Night 5 Adult Bible School
Sharing the Message
If you are going to be a healthy family, it is important that you prepare yourself to effectively communicate how a person can receive Jesus Christ as Savior
If you are going to be a healthy family, one that lives God’s commandments and fulfils the Great Commission, it is important that you prepare yourself to effectively communicate how a person can receive Jesus Christ as Savior. There are two reasons this is important. First, through the information you gleaned in the last two chapters you have learned how to build bridges through service and ministry.
If you build a relational bridge to share Christ and then do not communicate the message, then your friend goes to hell feeling really good about his or her relationship with you
You must be very intentional about sharing “the Way, the Truth and the Life” through Jesus Christ. This chapter will provide information you can use to share Christ in a nonthreatening way. Second, sharing Jesus with others is a vital part of your passing the baton of faith in Christ to those you love most—your family.
Luke 19:10
Darrell Robinson author of The Doctrine of Salvation, writes, referencing
. 2. Eternal separation from God in hell.
“The destiny of the lost in eternity is an unparalleled tragedy,” Robinson writes. That should be ample motivation to share the message of the only One who can save us from eternal damnation. The people of God must regain a passion for reaching lost people. You are a lifeline to a drowning man, a rescuing hand to those around you.
What difference does prayer make? If we believe the Bible, it makes a great difference.
You cannot be an on-mission Christian, one that carries the message, the power, the strength, and the salvation of the Father unless you are in daily communication with the “Mission Commander.” If you are going to embody the element of a healthy family that calls for your significance to be found in Christ, and if you are going to mentor your children to pray
Prayer is commanded in Scripture. In
Romans 10:1
H for their Heart to be receptive to the gospel
E for their spiritual Eyes and Ears to be opened
A for their Attitude toward sin to match God’s Attitude
R for God to Release them to believe
T after Trusting in Christ to live a Transforming life
You are Not Alone—The Work of the Holy Spirit in Evangelism
Jesus said in
This is great news. The Holy Spirit is the source of your strength, your power. It is His glory shining through you. You are a messenger, not a source; you are a conduit, a vessel bearing life-changing news. There is nothing about you that will change or save—it is all Him, His glory, His power, His indescribable mercy. You can take every course known to man in sharing the gospel, but if you go forward without the Holy Spirit, it is of no value. This must be regularly and intentionally communicated to your family.
Going in the power of the Spirit leads us to effectively do whatever He has given us to do, no matter the size of the task. Consider Jesus’ words in
The Holy Spirit in the Believer’s Witness
* He empowers us to witness (
In
When you love Jesus and you love the person, you will do your best to bring the two together.”
♦ Invest time—You will have to make adjustments. You will have to decide to develop relationships and then be sensitive to the Holy Spirit about how to do it.
♦ Be sincere—Love must be sincere. A fake is spotted with ease. See people as individuals in need of Jesus, not objects to conquer for Christ.
♦ Be consistent—You may not spend a lot of time within a particular relationship, but showing consistent love and concern will go a long way. Consistency builds credibility, and credibility is the bridge over which you discuss a person’s eternal destiny.
♦ Present a clear gospel presentation—Remember that as you show the love of Christ, you are looking for a clear opportunity to specifically share how a person can become a Christian. Just developing the relationship takes the unbeliever to the threshold of salvation but leaves them separated from God. You may be great at talking to people, but if you never get around to talking to them about Jesus Christ, you’re missing the point.
The bottom line is sharing the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. That is what this book is all about: Raising your family to follow Christ. Following Christ means sharing the gospel with those who do not know Him. Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (
Some guidelines for presenting the gospel:
♦ Choose a method that stresses repentance.
There are some witnessing booklets that stress God’s love and salvation, yet leave out the crucial element of repentance of sin.
♦ Memorize Scripture in order of presentation.
This really is not so hard. Many people are intimidated by memorizing Scripture, yet they can list their favorite movie stars and all their movies, or name countless baseball players and their batting averages. Memorizing Scripture is important because you may be in a situation where using a booklet or other written guide is not possible.
♦ Carry witnessing booklets with you.
These are easy to leave with people when you do not have time to talk. When you are verbalizing the gospel, you can give someone a booklet and have him or her follow along with you as you make the presentation.
Methods of Sharing the Gospel
There are many methods, both creative and straightforward, for sharing the gospel. There is sometimes debate over which ones are best. Do not get caught up in it. Though one may be better than another in certain situations, most of them work. The key is not how you share but that you share.
I. Preparing and sharing a salvation testimony
A. Items to be included in a 90-second presentation
1. My life before Christ
2. How I realized my need for Christ
3. How I accepted Christ
4. My life since Christ
B. Items to be avoided
1. Sensationalism
2. “Dirty laundry”
3. “Churchy” language
II. Preparing and sharing a recovery testimony
If you received Christ at a very early age, you may want to build your testimony around how God helps you deal with certain issues such as depression, loneliness, and purpose. You may use the following outline or develop one of your own.
A. My life seemed fairly normal until …
B. I discovered hope and help in Jesus when …
C. I am glad I have a personal relationship with Jesus today because …
III. Begin by using a witnessing booklet
A. Advantages
1. It will give confidence to know what to say and when
2. It will assist in presenting the claims of Christ clearly
3. It allows for being brief, staying on the subject, and yet still being sensitive to the Holy Spirit
4. The verses from the Bible are there for quick reference
5. It is both visual and verbal which assists in recall and understanding
6. It provides something for them to take home after the presentation
7. It offers suggestions for growth
B. How to use the booklet
1. Be sensitive to the individual’s interest and to the Holy Spirit. As you read the booklet aloud, remember that we are introducing the person to Christ, not just sharing principles.
2. Avoid being mechanical or coming across “canned.”
IV. As your witnessing skills sharpen, learn to share a memorized presentation
A. Advantages
1. It allows more sensitivity
2. It is more flexible
3. It is less “canned”
B. The principles are the same as sharing with a booklet.
C. Suggested presentations to learn
1. The NET (North American Mission Board)
2. Faith Evangelism Strategy (LifeWay Christian Resources)
3. Steps to Peace with God
4. Evangelism Explosion (EE)
5. The Roman Road
Healthy families organize and execute around His purpose. Jesus made His purpose clear in
