Posted with permission from Pastor Milton Bost, Chattham Baptist Church, IL
Slide 1
You and Sharing Jesus
John 15:1-4
Slide 2
Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, communicating with Him in prayer and spending time in the Word, and fellowshipping in agape love
with fellow believers are necessary things for our development as followers of Jesus Christ. If your life is improving by growing in these things, then you have encountered a command that Jesus gave all in Matthew 28.
Slide 3
Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been
given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
In regard to improving things this coming year in your own Christian life and in the life of CBC, this is probably the biggest need and the most challenging improvement we must face. People in our world are lost in sin and condemned, as once we were, and need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Who will tell them?
Slide 4
Howard Hendricks, Former Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and
familiar speaker at Promise Keeper events, made the following statement:
“In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are
stuttering.”
Slide 5
Bill Bright, founder and former President of Campus Crusade for Christ
stated:
"Millions of surveys which we have helped to take around the world
indicate that approximately 98 percent of the Christians do not regularly
introduce others to the Savior."
Slide 6
We Christians have found all kinds of reasons and interpretations to excuse ourselves from the task of evangelism. Yet the priority of evangelism in Scripture is very specific and very clear.
John 15:1-4 (NKJV)
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every
branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
Slide 7
If we possess the love of Christ (agape) and are able to love fellow followers of Christ, then that same love should enable us to look upon those without
Christ with love and compassion. A true heart of compassion will let those on the way to destruction know they can escape, but that the only escape is through Jesus Christ. We need to tell people they're in trouble with God and that God alone has provided a way to escape. What they do with that warning is their choice, but we are accountable to share the warning and the good news.
Slide 8
The enemy of Christ wants us to diminish this need and avoid our
responsibility to it. He speaks doubt in our ear. He conjures up fear within our souls. He convinces us that we can’t do this and that only the
professional clergy or particularly zealous believers are supposed to do this.
His deceit, his lies, his manipulations are designed to render us ineffective in the greatest commandment and most glorious purpose that Jesus gave His disciples.
Slide 9
Often one of our biggest barriers to evangelism is the HOW?. We tend to
limit our perspective to the methods that we find most unsettling: knocking on a strangers door. Engaging a stranger on plane or a bus. Sharing the gospel and handing out tracts at Mardi Gras in downtown New Orleans. Do we all have to share the same way? No, the unbelieving world is made up of a variety of people: young, old, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, urban, rural, with different race, personalities, values, politics, and religious backgrounds. The fact is that it's going to take more than one style of evangelism to reach such a diverse population!
However, if we spend our time seeking more comfortable ways to do it and wrestling with the how, divine encounters will be missed.
Slide 10
Warren Wiersbe, former Pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago and well
know author and teacher told this story:
When he was the pastor of the Methodist church in Scarborough, William
Sangster had an eccentric member who tried to be a zealous Christian.
Unfortunately, the man was mentally deficient and usually did the wrong
thing. While working as a barber the man lathered up a customer for a
shave, came at him with the poised razor, and asked, "Are you prepared to meet your God?" The frightened man fled with the lather on his face!
Slide 11
Our hearts have to change. We can offer you the best evangelism
training available. We can have big motivational rallies and post all kinds of motivational signs. We can make a big splash. But unless YOU seek the Lord for His empowering and have a heart for reaching the lost and
unchurched, unless you have a conviction, a compassion and a passion, the lost will not be reached. We must improve things in regard to our sharing Jesus.
Slide 12
There are, in general, several styles of evangelism. I will share them with
you for the sake of acknowledging them. However, we need to be extremely careful that we don’t get sidetracked identifying our “style”.
Instead, we need to be more focused on sharing our faith and our style will reveal itself.
Slide 13
Confrontational Evangelism – This is also called “Contact evangelism” or
“Cold Call evangelism.” It is evangelism typically between two strangers,
following somewhat of a scripted conversation that the evangelist has
memorized. The conversation is straight to the point, and is sometimes an intrusion into the world of the stranger. This style is often perceived as
negative…and it can be. It can be unsettling because there is the greater
potential for a negative response from the person encountered. They don’t know you, you don’t know them, they have no reason to trust your motives.
An overzealous and pushy believer can make some serious mistakes with
this style. The person they encounter may form a very negative opinion
about Christianity or they may yield to the demands of the believer just to
get rid of them. On the other hand, confrontational evangelism is very
biblical and can be very effective. In fact, of the 46 evangelistic encounters described in the Acts of the Apostles, 25 of them fall into this category.
Slide 14
Acts 2:38-39 (NKJV)
38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar
off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
Slide 15
Intellectual Evangelism - Intellectuals attempt to make a case for
Christianity. They use a breadth of knowledge, historic proof, philosophic
constructs, scientific analysis, and common reason to make a rational
appeal for Christianity. They seek to appeal to people’s wills through their
minds. They often enjoy reading books. They are philosophical, theological, inquisitive, and logical. They are often called apologeticists. Ravi Zacharias, C.S. Lewis, Watchman Nee, are just a few that fit this style. Some of you may know Phil Nelson, Pastor of Lakeland Baptist Church in Carbondale. This would clearly describe his style.
