Resources mentioned in the Envoy podcast.

Ben mentioned a book which we have included a link to a short video by Rico Tice. Click here for a PDF copy of his book, Honest Evangelism. 

Ben Wildman

Is currently working across 20 countries and 5 continents to help resource and support 14,000+ coaches. Working to enhance the training and equipping of coaches with a particular focus on training strategy, development, content, materials and delivery. Want to find out more about Bens work with Sports friends, click here. 

Podcast script.

JESUS, FOOTBALL AND THE FRONT DESK.

An evangelism roadmap for your day in day out life.

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This transcript can be used as a follow along when listening to the podcast. It is an interview with Ben Wildman. The interviewer has been edited out to keep the podcast within our time limits.

For me, I guess when I think of evangelism, it's just simply telling people, explaining who Jesus is, sharing Jesus in whatever way that is. So for me, when I think of evangelism, it's just someone who took the time to really get to know me and share Jesus, and how what he did for me, how that impacts my life and what I have to do to respond to that as simple as possible, the person who first told me about Jesus, and it's not just didn't just tell me about him, but actually spend time with me explaining that and how that affected my life, and how that can change my life. I think for me, it's like it's about you being you. So don't try and be anyone else. You being you.

So the person that told me about Jesus was the most unlikely ordinary person, and she, like over time, I used to work as a lifeguard, then in the gym, and she, over time, would legitimately get to know me and generally care for me, and then naturally, would share Jesus with me. And it became like, it was an ordinary thing for her. So I would say it's about you being more normal, being yourself and naturally overflowing what God's done in your life to share with other people. So it's no tricks or formula or solution. It's just about like you being you being natural and sharing your life. And as you share your life, you get to share Jesus as well.

Tracy wanted me to meet in a coffee shop? And you know, it was, it was a bit weird, but over time, she would get the Bible out with us, and she would meet us where I was. She'd connect with me through football and things that she was Liverpool fan like you, and she would, she would just get to know me, and would ask me questions, and would share her whole life with me. And in that, I just saw Jesus through her, and she built a level of relationship where she could literally get the Bible up with us and would share some amazing things, which literally, I was like, What on earth Tracy's coming up with all this stuff? But it wasn't Tracy speaking, it was God speaking through her. And so I would just say God is in the business of using ordinary people, and he does supernatural things through ordinary people. I think there's something which Rico Tice talks about in this book called Honest evangelism. It's like a little book, really easy to read. Anyone can read it, even Geordies understand it. And it's like, he talks about a time when you kind of cross this kind of pain barrier and you kind of like your name drop Jesus, or you say something, and it's, it's like you have chosen to get at that point where you you then actually say something like, you know, I was at church yesterday, or you pick a time where you you drop something in and you say, I was reading ... or something. It comes to a point where you go over this point, where you choose to go there, and actually it that's the bit where they can respond and ask questions. But there does come a point where you kind of go across that little bit of normal, if you like, and get onto the subject of God in some way. So that's what Rico Tice talks about in honest evangelism.

Colossians, chapter four, verse two to six. There's a little model there which talks about this open door. So Paul's in prison and he's praying. And he actually uses in the first in verse two and three, he talks about praying like three times. So he's in prison, he says he prays for God to open a door. He doesn't pray to get set free from prison. He prays for God open a door for the message that he may proclaim the mystery of Christ. So I think for us, it's like, where are those open doors? Where are those opportunities to then speak and proclaim the mystery of Christ. So Paul then prays like again, he prays that he'll proclaim it clearly as he should. So it's like he starts with prayer. So all the time, always starts with prayer, and that's the first little bit. And if you've been in Christian sport, they always talk about this, quite a lot about pray, play saying. So prayer is the first bit. Pray for God to open the door. And if you see an open door, then it's about you trying to proclaim the mystery of Christ. They say, in some way, you speak of Christ in some way, whatever that is a natural way. When you get on to the next bit in verse five, Paul talks about being wise in the way you act towards outsiders and make the most of every opportunity. And I think that was what Tracy did with me. She said that she was a Christian, and then I was able to watch her, like the whole time I was watching her, because I was like, you're a Christian. I want to watch I'm going to watch you all the time. And then she made the most of everyopportunity. So when I signed out, she would always say something and be like, Okay, well, you know, when are we next meeting? And she would remind us, and she said from the last one. So she'd make the most of every opportunity. So that's the play bit. She would make it natural and normal, so be in the rhythms of life and stuff. And it would be attractive, because I would be like, This is not weird. This is not this is actually a normal conversation. And then obviously you got the say bit. And in Paul, he says, in verse six, says, Let your conversation always be full of salt. Season with salt and full of grace. And that, I could see that in Tracy, that her conversation was always, in some way, a little bit salty, so it kicked sometimes, and it was like, Well, what's that? And it was tasty, the things you were saying. And I want to come back, because when she was sharing God's word, we've got to trust God's words enough. And it was. it was so tasty. I wanted to know more. Wanted to taste more and more. So when Paul says that, it's like, make the most of every opportunity and Let your conversation be full of grace always. And season with salt. We preserve, like the God flavours in the world. And it's about, how can our words, how can they be attractive to those around us and stuff?

