Introduction
In the present-day 21st era, sharing of the gospel is comprehended and acknowledged as a custom, fact, and right bestowing to each precise indulgent and its context. The society is comprised of diverse categories of individuals, different in their spiritual, ethnic, social, political, and economics settings. In such different situations, culture plays the most vital part in all features of human-associated life and in the function of sharing the gospel. This is an indication that every action ought to be arbitrated by culture and the process ought to be religion based understood, and considerate. Addressing the issue of gospel sharing and values is always associated with a framework of specific people, which means that one must consider the cultural values and beliefs of the particular person to whom the gospel is shared. In addition to understanding the culture, the Communication procedure is entirely essential to all the mental and social progressions. Without repeatedly engaging in proper communication, then the gospel is not ultimately passed across. Language is the main basic requirement and the utmost imperative instrument in sharing the gospel with other persons. This paper addresses the theological and cultural outlook in sharing the gospel focusing on an individual is not a follower of Jesus Christ. It looks deeper into the elements of communication both verbal and non-verbal necessary for carrying out the task, and the cultural values and systems to consider.
Background Information
The person I intent to share the gospel is a resident who recently moved into our neighborhood. Martin is twenty-nine years old, understands English and has a Christian background. Since Martin was born in a Christian family, he knows the doctrine of the gospel but has never thought of accepting Jesus as his personal savior. He only attended Sunday school at the age of Five years and rarely attends church since then.
Elements of communication
In sharing the gospel, nonverbal ways ranges from assisting people in stressful situations, participating in community work, and using the social media. The verbal methods include holding crusades, praying in gatherings, and directly conversing with people. In this context, communicating verbally and directly to Martin would go along in being able to access whether the effort is bearing fruits or not. This includes inviting him for a church fellowship and sharing the word before and after the service. One has to be well armed with the right verses and the useful information as having doubts portrays that you are not conversant with the gospel either.
In our culture, it is disrespectful to raise your voice while directly talking to someone. It is considered ethical to speak at a speed the other person can understand. Speaking hurriedly is attributed to low self- esteem and lack of confidence. As a verbal speaker, the words are the toolbox, palette, and the set of requirements. The broader and assorted the terminology, the more operational one is in articulating oneself to others. To avoid incidences where one would appear disrespectful, or with low self-esteem, it is important that one finds a setting or a comfortable environment, where he/she is in a position to express themselves well, speak in the right tone a portray the real image. The robustly endorsed exertion for sharing the gospel cross-culturally is to set up local values and hearten believers to be in a position to form and accomplish self-propagation, self-sustaining, self-determining and self-theologizing.
Cultural Systems
Cultural customs and standards are the changing habits in which different cultures approach matters like time, power, and interactions. One of the most significant reasons for understanding one's cultural system is to familiarize oneself with the set of ethnic norms and standards linked with diverse cultures(Livermore 32). Cultural systems represent the manner in which people consolidate themselves to handle the primary requirements of humankind. Important cultural systems that may impact the way in which the gospel is shared includes domestic units, cultural groups, and social links, and relationship systems. Other cultural systems include voluntary organizations, friends, and employer-employee relationship. Spiritual or economic assemblages that go past national boundaries, globalization schemes such as media and computer know-how are also important components of the cultural system.
Though an understanding of the manner in which the family system operates might appear rather hypothetical, it becomes analytically applicable when one tries to cultivate rational reserve policies. This is appropriate in a setting where individuals from a unique cultural system expect persons from a different set up to behave in a particular manner. For instance, the person to whom the gospel is preached to may originate from a residence where the cultural norm anticipates the young to address the old while bowing. Similarly, the significance a culture bestows upon time and interactions develop to be highly appropriate when an American is trying to acquire a contracted contract from a prospective associate in China or Saudi Arabia, where the cultural values offer diverse customs for what is deliberated suitable in this sort of condition.
Cultural Value Orientations
Cultural Value Orientations: Next include a discussion of cultural value orientations that are important and must be considered in this context. You must identify the cultural value orientations and reflect on how they might impact the conversation.
David Livermore discussed different cultural value orientations that ought to be considered when sharing the gospel. First is Individualism-Collectivism. The aspect of individual-collectivism recounts to human's connection with each other. Individualistic cultures value an individual compared to a team. In such cultures, discrete accomplishment is exhilarated and compensated. Collectivistic societies emphasize on the group instead of a person. When spreading the gospel, it is crucial that one understands whether one would prefer being in a group or being taught on their owns(Livermore 36)
Second is the orientation of masculinity-femininity which deals with the degree to which the features of one gender are preferred in the culture compared to the features of the other gender. This dimension associates males with traits such as accomplishment, hostility, and domination. Women are related to nurturance, usefulness, and attachment. By understanding what a person’s beliefs are concerning their capabilities, one can formulate ways suiting their skills.
Third is time alignment. Cultures vary in positions of whether they are principally focused on the ancient, the contemporary, or the yet to come. Past learning societies have astonishment for custom and their ethnic inheritance. Such cultures are suitable to trust that the manner in which things have consistently been carried out is the approach that they have to carry on. Future-oriented people incline to grip the future and look onward to a transformation everything the-the future will convey. Dealing with individuals deeply rooted in the past may be challenging. Therefore one need to arm themselves with the right information.
The fourth is activity orientation which emphases on the standpoint which a nation takes regarding act versus replication. In a culture that prefers working rather than waiting on people to perform for them, achievement is deliberated as imperative, and one can merely undertake something by performing or achievement. One should understand the culture set up regarding activity, as people from business oriented cultures are more open to learning.
Presentation
An individual needs to be born again to be reunited with God. This is an agreed promise but if disciples are to be named evangelicals, they must deliver the whole gospel contained in the Scriptures rather than simply have the idea of own salvation(McKnight 150). The doctrine does not require one to imitate Jesus rather, the proper news that Jesus deceased and rose once more to deliver humankind from sin.
Conclusion
Spreading the gospel requires one to arm themselves with the cultural believes in that particular locality. Since different cultures influence one’s ability to accept teachings, it is crucial that one puts such factors into consideration. One should portray a thorough understanding of the gospel while sharing it. The magnitude to which there is similarity or heterogeneity of a person’s principles in a culture is itself an element on which gospel sharing may vary.
Works Cited
Livermore, David. Leading with Cultural Intelligence. San Francisco, CQ : Pfeiffer. , 2013. Print
McKnight, Scot. The King Jesus Gospel : the original good news revisited. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Zondervan, 2011. Print
