Analysis of Share Jesus without Fear - Book Report/Review Example

Part A: BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ENTRY: Fay, William. Share Jesus without fear: a prayer journal. Nashville, TN: Broadman& Holman Publishers, 2005. Top of Form Bottom of Form Part B: AUTHOR INFORMATION: William Fay once held the position of the Chief Executive Office in a multi-million corporation, and owned a prostitution house. He was a racketeer, a gambler and a bookmaker with unstable marriage. When he lost his job at the multi-million company, and a warrant of arrest for his association with the prostitution business, William Fay realized there was something amiss in his life. Fay later on met Dr Grant, a Christian, and he shared the gospel with him. He was the only person interested on him despite the problems facing him at the time. He accepted Christian, and initiated the no-argument approach in sharing the gospel with non-believers. He attended Denver school of seminary, and graduated at the year 1987, thereafter wrote his Share Jesus without fear books. Part C: CONTENT SUMMARY: Fear is a vice affecting Christians in the process of evangelism, therefore this book outlines and ways and means Christian’s need to observe in order to overcome this vice. This piece of literature has 11 chapters, and a series of four appendixes. The 1st chapter is an outline of the importance of faith to a Christian. It is a testimony of his illegal business, and his way to salvation. Chapter two encourages Christians to share their faith, since it is a command from God, while Chapter three encourages Christians to overcome fear, and press towards preaching the gospel. Chapter four outlines the use of question in evangelism, and their effectiveness, while chapter five outlines and explains the power of scriptures in evangelism, and overcoming fear. Chapter six of the book explains on how to make decisions to make while conducting evangelism, and the dilemma on non-believers. Chapter seven is a guide on how to handle non-believers, and it has examples of question to ask these new converts. Chapter eight contains a series of questions non-believers ask in regard to Christianity, while chapter nine is a guide on how a Christian can create and keep friends who are non-believers. Chapter ten gives a guideline on how to effectively pray for non-believers, while chapter eleven is a closing chapter encouraging Christians to overcome their fear, and evangelize. Part D: EVALUATION OF THE BOOK Does The Author Achieve His Intended Purpose? Share Jesus without fear teaches a Christian on how to share his faith without feelings of intimidation, and fear. The author’s main purpose is to teach a Christian on how to overcome the difficulties of preaching the gospel, and he achieves this objective. William Fay manages to persuade the believers that sharing about Christ is a symbol of victory, and fear is a sign of weakness that must not guide the operations of a Christian1. Chapter 3 of the book details on the mechanisms of overcoming fear. It explains that evangelism is a command from God, and it is the duty of all Christians to obey the command. This is because Christ gave a command that Christians should preach the gospel all over the world. He further denotes that, to overcome fear, Christians should invoke the power of the Holy Spirit. In explaining these points, the author uses the scriptures, because they provide guidance to the day to day affairs of Christians. He quotes Philippians Chapter 4 versus 13 as an important scripture that is meant for overcoming fear. In the scripture, Apostle Paul says he can overcome all things through Christ who gives him strength. It is therefore the responsibility of Christian to overcome fear by relying on God. There are also numerous examples where the author uses scriptures and real life examples to explain his points. For instance in chapter two, the author quotes 1st Peter Chapter 3 Verses 15, while trying to explain a point concerning sharing the gospel with non-believers. Is the Main Theme Convincing: The main theme of this book is convincing. This is because on numerous occasions, Christians are reluctant to share their faith with non-believers for fear of persecution or rejection.In chapter Three, the author effectively describes how a non-Christian confidently shared his faith, though it is a lie. The author describes an event when he was on the airport, and he met Mohamed Ali, the famous boxer. The man confidently shared his faith to him. The author denotes that less than 15% of Christian fear sharing their faith. He has managed to structure the main points in a way that they reflect the main theme of this book. Basing on this evaluation, the main theme of the book is convincing. What are the Basic assumptions the author reveals in the book, and are they valid: One of the main ideas the author introduces in his book is that Christians are afraid of sharing their faith. This is a valid assumption by the author. Most Christians do not share their faith