We’ve all be shocked by this tragedy. Its been difficult for us - for a number of reasons - to even think about what the students and parents have been going through. Amid all of the tragedy are the personal stories from the students - and that’s where I’d like to begin this morning - with one of those personal stories.

According to Pastor Dave McPherson - there were 47 members of the West Bowles Community Church youth group inside Columbine High during the rampage. One of those youth group members was Cassie Bernall.

A week before the shooting, Cassie had testified of her faith in Jesus Christ. She had vowed to be, “a good example to non-believers and also to Christians.” On April 21st, one of the gunman pointed a gun a Cassie’s head and asked, “Do you believe in God?”

“Yes, I do believe in God.” Cassie said. Then he shot her.

Hundreds of people came to Cassie’s funeral - including the Governor of Colorado. Two testimonies about this martyr have stuck out in my mind - about the impact of her testimony.

From a fellow student: “You didn’t turn your back. You stood strong. You answered yes, I believe in God.”

And this note on her casket - “I can’t wait until we are reunited in heaven. I am proud of the way you made your stand. - Daddy.”

None of us knows the circumstances or the opportunities we’ll have to share our faith in Jesus Christ. Or, the impact our testimony will have.

This morning we want to focus on sharing our testimony with others and being prepared for the opportunities that God gives us to share. I invite you to turn with me to Colossians 4:2-6 - as we look at what Paul writes about being ready to share with others.

Colossians 4 - starting at verse 2: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; and pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declared the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.”

Paul writes - to be prepared to share:

1. BE ALERT IN PRAYER (verses 2-4)

While Paul was on his way to Jerusalem, he stopped for several days in Caesarea at the home of Philip the Evangelist. Where there was a prophet by the name of Agabus. Through Agabus - the Holy Spirit told Paul that when he went to Jerusalem he would be captured by the Jews and handed over to the Gentiles.

The believers in Caesarea begged Paul - pleaded with him - not to go to Jerusalem. But Paul tells them, “What are you doing, crying like this.... I’m ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 21:13)

Paul went to Jerusalem - was seized by the Jews and turned over to the Gentiles - and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the crowds that had gathered. The whole city was in an uproar because of Paul and the Jews were preparing to kill him.

Paul appealed his case to Caesar and was sent to Rome. It was in Rome that Paul wrote the letter of Colossians. He writes in Colossians 4:3 - pray for me so that - even in my imprisonment - I will take advantage of the opportunities God gives me to to share Jesus with others.

The book of Philippians was written during this same imprisonment in Rome. At the very end of Philippians, Paul makes a statement that we could almost miss - just read right by. He writes, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.” (Philippians 4:22)

He was referring to the guards who had been chained to him every day - his captive audience - that had to listen to his sharing everyday - and over time had come to trust in Jesus as their Savior.

It wasn’t that Paul enjoyed being arrested and thrown in prison. But, Paul saw prison as an opportunity to share Jesus with others. He could have avoided Jerusalem all together. He could have avoided Rome. But he was praying and looking for the opportunities and guidance of God.

Paul writes in verses 2 and 3: Be continually in prayer - be alert for the opportunities God gives you to share - and pray for us also - even here in prison - so that we will have opportunities to share.

God brings us to opportunities to share. If we’re too focused on our abilities and resources and circumstances and all the activities of our lives - without thinking about how God might use us to reach others with the Gospel then we’re going to miss the opportunities He brings our way.

Pray that our eyes will be on God and what He is doing. Pray for those who need to trust Jesus as their Savior - that opportunities will be given to share with them.

Second Paul writes:

2. BE WISE IN CONDUCT (verse 5)

How many of you have seen people wearing these huge signs that say something like “Repent or Die”? Usually they’re yelling at people about going hell if they don’t know Jesus.

If you haven’t done this - next time you see these guys with the signs - watch the crowd around them. There are usually a few people who try to ignore them - which is pretty hard to do. Some people stand around laughing or ridiculing them. Most people - including Christians - seem to walk out of their way to avoid them. Very few people - one or two - will ever stop to talk with them - and usually that ends up in a heated argument.

When I talk with people - who have no understanding about what the Bible says and what Christians believe - repeatedly the one major turn-off - the major reason they give for rejecting Jesus is the conduct of Christians.

