Bibliographical Entry
Fay, William. Share Jesus Without Fear. Broadman & Holman Publishers; Nashville, Tennessee. 1999
Author Information
William Fay was once president and CEO of a multi-million dollar international corporation and owned one of the larger houses of prostitution in the United States. Not surprisingly, he also had ties with the mob and was involved in racketeering, bookmaking and gambling. On his fourth marriage, Fay had all the accouterments of success. He didn't need God and anyone who had faith and dared share that faith to him was on the receiving end of Fay's cynicism, sarcasm and scorn.
At a baccarat table in Las Vegas, Fay received a phone call that would change his life. Fantasy Island, the house of prostitution he built in Lakewood, Colorado, had just been raided. His attorney informed him there was a warrant out for his arrest. While he received probation, Fay admits he considered it a warning that he just not get caught again or it would mean a six to eight year prison stint.
Fired from his CEO position, he promptly became employed in an executive search business. Fay was beginning to recognize that something was missing in his life, but what? On a retreat at Lost Valley Ranch in Colorado, he heard an Easter sermon about the difference between happiness and inner peace. Disgusted, he returned home. On a racquetball court a year later, he met Dr. Paul Grant, a Christian who shared the Gospel.
As Fay shares in his book Share Jesus Without Fear, Grant was the only person who expressed a personal interest in him after Fantasy Island was raided. When Grant later invited Fay to his church, Fay reluctantly said yes. The events that followed offered a new beginning for Fay for as he describes "God chose to take my life and flip it over."
Today, Fay has taught his no-argument approach to witnessing in churches worldwide in addition to sharing his faith personally with over twenty-five thousand people on a one-to-one basis. He graduated from Denver Seminary in 1987 and has written the series Share Jesus Without Fear for Lifeway Christian Resources and the notes in the Share Jesus Without Fear New Testament. His pamphlet How to Share Jesus Without an Argument has 3.5 million copies in print and his radio program "Let's Go with Bill Fay" is heard on more than 100 radio stations.
His message is simple: "If God can change my life, he can change yours." 1
Content Summary
Share Jesus Without Fear is an informative and easy-to-read book on how to effectively share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a non-argumentative, non-confrontational way. William Fay begins his book by reassuring the believer (evangelist) that one’s attempt at sharing the Gospel with an unbeliever (regardless of the reaction by the unbeliever) is a “can’t miss” endeavor that will eventually pay dividends by being obedient to God’s command (p.5). While one may not see an immediate conversion of an unbeliever upon sharing the Gospel, the evangelist has succeeded in either planting a new seed of curiosity or has continued the cultivating process of a seed that has already been planted. Nonetheless, God will be pleased by the obedience demonstrated by the believer who calls Jesus their Messiah.
Fay encourages the reader to be an active participant in the evangelism process by sharing one’s testimony of how Jesus has made a positive change in their lives as opposed to living in the “sin of silence” (p.6). He urges the reader to overcome their fear of approaching the unsaved by simply engaging in casual conversations; a term he refers to as “conversation jogging” (p.30). Fay believes much can be learned about one’s understanding of Jesus and where they are in their walk with Him (if at all) by asking non-threatening questions like, “Do you have any spiritual beliefs?” or “Do you believe in a heaven or hell?” (p.35). Once a conversation has been started, Fay has the believer present the Bible to the unbeliever and has them read aloud a series of scriptures, answering the question, “What does this say to you?” Not once is the believer ever required to explain the passage to the unbeliever. Instead, Fay allows the unbeliever to resolve the question for themselves in hopes that they will be brought to make a decision as to whether or not they will accept Jesus as their savior. If they do not, Fay contends that their rejection is directed at the Holy Spirit and not at the believer who has attempted to share the Gospel. Fay writes that on average it takes 7.6 attempts by Christians sharing the Gospel to the unbeliever before the unbeliever relents to the power of the Holy Spirit and accepts Jesus Christ as their savior (p.19).
Fay addresses the issues of the conversion process including what to do next when a person accepts Christ as their savior. Fay writes that their salvation process should be tested by asking them to answer a few simple questions like, “How many sins has Christ paid for?” and “Where does Christ live?” Fay believes the new convert’s answers to these questions should reflect a true “born again” experience with such answers as, “Christ paid for all sin” and “Christ lives within me” (p.73). Fay also encourages the evangelist to pray with the new believer, guide them to read the Gospel of John, and help them in finding a church to attend.
