It’s amazing to think that we live in a world that currently has 1.9 Billion people considered unreached by the gospel. That’s a lot of people yet still to reach. Add to that many more billions that are reached but unsaved, and you see the Lord is still at work! He is actively sending laborers into the harvest of souls!
2 Peter 3:8–9 (NKJV) “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:15 (NKJV) “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,”
It’s vital that we see our role in the overall global mission of the gospel. It’s important to live out our faith day by day, sharing the love of Jesus wherever we go. Caring for souls. Building Bridges. Walking in Love. Considering the lost. That’s normal. That’s natural. That’s needed.
But so many believers are simply afraid of going out and openly & regularly sharing their faith with others. You think “that’s not for me, not my personality, I don’t like it, afraid of rejection, what will I say” and immediately take yourself out of the game! Making excuses is not healthy for you as you avoid one of the most exciting parts of ministry. The fear of EVANGELISM is NOT a healthy fear for the Christian because it’s God’s way of bringing more & more people into a saving faith of His Son Jesus Christ.
John 1:40-42 (NLT) Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who had heard what John said and then followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means the Christ). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus.
Face to face evangelism is the method God used in your life and it’s the method of getting the gospel out He uses today. Consider…
Romans 10:14–15 (NKJV) “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Knowing that the coming of the Lord is at hand…
AND knowing that the days in which we live are evil…
AND knowing that those who do not have a saving faith in Jesus Christ will perish…
We have the wonderful privilege & honor of telling others about our faithful and loving Savior Jesus Christ…
And inviting them to receive Him as their Savior too!
Let’s consider some PRACTICAL steps to be personally prepared and eagerly ready.
#1– BE A PERSON OF PRAYER.
- Salvation is a work of God and so we need to be in tune with God to be ready to be used by Him!
- Pray for yourself. Ask God to give you boldness and courage as He opens doors before you.
- Pray for the lost. Ask God to give you a burden and a heart for those around you who don’t know Jesus Christ.
- Pray specifically for those God lays on your heart. As your prayer life grows, you’ll find less & less feargripping your heart.
- Pray for an open door. Ask God to set you up! He will.
#2 – BE SUPERNATURALLY NATURAL. (what’s This?)
- Don’t be weird! I repeat. Don’t be weird!
- Sometimes we as Christians walk around looking like zombies.
- No joy. No life. No hope. No encouragement.
- OR There’s far too much sarcasm, and course jesting, and just behavior that turns others off about the things of God!
- But the GOSPEL is GOOD NEWS and the good news is that God can change a life and give abundant life right here, right now!
- Be careful what you post online and don’t be easily distracted from the gospel!
Relationship evangelism is wonderful. Getting into the lives of others and allowing them to see Christianity in action!
- Too many times I see Christians go out on the offensive & put others immediately into a defensive mode
- All that really does is shut the door of their heart!
- But really we need to do our best to remove any preconceived notions out of the way so the path will be clear to share.
- If there IS Any OFFENSE, we want it to be toward the message not our personality or because of the way we approached them.
- I would dare say that 80-90% of the offense people have toward Jesus is not because of WHAT but in HOW we said it!
NOTE: The word EVANGELIST literally means “HERALD”
We are messengers, couriers from on high heralding forth the good news that God loves this world.
#3 – PRAY FOR WISDOM.
- Wisdom is so vital when sharing gospel. Knowledge is the “what” but Wisdom is the “HOW”.
- I think we need to have the wisdom to become ‘all things to all people’ — That’s what Paul was able to do.
1 Corinthians 9:19–23 (NKJV) “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”
NOTE: What a blessing to be able to use the Word carefully.
- There’s not one canned answer for every question out there.
- People are coming from all sorts of backgrounds, and attitudes, and perceptions, and misconceptions.
- And we need to be open to the Spirit to let Him lead us to the right approach with the truth to their questions.
- Yes the MESSAGE is ALWAYS THE SAME but the delivery may change depending on who is asking it, why their asking it, what are the motives behind the discussion, etc.
Hebrews 5:14 (NKJV) “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
#4 – ALWAYS CARRY A BIBLE EVERYWHERE.
- This book is alive & powerful and it’s words contain life.
- So if you don’t have one, you’ve taken away the authority by which you stand before them as a Herald.
- It doesn’t have to be the big family Bible, just a little like this one in your pocket, in your briefcase, in your purse.
- Take the word with you everywhere, all the time.
John 8:36 (NKJV) “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
- There’s nothing like opening up the Bible & asking someone to read it back to you & hearing the truth come from their lips!
A person of prayer, supernaturally natural, pray for wisdom, always carry a Bible…
#5 – BE READY TO SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY.
