Share Jesus Without Fear

I began my great adventure with our Lord Jesus Christ in 1944. In 1951, I, as an act of my will, became a slave of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:1). Every day since my total surrender to our Lord, I try to evaluate everything I do in reference to His Great Commission. In my fifty-five years of witnessing for Christ, I have met few believers who were as enthusiastic and effective in their witness for our Lord as Bill Fay. He is a great blessing and inspiration to me.

Dr. Bill Bright, Founder and President

Campus Crusade for Christ International

We at Radio Bible Class aired a sample of Bill's material and had the largest response in the history of our ministry.

Martin R. De Haan II, President

Radio Bible Class

This book is imperative reading for anyone interested in sharing their faith. It's not a book about why we should share our faith, but rather about how we should share our faith.

Dr. Edward G. Dobson, Senior Pastor

Calvary Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Bill Fay provides a no-nonsense, simple, practical, and replicable way to share one's faith. Bill's evangelism is basic ‘meat and potatoes’ equipping…and it works! That's why I had him speak at my church when I pastored in Texas and several times at the church I pastor here in San Diego, California.

Dr. Jim Garlow, Senior Pastor

Skyline Wesleyan Church, San Diego, California

I have never known anyone who has led more people to the Savior or taught more people to do the same.

Dr. Vernon Grounds, President Emeritus

Denver Seminary

"Bill Fay has done the body of Christ a tremendous service with his Share Jesus without Fear material. I have seen many and heard of even more people who stopped being silent for our Lord Jesus as a result of Share Jesus without Fear…. In [his] new book, Linda Evans Shepherd has caught the spirit of the man behind the material. If you are already familiar with the Share Jesus without Fear message, you will want this book for the added confidence-building material that was not in the course. The chapter on What to Do When They Receive Christ is a much needed dimension for evangelism to be effective. If you are new to Share Jesus without Fear, then you have in your hands the material that is 100 percent practical in nature and 100 percent guaranteed to help you become a successful witness."

Jimmy Kinnaird, Personal Evangelism Specialist

Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma

Get ready to experience a ‘guaranteed win’ with a book that will help you do what the title says it will do. The best, easiest, most effective personal soul-winning method we've seen in twenty-five years of crusade ministry.

Bruce Schoeman, Lowell Lundstrom Ministries

Minneapolis, Minnesota

"Bill Fay is one of the best in making it a simple process to fulfill the Great Commission of being able to present your faith and the truth of the Scriptures. His book, Share Jesus without Fear, lays out the game plan for young and old alike to communicate the truth of the gospel in a nonthreatening and non-intimidating manner. A must-read for all who desire to give witness of their faith."

Dal Shealy, President/CEO

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

This book is the anecdote to argumentative and antagonistic approaches to evangelism. The foundation is solidly biblical and the method is refreshingly relational. Bill Fay's passion to share Christ is matched only by the encyclopedic nature of his experience. This book is convincing proof that one-on-one evangelism is ‘doable.’

E. Glenn Wagner, Ph.D., Senior Pastor

Calvary Church, Charlotte, North Carolina

This book is dedicated first to Jesus Christ, who is my Lord and my Savior. Its purpose is to provide freedom and encouragement so you can share your faith and never fail.

Without God placing people in my life to encourage, challenge, and correct me, my life and this material would not be possible. I want to thank my wife, Peg, for her patience as God continues to change me. I also want to thank Paul and Kathie Grant for all they have done to make this ministry possible. My thanks goes out to my friend Keita Andrews, who caught fire after learning how to share his faith and led many to Christ. Plus, I am grateful for the twenty-five thousand or so of you with whom I have had the privilege of sharing my faith one on one, many of whom prayed to receive Jesus Christ.

I am grateful to Gordon Lewis, professor of systematic theology at Denver Seminary, for giving me a firm theological foundation so I could be confident in the sovereign work of God. I also appreciate my good friend Tom Weins, who always had the ability to be there with the right help or phone call. A special thanks to all of the pastors who serve Christ faithfully. I see you at work when I visit your churches. I pray for you, honor you, and have the deepest respect for your obedience to follow your call for Jesus Christ.

— William Fay

I thank God for this work. Someday, when we are on the other side, it will be a joy to meet all those who were touched by this book.

