Personal Evangelism & Discipleship

							Personal Evangelism
         &
    Discipleship
          The right
             way
          please…
  Go and make disciples of all
   Go and make disciples of
  all nations… Jesus
   nations…
Isaiah 43:10-12

 "You are my witnesses," declares the
  LORD, "and my servant whom I have
  chosen”…I, even I, am the LORD, and
  apart from me there is no savior. I have
  revealed and saved and proclaimed--I,
  and not some foreign god among you.
  “You are my witnesses," declares the
  LORD, "that I am God.”
        Barna Research Group
            (Little, How to Give Away Your Faith)


 Only 46% feel they are responsible to
  communicate faith to nonbelievers
 Less than 10% said they have ever intentionally
  built a relationship with someone in hope of being
  able to lead the person to Christ.
 Fewer than 20% claimed to know a non-Christian
  well enough to share their faith with that individual
  in a context of trust/credibility
      Barna Research Group

 Only 4% consider sharing their faith with

  nonbelievers the most important outcome they
  want to accomplish in their life

 Only 1 in 8 adult believers feels adequately

  prepared to effectively share their faith
How do you talk about Jesus
Christ to…
    Skeptic
    Pagan
    Moral Relativist
    Drop-out
    Hedonist
    Materialist
    Famous
    Common Folks like Family & Friends
Evangelism…
It’s Not About Formulas…
 It’s learning to accept, and work with

 what you already are in Christ –

 A live “witness” to his salvation!
       Go and witness ????

 God’s Witnesses (that’s us) are commanded to…
  …go and “make disciples”

 Disturbing Barna Research

     Christian attitudes, values, and behaviors
                          =
      Secular attitudes, values, and behaviors

     Significant confusion on basic worldview / beliefs
     Marching Orders…
     Are certainly in order!

 Not an insurmountable problem…

           simply a golden opportunity!

 Society is crying out for authentic Witness...


                    some really Good News
                     “JESUS”
      We Call Him Jesus: The Lord Saves

               Joel Atwell Message
INSTRUCTIONS:
 Go to http://www.grace-community.net/resources.htm and
  download (or live stream) the audio file for “Jesus” by
  Joel Atwell, on 2007-12-23.
 You may listen to the entire message, but you will need
  to listen to the portion from minute 16:00 onward (about 6
  minutes) to complete the questions below. [Worth 15 pts.
  toward first Quiz]
            Personal Evangelism
                     &
                Discipleship
                Christ’s Ambassadors
                    2 Cor. 5:11-21

“Calvin don’t
  want the
    ball!”
REVIEW:
LAST CLASS HIGHLIGHTS
1. In what fashion does Isaiah 43 portray
   our role as God’s people?
2. If personal evangelism is not essentially
   about formulas, plans, and programs,
   what is it about?
3. As followers of JC, we are commanded
   to do what in the Great Commission?
  Dever’s Top Ten Excuses
 Why We Don’t Do Evangelism
            [“The Gospel & Personal Evangelism”]


ABOUT US…
 10) Evangelism is illegal

 9) I don’t speak their language

 8) I don’t know non-Christians

 7) Other things seem more urgent

 6) Evangelism could cause problems at work
  Dever’s Top Ten Excuses
 Why We Don’t Do Evangelism
           [“The Gospel & Personal Evangelism”]


ABOUT THEM…
 5) They already know the gospel

 4) They won’t be interested

 3) It probably won’t work

 2) I doubt they will believe

 1) They don’t want to hear!
         WHAT IN THE WORLD IS
         THERE TO BE AFRAID OF?
                         (Bright, Witnessing Without Fear)

 Few (if any) natural born “fearless” witnesses
      Nearly all believers desire to share faith
 Fear-factor prevents vast majority from communicating
  their faith
      “I never found witnessing to come naturally and easily…by
       nature I’m a shy reserved person; initiating conversations is
       sometimes difficult for me…even sharing the greatest news
       ever announced is not always as easy for me as you might
       imagine.”
       (B. Bright, Witnessing Without Fear, p.18)
         WHAT IN THE WORLD IS
         THERE TO BE AFRAID OF?
 Intimidation: That roaring lion that seeks to devour us…
      Intimidation is natural (in our nature)
      Intimidation is normal (in our experience)

 Forces producing intimidation
      Social pressure (power to conform) silences us
      Privatization of Religion
      Western “virtues” of self-sufficiency / reliance
      Secularization
   WHAT IN THE WORLD IS
   THERE TO BE AFRAID OF?

