WITNESS TO THE WORLD. Alfred Street Baptist Church Christian Life Institute Deacon Russell A. and Earnestine Easter.

Transcription

1 WITNESS TO THE WORLD Alfred Street Baptist Church Christian Life Institute Deacon Russell A. and Earnestine Easter May 20 22, 2014

2 Course Overview Day 1 Defining evangelism and witnessing Day 2 Sharing Jesus Without Fear concept and approach Day 3 Framework for witnessing

3 What is Evangelism? Evangelism is the telling of God s good news, the gospel. The message of evangelism in the New Testament is called the gospel of God (Rom. 1:1; 1 Thess. 2:2,8,9; I Tim. 1:11) because God is the ultimate source of it the gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:19; 1 Cor. 9:12; Gal. 1:7) because Christ is the subject, object, and very life of it the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) because it is the medium of God s grace to man the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15) because through it man makes peace with both God and self and the gospel of your salvation (Eph. 1:13) because it brings salvation home to us. SOURCE: Walton Weaver (1970) The Message and Purpose of Evangelism, Truth Magazine XIV; 30, pp. 7-8

4 Evangelism in the Early Church Targeted two groups (Jews and Gentiles) Three-fold message Idolatry is false hope Single transcendent God presides over all People MUST repent and commit to Jesus Evangelistic motives Thanksgiving Responsibility Concern for others destinies

5 Evangelism in the Early Church Five Characteristics Ministered through constant presence in the community (Acts 2:46-47) Depended on the Holy Spirit as a consuming power (Acts 1:8; 4:8) Shared a consistent message of the gospel (Acts 2; 3; 4:12) Possessed a convincing boldness to speak the message of Christ (Acts 4:31) Consistently displayed a contagious courage to stand (Acts 4:18-20)

6 Evangelism Methods Invitational Model Service Model Crusade Model Testimonial Model Event-Driven Model SOURCE: David Ireland, Undeniable Effect, Ministry Today, March/April 2014, pp

7 Evangelism Ministry Mission: To prepare ASBC members to be spirit-led witnesses of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. Goal: To create a culture within the membership that makes evangelism a Spirit-led way of life rather than a schedule of activities focused on occasional witnessing. Strategy: Provide church groups and members with a series of interactive facilitative training opportunities focused on various evangelistic topics.

8 Our Operational Framework EQUIP ENABLE Evangelism Ministry EXCITE ENGAGE SOURCE: Randy Mullinax, E-valuate Your E-vangelism, Georgia Baptist Convention

9 Evangelism Ministry Activities Evangelism Events Homeless Outreach with Missions Ministry Partnership with Intercessory Prayer Ministry Evangelism Ambassadors Evangelism Training New Member and Visitor Requests and Inquiries

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11 Engel s Scale of Conversion

12 Role of Church Leaders and Ministries Promote evangelism training Develop and launch a deliberate strategy Become the example Follow up

13 Why Witness? Jesus commands it. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19) Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) Because we love the lost. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) It is the wise thing to do. and he that winneth souls is wise. (Proverbs 11:30)

14 Why Witness continued To keep people out of hell. It pleases God and brings glory to His name. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples: And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! (John 1:35-36) So that people may find the love and fellowship of God. That which you have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1John1:3) We have the gift of the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21-22)

15 Christian woman in Sudan sentenced to death for her faith By Ed Payne and Daniel Burke, CNN updated 1:18 PM EDT, Thu May 15, 2014 A Sudanese woman holds a cross as she prays.

16 Developing a heart to share Jesus Learning ways to share Jesus Responding to the opportunity to share Jesus Being obedient to share Jesus

17 Developing a Heart to Share Jesus Sin of silence Purposed passion Importance of prayer Partnership with Christ and the Holy Spirit Facing your fears Rejection Not knowing enough Offending a friend or relative Being ridiculed or persecuted *Failure *What others might think

18 Step 1. Prepare to share your faith. Share your own testimony. Read Acts 22 and 26. What Christ has done in your life. Before: What your life was like before you met Christ. How you became a Christian. After: The difference Christ has made in your life. A testimony is not an argument. It must be supported by a Christian lifestyle. William Fay and Ralph Hodge People may doubt the authority of the Scripture, but they cannot deny your personal experience. Howard-John Wesley

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20 Step 2. Start with five diagnostic questions. Do you have any kind of spiritual belief? To you, who is Jesus? Do you believe there is a heaven and a hell? If you died right now, where would you go? If heaven, why? If what you believe were not true, would you want to know? If the answer is YES, proceed to Step 3. If the answer is NO, stop.

21 Step 3. Ask the person to read selected Bible verses aloud. Romans 3:23 -issue of sin Romans 6:23 -penalty of sin John 3:3 -how to enter a relationship with Christ John 14:6 -Jesus is the only way Romans 10: anyone can be saved 2 Corin 5:15 -we must turn from/turn to (surrender) Revelation 3:20 -a choice to accept or reject NOTE: The Roman Road suggests using Romans 3:23; 5:5; 5:20; 6:23; and 10:9, 11, 13

22 Two Important Principles HEARING: When a lost person hears the message of the Bible, he is hearing Christ Himself, who speaks the message of salvation. QUESTION: God s word does all of the convicting. The Holy Spirit does all of the convincing. Use the Read-it-Again principle if the person does not understand the scripture

23 Step 4. Close with five questions. Are you a sinner? Do you want forgiveness for your sins? Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again? Are you willing to surrender your life to Christ? Are you ready to invite Jesus into your life and into your heart? Be silent and pray. Offer to lead the person in a prayer of repentance and faith.

24 Prayer of Salvation Heavenly Father, I have sinned against You. I want forgiveness of all my sins. I believe Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I give You my life to do with as You wish. I want Jesus to come into my life and into my heart. I ask this Jesus name. Amen

25 Dealing with Rejection

26 Use the S A L T Principle a reminder to look for ways to turn any conversation towards witnessing. Say something. Ask questions. Listen. Turn the conversation.

27 Witnessing Tools Personal Testimony Pocket-sized New Testament with highlighted verses Staged interview questions Scriptures Tracts Flyers

28 SUMMARY Develop a passion for lost people. Learn to lean on God s promises in prayer. Take steps to fulfill your partnership with God. Trust in the power of the Holy Spirit. Prepare and commit yourself to share Jesus.