So that's a little model that Christian in Sport do, is PRAY. Always start with prayer and then PLAY. So make it natural, make it normal. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders. Make the most opportunity and then SAY, full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you'll be able to answer everyone, that's how it finishes. So the other day, I found out that while the receptionist goes to a church in London, but only goes to sit at the back of the church. And I don't, I always thought I wonder if she's Christian. I don't think she is, but she goes along because she's searching for something. So she said something. She said, Oh, that wasn't the way my parents have brought brought me up when I was younger. So I say, Okay, how were you brought up? Were you brought in a Christian family? So she said, and there was an open door there. And I said, right, I'm gonna, I realized it was open door, so I prayed. And then I'm gonna go for I'm gonna try and make the most of this opportunity and say something which is a little bit ask some questions and see where that goes. So I would say, start with prayer and then if there's an open door, be aware of those connection points. And if it comes just be normal and ask some questions and build a relationship. And then if it comes to you saying something, try and say something of God. Speak of God in some way. And I was able and say, well, actually, I go to a church, but I go in this other place. Would you ever want to come with me? Because I know some people in that churches said, Well, I just sit at the back. So obviously I was thinking, Oh, be great for her to get to know the people. But was this an open door?

So I'd say, Pray, be aware of the open doors. And it's amazing, when you pray, you realize there's so many opportunities that if you start with prayer and then look for those open doors, and then once you speak of Christ, in some way, if I told my general manager where I work, the first interview, I said, I'm a Christian, so I'm not going to work Sunday mornings. Since then, he's then came back and regularly asked us questions. He says, what I get with you Ben, I get football and, Jesus, these two things. That's all you get, that's all I get from you. All right, okay, hopefully get more Jesus than football. But he from beginning, if I didn't say that, he wouldn't have known. And once I've said that, he's then watching me, so like, I'm then having to make the most of every opportunity, because he knows a Christian, yeah. So you get it in, and then your actions, then speak, and then when you get a chance, he's asking me all sorts of questions. And said, Well, you know, do you really believe the Spirit of God lives in you? Well, what question to ask, you know? But that came because there was first a time when there was an open door and he's just natural and normal. Didn't make a big thing. Yeah, I'm a Christian. I go to church on a sunday. As soon as you get that in you that Rico Tice, going past the pain barrier in a way, then you live it out and you pray for an opportunity.

So there's a bit from two Corinthians, chapter four, verse one to six. It talks about like three people that are a work with evangelism. So there's God, there's us, and there's the enemy, Satan. So there's different things. I think it's such a freeing passage to really like, Okay, what is my responsibility and what's God's responsibility? Can God use me? Well, He's got, like a habit of using ordinary, broken messed up people to speak for Him. But in this verse, In this passage, it says the best thing for me, it talks about in verse five, which is our responsibility, it says, For we proclaim, we don't proclaim ourselves, but we proclaim Jesus as Lord and that's our bit. So we speak of Christ, and the most freeing bit is verse six. So we speak in whatever way that is, we speak of Christ, and verse six says, it's for God said, Let light shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts to give us the light and knowledge of the Glory of God, of the face of Christ Jesus. So we speak, our responsibility is just speak of Christ, but it's God's responsibility to open eyes. So we speak, He opens eyes. Our job is just, in some way, to speak, and He opens the eyes. So it's not even up to us. It's not about our eloquent speech or having the right words to say it's God who's the one who says? Who opens eyes, He opens blind eyes. And that bit there obviously refers to Genesis, which says light, let light come out of darkness. And that, for me, is amazing, because that's what God did for me when Tracy was speaking, it was like light shone out of darkness, just like when creation life came out, just like that life was birthed in me when I accepted Christ, and so I was given the light and knowledge of Jesus, when God did that. It wasn't when Tracy spoke, it was God who was the one who turned the light on. Tracy told me about Him, but Tracy could have sat there for years, but it's and wouldn't have opened my eyes. It was God that did that, and He is the one who gives us the light that actually reveals Christ to us. So we speak, and God opens opens blind eyes. We speak, God opens blind eyes. So whatever happens, whatever I speak, if I'm speaking to the General Manager, if I'm speaking to someone in my football team, if I speak of Christ, I'm speaking of Christ, God opens the blind eyes, and God's the one who's going to do that. And I'm not surprised when God does that, because God is the miracle worker and He's opening the blind eyes. But there's also a reality in verse four that says, but the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the true light of the Gospel. So there's another thing working. So I know in my workplace that the god of this age is at work to blind the minds of the receptionist, of the General Manager of my colleagues. I know that there's a spiritual force at work, which, through media, through whatever, he's constantly trying to get into lies all the time, because he's the father of lies. And my job is to try and be the light and speak of Christ in some way, when I get a chance to do that, and then it's God. God is the one who obeys blind eyes. And that, for me, that's such a really freeing passage. And verse one to three, Paul saying, you know, we don't lose heart. He says, we don't use cunning, or we don't use all this stuff. We don't commend ourselves. You know, we don't, we don't do all that. We literally just speak of Christ in our, like our brokenness, our unique way, we speak of Christ and God opens the blind eyes. That's such a freeing thing.