Slide 16
Acts 17:22-24 (NKJV)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of
Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;
23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your
worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN
GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I
proclaim to you:
24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of
heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands…”
Slide 17
Testimonial Evangelism - This is when we tell other people how God has
specifically changed our lives when we became believers. This might happen in a setting where we are sharing one-on-one with someone. It also might be that we share our testimony in a gathering of people, such as a conference or a church meeting. Personal stories of transformation carry a unique weight and often do things that facts about the gospel alone cannot do. Some well-known Christians have used testimonial approach to tell powerful stories of Christ’s saving work in their lives: Corrie Ten Boom, Lee Strobel, Joni Erikson Tada, and many others.
Slide 18
John 9:24-25 (NKJV)
24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner."
25 He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.
One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." (John 9) One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!
Slide 19
Relational Evangelism - Relational evangelism is often defined around
“earning the right to be heard.” We build an intentional relationship, earn
credibility, and wait for an opportunity of spiritual conversation to come
about. When the topic of faith comes up, you’ve earned the right to share your faith in Christ. Included in this approach is doing good, living good, so that your lifestyle attracts spiritual curiosity.
Slide 20
Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in heaven.
Mark 5:18-19 (NKJV)
18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed
begged Him that he might be with Him.
19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your
friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and
how He has had compassion on you."
Slide 21
Invitational Evangelism - This style is a very effective witnessing method for many people. Similar to the testimonial style, an invitational witness is
people-oriented, except that the object of the invitation is generally an
acquaintance rather than a close friend. If you are a person who likes to
include new people in activities, who watches for opportunities to bring
friends along to an enriching Christian event, or who looks for a good match between the interests of friends and Christian books, classes, or programs that would interest them, you probably have an invitational style.
Slide 22
John 4:28-30 (NKJV)
28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,
29 "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"
30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
Slide 23
Servant Evangelism - This style is doing acts of kindness for anyone and
everyone. An example of servant evangelism could be something as simple as handing out free water bottles on a hot day or taking bags of food to needy families at Christmastime. The possibilities are endless, but the common denominator is that nothing is asked from them in return.
One of the motivations behind this type evangelism is that the Bible tells us that God’s kindness leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4). Not everyone is comfortable walking into a church building, but receiving a free service with no strings attached is harder to resist. In fact, it usually piques curiosity as to why someone would go out of his or her way to perform this act of kindness.
Servant evangelism has the potential to soften people’s hearts, enabling them to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. When someone asks why you are doing what you’re doing, you have an open door to point to Chris (it’s great training ground for other types of evangelism).
Also, as Christians, we are to be full of the Holy Spirit in such a way that the Spirit flows out to others. Engaging in servant evangelism puts Christians in situations where the Holy Spirit can minister through them. Through servant evangelism the church can show people outside the church that God cares and give them a reason to want to come inside. However, it is incomplete as a form of evangelism until the message of Jesus is spoken.
Slide 24
Acts 9:36 (NKJV)
36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is
translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.
Slide 25
Chatham Baptist Church must become intentional in reaching our region
with the gospel of Jesus Christ. What will it require for you to become
intentional?
Don't ever think you're a second class Christian because you don't proclaim Christ like Peter or Paul. Discover your own method. Then get out of your
chair and do it for the Glory of God. Live by faith, not fear!!!
Slide 26
Leighton Ford, world renown evangelist and President of Leighton Ford
Ministries, was born in Toronto and raised in Chatham, Ontario. Leighton
married Billy Graham’s sister Jean. From 1955-85 he served as Associate
Evangelist and later Vice President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association. He has spoken face to face to millions of people in 37 countries on every continent of the world; featured as the alternate speaker to Billy Graham on the Hour of decision broadcast and his own daily TV and radio spots in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Leighton Ford made the following statements about himself.
Slide 27
When I am conscious of the fear of failure holding me back, I go through a kind of personal checklist:
1. Does this fear come basically from my own pride, a fear that I will be
rejected or criticized, that I cannot live up to my own expectations or to
those of others?
2. Do I remember that God has called me first to faithfulness, then to
efficiency? Do I remember that He said He is with me always, even unto
the end of the age?
3. Do I trust that the Holy Spirit is working before me, with me, and
through me?
4. Do I remember that I am called to be neither more nor less successful
than Jesus Christ was?
5. Do I remember that God does his greatest work when I seem to be
weakest? Isn't that, after all, the mystery of the cross?
Slide 28
If we are going to improve things at CBC, it will require that things be
improved in you and me. Can we begin changing the statistics regarding
Christianity’s failure to share the gospel effectively? I believe you and I have the potential to be used of God the make a huge impact for the Kingdom of God right here in Chatham. But our hearts must be changed and our priorities must be adjusted. We must become intentional with reaching the lost and unchurched for Jesus Christ. This is not about building up CBC. This is about human beings, family, friends, and neighbors, either being condemned to hell or redeemed in Christ.
Slide 29
By improving things in your faith walk with Jesus you will used of God to change the eternal destiny of someone.
SCROLL for additional content: Commentary ~ Resources~ Replies ~