Fay also addresses objections that the unbeliever may have as to why they can’t or won’t accept Christ as their savior. Fay addresses each objection with love, kindness. and patience; carefully re-directing the objection back to the unbeliever requiring them to give a rational answer to their own objection.
Fay encourages the reader to willingly accept non-Christians as friends in order to be a witness to Christ’s love in their lives. Although Fay is adamant that we as Christians can not bring about the salvation of the unbeliever, he tells us that God has put people of all types in our path to share the Gospel. Fay concludes his book on how to pray for the unbeliever to bring them to a relationship with Christ and reviews the steps on how to share Jesus without fear.
Evaluation
Overall, William Fay does an effective job in explaining how to go about the delicate task of evangelizing to the unbeliever. Fay’s purpose in writing this book is to prompt the “common” believer into accepting the role of an evangelist and carry out the “Great Commission” commanded of us by Jesus in the New Testament. Fay achieves this by providing the believer with a concise set of directions intended to bring about a conversation regarding eternal life and redemption from sin.
Fay’s effective use of the Scriptures provides him with the arsenal required to engage in spiritual warfare and his counter-offense to the unbeliever’s objections are rational, logical, and convincing. Theologically speaking, the unbeliever has little ground to stand on when attempting to justify why he has not or will not accept Christ as his savior.
An important aspect to Fay’s book is that he takes the responsibility of the conversion of the unbeliever off of the shoulders of the evangelist and places it on the only one who can transform the sinner; the Holy Spirit. Fay quotes John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” when reassuring the evangelist that no matter how hard one tries to persuade the unbeliever, it is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit. Surely the reader can find comfort in knowing that all things work for the glory of God and that the very act of obedience by the believer will be honored by Him.
Applying the lessons in this book will greatly bless the ministry of those who sincerely seek to share the Gospel and see lives transformed. Fay provides clear directions down a pathway to salvation that can be easily shared by both the experienced evangelist and novice alike. If Christians are sincere in fulfilling the “Great Commission” they must first be willing to set aside their own fears and hesitations and seek the boldness and confidence that the Holy Spirit is all too willing to give. Effective evangelism begins when one is willing to ask oneself, “How do I share the Gospel of Jesus without fear?”
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Latest Scoop
Well it's been a while since I've posted something but that doesn't mean nothing is going on. In fact, I've been really busy. I finished my first two classes (New Testament and Apologetics) with solid "B's". I was hoping to earn "A's" but according to Liberty Seminary an "A" is 94%-100% (pretty tough, but hey, it's graduate school). Oh well, I did my best and learned a lot.
I've started two more classes on 5/11/2009. They are "Sermon Preparation" and "Personal Evangelism" So far, both are awesome but require a lot of reading and writing. As a matter of fact, I just finished writing my first sermon and get to preach it on Wednesday, May 27, 2009. It's entitled Is Christian Sacrifice Doing "Without" or Living "Within"? and refers to Romans 12:1-2. I have to record it and send it to my instructor in Virginia to be graded on presentation, etc. I'm pretty excited about it. I'll post a link to the video once it's done. That reminds me, I'm thinking about buying a HD camcorder and recording some daily messages of inspiration and then posting it on YouTube. I hope to buy a website domain name very soon and create a website for "John Ellis Ministries". I think I might use RevEllis.com. What do ya think?
Also, I just finished reading a great book entitled Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay. Awesome book! He also has an audio CD you can buy to accompany the book. The book is only $9.99 and is well worth it (you can get it at Amazon). I'm going to post my critique of it on here as well (another assignment I was required to do).
Anyway, thanks for stopping by. Keep an eye out for any new posts and feedback is always welcome. God bless you.
In His Name,
Johnny
I've started two more classes on 5/11/2009. They are "Sermon Preparation" and "Personal Evangelism" So far, both are awesome but require a lot of reading and writing. As a matter of fact, I just finished writing my first sermon and get to preach it on Wednesday, May 27, 2009. It's entitled Is Christian Sacrifice Doing "Without" or Living "Within"? and refers to Romans 12:1-2. I have to record it and send it to my instructor in Virginia to be graded on presentation, etc. I'm pretty excited about it. I'll post a link to the video once it's done. That reminds me, I'm thinking about buying a HD camcorder and recording some daily messages of inspiration and then posting it on YouTube. I hope to buy a website domain name very soon and create a website for "John Ellis Ministries". I think I might use RevEllis.com. What do ya think?
