Relational Evangelism 1

Matthew 28: 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The Authority of Jesus to send us into the world and lead people to Jesus is the same authority that he uses to bless us.

John 15: 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

Our life in God is tied together with his command to love people and produce fruit. Relationships. I thought you meant conversions, salvations? I am, any relationship you start and one is not saved will not last past death. Fruit that remains is relationships that will last forever!

What do we need, to be a relational evangelist?

We need to be…

Malachi 4: 5 “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

Authentic

Genuine relationship with Christ, His love passes through us to others

As we abide in him we will bear much fruit.

People will begin to notice us and the difference in us if Christ is flowing through us.

This kind of evangelism requires that WE change not just WHAT WE DO!

Natural

So much a part of you that it IS you!

Personal

There is the personal and the impersonal.

People are in information overload. Magazines, internet, TV, Billboards, posters, signs, radio, bumper stickers, etc...

But people are more open to personal contact. They want personal details not only information. The present boom in biographical books!

You must become a friend to communicate at this level!

Verbal

Romans 10: 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

A process

Step by step.

We are a team

1 Corinthians 3: 5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

We were not all called to be the last step in the process. Maybe we are the beginning or the middle. But he has called me to be faithful and to love all people.

Putting others first (no strings attached)

That’s what we are doing at the Cafe. Serving and practicing putting others first.

Respect

Their schedules

Listening to their opinions

Taking an interest in their lives, questions, doubts, fears, needs, frustrations.

Review last Sunday

Jerry “this all sounds like methods” but can you think of something more important than to LOVE on purpose?

What are we doing? Why?

Ephesians 3: 2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

1. Everyone is included

2. share together the promise in Christ

7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

· His intent was that now, through the church

o the manifold wisdom of God should be made known

· What is this thing hidden in Christ?

· The promise? The mystery?

· The eternal Purpose?

· True, eternal love. Unconditional – Love

i. Only found in Christ

ii. Hidden in and fulfilled through (The cross)

iii. This is his purpose from the beginning and is his will that the Church (you) share it with the world.

1 John 3: 11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Ephesians 3: 17 … And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

1 Corinthians 13: 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

#3 Relational Evangelism

Winning people to Christ? There is a battle for the souls of men and women on this earth. We will win. WE have an opportunity given by God to move to a new place and we can have many contacts with unbelievers and those seeking the way.

WE are in danger if:

We don’t care

We do not prepare

We do not know the message

We are afraid to be a Christian

We don’t know how to relate

Who are we trying to reach?

The ones we already know
The ones we used to know
The ones we want to get to know.

Things to remember

Pray for people we want to reach for Christ
Listen to people you will hear the doorway open.
Build on areas that we have in common
Mention spiritual matters early (naturally so not shock them later)

Three methods to start a conversation

The direct method

Usually practiced by a confrontational style person.

Do you ever think about spiritual matters?

Where are you on your spiritual journey?

The indirect method

Using a topic to spring board to how God helped you in a similar situation. People all have needs and are looking for answers. But they will be less likely to listen to our answers if they are not convinced that we genuinely care about them.

Do you think God is interested in helping?

Invitational Method

Invite and bring along to Christian event. (Concerts, topical seminars, English classes, café K, etc…)

Principles for starting spiritual conversations

Focus on the other person’s

Interests

i. Respect goes a long way

ii. Genuine interest

Concerns

i. No canned answers please

ii. empathy

objections i. People have questions, that’s normal.

ii. Look out for smoke screens (avoidance of the real issue)

iii. Avoid side issues

iv. Watch your attitude (not defensive)

Know his (Christ’s) story

God is… #. Man is…
Christ did…
You must choose.

lose the Christanese, talk normal

Born again? Come alive spiritually.
Personal savior? Let Jesus forgive you
Get into the Word? Read the bible
Make Jesus the Lord of your life? Ask Jesus t be the leader of your life.

What’s your story? (lose the Christianese) BC-experience of conversion (the cross)-since then.

Don’t give a speech

Make it relevant and short. If you are sensitive you will get many chances.
Focus on the other person individually if possible

Peer pressure can be a big hindrance.
Be Bold (not offensive)

Be willing to take risks (Sit and start to talk first)

When they are ready (ask)

Make the most of split second opportunities (lady on the bench in Dresden)
Focus on the other person