Leading someone to Christ is the greatest privledge of all. It gives you an amazing buzz. Angels in heaven rejoice as people come to the Lord. People are saved from death, hell and despair and are given the right to become children of God, full of life. Sadly, many people struggle with evangelism. Not knowing how to lead even their closest friends to Christ.
Ive had the great privledge of leading people to Christ lately and I want to share a couple of things that hopefully will help those who are struggling.
The most important thing I find is my own personal relationship with Jesus christ. We live in a post mordern society where people all have their own 'religion' or set of beliefs. You believe what you want, and I'll believe what I want. Unfortunately thats not right. There is only one way to God. Jesus Christ.
Therefore you must have a healthy relationship with God. You must have testimonies of what God is doing in you, for you, what He is saying to you. You need to be able to tell people how God made Himself real to you. That I would say is the first step. Know that God is real, and show others how God was made real to you.
The next step is very similar to the last. Live with God. Dont live your life with the same story of God. When people get married they accumulate a whole heap of memories and lessons learnt. Its the same with God. Always go forward in your relationship with God. It needs to be active. It needs to be NOW!
You need to pray for opportunities to come your way. Ask God for simple openings that you can turn into a talk about faith. Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare the people you are going to talk to. Ask God if theres something you should know or read first.
God needs to be the most important thing in your life. You need a relationship with God that gets you excited, motivated, happy, joyful etc! God needs to impact your mind and being. You must be subconciously aware that He is by your side wherever you go!
As God is on your mind and in your soul, as you have a living real relationship with God, hearing Him, seeing Him do things etc, and as you want people to get saved, you want God to use you, the next steps should come naturally.
When I meet people I let them know I am a Christian. I dont do it the same every time. I wear a wrist band that says PUSH. (Pray until something happens.) It creates conversation starters. You might wear a t-shirt. You might tell them you were at a prayer meeting the other night. At this stage, no confrontation.
As you talk, talk about likes and dislikes. What they like to do. What they do with their time. Eventually the topic will get on to your likes and dislikes. What you do with your time. Here you plainly tell them about your church commitments etc.
From here you can ask them if they believe in God. Dont preach to them yet. Talk about their beliefs! Its all about them. Probe them with simple questions like "Why dont you believe?", "What happend that made you turn off God?" Somewhere there will be a hurt, a problem why they dont accept Christ.
Here, use one of your testimonies to show them how God is real to you. What God has done. Sometimes stories of Jesus from the Bible are good, or even other peoples testimonies of what God did in them. Relate similar peoples experiences to theres, but make sure you dont say its the same thing. The thing to focus on now, is not their problem, but how God has fixed that sort of problem in other people or yourself. Then easily tell them that God can do the same for them.
Use your brain when doing this. Be sensitive to their feelings and beliefs. Dont tell them their wrong, but tell them what you believe to be truth, or say the Bible says... Make sure you talk out of love. A loving person will not yell at people or scare people, or threaten people. They will encourage, respect, and warn.
You dont always need to push for a conversion on the spot. Sometimes people need to think it all through. By now you have planted a seed in their heart and mind and it will surprise you that they will not forget that conversation. After all this, pray. Then pray. Then pray!
Next time you see them you may like to ask what they thought about the last conversation you had. Then go from there again! On to the next step.
As your conversations will go, you can start to say, "You can accept Jesus in your heart right now if you like? I'll pray with you if you want! We can do it right now." Give them opportunities. Dont force!!! But ask!
This is pretty long and Im getting tired now. Im gonna post it and hopefully someone will read it! If you disagree with something, or dont understand something post a comment! Thats my sermon for the day anyway!!!!!!
God bless you all!
Corinthians 5:11-6:2.(V11) Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men...14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again... 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come...20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
How to Evangelise!
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24 comments:
Fire up Jamsie!!
Amen to those thoughs mate. We often fall short of actually believing that some people might actually want to respond to the gospel!
I became a Christian after I heard the gospel for the first time.
Preach brother, preach!
Hi James,
It is great to see you are out there sharing your faith!
You asked for people to comment so I thought I would.