For me it's like, what is the Gospel for the person in front of us? So, how is it good news for the receptionist? How is it good news for the general managers? Two completely different people, but I believe the gospel is still good news for them. So I'm trying to find a point where I'm going to say I know I've got the most amazing message, because it's transformed my life. How do you find those points and then share something which that which they see Christ is attractive, and want to know more about that. So for me, it's like I've not got these big theological sometimes I might, if someone wants to have an intellectual conversation, I might, I mean, that rarely happens, but if you do fair enough, but if there's just normal people, I think I spend a lot more time like getting to know them. And like Paul says in One, Thessalonians, chapter two, he says he was only there for a month in one place, and he says that he shared his whole life as well as the Gospel. And that was his method. He went somewhere new one month, and he there was like a new church. And what was his model? It was he shared his whole life with them and shared the Gospel. Wasn't just the Gospel, wasn't hit and run thing. It was like he actually shared the whole life, his whole life, and he said that he loved them and cared for them like a mother and father, and he became like a child amongst them, and I'm like, wow, that's like, that's such a powerful way of doing it. Like, open, share your whole life with them, actually show that you real, genuine, make the most opportunity, and see how you can learn from them and speak of Christ in some way. So it may just be, maybe something that it may be a personal testimony to me, this is what God's done in my life, or it may just be just in my actions. In some way. I've not got a sermon. I don't want to speak it for 20 minutes. I'd probably say the best things that I've had is the questions that you question and ask some things, just like Jesus did with the crowds of people he went around with. He asked questions, which unlock things. And when you sometimes ask questions, then actually, that does it as much as he was speaking, He would stop for the one. He'd stop for the person in front of him. And He, you know, you see Him constantly withdrawing with God, His Father. He spent time with God. So he stopped for the one. He stopped for God his Father, and then He stopped for the one in front of him. And He constantly says, He had compassion on people all the time. And He would meet them where they are, and He would, He'd go in their homes. He'd eat with them. He'd spend time with them. And like, I guess that's the kind of that's the model we want to follow.  Spend time with God. Stop for the one. And the more we spend time with God, the more we have His heart, and the more we're then compelled to go and do what Jesus did,  'as you go', it's not come and see, don't come and see, its as you go. That's the Great Commission, as you go. And that can be in your sports clubs. It can be in your workplace, in your hobbies, interests, whatever that is, where you naturally are as you go, have compassion on people. Stop for the one in front of you, eat with them, spend time with them, ask them questions, genuinely get to know people in life, because people are crying out for that in this day and age, loneliness is massive. And everyone has all these online friends, but real life, people in their life, people don't have it. So to be that person, like Jesus, actually stopped for the one in front of you. So who is that one person in front of you when you're wherever you are in your life, they could come across at a random time. You don't know. Could it could be, yeah, when you eating. Could be when you at work, at University, School, where ever, and that means giving time and effort and doing something maybe a little bit different. If you have a conversation with someone, you've got no idea the other workers that are in the harvest field, and therefore it's not pressure is not on me, 