Also, I just finished reading a great book entitled Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay. Awesome book! He also has an audio CD you can buy to accompany the book. The book is only $9.99 and is well worth it (you can get it at Amazon). I'm going to post my critique of it on here as well (another assignment I was required to do).
Anyway, thanks for stopping by. Keep an eye out for any new posts and feedback is always welcome. God bless you.
In His Name,
Johnny
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Messianic Titles
This assignment required me to give a brief definition of different Messianic titles used by the Jews and Jesus Christ himself to describe the "Annointed One".
Messiah: The translation means, “The Anointed”. It could have been applied to any person who held office by the gift, grace, and anointing of God (Scott, p.309). It came to be used in eschatological contexts to refer to the coming of the “Davidic king” (p.310). In the generic term, it designated any agent of God-individual, idealized concept, or corporate entity-expected to appear in the final age (p.310).
Levitic Messiah: A descendant of the tribe of Levi. Commonly believed to be both a priest and king and was expected to take precedence over the political Davidic Messiah (Scott, p. 311).
Son of Man: A heavenly, spiritual being transcending space and time. Enabled with divine gifts and shares the throne of God. Jesus referred to himself in the third person as the “Son of Man” and not the “Son of God”. The title “Son of Man” would have been accepted by the Pharisees and not considered blasphemy.
The Servant of the Lord: In Intertestamental Judaism it could have represented a collective body like the Israelites or the religious ideology of the Jews. It could have also referred to a singular messianic individual like a prophet, high priest or king sent to Earth to suffer for the sins of others.
The Prophet like Moses: A messianic prophet that would lead a new exodus from bondage, reestablish the covenant, bring a better revelation of God, and serve as a new national founder (Scott, p.318)
Elijah: Many believed that Elijah would prepare the way for the Messiah or anoint the forthcoming Messiah. Some believed Elijah would be resurrected and claim the title of Messiah.
Savior, Judge, Deliverer, Shepherd, Word, Righteous (Just) One, the Branch, Elect (Chosen) One, the Son of God or of David, the Stone, the Coming One: Other titles used to describe an eschatological figure that would arrive to rescue the Israelites from foreign domination and set their nation free.
The titles “Messiah” and “Son of Man” seem to appear most frequently in the New Testament. I love how Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man” in order to better relate his humanity to those who were around him (i.e. , Matthew 11:19, Luke 9:58). Jesus was fully aware that He was God (in human flesh) and that he had a divine purpose to fulfill. However, if he would have claimed to be God, it might have discredited him as a heretic or isolated his ministry to those followers who were already convinced that he, in fact, was the Messiah.
If there is one messianic title that I believe is the most powerful and conveys what Jesus’ role was in history, it’s “Savior”. The word itself is sufficient enough to completely describe and enforce the necessity of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
To me, the word “Savior” is simplistic in its definition yet complex in how it is applicable in our lives as a fallen creature separated from God’s fellowship. “Savior” conveys love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, necessity, compassion, and grace, and is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of evangelism when attempting to witness to unbelievers and convince them that we must confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our redeemer…savior.
Scott, J. Julius. Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament . Baker Publishing Group, December 2007.
Messiah: The translation means, “The Anointed”. It could have been applied to any person who held office by the gift, grace, and anointing of God (Scott, p.309). It came to be used in eschatological contexts to refer to the coming of the “Davidic king” (p.310). In the generic term, it designated any agent of God-individual, idealized concept, or corporate entity-expected to appear in the final age (p.310).
Levitic Messiah: A descendant of the tribe of Levi. Commonly believed to be both a priest and king and was expected to take precedence over the political Davidic Messiah (Scott, p. 311).
Son of Man: A heavenly, spiritual being transcending space and time. Enabled with divine gifts and shares the throne of God. Jesus referred to himself in the third person as the “Son of Man” and not the “Son of God”. The title “Son of Man” would have been accepted by the Pharisees and not considered blasphemy.
The Servant of the Lord: In Intertestamental Judaism it could have represented a collective body like the Israelites or the religious ideology of the Jews. It could have also referred to a singular messianic individual like a prophet, high priest or king sent to Earth to suffer for the sins of others.
The Prophet like Moses: A messianic prophet that would lead a new exodus from bondage, reestablish the covenant, bring a better revelation of God, and serve as a new national founder (Scott, p.318)
Elijah: Many believed that Elijah would prepare the way for the Messiah or anoint the forthcoming Messiah. Some believed Elijah would be resurrected and claim the title of Messiah.