Your comments about the post modern world are interesting I agree with some but I worry that you may be trying to convert people in a very non post modern way.
I used to be a salesman and your advice is spot on for trying to sell someone something.
If I were to convince you to buy a used car from me I would use a lot of the same techniques.
Unfortunately you do live in a post modern world James.
The post modernist non christian is pretty hip to some of these techniques.
They have lived a life of consumerism and are wary of people trying to flog them something.
Some advertising is wearing thin on them.
Although, I really admire your resolve for "the lost" I wonder if your methods are really the best way to do it these days.
You distain for post modern thinking is a worry to me too.
James you live in a post modern world.
You are a post modernist.
It's like saying in the early 20th century that you are not part of the industrial age.
Although you may decide not to drive a car or work in a factory you are still living inthe industrial age.
I think the shrinking of TSA is happening because Salvationist just don't want to let go of modernity.
"you must have a healthy relationship with God. You must have testimonies of what God is doing in you, for you, what He is saying to you. "
I am not sure I agree with this.
Who is to say if ones "relationship" with God is healthy or not?
Can't God use anyone who is willing to share their faith?
Can't God even use non believers?
I find that the best discussions I have with non-christians is when I explain that I don't have all the answers. I admit to them my doubts and weaknesses.
I think that people may see thru your methods quickly and see your motivations.
It's like when someone is talking to and you get this fear rush over you within the first 30 seconds of the conversation......"Oh Crap, is this dude about to ask me to sell Amway????...NOOOOO!!!!!"
It happened to me last week. My spider senses were tingling from the get go!
Do you understand what I am talking about?
I am not saying that you should not share your faith.....please don't think that but I am not sure if your methods are for everyone.
When you say "You must....do this to be successful"
Perhaps you should say....."this seems to work for me...."
I guess if it is working for you that's great but I don't think that it is the only way to evangelise.
Thanks for asking for comments too.
Teackles
Gen Y Postmoderns are a little different to Gen X Postmoderns, we've got over the personal-truth thing, our generation is seeking real truth!!!!! (can we label it Post-Post-modern yet???)
Jamsie is talking about sharing Jesus with people from their point of reference, encoding the message of the gospel for their context. We've learnt this in college in a class recently and I think its spot-on!!!! We need to reach people for Jesus!!! Its smart evangelism...
If we went full-on Postmodern in the sense you're talking about teackles, I think we sould rarely see people saved! Sharing your journey with people is all well and good, but there needs to come a point of challenge, or its all just singing Kum by Yah and letting off steam (even if it is fluffy pink happy steam, its useless!). This Generation is more interested in finding a cause to live (or die) for, than in "relative truth" for the sake of pretend peace!!!
Forgive me for getting fired up, but I believe in evangelism, in sharing the message of Jesus... In letting the whole world know that my saviour can save them too!!!! I don't beleive that the Martyrs of the faith died in vain, that they got it wrong and should have been more 'culturally relevant' to those who were persecuting them. NO WAY!! They died because they stood up for what is RIGHT, for TRUTH, for their BELIEF in a GOD who is the same yesterday, today and forever!!!!! Can we look at their example and just be happy to float along? NO!!!!!
We MUST see others saved, it is our mandate as an Army, to save souls, not to ignore those sinking into hell!
I may not be able to clearly communicate in this blog the intensity to which I feel this, so I ask you to please read Agressive Christianity (Catherine Booth) and Revolution (Aaron White & Steven Court).... Maybe it will instill the Holy Spirit's burning flame within you, so that you can't hold back the gospel, because it escapes out of you!!!
If only you could feel that!!!!
I pray that God will make it plain to you!
2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favourable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching."
PRAY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO REVEAL IN YOU HIS PASSION FOR SOULS!!!!
"Gen Y Postmoderns are a little different to Gen X Postmoderns, we've got over the personal-truth thing, our generation is seeking real truth!!!"
I don't think this is really a Y vs X issue.
It's more a thirtysomething vs twenty something thing.
2 different points of reference and takes on the world.
