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We have
the answer.
One
need only watch the evening news to see that our world is in dire need of
assistance. People everywhere are turning to money, drugs, sex, alcohol,
violence, and other worldly means to fill the spiritual void in their lives.
We as
His Church spend much of our time praying for a remedy, and all the while
holding the cure. We cry out to God for relief, and remain silent while
watching men die. The sin that poisons our society runs amok as the Church
inoculates itself.
The
message of reconciliation is proclaimed by people.
Sad is
the day when programs, church mailers, special events, and church staff bear
the full weight of evangelism. The task of sharing with others the good news
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the responsibility of all who have received
and believed this message themselves.
Route
1:8 was designed to help you learn how to tell others about Jesus Christ,
and is based on Acts 1:8, found below:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you
shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and
even to the remotest part of the earth.
Acts 1:8
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Before
we set out on this journey of personal evangelism, we must be convinced that
it is one we should take. As we should do in all aspects of our lives as
believers, let us first look at God’s Holy Word for direction.
Matthew 28:18-20
And
Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me
in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age."
On whose authority do we carry the message?
 Mark 16:15
And He
said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."
What is our objective?
John 20:21
So
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I
also send you."
What is our method?
Luke 24:45-49
Then he
opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them,
"This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on
the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in
his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these
things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the
city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
What is our message?
Acts 1:8
“But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth."
What is our source of power?
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1. Prayer
"Prayer
is the lifeline of New Testament evangelism. The New Testament was born in
prayer. It knows no evangelism without prayer and no prayer which does not
lead to evangelism. God has joined these together in one piece, and no man
must separate them." A. R. Gesswein
"I am
convinced that when we stand before God...we will discover that every
soul ever brought to a knowledge of Christ was in some way related to
intercessory prayer.” Dick Eastman
Look up each of the
following verses and ask: what are we to pray for in regards to evangelism?
 >
Colossians 4:2-4
> Acts 4:29
> Romans 10:1
> Matthew 9:38
2. Personal Examination
We must
practice what we preach. For our message to be effective, both our words
and actions must convey a life impacted by Jesus Christ.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the
LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his
stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man
looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
It is
difficult, if not impossible, to share a message of reconciliation if we
ourselves are not walking with God. Personal evangelism begins from within
and is the natural overflow of a Christ-centered life.
What do you struggle with in your own life that, in turn,
leads to difficulties in sharing your faith?
3. Roadmap For Salvation
"What
is the best method for sharing the Gospel?”
While
there is no surefire method guaranteeing a profession of faith, there is one
that definitely doesn’t work
—
silence.
Regardless of our method of delivery we must focus on the basic facts of the
Gospel that a person ought to know to become a Christian.
Paul
Little offers this helpful outline to better our understanding of the
message we seek to communicate:
1.
Who Is Jesus Christ?
[John 5:18; 10:10-30; 14:9;
4:6; 11:35]
2. His Diagnosis of Human Nature
[Mark 7:1-23]
3. The Fact and Meaning of His Crucifixion
[Matthew 26:28; 20:28]
4. The Fact and Meaning of His Resurrection
[Luke 24:36-45; 1 Peter
3:18]
5. Becoming a Christian
[Acts 26:20; John 1:12]
Here
are a few helpful methods to get you started:
4. Personal Testimony
If
you’ve met someone, especially if you have a relationship with them, you are
able to introduce them to someone else. Each of us has come to Christ
through our own personal, spiritual journey. It’s doubtful you simply awoke
one day and said, “I think today would be a good day to become a Christian!”
Your personal experience, with the Gospel at its core, can speak volumes.
Paul shares his testimony in Acts 22. What are some important
things to remember about sharing our personal testimony?
5. The “Romans Road” to Salvation
You may
find it helpful to mark your Bible with the following references. Simply
write in the margin or at the bottom of the page the direction you’re headed
next!
> Romans 3:23
> Romans 6:23
> Romans 5:8
> Romans 10:13
> Romans 10:9-10
6. Tracts or Booklets
While
some people are hesitant to use tracts or booklets when sharing the Gospel,
they can be an effective tool when sharing your faith.
 What are some benefits of using a tract or booklet?
Experiencing God’s…
God
Rebellion
Atonement
Conversion
Eternal
Life
You
wouldn’t recommend a recipe without trying it yourself, nor would you
recommend a book without reading it first. The same goes with any tract or
booklet you use. Make sure you are familiar with the resource yourself
before handing it to someone else.
7. Scripture Memorization
Isaiah 55:11
So will
My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter
for which I sent it.
Our
words may fail us, but His never will! Apart from being spiritually
satisfying to our own souls, God’s Word is a powerful, and necessary, tool
for evangelism. To get started, let’s try memorizing the ten verses below:
Leviticus 19:2
Psalm 19:1
Isaiah 59:2
John 3:36
Acts 4:12
Romans 8:16
2 Corinthians 5:17
2 Corinthians 5:21
Hebrews 9:27
1 John 1:9
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1. Questions to Encourage Discussion
Evangelism can be taught all day long, but where the rubber meets the road
is when we put it into practice. One of the keys to effective personal
evangelism is the ability to turn any conversation into a spiritual one. If
we believe, as we should, that God’s Word is applicable to any situation
and/or difficulty in our lives, we should not hesitate to share with others
the truth we have been given.
Dr.
Timothy Beougher offers these “bridges” that can be useful in talking to
someone about Jesus Christ:
> Were
you brought up in a particular religious tradition?
> Through
the years have you come to know Christ in a personal way, or are you still
on the way?
 > Has
anyone ever shared with you what the Bible teaches about…?
> In your
personal opinion, what is a Christian?
> Is
there something I could pray about for you?
>
(Friend), we've been friends for a while now. We have talked together about
so many things, yet there is a very important part of my life I have never
shared with you. Could I share with you about my spiritual journey?
What are some other bridges that you might consider?
2. How Jesus Engaged Others
From
Scripture we have a clear picture of a Christ who understood how to engage
people at a spiritual level. Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman in
John 4 reveals several principles of engaging in evangelism.
What does this passage (John 4:1-26) reveal about engaging
others with the Gospel?
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1.
You are afraid
> Know that fear is normal, and even useful.
> You are not the only one who gets nervous.
> Identify the source of fear and deal with it.
> Pray
> 2 Timothy 1:7
2. Someone asks you something you can’t answer
> Be honest. No one knows everything.
> Keep the main thing the main thing.
> Mankind’s problem is sin separating us from God!
> 2 Timothy 3:16 – Search the Scripture
3. Someone is antagonistic
> Realize the rarity of such a situation.
> Rarely, if ever, is anyone “argued” into the Kingdom of God.
> Keep your cool.
> Hebrews 4:12
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From
Matthew 28, Jesus instructs us to not only go, but to go and
make
disciples. We
should rejoice with all of Heaven each time someone comes to know Christ as
their personal Savior, but our responsibility doesn’t end there.
God wants every believer to grow toward maturity.
(Colossians 1:28)
There is a danger of a Christian falling away.
(Hebrews 2:1)
Growth occurs within the context of Christian relationships.
(Hebrews
3:12-13; Hebrews 10:23-25; Galatians 6:l-2; Proverbs 27:17)
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There are several valuable resources that can encourage and
equip us to share our faith. Here are a few:
Overcoming Walls to Witnessing
Timothy K. Beougher
The Lost Art of Disciple Making
Leroy Eims
Share Jesus Without Fear
William Fay & Ralph Hodge
How to Give Away Your Faith
Paul E. Little
Tell the Truth
Will Metzger
Building Strong Families
Dennis Rainey
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