- One of the most powerful tools in sharing your faith is sharing the story of how God changed your life!
- It puts skin on the flesh of what God is doing on earth today… not just in the past, but right now, right here, in front of them.
- While they may argue with you over theology, it’s very difficult to argue about your life story, or God’s story in your life!
2 Corinthians 3:2–3 (NKJV) “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”
#6 – KNOW HOW TO SHARE THE GOSPEL BIBLICALLY
I realize that you may have many different approaches to sharing the gospel through the Bible.
- AND you may have all sorts of fragmented ideas on why you believe a person needs Jesus Christ.
- You could go here, there, maybe, I’m not sure…
- But the Bible gives a clear & steady pathway from spiritual death into spiritual life… Let’s look at it together…
#1 – ESTABLISH THAT THE NEED TO BE SAVED.
- 1st step in sharing the good news, actually begins w/ bad news.
ACTUALLY helping a person realize they are a sinner can be a very difficult thing to do. In fact you CAN’T do it.
- It’s totally a work of the Holy Spirit. & His Word is the key.
- And for the person who is living apart from Jesus Christ, the situation is hopeless!
1 John 1:8 (NKJV) “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
You’ll meet someone folks and tell them they need Jesus and they answer back right away, Why?
- Well, because you’re a sinner in need of a savior!
Romans 3:22–23 (NKJV) “even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
What is a sin? Literally the word means to “miss the mark”.
- You could say that sin is missing God’s designated mark of perfection. All of us have missed that in our lives.
NOTE: “You missed God’s mark” AND answer will be, “No I didn’t.”
- “I’m a good person. I go to church, I was water baptized. I went through confirmation. I pray. I do good deeds. So I really don’t need Jesus you see.” But Jesus said…
John 3:3 (NKJV) “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV) “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
- We have to realize that we are sinners in need of forgiveness.
- That’s good news but sin can be forgiven.
- Calling sin a DISEASE makes it sound like it’s fatal (no hope)
- Calling sin a DYSFUNCTION sounds unchangeable (no hope)
- Calling sin an ADDICTION makes it sound like there’s no control.
- But sin is forgivable. And you’re redeemable through the precious blood of God’s only son, Jesus Christ! So Good!
#2 – SHOW THEM HOW JESUS DIED FOR THEIR SINS.
- John 3:16 is one of the most beloved of all Bible verses.
- If you don’t remember any of the other verses, know this one!
John 3:16 (NKJV) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
- Jesus Christ died for our sins, He is our forgiveness!
- He was wounded for our sins, bruised for our iniquities.
- By His stripes we are healed, spiritually saved!
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
SOMETIMES by this point the answer will be something like:
- “Well Christianity is just a crutch you use to get through life.”
- But I’m quick to answer that it’s NOT a crutch, it’s a hospital!
- Crutches are for people who can still walk, but sin so devastated my life that I was stuck in spiritual quicksand!
- I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t do it on my own!
So now that you know you need help, and that Jesus is that help, it’s time to lead them in a prayer!
- You can’t just leave them and say, well I hope you get saved!
- Now it’s time to reveal to them that today is the day!
- Something like, “Is there any reason why you should not accept Jesus right now?”
Revelation 3:19–20 (NKJV) “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
- Respond to the knock and accept the work of Jesus in your life!
- Salvation is a gift received, not a work to be earned!
Ephesians 2:7–9 (NKJV) “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
John 1:12 (NKJV) “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God
It’s an absolutely exciting thing to lead others to Jesus! Once they are saved, you now have a different responsibility to be there for them for the long haul. Consider these important ways to care for new believers:
#1 – TEACH THEM.
Don’t expect them to everything. Teach them. Acts 2:42
#2 – ENCOURAGE THEM. They’ve made a wonderful decision!
This is the most awesome thing they could have done!
#3 – WARN THEM. Remember the parable of the Sower.
The enemy is out there and has declared war on this new believer!
#4 – HELP THEM. Explain to them why they might need to stop certain things in their life that is hurting them.
So it’s not just what can hurt them, but now God has rushed in with many more blessings. Life abundantly!
#5 – DISCIPLE THEM. Take them through the basics. Help them with the basic bible studies we have on the web. Give them as a gift maybe a new Bible or a Bible difficulty book.
#6 – BRING THEM TO CHURCH, if you can. Or point them to another strong healthy church that will care for them and teach them!
#7 – BE AVAILABLE TO THEM. Give them your phone # or e-mail address and walk with them through this wonderful time!
Share Jesus guys… we’re in the last days and more and more the Lord is desiring us to reach the lost in His name!!
