Remember that scene from “A Christmas Story” where little Ralphie desperately wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas? And every adult in his life – including the department store Santa – gives him the same warning: “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”
Here’s a strange question: How does a kid with a BB gun shoot his eye out? The gun is never pointed at his eye.
The same logic applies to what we might call the “gospel gun.” Many Christians have been given the incredible message of salvation – loaded and ready – but we’re so terrified of somehow messing it up that we never take the shot.
We keep checking the ammunition. We keep inspecting the barrel. We keep wondering if we’re trained enough, theological enough, prepared enough.
Meanwhile, people around us are dying of thirst.
The Encounter That Almost Didn’t Happen
John chapter 4 tells us something fascinating: Jesus “needed to go through Samaria.”
Now, geographically, He didn’t need to. Most Jews took the long way around to avoid Samaritan territory. But Jesus had a divine appointment with a woman who didn’t know she had one.
On her end, it probably seemed like a chance encounter – just some Jewish guy sitting by a well when she came to draw water. But Jesus knew exactly why He was there.
And here’s where it gets interesting: Jesus doesn’t hand her a systematic theology textbook. He doesn’t walk her through the history of redemption from Genesis to Malachi. He doesn’t even bring up the law or explain the sacrificial system.
He just offers her living water.
What Does John 4 Teach Us About Sharing the Gospel?
If you’re looking for a perfect evangelism model in John 4, you might be surprised by what you find – or rather, what you don’t find.
Jesus doesn’t give this woman a comprehensive theological education. He doesn’t correct all her wrong beliefs before offering salvation. He doesn’t wait until she has her doctrine sorted out.
What does John 4 teach about evangelism? That people need Jesus more than they need perfect theology. That the gospel is simple enough for a confused Samaritan woman to grasp– and simple enough for her to share.
The Samaritans had the wrong priests, the wrong mountain, the wrong worship system. Their entire religious framework was messed up. And yet, this woman knew one crucial thing:
“The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am he.'” – John 4:25-26 (ESV)
That’s it. That’s what she had. And it was enough.
She Took the Shot
What happens next is remarkable. This woman – who minutes earlier was drawing water in shame, who had five failed marriages and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband – leaves her water pot at the well and runs into the city.
Her message wasn’t polished. Her theology wasn’t perfect. She didn’t have a degree on her wall. She simply said: “Come, see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
That’s her entire evangelistic presentation. And you know what happened? The whole city came out to see Jesus. Many believed because of her testimony. Many more believed after hearing Jesus themselves.
She had one bullet in her gospel gun. And she took the shot.
Why Christians Are Afraid to Share the Gospel
So what keeps us from doing the same? Why is personal evangelism so terrifying for most believers?
Here’s the honest truth: We keep checking our gun instead of firing it.
- Do I have enough ammunition? What if they ask a question I can’t answer?
- Is the barrel clear? What if I say something wrong?
- Is my sight properly calibrated? What if my theology isn’t perfect?
- Do I need more training? Maybe I should take that evangelism class first.
We get so hung up on the process that we forget Jesus simply said: “Be my witnesses.”
A Lesson from Iowa Bible Camp
The sermon shared a powerful story. A new Christian was counseling at a Bible camp and had a kid in his cabin who seemed interested in the gospel. So he went to the head counselor and said, “I’ve got this kid, but I don’t know if I can tell him what he needs to hear. Could I bring him to you? You know way more than I do.”
The answer? “No.”
Why? Because that young counselor already had everything he needed to tell that kid how to be saved.
You don’t need a Master of Divinity on your wall to share the gospel. You don’t need to have read every theology book. You don’t need to be able to answer every objection.
You just need to know Jesus and be willing to tell someone about Him.
What People Already Know
Here’s something encouraging from Romans that the sermon pointed out: People already know a lot.
They know from creation that God exists. They know in their conscience that right and wrong are real. They know, deep down, that judgment is coming for their sin. The book of Romans makes clear that this knowledge is built into humanity.