When we were your age we were screaming to the world what we thought too!
It's when you get a few more years under your belt you realise that perhaps what you "knew" at the age of 21 may not have been right.
When you are 20 you hook into what you believe and you shout about it.
Every generation does it.
I don't think it is a Y thing.
It's a 18-25 thing.
"we've got over the personal-truth thing, our generation is seeking real truth!!!!"
A good example of this.
"If we went full-on Postmodern in the sense you're talking about teackles, I think we sould rarely see people saved! "
I am not really sure what "full-on Postmodern" actually is but I assume you mean evengelism that looks a bit like the "Emergent Church?"
Is that what you mean?
"Sharing your journey with people is all well and good, but there needs to come a point of challenge, or its all just singing Kum by Yah and letting off steam (even if it is fluffy pink happy steam, its useless!)."
Dude, no one is interested in singing Kum By Yah or letting off steam.
Gee, I reckon you might be plagerising something you heard or read there.
Maybe the words of Steven Court?
This sounds like you are making sweeping statements and have catergorised me somehow.
Maybe it would be much more efective to sing God of Piston, God of Steel!
"so I ask you to please read Agressive Christianity (Catherine Booth) and Revolution (Aaron White & Steven Court).... Maybe it will instill the Holy Spirit's burning flame within you, so that you can't hold back the gospel, because it escapes out of you!!!
If only you could feel that!!!!
I pray that God will make it plain to you!"
More yelling?
C'mon Jo, U know that us 30somethings don't like it too loud.
Teackles.
Teackles, by the time you reach 45 you may find that you can relate better across generations. Of course, you may never achieve this, but you are right about the passion of youth, the energy with which they proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ - to me it is inspiring. At 35, perhaps you are feeling that you don't have that same energy level, don't panic, just pray and keep open to the Holy Spirit, you will be given what you need for an effective ministry if that is what you are willing to do. At 45, you may feel a bit more inclined to listen to the young and learn from the old. Age should not be a barrier to ministry. I encourage you to continue to pray, and God will show you.
James, you know the blessings you receive and I encourage you to keep doing the great work.
Julie
Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and stuff! Hope you dont feel like we're ganging up on you teackles! Perhaps you could help us by sharing your thoughts on evangelism and perhaps share some success stories of the way your doing things?
i think its cool theres a variety of ages here... Interesting hey?
keep posting guys!
Julie,
Firstly, how the heck did you know I was 35?
hmmm....do we know each other?
I believe that I relate across generations very well.
I spend most of my professional time with people who are not my age. (both older and younger)
(mmmm...hard to say this without sounding like a head case....) but.......My older freinds (who are very high up in the church) tell me that they think I relate to people in a profoud way.
But, hey maybe you are right??
Although to be honest I find some of your comments pretty patronising.
"At 35, perhaps you are feeling that you don't have that same energy level, don't panic, just pray and keep open to the Holy Spirit,........At 45, you may feel a bit more inclined to listen to the young and learn from the old........I encourage you to continue to pray, and God will show you. "
This is the sort of attitude that I think some people are not open to. The subtext says this to me.
"you are not doing it right (like me) but pray and try harder and you can be as close to God as I am. God will show you the right way to go about it.....IE My way"
Julie, I am not panic-stricken about it. Don't worry.
Hey, I am not saying that James is going about it all wrong I am just saying that maybe he shouldn't say "this" is the way to do it.
Different people, different methods perhaps.
I think that maybe I am at a great age to relate to different generations. Man, by 45 I may struggle to get the ear of the 16 year olds.
James,
"Perhaps you could help us by sharing your thoughts on evangelism and perhaps share some success stories of the way your doing things?"
James, I don't think I have any success stories.
I think you will have to ask God.....he might have some.
All I can do is share my story with people and tell them what I think about who God might be.
My interpretation of Jesus' message is that he is giving us the "blue prints to life" that will bring us peace and joy. I tell them what I think he might be saying to us.
Is this effective evangelism?
Have I been successful?
Well......I don't wanna count scalps or celebrate "big sales"....I don't know if what I have done has meant anything or not. It is up to God to take the "W"..... if he is successful then that's great.
