Proclamation is sharing of the good news, and the pyramid cannot exist without it. Religious conversations are never difficult to get into with a Muslim, but they can be difficult to end without starting a debate. If you have practiced the first two “P’s,” you’ll find that your friend will listen to you. But don’t wait to start proclaiming the good news of Jesus. From the very beginning, establish the fact that you are a follower of Jesus, and that he makes a difference in your life. Talk to them about your prayer life and what God is doing in your life. One way to initiate a good conversation is to ask your friend if you can share your story with them about how God has changed your life, and then share your testimony with your friend. Remember, though, everyone has a story. You might find that your Muslim friend has a similar story to yours about how Islam has changed his life, so don’t just stop with your story, but share a biblical story as well. When I share my testimony I also tell the story of Cornelius in Acts 10, emphasizing that Cornelius was a godly man by everyone’s standards, but that was not enough. He still needed Jesus in his life, so God sent Peter to tell him the rest of the story. I then tell my friend that I am there to tell him the rest of the story.
From that point, you can share the gospel story of God’s redeeming act from creation to the cross. Remember to emphasize that God created us to have a relationship with him, but sin has destroyed that relationship (Genesis 1-3). Only the blood of sacrifice can bring about the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22), and God provided Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, the propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17). In other words, as the perfect sacrifice, Jesus took on the wrath of God for our sins. The first time you share this story, your Muslim friend will argue that God would never have allowed Jesus to die on the cross. Don’t worry, just keep telling the story and reminding him of the importance of sacrifice. It will take time and multiple tellings of the same story, but God will slowly work on his heart and begin to awaken your friend to the truth of the gospel.
Read the series of posts below for more on this topic:
Evangelism to Muslims: Presence
Evangelism to Muslims: Proclamation