— Linda Evans Shepherd

CONTENTS

Chapter 1: You Can't Fail

Chapter 2: Catch the Vision

Chapter 3: Overcome Your Fear

Chapter 4: The Share Jesus Questions

• Conversation Joggers

• The Five Questions

Chapter 5: The Power of Scripture

• The Seven Share Scriptures

Chapter 6: Bring to Decision

• The Five Commitment Questions

Chapter 7: What to Do When Someone Receives Christ

• Ten Questions to Ask a New Believer

Chapter 8: Ready Responses to Common Objections

• The Why Principle

1. A Christian hurt me.

2. Cults are the answer?

3. God cannot forgive me.

4. How can a loving God send someone to hell?

5. How can I know the Bible is true?

6. How do I know I have enough faith?

7. I can't live the Christian lifestyle.

8. I don't believe in God.

9. I don't believe the Resurrection took place.

10. I want to think about it.

11. I'm a good person.

12. I'm a member of another world religion.

13. I'm God.

14. I'm having too much fun.

15. I'm Jewish.

16. I'm not a sinner.

17. I'm not good enough.

18. I'm not ready.

19. I'm not sure I'm saved.

20. I've always believed in God.

21. I've done too many bad things.

22. I've tried it and it didn't work out.

23. My beliefs are private.

24. My friends will think I am crazy if I accept Jesus.

25. The argument never stops.

26. The church only wants my money.

27. There are many paths to God.

28. There are many religions in the world.

29. There are many translations of the Bible.

30. There are too many errors in the Bible.

31. There are too many hypocrites in the church.

32. What about my family?

33. What about those who never hear the gospel?

34. Why does God let bad things happen?

35. You can't possibly know what truth is.

36. You must think you're better than me.

Chapter 9: Developing and Keeping Non-Christian Friends

Chapter 10: How to Pray for Nonbelievers

Chapter 11: Let's Go

Appendix 1: Share Jesus Review

• Optional Conversation Joggers

• The Five Share Jesus Questions

• The Share Jesus Scriptures

• The Five Commitment Questions

• Sinner's Prayer

• The Why Principle

• New Believer Questions and Directions

Appendix 2: Share Bible Directions

Appendix 3: 36 Response Scripts to Objections

• How to Use This Section

• Responses to Objections

Appendix 4: Assignment

Appendix 5: Bill Fay's Testimony

End Notes

About the Authors

Chapter 1

YOU CAN'T FAIL

My resume spelled p-o-w-e-r. I was the president and CEO of a multimillion-dollar international corporation, I had ties with the mob, and I owned one of the larger houses of prostitution in the United States. I was involved in racketeering, bookmaking, and gambling. I had a gold Rolex, chauffeured limo, money, my fourth wife, and trophies from my many racquetball championships. I felt I had everything the world said spelled success. And I mocked anyone who dared share his faith in God with me.

One morning, I went to my athletic club looking for someone to annihilate on the racquetball court. As I looked through the little window in the door, I saw a man on the court who appeared to be a Jew. Brazenly, I pushed open the door and demanded, What are you doing here on Yom Kippur? Why aren't you out doing whatever you Jews do on holidays?

Paul Grant replied, I am also a Christian. Yom Kippur is the day Jews ask God to forgive them of their sins for another year. I don't have to do that because I've already received forgiveness through Jesus, the Messiah.

Oh, please, give me a break, I sneered.

For months afterward, Dr. Grant would stand by his locker while I asked questions, deliberately trying to make him late for his patients. I thought, What a stupid fool. How can this idiot sit here and let me do this to him?

It wasn't until a year and a half later, when my house of prostitution was raided, that I ever took him seriously. In the midst of hundreds of phone calls from men, either worried about where the girls were or concerned their names would be found in my records, only Dr. Grant called to ask, Are you OK?

That was the first time in my forty years anyone had ever asked me that question. I was so struck by his concern that when he invited me to go to church with him and his wife, Kathie, I accepted.

Still I didn't make it easy for him. Once in church, I sat on the back row. When the attendant tried to pin a rose on me, I threw it like a Frisbee. Later, when the Grants took me to their home, I heard my first Christian testimony from Kathie.