I don't think it is up to me to save people. That's God's job.
I will share where appropriate and maybe people might see some of Jesus' ways in the way I live.
I am passionate about helping people to open their minds and learn to think about stuff.
God will do his job and speak to people and if I can help this.....Awesome!
SalvoJo doesn't seem to think that my sort of methods would be successful.
"If we went full-on Postmodern in the sense you're talking about teackles, I think we sould rarely see people saved!"
Jo more shouting eh?
Man, you are fired up aren't you.
You feel angry about my views right?
You keep shouting at me.
Well, I think a lot of people are getting saved by this "freaky post-modern" thinking Jo.
Maybe we all have to live with the fact that people are different and God can speak to them thru diferent people and different methods.
What works for my freinds may not work for yours.
Why do you think that the world has so many denominations?
People ganging up on me?
Not worried at all.
I like it.
You guys all seem to think alike.
You are all yelling at me. You desperately want me to think like you right?
You want everyone to become a "primitive Salvationist" or something.
You want everyone to be "on fire" like you right?
Well, maybe I am on fire in a different way.
I feel pretty good about where I am at.
Your methods might work with some people and God might be succesful in touching people via you and maybe it's the same with me and mine.
All I know is that TSA is shrinking and I left because your way of thinking rubbed me up the wrong way....I have found a spiritual home at a church where people approach eveangelism a little differently.
Is someone right and someone wrong?
Will I read a book by Stephen Court and get fired up?
No.
Will I get fired up by listening to Rob Bell's podcasts? Yep.
Different strokes for different folks.
Teackles.
I like teackles.
Cheers anon,
I wish I knew who you were.....but then again.....no-one knows who I am so I guess it would be hiporcritical of me to ask you to identify yourself.
Mr/Mrs/Miss Teackles
Teackles,
I apologise if I have hurt you, it was never my intention. I did not mean to patronise you, but rather, was trying to empathise and understand where you are coming from. I am glad to hear that your church leaders think you are quite profound, as I was getting the impression (wrongly it seems) that you were angry at James and his methods and struggling yourself.
The words you try to put into my mouth:
"you are not doing it right (like me) but pray and try harder and you can be as close to God as I am. God will show you the right way to go about it.....IE My way"
were not my words but yours. I cannot do anything without prayer. Try harder - that makes no difference, God makes the difference. God will show us all His way, which is why we pray, otherwise we would all do everything my way, or your way and neither of us would get anywhere.
Finally Teackles, if you feel so strongly against what James advises, don't take his advice. The people who read this blog generally are interested in what James has to say, after all it is his blog. Perhaps you could direct us all to your blog so that we could regularly catch up on what is happening for you.
Meanwhile, take care Teackles and God bless you.
Julie
Thanks Julie,
So, how did you know that I was 35??
I am in no way hurt by your comments, so don't be concerned about it.
I was not trying to put words in your mouth at all I was just telling you the subtext that I read into it.
Rightly or wrongly.
My motivation for commenting on James' blog or anyone in the SalvoBlog ring for that matter, is to try and balance out some of the people's veiws and opinions.
I think that people who think like me are the ones who are leaving the salvos.
My veiws may be seen as small "L" liberal and to many intolerable.
A great leader of the Salvos once told me that he was deeply concerned that many creative thinkers were leaving the church in large numbers. Leaving TSA with a group of people who thought, spoke and acted in a uniformed way.
A distinctly conservative way.
I have no problem with James' opinions but I worry when people advertise their ideas as "How to....."
It clearly is working for James on some level but it doesn't mean his way is the right way.
Would any of you really want to read my blog?
Id love to read your blog teackles! If you have one can u let us know what it is?
Im not saying my way is the only way and I agree with you that there are heaps of different ways to evangelise! Sorry if my blog made it sound like i was saying my way is THE way... Its just the way that works for me...
I appreciate you coming on here to put out other points of view teackles, but so far I havent seen many ideas of yours, more you saying other ways are better but u havent said what those ways are! Id love to hear your point of view on this topic. Also, could you also maybe say something about the need (or the no need) for evangelism?