Savior, Judge, Deliverer, Shepherd, Word, Righteous (Just) One, the Branch, Elect (Chosen) One, the Son of God or of David, the Stone, the Coming One: Other titles used to describe an eschatological figure that would arrive to rescue the Israelites from foreign domination and set their nation free.
The titles “Messiah” and “Son of Man” seem to appear most frequently in the New Testament. I love how Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man” in order to better relate his humanity to those who were around him (i.e. , Matthew 11:19, Luke 9:58). Jesus was fully aware that He was God (in human flesh) and that he had a divine purpose to fulfill. However, if he would have claimed to be God, it might have discredited him as a heretic or isolated his ministry to those followers who were already convinced that he, in fact, was the Messiah.
If there is one messianic title that I believe is the most powerful and conveys what Jesus’ role was in history, it’s “Savior”. The word itself is sufficient enough to completely describe and enforce the necessity of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
To me, the word “Savior” is simplistic in its definition yet complex in how it is applicable in our lives as a fallen creature separated from God’s fellowship. “Savior” conveys love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, necessity, compassion, and grace, and is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of evangelism when attempting to witness to unbelievers and convince them that we must confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our redeemer…savior.
Scott, J. Julius. Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament . Baker Publishing Group, December 2007.
The Edge
Recently, I've started attending a great little church in Lakeville, MN called "The Edge". It is affiliated with The Church of God organization out of Cleveland, TN.
Great things are happening here and I feel as if our ministry is about to explode. The Holy Spirit is definitely moving in the lives of the congregation. We've recently started a "Food Shelf " to help feed families that are underprivileged and I'm hopeful to start working with a prison ministry preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to incarcerated inmates.
Here's the link to the website http://www.experiencetheedge.org/ We've recently started streaming live broadcasts of the Sunday service and all of the sermons are available in audio format. God bless.
Great things are happening here and I feel as if our ministry is about to explode. The Holy Spirit is definitely moving in the lives of the congregation. We've recently started a "Food Shelf " to help feed families that are underprivileged and I'm hopeful to start working with a prison ministry preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to incarcerated inmates.
Here's the link to the website http://www.experiencetheedge.org/ We've recently started streaming live broadcasts of the Sunday service and all of the sermons are available in audio format. God bless.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Apologetics (The defense of Christianity)
This was one of my first assignments. I had to give three reasons why apologetics is imporatant to my ministry.
The three most important reasons for including apologetics in my ministry are…
First, I want unbelievers to know that God is real.
I believe that this is the most important foundation I must solidify in order for God’s spirit of conviction, mercy, and grace to become effective in the unbeliever’s life. If I can successfully defend and prove the existence of God, and that he created all things, then logic will prevail that we as humans have a “God Void” within ourselves that yearns for a relationship with its creator.
Second, I want everyone to know how much God really loves us.
If one can comprehend how immense God’s love is for us, then one can better understand the meaning of John 3:16. I think that so many times in life we use the word “love” as a poor substitute when describing how much we really “like” something (i.e. I “love” pizza, or I “love” that song, etc.), and in doing so, we relegate its powerful definition to a watered-down emotion easily used to define our carnal desires.
In ancient Greek, “love” was defined in one of three ways. Philia, Eros, and Agape. Philia was defined as brotherly love or a love that was outside of a family setting. Eros was defined as a love between a man and woman. And Agape was defined as the unique kind of love God has for all humankind. It is Agape love that made it possible for God to send Jesus Christ to earth to reconcile our sins.
Third, I want believers to know that God can heal our broken spirit and give us victory in our lives by being obedient to His word.
Once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, we (as children of God) are entitled to all of the promises and blessings written in the Bible. 1 Peter 2:24 reads, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed”. 2 Peter 1:4 reads, “…He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desire”.
One mustn’t forget that we are still human beings with problems and strife occurring on a daily basis. We are constantly bombarded with the attacks of dark spiritual forces, set on creating doubt about our salvation and robbing us of our joy in the Lord. But, if we keep our hope in Jesus Christ, he is just to deliver us from our perils.
The three most important reasons for including apologetics in my ministry are…
First, I want unbelievers to know that God is real.
I believe that this is the most important foundation I must solidify in order for God’s spirit of conviction, mercy, and grace to become effective in the unbeliever’s life. If I can successfully defend and prove the existence of God, and that he created all things, then logic will prevail that we as humans have a “God Void” within ourselves that yearns for a relationship with its creator.
