The 3 Ingredients of the Secret Sauce
Here are 3 things we’ve found you need to know to share the gospel more effectively.
1 - Medium Makes the Message
Though the gospel message is thankfully everlasting, the medium and method by which we share it is changing by the day. Too often we think that the message should drive something when more and more, you have to let the medium drive the message. For example, you’ve got a 2000 word sermon, message or article. You want to take portions of it and share it uniquely on various platforms. If instagram - you need an image that summarizes or encapsulates the message along with 50-100 words that give the idea. If someone wants to learn more, give them a link to do so.
If you’re using twitter, you’ve only got a few words to highlight to spark curiosity and draw someone in. Think of it as a teaser to your main content. With such a fast paced world, your imagery and messaging has to fit the platform and then if someone wants to learn more, watch more, read more, listen to more - give them a way to do that.
2 - Audience is Everything
For hundreds of years, the odds were that your neighbor in America was a Christian. The odds were that they had a bible and that most likely they attended church at least a few times per year if not per month.
Those days are over. No longer can we assume that someone is even familiar with the idea that there is a new and an Old Testament. No longer can we assume they think God is good or that the Bible has relevance for today.
With this in mind, craft your messaging on all platforms to reach the widest audience possible. This means we often need to use new vocabulary because we can’t assume sin, salvation, saint, or satan are words that mean what you think they mean.
By doing this, you will show respect to your audience perhaps this could be the first time they are hearing some of these things and you want to make sure they feel comfortable, informed and not lost along the way.
3 - Relevance is Really Crucial
There is a growing concern that the Bible is an outdated book suited for the infancy of the race, but that today we are far advanced beyond a book of various ideas like Scripture shares.
In order to resonate with those around us, you’ve got to find ways to speak to the moment we live in. Does the Bible have anything interesting to help me with my business? Does the Bible have any opinions or thoughts on raising kids, having a happy home, managing an organization? Does it speak to cultural dynamics today or resolving conflict?
Consider that most people’s stream of thought is heavily influenced by the headlines of 5-10 major news networks in the world today. That or by the top 5-10 films or shows on tv. Jesus looked for ways to find openings into someone’s life and he seized the moment.
Here’s an example:
One of the most popular shows on television in the last few years has been a show called - The Handmaid’s Tale. This show portrays a world in which due to a crisis, the US government has been heavily if not completely infiltrated by Christians. So much so that the Washington Monument is now a cross!
This has opened the door to talk to many people about the idea of ‘Did you know for over 1000 years the greatest government in the world - Rome was seized by the Christian religion? Did you know there are some who believe that Jesus wrote some words that it would happen to America?
And with those few sentences you may find an inroads to talk about Revelation 13 and the dangers of mixing religion and government.