Hi James, (hey, it's JT right?)
Dude, your attitude towards these conversations seem pretty mature. I am impressed.
I certainly didn't think at the level that you do at the age of 21.
My thoughts eh?
Well, ask a question and I will tell you what I think.
Evangelism:
I believe that evangelism starts with engaging peoples minds. Encouraging them to open their minds to ask the big questions about life.
Our western culture is polarised by people who are interested in asking questions about everything and then those that are looking for people to tell them what to think.
I believe the true search for who God is and what his plan for us is is a very important part of living the christian life.
I want to try and help people thnik about it no matter who they are.
No fire and brimstone up front just a message that the God who created the earth is a God of love and that his Son Jesus taught the world the about a way of life that would bring them peace and joy.
My theology is probably not that diferent to yours James...
Teackles
Teackles, sorry to be blunt, but you seem to be a bit of a prickly person.. before you react, please take a moment to see that people here are trying to genuinely understand you. Read your comments through the eyes of the people they are aimed at... you might understand us in a new light. The difficulty of the written word is that it doesn't convey the writers original intention purely, also the reader can take comments out of context - this has been happening both ways.
"you are not doing it right (like me) but pray and try harder and you can be as close to God as I am. God will show you the right way to go about it.....IE My way"
I know you may think this is patronizing, but I think we should all pray about this comment and measure our intentions. If we are truthful, there is probably some part that applies to ALL of us, we hold the views we have because we believe they are 'right'. It doesn't hurt to apply our advice to ourselves, it also seems that insults directed at others should be measured initially against ourselves to see if they might have application closer to home. (please forgive me - I'm trying really hard to be diplomatic... you know, truth with love?)
"My older freinds (who are very high up in the church) tell me that they think I relate to people in a profoud way."
Having "friends in high places" isn't a valid or healthy claim. Let people see you for who you are, not what other people say you are. We really are struggling to understand who you really are inside, its understandable that we're finding it difficult, suspicion is always aroused when "anonymous" people make contributions and vague comments like this.
"Your methods might work with some people and God might be succesful in touching people via you and maybe it's the same with me and mine."
I ask you then, can you please soften your criticism in reflection of this comment. If we are both successful in reaching people for Jesus, then we should acknowledge that ministry is more important than any 'war of words'.
"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." Romans 14:19
I ask you, as a sister in Christ, that you find it in your heart to extend a truce - that we would all seek to engage in meaningful discussion without fear of insult or personal attack (remembering that we are all real people).
All please read GALATIANS 5:13-26 (too long to type) for some good kingdom 'etiquette' tips.
More general 'netiquette'...
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
In case of confusion... I'm also 'SalvoJo'.
Blessings
Salvo Jo,
I really think you have totally misunderstood me.
""Your methods might work with some people and God might be succesful in touching people via you and maybe it's the same with me and mine."
I ask you then, can you please soften your criticism in reflection of this comment"
I think I was trying to tell James here that both of our approaches work and are therefore valid.
I am not sure how you were reading it.
You say I Am prickly but in my last post I was telling James that he is mature beyond his years.
Prickly??
I don't think so.
Re being Anon:
Sorry but I cannot identify myself.
I think that some people may know me and I don't want my thoughts and ideas tainted by people's views of who they think I am.
As far as the comment about High up people's views of me, well......It was just strange that someone here was telling me that I was bad at relating to people younger than me when I had just had the opposite thing being said to me by someone else who you know and respect.
Perhaps, it was a bit arrogant....no actually it was arrogant.
Sorry.
"I ask you, as a sister in Christ, that you find it in your heart to extend a truce - that we would all seek to engage in meaningful discussion without fear of insult or personal attack (remembering that we are all real people)."
I really have been careful not to abuse anyone here.
I admit that these conservations are taking place in an artificial reality......therefore it is easy for people to be taken the wrong way and I believe this what has happened here Jo.
Jo, hhhhmmmmm, do I know you?
Its been great having some people argue on my blog! I love a good debate...