What they’re missing isn’t information about their problem. They’re missing the solution.
And the solution is simple: Jesus.
“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” – John 4:10 (ESV)
That’s the offer. That’s what people need to hear. Not a seminary lecture – a Person.
Evangelism Doesn’t Require Perfect Theology
Let’s be real: the Samaritan woman’s theology was a mess.
She worshipped on the wrong mountain. She followed a corrupted religious system. She had more questions than answers. And Jesus still used her to bring an entire city to Himself.
How to share the gospel without knowing everything is actually modeled right here. You share what you know. You point people to Jesus. You let Him fill in the gaps.
The religious leaders down in Judah considered the Samaritans a lost cause. They didn’t send missionaries. They didn’t organize crusades. They basically wrote off an entire people group as beyond hope.
But Jesus went through Samaria on purpose. And He used a woman with terrible theology and a checkered past to spark a revival.
What Keeps Christians From Sharing Their Faith?
Let’s get practical. What keeps Christians from sharing their faith? Usually it’s one of these:
1. Fear of Not Knowing Enough
“What if they ask me something I can’t answer?”
Here’s the thing: You’re not the Holy Spirit. Your job isn’t to answer every question perfectly. Your job is to tell people about Jesus. The Spirit does the converting.
2. Fear of Rejection
Nobody likes being rejected. But consider this: the Samaritan woman had every reason to expect rejection. She was a woman talking to a Jewish man. She was a Samaritan talking to a Jew. She had a scandalous past.
And she still ran into the city to tell everyone about Jesus.
3. Waiting for the “Perfect” Opportunity
We keep waiting for the ideal moment – when we know more, when the timing is right, when the conversation naturally opens up.
Meanwhile, opportunities pass us by daily.
4. Thinking We Need More Training
Yes, training can be helpful. But don’t use it as an excuse. You already know enough to say, “Jesus changed my life. Can I tell you about Him?”
How to Start Gospel Conversations
If telling others about Jesus feels overwhelming, start simple:
Share your story. The woman at the well essentially said, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did.” She shared her experience with Jesus. You can do the same.
Ask questions. Jesus started the conversation by asking for water. Sometimes the best way to begin is simply showing interest in someone’s life and letting the conversation develop naturally.
Offer what you have. You may not have all the answers, but you have Jesus. That’s more than enough.
Let go of the outcome. Your job is to share. God’s job is to save. The woman at the well didn’t convert her city – Jesus did. She just made the introduction.
The Urgency of Gospel Proclamation
Here’s a sobering thought from the sermon: The Jewish leaders thought the Samaritans were a lost cause. They didn’t bother trying to reach them. They assumed these people were headed for judgment and that was that.
How many people do we write off the same way? The coworker who seems too hostile. The family member who’s heard it all before. The neighbor who seems totally disinterested.
Jesus went to Samaria on purpose. He offered living water to someone everyone else had given up on. And lives were changed.
Evangelistic urgency doesn’t mean being pushy or obnoxious. It means recognizing that people are thirsty – desperately thirsty – for something this world can’t give them. And we have the water they need.
Take the Shot
Here’s the challenge: Stop inspecting your gun and start using it.
You have the gospel. You have the message of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. You have the offer of living water that satisfies forever.
Yes, there’s more to learn. Yes, your theology can always grow. Yes, training has its place.
But if you know Jesus—if you’ve tasted that living water yourself – you have everything you need to offer it to someone else.
The woman at the well wasn’t qualified by any standard measurement. Her past was a disaster. Her theology was confused. Her credentials were nonexistent.
But she knew one thing: She had met the Christ.
And that was enough to change her city.
What’s stopping you from taking the shot?
This post is based on a sermon by Ned Brown from Atlantic Gospel Chapel, a Christian church in Atlantic Iowa committed to Bible preaching and gospel proclamation. For more biblical teaching and evangelism resources, visit Atlantic Gospel Chapel.