 Responding to Christian fear/intimidation:
  Two Approaches
     1) Retreat: become isolated and defensive

     2) Engage: be the salt/light within our intimidating
        world through power of HS
              TWO INGREDIENTS TO OVERCOMING
                         #1 INFORMATION!
                          FEAR / INTIMIDATION

 Don’t know what it means to witness          (or to do personal evangelism)


      Witnessing: All that we are and do

      Evangelism: Art of explaining to someone the Gospel of Jesus

      Evangelization: Transmission (verbal/written) of the Gospel message

           Gospel = euangelion = Good news …

           One who bears good news is “evangelist”
                      #1 INFORMATION
                   (Dever, The Gospel & Personal Evangelism)



 What personal evangelism is NOT:
     Imposition
     Personal Testimony
     Social Action / Public Involvement
     Apologetics
     Guaranteed Conversion
                          #1 INFORMATION
                           (Bright, Witnessing Without Fear)


      Bill Bright’s perspective on success/failure
1. Even Jesus did not convince everyone to believe in his Good
    News, yet he could report: “I did everything you told me to do.”
2. All Christ asks is for obedience, not results (command is not to
    convert, but to bear witness / spread Gospel)
3. Lack of positive response is not failure – still preparing soil
4. Success in witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share Christ
    in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leaving the results to God.
                         #1 INFORMATION
                      (Dever, The Gospel & Personal Evangelism)



 We don’t know how to proceed

     Can comprehend the task/mandate, yet be frustrated

     Pretty easy to “be a witness” in today’s world…
        Challenge:   to “evangelize” in today’s world

     Procedural component is major point of breakdown
        Reluctant   to “train” for “doing” evangelism
                    #1 INFORMATION
                 (Dever, The Gospel & Personal Evangelism)



 We don’t know what to expect
      How will people respond to my verbal witness?
      What will I do if they object?
      What if they desire to receive Christ —
       How should I lead them?
 Key objective of first half of this course…
      To reduce / eliminate unknowns
   If you will approach this course
    with open, eager heart/mind…
 Never again need to be afraid that you will be embarrassed
   in a witnessing situation
 Never again will you lack the essential scriptures / key
   thoughts to share with seeker
 Find it more and more natural to begin spiritual
   conversations and lead people to Jesus
 Know how to handle questions, distractions, and objections

 Learn how to guide a person to a definite commitment to JC,
   and how to help them start in their new faith
Have the Confidence of Paul to Say:


I am not ashamed of the gospel, because
it is the power of God for the salvation of
everyone who believes…
                            Romans 1:16
    TWO INGREDIENTS TO OVERCOMING
                 #2 MOTIVATION!
                FEAR / INTIMIDATION

    God: Biblical mandate
         Clear command of God to evangelize
         Logical deductions from Scripture
         Key to our own spiritual vitality/maturity

       Bill Hybels four motivations
         Stockpile factor
         Honor of being an agent of God
         Reality of Hell
         Reward of leading someone to Christ
            #2 MOTIVATION


 Bill Bright: Five key concepts
     Clear command
     People are lost
     People are truly hungry
     We posses the greatest gift available
     Love compels us
                      #2 MOTIVATION

 Typical Barriers:
     Lack of practical know-how
     Spiritual lethargy
     Believing lies of the Enemy of the Gospel

 Robert Tuttle on “motivation”
     Never assume people are motivated to do evangelism
     Compassion - Seeing everyone as God sees them
 SPIRITUAL ECONOMICS:
THE AGRARIAN CONCEPT
       (Peel & Larimore, Going Public With Your Faith)


 Five models for evangelism

  1) Proclamation
  2) Confrontational
  3) Intentional
  4) Passive
  5) Relational
 SPIRITUAL ECONOMICS:
THE AGRARIAN CONCEPT
 Principle of Supply & Demand & Distribution
      God insures surplus on supply side
      Research confirms demand exists
      Distribution → evangelism economics breakdown