I once read about an incident in the life of Saint Francis of Assisi - who on one occasion invited a young monk to join him on a trip into town to preach. Honored to be given the invitation, the young monk accepted.

All day long he and Saint Francis walked through the streets - alleys - and even into the suburbs. They rubbed shoulders with hundreds of people. At the end of the day the two headed back home. Not once had Saint Francis addressed a crowd - or even talked to anyone about the Gospel.

Greatly disappointed, the young monk said, “I thought we were going into town to preach.”

Saint Francis responded, "My son, we have preached. We were preaching while we were walking. We were seen by many and our behavior was closely watched. It is of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk!”

Paul writes in Ephesians 5:15,16: “Therefore be careful how you walk - how we live - not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” Because people - in this evil world - need to see Jesus in us - need to see the testimony of what Jesus can do in someone’s life - of what a community of faith - a church of Jesus Christ behaves like.

Someone has said that we’re either missionaries or we’re the mission field. We need to think about that every day and in everything we do. Paul says - live wisely in how we conduct ourselves.

Third Paul writes:

3. BE GRACIOUS IN SPEECH (verse 6)

When I was in college I took a class on missions and evangelism that required me to go out and do evangelism. So I went with a missions organization to Cal State Fullerton where I proceeded to “Share Christ” with the students there.

The organization I was with had instructions - a technique - we were suppose to follow - how to make contact with the student - how to lead them into a conversation about Jesus - how bring them to the point of deciding to trust Jesus - whether they did or not. And afterward I was suppose to write out a short report about my “contacts.”

It was really strange because I realized that my only reason for being there was to fulfill a requirement for my class. It was like doing a laboratory assignment and these students were the laboratory animals. I really didn’t care about the eternal destination of the students I was talking at.

Often Christians approach evangelism this way. Sharing about Jesus means winning an argument - clubbing people over the head with the Gospel. Being able to tell others about all the souls that they’ve “won” for Christ.

But there’s no grace - no compassion in this - no awareness of our own salvation and God’s mercy towards us. No awareness that we are saved by God’s grace and its the Holy Spirit who condescends to work through us to touch the lives of others. He is the one who brings all of us to salvation.

Paul writes in verse 6: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.”

Salt improves flavor - makes food tastier - encourages people to come back for seconds. If we’re going to share our faith with someone it should be done in such a way that they want to hear more.

Paul writes - to be prepared to share our faith in Jesus: BE ALERT IN PRAYER - BE WISE IN CONDUCT - BE GRACIOUS IN SPEECH - and that’s it.

I believe that all the other teaching in the New Testament about evangelism really can be boiled down to these three points right here in Colossians. Everything else is a clarification - an embellishment - an illustration of what Paul writes here in chapter 4.

And, we need to hear that this morning. So many times we feel inadequate to share with others - we don’t feel that we know enough - we’re not that great at conversation - we’re unsure of our own faith - we haven’t been to enough classes or memorized enough verses or we don’t have the right techniques - we can’t share as good as the pastor or someone else - whatever the reason.

The evangelist Leighton Ford shares about a crusade he was conducting in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Billy Graham was to speak the next night and had arrived a day early. So, Billy Graham came incognito and sat on the grass at the rear of the crowd - while Leighton Ford was speaking. Because he was wearing a hat and dark glasses, no one recognized Billy Graham. Directly in front of Dr. Graham sat an elderly gentleman who seemed to be listening intently to the message.

Leighton Ford says, when I invited people to come forward as an open sign of commitment, Billy decided to do a little personal evangelism. He tapped the man on the shoulder and asked, "Would you like to accept Christ? I'll be glad to walk down with you if you want to."

The old man looked him up and down, thought it over for a moment, and then said, "Naw, I think I'll just wait till the big gun comes tomorrow night."

Unfortunately, in the minds of many people, evangelism is the task of the "Big Guns," not the "little shots." But Paul says “pray” - and is there anybody here who can’t pray? Paul says live in a deepening relationship with God so that others will see how you live your life - and is there anybody here who can’t do that? Speak with others - not as an expert - but as someone who has been saved by grace - someone who is concerned with the people we rub shoulders with and their eternal destiny - and who here can’t do that?

Sharing Jesus with others - whatever the circumstances - God has already given each one of us what we need to be prepared to share with others. He’s given us a personal saving relationship with His Son Jesus Christ - and the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. All God asks of us is willingness to be used by Him.