The Principles of Witnessing to a Friend

Jonathan Anderson

Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 6 months ago

0 ratings

· 1 view

Notes

Transcript

PRINCIPLE #1: Become a friend before you become a preacher.

PRINCIPLE #2: Do not condemn your friend.

PRINCIPLE #3: Take time to get to know them and use their felt needs as conversation starters.

PRINCIPLE #4: Make others curious.

PRINCIPLE #5: Ask questions!

PRINCIPLE #6: Do not defend yourself.

PRINCIPLE #7: Do not try to prove the Bible is true or that your viewpoints are right.

PRINCIPLE #8: Show your friends that their thinking could be wrong.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 ESV

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

PRINCIPLE #9: Do not answer all your friend’s questions, and do not give him answers.

Stated another way, do not become the authority figure, the one with the right belief. Make the Bible central.

PRINCIPLE #10: Ask your unsaved friend if he would like to read the Bible with you.

The Principle of Witnessing to a Stranger

PRINCIPLE #11: Be ready, at any time, to get involved in a conversation about your faith.

PRINCIPLE #12: When you first open the conversation, do not mention God or the Bible unless they do.

DO IT!

Think back on a couple of previous witnessing experiences. Answer the following questions.

1. Had I been praying for my friend before I witnessed to him? Did the person I witnessed to believe that I was his friend? Did I get too personal too quickly? Was I close enough to him to know his needs? Did I show him acceptance before talking about his sin? Can I start over with this person? (“I’m sorry, friend. I didn’t mean to hurt you with what I said.”)

2. Did I make him curious, or did I unload the whole gospel at once? How could I have improved my approach?

3. Did I ask questions, or did I tell him the answers? Did he know and understand the questions behind my answers?

4. When he came back with his own questions, did I admit my failings, or did I defend myself? Did I try to meet his demands by proving something? Can I go back to him and say, “Friend, could we read the Bible together and then talk about proving things?”

5. Was I able to point out his wrong thinking without condemning him personally?

6. Did I try to answer all of his questions? If so, did he reject my answers because they were “my” answers?

7. Could I go to him now and ask him if he would like to read the Bible with me? If he says “no,” can I ask why not, and then use the principles in this chapter to help him change his mind?