Kathie is the kind of radiant woman who looks as though she'd never had a zit. I stared at her in disbelief as she told her story about how she had been abused as a child and how she had been the mistress to an oil baron in Indonesia. I figured she'd concocted this story as a way to hook me into some sort of cult, which she called Christianity. But the funny thing is, even though I rejected her testimony that day, I can still tell you the dress she wore. I can still remember the teapot from which she poured. Yet I left their house saying, That's fine for you, but I don't need that junk in my life.

(My complete testimony follows in appendix 5.)

Did They Fail?

Through the years, many people came into my life to share their faith, but I would not receive it. I sent these people away, discouraged, because I either insulted them, antagonized them, or persecuted them. And if they walked away from me believing they had failed, they believed a lie. For I never forgot the name, the face, the person, or the words of anyone who ever told me about Jesus.

God is sovereign! If he can take somebody like me and change him, he can take anybody in your life and change him as well. But be aware: you are not responsible for causing a person's heart to turn toward God. Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him (John 6:44). It is God who draws people to himself, not you. But even so, you do not want to miss God-ordained opportunities to share your faith with others, or you also miss opportunities to experience the good things God had planned for you. Philemon, verse 6, says, 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."

You see, success is sharing your faith and living your life for Jesus Christ. It has nothing whatsoever to do with bringing anyone to the Lord. It has everything to do with obedience.

Even if you do not have the privilege to see someone respond the first time you share your faith, you have not failed, because you were obedient.

Chapter 2

CATCH THE VISION

One night I had a dream. A woman clutched a little girl, struggling to hold her child's head above the water. Nearby, a wave plunged a man into its salty depths. He choked for air as he thrashed his arms against a ceiling of water. All around, the ocean churned with drowning people, gasping for air and desperately trying to push their heads above the surface. Their screams were doused by the roar of the relentless waves. Their cries caught the wind, but only in vain. They were alone in their terror, with no help in sight.

Then a huge rock appeared, and a voice called into the darkness. People began crawling up the rock's craggy sides to safety.

But when they got to safety, something happened that drove me almost goofy. The people who emerged from the waves got busy. They got involved in building rock gardens, rock lives, rock jobs, listening to their rock music, and going to rock meetings where they talked about the people who were still drowning in the ocean. But nobody went back to the water's edge to help.

Have you ever tried to run or yell in a dream? In my dreams, I can do neither. Yet I tried to run; I tried to yell at the top of my lungs, How could you have forgotten you were once in the sea?

As I watched the saved scurry about their rock work and as I listened to their rock talk, I realized the rock was the cross of Calvary. The voice they heard was Jesus, calling by the power of the Holy Spirit, inviting them to come join him. He's never high up on the rock where it's safe; he's calling from the ocean's edge, where the dead, the diseased, and the lost are found, and as you might recall, that's where he found you.

Did you know that as few as 5 to 10 percent of the people in an average church have shared their faith in the past year? That means 90 percent of us have chosen the sin of silence. Just like in my dream, those who were drowning have gotten so busy and involved with the safety of The Rock, they've forgotten to reach out to those who are still drowning.

The Sin of Silence

Debate has flourished about which of the wounds inflicted on Jesus actually caused his death. Among the many wounds he received were lacerations, punctures, abrasions, and contusions. In a sense we can say that none of these killed Jesus. The wound that killed him was silence. No one spoke up for him.

When Jesus was arrested by the Roman soldiers, his loyal disciple, Peter, did not run away but followed at a safe, silent distance as Jesus was marched to the high priest's house. The soldiers took Jesus inside, and Peter joined a group of people warming themselves by a fire. Several people in the crowd recognized Peter as one of Jesus' followers. They questioned him. Weren't you with Jesus? But Peter denied it. Sorry, I don't know him.

Before morning, before the first crow of the rooster, Peter had denied Christ three times. As we read this account, we shake our heads saying, I'm glad I never did that.

And though most of us have never said, I don't know him, we've still found a way to deny him. We deny Jesus by never opening our mouths. We deny him with our silence.

We should be excited about sharing our faith. We are living in a time when biblical prophesies are being fulfilled right and left. Yet most of us remain silent.

In the meantime, one hundred thousand churches will close their doors this decade. Why? Because those church members chose the sin of silence.

Watch out for the signs of a dying Christian life. Ask yourself, Am I sharing my faith? Do