        Crusade or TV show          0.5 %
        A special need drew them    1-2 %
        Church visitation program   1-2 %
        A church “program”          2-3 %
        They just walked in         2-3 %
        Sunday School program       4-5 %
        A pastor                    5-6 %
        A friend or relative        75-90 %
        SPIRITUAL ECONOMICS:
      THE AGRARIAN CONCEPT
 God’s distribution system
     Witnesses at the workplace
 Forfeited the major distribution method
     We confuse being a witness with witnessing
        Witnessing   is an event (mechanical)
        Being   a witness is a process (organic)
 Bible consistently employs an organic model
     New life in Christ is a spiritual harvesting process
           SPIRITUAL ECONOMICS:
          THE AGRARIAN CONCEPT
 Four Phases of Evangelism
     Cultivating
        Focus: preparing heart – addressing emotional barriers
        Goal: present benefits of relationship with Christ

        Period of trust building / spiritual influence
             Competence / character / compassion / communication / courage

     Planting
        Focus: settling the mind – addressing intellectual barriers
        Goal: planting seeds of biblical truth
            SPIRITUAL ECONOMICS:
           THE AGRARIAN CONCEPT
 Four Phases of Evangelism
     Harvesting
        Focus:   person’s will – addressing volitional barriers
        Goal:   to gently persuade
     Multiplying
        Focus:   planting newborn into community of spiritual growth
        Goal:   establishment, growth, and reproduction
   Breaking up the Fallow Ground
            (Peel & Larimore, Going Public With Your Faith)


 Post-modernism challenges & opportunities
   Downside
       Everything  is relative
       Insistence on tolerance

       Prevailing skepticism

       Resultant despair and cynicism

     Upside
       Correction   of the overconfidence in human reason
       Spirituality is acceptable and welcome

       Importance of relationships is being rediscovered
  Breaking up the Fallow Ground

 Post-modernism challenges & opportunities

     Opportunity for evangelism
        Starving   for meaning and order/purpose to life

        Wide   door to meet them on level of relationship

        What   they truly need (deepest longings), Jesus
        still offers
     Breaking up the Fallow Ground
                 (Little, How to Give Away Your Faith)


   Relevance of Gospel: Demonstrable in seven areas
    1. Inner emptiness
    2. Purposelessness
    3. Fear of Death
    4. Desire for inner peace
    5. Loneliness
    6. Lack of self-control
    7. Need for integration of thinking (worldview coherence)
I am not ashamed of the Gospel…
           Apostle Paul [Rom 1:16]


I am God’s witness…

Salvation through His Son is my
testimony…

Empowered by His Spirit,
I can live it & will give it!
REVIEW:
LAST CLASS HIGHLIGHTS
 What personal evangelism is NOT
     Imposition
     Personal Testimony
     Social action / Public involvement
     Apologetics
     Guaranteed conversion
REVIEW:
LAST CLASS HIGHLIGHTS
 Motivation for witnessing
     God: the Biblical mandate
        commands,   logic, spiritual fulfillment/vitality
     Hybels: 4 factors
     Bright: 5 factors
     Tuttle: Primary motivation of “compassion”
REVIEW:
LAST CLASS HIGHLIGHTS
 Spiritual economics of evangelism

     Five models of evangelism (Handout)

 Law of Supply, Demand, and Distribution

     Man’s vs. God’s distribution system
REVIEW:
LAST CLASS HIGHLIGHTS
 Four “agrarian” phases of evangelism
      Cultivation (emotional barriers)
           5 Spiritual influence requirements (Handout)

      Planting (intellectual barriers)
           Seeding biblical truths

      Harvesting (volitional barriers)
           Gently persuading

      Multiplying (discipling)
           Reproducing
         REVIEW:
         LAST CLASS HIGHLIGHTS
 Is post-modern society a ripe field?
      Downside
         Relativity / Tolerance / Skepticism / Despair/cynicism

      Upside
         Human reason humbled

         Spirituality welcomed

         Relationships rediscovered

      Opportunity
         Hunger for order/purpose

         Welcome the messenger more than message

         Basic needs still met in Christ
     Breaking up the Fallow Ground
                 (Little, How to Give Away Your Faith)


   Relevance of Gospel: Demonstrable in seven areas
    1. Inner emptiness
    2. Purposelessness
    3. Fear of Death
    4. Desire for inner peace
    5. Loneliness
    6. Lack of self-control
    7. Need for integration of thinking (worldview coherence)