as far as I can remember and there was never a time when I didn’t know about God, or be aware that there was a God who had said that He loved me and cared for me!             As I got older, I realised that it was one thing to know about this God, and go to church and sing hymns  and say prayers, and try and be religious, but it didn’t really get me any closer to God. My life, on the inside, wasn’t really any different. I enjoyed the church culture, but I wasn’t any closer to God!   At about the age of about 21 I attended a Mission in another church and through that Mission I came to understand that  Jesus’ death on the Cross was to connect me up with God.  And he wanted me to trust Him, and to surrender my life into his hands – both for this world and for eternity.    I made that decision, and from then on I can say that, despite my failures,  God is now more real and more personal to me than ever before. Through Jesus we meet God in person.”(204) words / 1 minute.

That’s my story.!       Now I would like to finish off with some DO’s and DON’Ts.

1)  It must be brief:   No longer than 1 minute. Or 200 words.   This leaves the door open for others to ask more questions if they want to. This is your story, and it must be brief. You don’t want to bore them.

2) It must be coherent. It must make sense.   This is not the time to go into a long and complicated story about books you have read, or seminars you attended, or all of life’s experiences you have had. You must focus on the essentials of your story. 

3) Leave out of it your supernatural weird “God stories.”   Many of us here have probably had our own weird experiences and encounters with God, or the supernatural. Sometimes people have told me their stories of their experiences – prefacing them with comments like  “I don’t know if you are going to believe this?”   - Well I do – but others may not!  I can tell you some of my weird experiences – but to someone who is enquiring, it may well put them off.

4) Leave out your religious terminology:  Saved, redeemed, gave my heart to the Lord,  asked the Lord into my life,  praise the Lord, &  Hallelujah, are words which often put people off.  Tell your story in words that anyone can undertand – and leave out the religious jargon.

5) Steer clear of even the slightest tinge of superiority. If people think that you are trying to preach at them they will switch off and never raise the subject again. If you give the impression that you are now much better than they are – then they will run a mile. You must tell your story humbly! “This is what God did in my life!“ -  “This is how my life has changed.”

Your story is worth working on, its worth praying about. Its worth being prepared for.

I would like to give you some homework today. I would like you, before next week, to email me your story!  I will send you back some comments!  If its too long – I will say so. If it has some weird God story – I will say so; if it smells of pride and arrogance, - I will delete it! But above all – I want you to develop and sharpen this important tool you can use in helping others to draw nearer to God.