Sharing with a Muslim neighbor

Jeff Sundell has been out knocking on doors. Who would have thought this boy from a rural community in the Deep South of America would have an opportunity to share the gospel with a muslim from Iraq who we'll call John. Jeff's report:

We went to John's house to talk to him again about Jesus. We had met John weeks before while prayer walking and had asked him if God could do a miracle in his life, what would it be and could we pray in Jesus name for him?

He said he needed a job. In 2009, he was resettled to America from Mosul, Iraq. So, we prayed and asked him if we could come and meet with him again.

I went to his house and began to ask him some questions about the Koran in relationship to Jesus. I have done this many times before. John had been trained to bring up certain issues related to Christianity and Islam. After about an hour of trying to build a bridge to the Gospel, I began to share Creation to Christ with God?s provision of “Korbon” (sacrifice) for Adam and Abraham, and the ultimate provision of sacrifice was his Son, Jesus Christ. John continued to bring up his objection that Allah has no partners, meaning the Son of God, and that the Bible is corrupt.

I stopped the Creation to Christ story and began to ask John about the five pillars of Islam.

I asked him what the first pillar of Islam was and if he had kept it all his life? He said yes, that he had confessed Allah as the one God.

I asked him about the second pillar? John said he does pray five times a day facing Mecca. I asked him if it would be a sin for someone to miss praying once in a day. He said yes. I reminded him it was only one sin that separated Adam from God because he sinned against God?s standard. I asked him if he had ever missed prayers. He said no, but then remembered that he hadn?t prayed that morning. I asked him if that was sin. He said, “No, surely Allah understands I am a poor man, and I was busy this morning.” I reminded him again that only one sin separated Abraham from a Glorious God.

I asked him about the third pillar of Islam, giving to the poor. John said he gave alms. I asked John if he had ever missed, and he said he was a poor man and Allah understood that he couldn?t give. I reminded John about Adam and his sin again.

I asked what the fourth pillar of Islam was. He said to keep Ramadan. I asked him if he had ever cheated once and broke the fast even once in his lifetime. He said he had kept it completely. I reminded him again about Adam. I asked him about the fifth pillar of Islam, which is to visit Mecca on the Hoji. I asked him if he had gone. He said he had not because he was a poor man and couldn?t go, but he hoped to go one day. I asked him if that was sin. But he assured me that Allah understands.

I reminded John that in the garden when Adam and Eve sinned, God provided the sacrifice by killing an animal to cover them. Adam and Eve by disobeying God deserved to die, but because of God?s grace He sacrificed an animal and, later on, instituted the sacrificial system.

Then I shared about when Abraham was told to sacrifice his son, God provided a ram caught in the thorns. I told John that we are separated from God because mankind broke His law and, therefore, we can?t be in His presence. But, God loved us so much He did provide a sacrifice. He sent his Son to die on a cross for our sins and we must repent and believe in Jesus Christ?s death, burial and resurrection and confess Him before mankind; then, He will save us. God provided the Korbon, His Son.

John invited us back; he said he was interested to keep talking about Jesus. Pray that God reveals Himself to John. In the end, it is God?s work to save John, but we feel like he heard a clear Gospel presentation.

I've interviewed Jeff Sundell and his coworkers many times for the movements podcast.