But for me, like you said, the sport, is the thing that I find, is a point of connection. So, I started playing football on a Tuesday night with some guys. Work People invited their friends from work colleagues. Work colleagues. And we just started playing football. And most the guys, it was half of them Christians, half of them weren't. And then I formed a Christian football a church football team, and then guys started joining that and on that football team, we'd pray before matches, and we'd have a talk in the changing room, and then we people would share their story. And at the start, I started really light, and then it would move on as we got a good relationship with them. And then recently, we had a guy who did alpha, and then he became a Christian, and he's and few others, they've all, they're all in this kind of journey. But whatever it is, whatever that point is, I guess, is just finding what is natural for you, and finding that point where you can actually share Jesus and then build a real relationship with someone, be intentional with them, in some way, get the Bible open. So whether that's one on one, I remember going to pub with this guy, and sat down with him, and we'd print out like parables and stuff. And got the point where we'd do that before we watch Champions League games. He'd come around to our house. It was part of the missional community. So I guess the first bit is just generally take interest in the guy. So when he's coming on Tuesday night, he is generally asking like, and even that's counter cultural, even that in itself, for a man to literally, when you play football on Tuesday night, to be like, genuinely, I actually care about you. I want to know about your life. And then as I started sharing about my life, even that was like he was there, oh, hang on, this is you're setting the agenda a little bit. And then he was able to say, well, actually, yeah, this is going on in my life. And as time went on, I was sharing about mine, and I got, like, quite personal about some of the stuff that I was struggling with, for example, and said, Well, I've got this relationship probably. He said, Well, you know, and then after time, we built this relationship of trust. And over time, then that would enable him to then join the team, and then we'd end up going for a drink together. And in one of them, I ended up saying, Look, can I share this a bit? And then it turned out that his dad had been in prison, and all this stuff came out. And as time went on, it just became like it was a personal relationship. And then I was intentionally praying and trying to think, Okay, who can I introduce this person to as time went on, as time went on, those little bits as weeks and weeks and weeks went on, months went on. Then he ended up, then getting to the point of, then wanting to read bits of the Bible, like that, before champions league game, and then he did Alpha and stuff. So this is, like a long process.

My favourite bit of the Bible, two Corinthians, chapter five, verse fourteen to twenty-one.  Once you have your relationship restored with God, you have a relationship with God, you're then qualified to then go and share and be God's ambassador. So in two Corinthians, chapter five, it talks about how God has reconciled the world to Himself through Christ. So we were once enemies, and now we're now friends with God. We have a relationship restored with God. Once you have that, then you can then be an ambassador on Christ's behalf, to speak of God, that's the criteria. So if you're like, 'Oh I'm, not qualified to speak of Christ, well, if you have relationship with God, then you are a minister of reconciliation. And there's a few seeds that are in this passage. So it talks about verse fourteen, for Christ's love compels us. So for me, it's like it's not about being obligated, it's about being motivated. That is our motivation. If you if you have your motivation, I need to tell people, whatever, if your motivation is love for Christ, love compels you. That is the best motivation. You go because of love, as he loves you, you go and you can't help but go. You have to go because you irresistibly forced through love. You're compelled. So it because Christs love, compels us. You go, and then it says because we are convinced that Christ died for all and therefore all died. So I'm convinced that He died for me, and I'm convinced that He died for the whole world. And then after the convince bit, it's about being committed. It says that those who live no longer live for themselves, but live for Him who died and was raised to life. So we're committed. So once you're compelled, you're convinced, then you be committed, and you don't any longer live for yourself, you live for Christ, who died and was raised to life. And then my favourite verse in the Bible, two, Corinthians, Five, Verse seventeen, anyone who is in Christ, a new creation. The old has gone, and behold, the new has come. So when I realized that all the time, I'm constantly reminded that I'm a new creation in Christ, and I'm going to go on that, and I'm going to realize the old is gone and the new has come. And I believe that for anyone that can be true for them, the old can go and the new can come. That is that one of the most amazing messages ever. No one else has this message, the old has gone and the new can come, incredible. And then it says that we are therefore Christ ambassadors, and we are the ones who can actually go and speak on behalf of the King, go and speak on behalf of King Jesus. If youre compelled by love, youre convinced that Christ died for all. Youre committed to not live for yourself, but live for Him, to go as a new creation, to know who you are, and to go and tell people this amazing, incredible news. You become an ambassador of reconciliation. You become that person you speak of Christ, and God opens the blind eyes. We speak of Christ, God opens the blind eyes and whatever that looks like for you, for me, sport, for other people, there's other ways you can connect with people in a normal way, through food, through whatever that is. Connect with people, share your life with them, and share the gospel in some way with them. Being you, an ordinary person who God wants to use to share and speak of Christ.

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