I recently had a discussion with a very intelligent 28-year-old lady and was shocked to discover how little she knew about the bible. 

For instance, it came as a surprise to her that Jesus was a Jew, and that Joseph was something more than a West End play. Her ignorance was true of nearly all the bible characters we know, which was a real surprise to me. 

My wife also had a similar encounter at the hairdresser. They were discussing the Christmas story when three of the stylists had to enlist her support to establish the facts.

This is sad, but it is also hopeful! People haven’t rejected Jesus; they just don’t know who he is. 

As Christians in Western countries, we make assumptions that everyone has heard about Jesus but has rejected the gospel, but the fact is, they just haven’t heard the gospel.

I learnt a surprising fact from recent surveys of young church members when they were asked, ‘Is the church doing a good job of training for evangelism?’ 

In 1993, 77 per cent of respondents said yes. In 2018 the number dropped to 53 per cent, but by 2021, in just three years it had dropped to 19 per cent.

Jesus said the fields are white unto harvest, but the labourers are few. This is a huge opportunity for all Christians and churches to get the message out there. 

People aren’t as closed as you may think. They just don’t know, and it’s our job to tell them.