with non-believers because they are afraid of persecutions, rejection, or they do not know the scriptures fully to share it with non-believers. Other reasons that make Christians reluctant to share their faith are, fear of losing friends, low self-esteem, lack of evangelism skills and lack of evangelism skills. The author manages to make all this assumptions, and in my opinion, they are valid. Another assumption the author makes in relation to spreading the gospel is to know the right question to ask non-believers about their faith and Christianity2. The author gives a real life example of Dave, a coach from Windsor. He was unable to share his faith with non-believers, when he used the question-answer approach; it was easy for him to convert people to Christianity. The author denotes that a Christian cannot fail if he is obedient to his faith. This assumption is valid, because obedience to a faith is the cornerstone of success. The power of faith determines the ability of a person to overcome obstacles, through relying on scriptures and the power of God. Are His Arguments Logical, Well Supported or Convincing? The author effectively supports his arguments by use of real life and hypothetical examples. He also uses scriptures to explain his points, and this makes his arguments reliable.For instance, he gives an example of Nate, a genius. Nate was an atheist, and it was difficult to convince him to Christianity. To convert Nate to Christianity, God sent John, a less educated black foot Indian, with a lesser education compared to Nate3. A conversation with this man, made Nate realize that Christianity was about faith, and not knowledge. The author produces this example to explain that the excuse of not knowing enough is not sufficient enough to prevent a person from sharing the Christian faith. The Indian man, basically relied on the bible, and it was for God to convict Nate’s heart. The author supports this argument by quoting Zachariah 4 verses 6, which says that whatever He does, is not by strength or might, but by the power of His Holy Spirit. What Evidence does the Author Provide to Sustain His Main Theme? The author provides an example of Kristine and Joel in relation to sharing of the gospel. The author observes that Kristine practiced Christianity for more than 20 years, and at no time did she share the gospel with Joel, a friend of 20 years.This is because of fear, and in ability to effectively approach Joel on issues concerning Christianity4. The author also gives another example of Martha, an aged Christian. For many years, she was unable to share her faith with her family, but after attending his seminars, the woman gathered courage and confidence to share her faith with the husband. What are His Conclusions? The author concludes by encouraging Christian to follow the principles outlined in the book and share the gospel. The author denotes that it is important for Christian to rely on God, and when they do this, they will not fail. What is unique, significant or interesting about the Book? The author manages to use a class like approach in explaining the main theme of this literature. He integrates the use of scriptures with real life examples, and this creates a vivid picture on the mind of a reader concerning the points in question. Does it contain unusual Historical, Theological or Itenery Traits? The book does not contain any unusual theological or historical trait. What biases are evident (theological, philosophical, and denominational)? One of the main bias reflected in the book, is his attitude towards Islam. The author, in explaining his interaction with Mohammed Ali, he denotes that the boxer believes a lie, which is Islam. What Does the Book Teach Us? This book teaches us on how to overcome fear in relation to sharing the gospel.The book provides a step by step methodology to follow for purposes of efficiently overcoming this vice5.The book teaches us on how to use a question-answer model in evangelism, and apply the power of scriptures to persuade non-Christians into sharing their beliefs. What is bad about the book? The only negative element in this book is its criticism of Islam. Who should Read the Book? This book is for all Christians, since it is their duty to evangelize. The author explains this by denoting that evangelism is the main call of a Christian. How can a person implement these concepts in Ministry? A Christian needs to seek Gods help and guidance to effectively implement these concepts.Drawing strength from God is a sure way of achieving success in the application of the various concepts taught by William Fay. How does the book contribute to your understanding of the subject Covered? By use of real life examples, and supporting them with scriptures, the author manages to increase my level of understanding on the mechanisms to implement in overcoming the concept of fear. Bibliography: Fay, William. Share Jesus without fear: a prayer journal. Nashville, TN: Broadman& Holman Publishers, 2005. Top of Form Bottom of Form Read More