Spiritual Disciplines: Personal Evangelism (Part 3)
Name of Assembly: United Apostolic Church
Type of service: Bible Study
Date: March 15th, 2022
Series: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
Lesson 6: PERSONAL EVANGELISM – PART 3
Scripture Text: Acts 1:6-8; 1 Corinthians 9:16
“16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” – St. Matthew 28:16-20.
“6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”– Acts 1:6-8.
“Telling the Good News does not give me any reason for bragging. Telling the Good News is my duty— something I must do. And how terrible it will be for me if I do not tell the Good News” - 1 Corinthians 9:16—New Century Version
Christ had Communication with the Lost
(He addressed their need - John 4:1-42)
How did Jesus address the need of the lost? What was His approach and the content of His message?
In order to evangelize the lost, our Savior did the following:
1. He overcame weariness (v. 6; cp. v. 31-35)
(Jesus did not allow fatigue to stop Him from spreading the Gospel)
Jesus was weary, but His zeal for doing the will of the Father (v. 34) and His burden for souls (v. 35) kept Him going.
"Be not weary in well doing . . ." (Gal. 6:9)
We need to overcome laziness and other distractions.
Laziness and preoccupation with the physical needs of life often keep us from sharing the gospel.
2. He built a bridge (v. 7-9; cp. v. 27)
(Jesus was willing to establish rapport by overcoming religious and cultural prejudice and other hindrances)
· She was a woman (v. 9; cp. v. 27) - (a social obstacle had to be overcome)
· She was a sinful woman (v. 16-18) - (a moral obstacle had to be overcome) Women normally came in the morning to draw water. However, this woman may have been too ashamed to draw water with the other women, because of her sinful reputation.
· She was a Samaritan woman (v. 9) - (a cultural and religious obstacle had to be overcome)
· The Jews and Samaritans were bitter enemies.
· The Samaritans were viewed as half-breed "dogs."
· The Samaritans had a rival temple and place of worship.
· Therefore, the Jews had "no dealings with the Samaritans" (v. 9).
Beware of isolating yourself from those of other religions. They need to hear the truth and may only hear it from you!
3. He seized an open door (v. 10-15)
(Jesus sought the opportunity to turn an "earthly" [natural] conversation into a "heavenly" [spiritual] conversation)
Note how Jesus changes the subject from literal water (H2O) to spiritual "living" water. He moved from the natural to the supernatural, from the known to the unknown, from the physical to the spiritual.
Example of subjects that naturally lead into the subject of salvation: Death, Church, Moral crisis in America or across the world or almost any subject matters if you look for the opportunity.
Even though the woman wanted the water about which Jesus spoke, there were some facts she needed to understand first.
She needed to realize:
· The spiritual nature of the water Jesus spoke of (She, like Nicodemus John 3, was thinking in physical terms, not spiritual).
· Her need for such water
· He exposed the fact of sin (v. 16-18) - (Jesus showed the woman her need for salvation).
· He taught essential doctrine (v. 19-24)(Jesus corrected the woman's spiritual misunderstanding and instructed her in Biblical truth) Jesus taught: The exclusiveness of one salvation (v. 22b) - "Salvation is of (from) the Jews"
OBSERVATIONS:
In Christ's discussion with the woman:
· He provoked thought
(He gave the woman something to really think about - Beware of "easy believism")
· He asked questions
Questions have a way of quickening the conscience. Jesus often taught truth by asking questions that led to the answer.
· He allowed her to speak
(He did not preach a sermon - Beware of monopolizing the conversation without finding out where the other person is coming from)
· He demonstrated graciousness
(His manner was not abrasive; He made her feel relaxed in His presence - Beware of being mechanical and cold)
Important Do’s in Personal Evangelism
· Be careful when dealing with people of the opposite sex.
· Whenever possible deal with one person at a time.
· Always look the person you are dealing with in the eye.
· Seek a quiet place. (Privacy without distraction is important)
· Have the person you are witnessing to read the passage from the Bible.
· Hold the person to the main point of accepting Christ.
· Be courteous - we make no apology for the offence of the Gospel [but don't be offensive personally]. Show people their need for salvation without insulting them personally.
· Watch your breath and appearance. [Dress appropriately; use breath mints if necessary]
· Watch your terminology. [Use words and terms that they understand or can be explained to them]
· Be serious in your presentation. (Eternal matters are not joking matters. (Note however, that a loving smile is important).
· Call for a decision to trust Christ. "Draw the net" when fishing!
Observation:
I. Luke 14:23 - "Compel" - To show the absolute necessity of salvation and then strongly but lovingly encourage them to believe.
II. Acts 26:28 - "Persuade" - To convince from unbelief to belief. (Evangelism is not salesmanship but just as no salesman would ever show a product and leave without giving an invitation to purchase, so no witness should present the Gospel without encouraging a response.)
III. "The best medicine in the world is worthless if you don't take it.”
IV. Emphasize the importance of not delaying the decision to trust Christ.
· Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now..."
· II Corinthians 6:2 - "Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation"
· Proverbs 27:1 - "Boast not thyself of tomorrow"
Important Don’ts in Personal Evangelism
I. Don't be in a hurry. Relax; Make them feel at ease and not pressured.
II. Don't get sidetracked Common sidetracks may be questions that the individual always wondered about and may want to use the opportunity to pose them to you.
a. "What don’t Jesus put a stop to all sufferings in the world?"
b. "Where did Cain get a wife from?
c. "Where do babies go when they die?" etc.
d. We must be careful too not allow ourselves to be carried away in discussions about our favorite subjects.
III. Don't lead someone into the trap of “easy believism.”
Make sure they understand what "repentance" is.
"Repentance" literally means to have a "change of mind"
a) A change of mind about sin. (Sin is a hideous offence to God)
b) A change of mind about self. (We are totally unable to save ourselves)
c) A change of mind about Christ. (He is God Who came to earth. His death is complete.)
IV. Make sure they understand what they need to do to be saved! (Acts 2:37-38)
V. Don't force a decision against the person's will.
Make sure they sincerely want to trust Christ. Come back another time if they are not ready.
VI. Don't carry on a heated argument or lose your temper.
Such attitudes never win souls (James 3:18)
Such attitudes come from our sinful flesh and not from the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:19-23).
Ask God for the virtues in II Timothy 2:24-26.
VII. Don't Quit, whenever you “seem” to fail.
Pray over & review your efforts.
Learn from any mistake that you have made.