Teackles, i think we probably are quite similar in how we talk to people. Open their minds up etc. Maybe we just differ on how we challenge people? We need to discuss deeper...
Would you like to write an article about evangelism in post-mod to put on my blog, then we can have a debate etc???? Itd be great to see your thoughts next to mine, where we differ and how we're similar?
I think some have misunderstood each others comments, and havent clearly articulated our own positions adding to the confusion...
If you do, we'll thik of a couple of topics under evangelism and write on them and post them next to each other... what do u rekon?
James,
Sounds like a good idea although, I don't want it to be a competition or anything.
I really am no bible scholar or even someone who studies the word often but I am hapy to tell you what I think.
To be honest evangelism really doesn't occupy my mind that often.
A bad thing?
I am by no means an expert on the subject but if that's what you want to talk about....cool.
Are we really that similar?
James, I am pretty sure I know who you are.
Do I ?
Teackles,
Teackles,
Sorry - responding to the string as a whole... as I hadn't read it for a bit. So please, read my last two additions in light of this entire string... perhaps it will make more sense.
I can see that you have grown to love James... bless you for that!
You might know me, but I don't think I know you. Blessings...
Everyone else,
Back to evangelism... its one of my main values.. I'd love to live it out more fully, so I'm just itching to get out on the street again to reach the people where they're at! The walls here at college seem to close in on you after a while....
I think its funny that we've got some Army leaders from around the world in college at the moment, learning about our administrative processes and what-not... Some of these guys should be teaching US about how to reach the world for God! (2 of the delegates are from Countries that are seeing explosive growth in the Salvos!).
Send the Fire Lord!
if u can teackles, maybe write an article or even a comment on how important evangelism is and why.
me and the others posting would say its very important and therefore worth spending time doing, but you seem to have a different view on it... maybe you could clarify your position on that so we can understand where your coming from...
im also interested in who you think i am...
and Jo, i completely agree with you, how arrogant do you think we must look to these guys? i reckon we should ask our leaders if we can get some awessome african and indian salvos out here to teach us what mission is and how they do it!
Hey, I don't think it is not important.
I know it is going to frustrate some of you but to tell you what I think I first need to outline some questions.
Really we need to look at the what evangelism is.
Is it standing on a street corner telling people that if they don't repent that they are going to hell?
Is it sitting down with our freinds and talking to them about who Jesus is?
Is it just spending time with our freinds and doing little more than just loving them?
Is it going overseas on a mission?
Is it handing out pamphlets in the mall?
Is it telling Muslims that they are wrong?
Is it teaching non believer's children about Jesus?
Is it purely loving everyone?
Is it looking after the poor and downtrodde?
Is it looking after the poor and downtrodden and telling them about Jesus and repentance?
Does it have to be effective to considered evangelism?
Does some of the above forms of Evangelism do more harm than good?
Who even decides what is evangelism and what is not?
Lets look at a situation I have now.
I have some muslim freinds.
Now, should I as a christian be on the front foot and "evangelising" to them about how Jesus is the only way to God?
The closest I have come is to have a discussion with one about how if we were brought up in each others families we would now just believe each others point of veiws. (most probably)
Now in your opinions what would Jesus want me to do here?
I worry that over the past 2000 years we have interpreted what evangelism is.
We have put our own spin on it and have decided (like so many theological issues) that we know exactly what the bibles tells us is "the right way" to evangelise.
I worry that many forms of evangelism are hurting the cause more than furthering it.
If evangelism is the worlds veiw of who christians are.......is it a good thing that they are seeing?
Teackles,
James, are your initials JT?
yeah teackles im a JT! Im interested in who u r! Anyways...
What is evangelism? Id say its quite broad like u said, its talking, modelling JEsus and the way but with the intention of people accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
I think we need to be more intentional than just talking, i believe it needs to be backed up heavily in prayer...
Also, with mouslims, hundreds of thousands are turning to Jesus because of dreams! Pray it up!
"Instead of doing something then asking God to bless it, see where Gods working and join in!"
what do u rekon?
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