Second, I want everyone to know how much God really loves us.
If one can comprehend how immense God’s love is for us, then one can better understand the meaning of John 3:16. I think that so many times in life we use the word “love” as a poor substitute when describing how much we really “like” something (i.e. I “love” pizza, or I “love” that song, etc.), and in doing so, we relegate its powerful definition to a watered-down emotion easily used to define our carnal desires.
In ancient Greek, “love” was defined in one of three ways. Philia, Eros, and Agape. Philia was defined as brotherly love or a love that was outside of a family setting. Eros was defined as a love between a man and woman. And Agape was defined as the unique kind of love God has for all humankind. It is Agape love that made it possible for God to send Jesus Christ to earth to reconcile our sins.
Third, I want believers to know that God can heal our broken spirit and give us victory in our lives by being obedient to His word.
Once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, we (as children of God) are entitled to all of the promises and blessings written in the Bible. 1 Peter 2:24 reads, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed”. 2 Peter 1:4 reads, “…He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desire”.
One mustn’t forget that we are still human beings with problems and strife occurring on a daily basis. We are constantly bombarded with the attacks of dark spiritual forces, set on creating doubt about our salvation and robbing us of our joy in the Lord. But, if we keep our hope in Jesus Christ, he is just to deliver us from our perils.
Introduction and a brief history.
My father is a lay minister and pastored a church for a brief time when I was a child and always shared the Word of God with me whenever I was curious about Christianity. As I grew older, I was exposed to the love of God and his power to transform the lives of people who were broken-spirited, hopeless, saddened, and hurt.
At the age of 12, I accepted Jesus Christ into my life as my savior, and my life has never been the same. Although I felt a "calling" to the ministry early in my Christian life, I found it difficult to adhere to the Christian lifestyle and rebelled against God's will in my life. Many people have referred to this rebellion as the "sin nature" that humans have been born into.
Recently, I had found my life unmanageable and I was filled with loneliness and desperation. I tried everything to fill the loneliness including increased alcohol consumption and compulsive gambling. The more I tried, the more miserable I had become. My finances were in ruin and my marriage was paying the price.
I came to the realization that if there was any hope of my having a “normal”, happy life, it would have to include and center on a relationship with God. So, I prayed a prayer of forgiveness and asked God to take control of my life. I also asked Him to lead me in the direction of His will.
Soon after, I began to have an incredible desire to study the Word of God and to actively seek His face. God had placed a “calling” on my life into the ministry and began to open doors in order for me to prepare myself for the evangelistic work that is about to begin.
He has provided me the opportunity and means to pursue a Master of Arts in Theological Studies through Liberty University online, and has also granted me patience and understanding to comprehend these academic studies. I plan on finishing my Master’s degree in the summer of 2010 and plan on attending commencement ceremonies in Lynchburg, VA.
I decided to start this blog at the urging of some friends so I could share my writings and experiences while attending Seminary. I hope my writings will provoke thought in your mind and you might find comfort in the words that are written. Thank you for your support.
At the age of 12, I accepted Jesus Christ into my life as my savior, and my life has never been the same. Although I felt a "calling" to the ministry early in my Christian life, I found it difficult to adhere to the Christian lifestyle and rebelled against God's will in my life. Many people have referred to this rebellion as the "sin nature" that humans have been born into.
Recently, I had found my life unmanageable and I was filled with loneliness and desperation. I tried everything to fill the loneliness including increased alcohol consumption and compulsive gambling. The more I tried, the more miserable I had become. My finances were in ruin and my marriage was paying the price.
I came to the realization that if there was any hope of my having a “normal”, happy life, it would have to include and center on a relationship with God. So, I prayed a prayer of forgiveness and asked God to take control of my life. I also asked Him to lead me in the direction of His will.
Soon after, I began to have an incredible desire to study the Word of God and to actively seek His face. God had placed a “calling” on my life into the ministry and began to open doors in order for me to prepare myself for the evangelistic work that is about to begin.
He has provided me the opportunity and means to pursue a Master of Arts in Theological Studies through Liberty University online, and has also granted me patience and understanding to comprehend these academic studies. I plan on finishing my Master’s degree in the summer of 2010 and plan on attending commencement ceremonies in Lynchburg, VA.
I decided to start this blog at the urging of some friends so I could share my writings and experiences while attending Seminary. I hope my writings will provoke thought in your mind and you might find comfort in the words that are written. Thank you for your support.
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