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First Steps for New Believers
Evangelism 18, Preparing for Discipleship
4/1/2011 5:35:04 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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As Jesus concentrated on his selected team, we can see and understand that He saw the need for discipleship capacity prior to winning souls in mass numbers.  These men had quite a mission in front of them.  They were to lead and to then prepare other leaders and teachers in a way that multiplied the capacity to disciple those who would accept Jesus as their savior.

Great attention was given to the few in preparation for salvation of the multitudes.

Without this focused preparation for discipleship, our evangelism might very well bring people forward to accept Christ, but local churches won't be established that can sustain and multiply the fruit for the kingdom.

There is quite a bit of concern about this in many mission organizations.

  • Without adequate discipleship for new believers, the gospel will have limited momentum.
     
  • With discipleship, new believers grow in the faith.  They become participants in sharing the gospel message.  The local church becomes powerfully enabled to gain momentum for Christ and to grow the body of believers within the communities of a region.

The best attitude for the beautiful work of evangelism is that you are working for Christ's church.  Each person's salvation is the most important step in his or her life.  In one sense it is the greatest accomplishment.  At the same time, though, it is a beginning – the start of a new and exciting walk with Christ.  Discipleship within the context of a biblically strong local church is critical to that walk and the spiritual growth of each new believer.

Focus fully on God's desire to save souls.  It is only by His Grace that we are saved, and have the wonderful opportunity to serve together as the Body of Christ.  Guide each new believer into relationship within the local church.

Many thanks for your interest during these months of reflection on the exciting and critical tasks of evangelism.

May God bless you as you reach out to the lost with the Good News of His Son, our Savior, Christ Jesus, 

Larry 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evangelism 17, Jesus Prayed for Those He Prepared
3/21/2011 11:41:50 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

evangelism, prayer


The longest recorded prayer in the Bible is John 17. The prayer included special petitions from the Father for care of those Jesus had prepared for evangelism.

Jn 17:6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.
8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.
11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.
12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
How beautiful is this prayer, and its lesson is deep. Those being prepared to carry the Good News to others are worthy and in need of great prayers. As we prepare those in our groups for evangelism, we must not neglect the critical time we should spend on our knees in intercession for them.

Blessings,

Larry

 

 

Evangelism 16, Working with Teams
3/9/2011 8:02:51 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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Jesus for the most part worked with a small team, preparing them to evangelize the world. He discipled them at times in a very personal and one-on-one learning experience. At times he taught them as a group.

Even with his small team, he had something like an inner circle. There were some learning experiences that not all of his team of twelve participated in, do you recall?
Mt 17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
This is but one example. Only three of the twelve were allowed to witness the transfiguration. Another time it was these three that were invited to see a special miracle, bringing Jairus's daughter back from death.
Mk 5:38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.
39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”
40 But they laughed at him.  After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.
41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).
42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.
There is reference to occasional tension between disciples, sometimes as they jockeyed for preference due to their lack of spiritual maturity and understanding. But we never read of tension due to the fact that Jesus sometimes went to his inner circle. He must have handled or facilitated that special attention masterfully in order not to create a resulting tension or jealousy.
Even in focusing so much attention on the team of twelve, He never neglected the others who followed. We never read about them feeling excluded or less valued. Some of them in fact very effective and important contributors to the church.
For us, in working with small groups in preparation for evangelism, we can concentrate at times on an inner circle of those that have special potential or giftedness, or perhaps special need for help and attention. In so doing, we must strive prayerfully and artfully to prevent that from creating any problems.
Blessings,

Larry

 

Evangelism 15, Important Individual Characteristics
2/27/2011 8:16:42 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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The first men converted to Christ would become the leaders of the church.

When we examine the traits of those first believers, Christ's chosen, we see striking and important characteristics, in addition to what we previously considered as their humble circumstances and stations in life. Here are a few elements of their characters that were critical:
  • Teachable – we often recognize that they did not get Christ's lessons immediately, but they kept seeking deeper knowledge and understanding as Jesus continued training and preparing them.
  • Sincere yearning for God – they wanted to truly know and understand God. Remember that some had previously been disciples of John the Baptist in their quest for knowing God.
  • Honest – they were truthful, recognizing and confessing their need for the Lord's help as they learned
Can you see how, if we learn to recognize these traits in ourselves and others, we are potentially identifying people who are well qualified and suited to evangelize and lead others to Christ?
People in our churches that have these important characteristics can and should be encouraged to carry the good news of Christ beyond the walls of the church and seek to win more souls to the Kingdom of God.
Blessings,

Larry

 

Evangelism 14, New Believers Sharing and Converting Others
2/20/2011 6:29:17 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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We can see a potential evangelism power in those people first believing in Christ, and how their obvious and complete joy in finding Christ led immediately to a sharing of Jesus. That then brought others to the Lord. That can and still should happen today.

When someone excepts Christ, transformational change often is apparent to those who know the person. They may not at first know the source of the change, but they will be curious. 
What if we could learn to disciple new believers intentionally to be prepared to answer the questions and curiosities in a way that might lead to powerful sharing and multiplication of believers. It could be huge. 
We often think that time and maturing is essential preparation for new believers to then participate in evangelism sometime down the road. That mental model may be short circuiting the potential rapid sharing that we observed in those very first believers who met Christ face-to-face.
Food for thought, don't you think?  With God all things are possible.  We may be the limiting factors sometimes.
Blessings,

Larry

 

Evangelism 13, the first evangelism multiplication
2/15/2011 4:19:29 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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To follow Jesus' model/method for reaching people, we need a strategy of multiplication for our efforts.  Let's look at how the Bible describes this.

Christ first reached just a few men. Scripture then shows us how this immediately multiplied
One man immediately recognized Jesus, the "Lamb of God." This was John the Baptist. He shared his insight with others, who then followed the Lord.
Jn 1:35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Some of these men immediately shared the Good News that they had met the Christ, the Promised One. Who did they share it with? Family. Andrew shared with Peter. 
Jn 1:41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter ).
Philip shared with Nathanael.
Jn 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Yet another example of this early multiplication within families is when James was called, and also his brother John.
Mk 1:19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
We will continue to follow this biblical example of multiplication in the coming posts.
Blessings,

Larry

 

Evangelism 12, Jesus Worked Through People
2/6/2011 5:56:22 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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Our look at the Lord's actions on earth is limited to the four books of the Gospel and the reflections and reference made in the remaining New Testament letters/books. It shows limited events and experiences, yet that text is rich in insights.

Always we should remember, He was the perfect teacher, living as God among men.
Also, from the beginning Jesus' desire was that the entire world would be reached for the glory of God, with the Good News of Christ. This was always the goal. 
How did Jesus begin his strategy to reach the world? It was not with programs to reach thousands or millions of people. No, Jesus began with a few men. People were Christ's chosen method to reach the world for God.
When we examine his life in the earliest days of his ministry, before he ever preached or started any type of outreach, he began by inviting a few followers into what would be his ministry. It is really wonderful how he declined considering all the credentials and scholarly attributes that religion's leaders of the day accumulated for themselves. Instead, he enlisted ordinary men from humble circumstance. Jesus did not select them for all they had accomplished. He did not chose them for who they already were, but for who they would be – the leaders of his future church.

Blessings and thanks for your continuing interest,

Larry

 

 

Evangelism 11, back to lessons from the life of Jesus
2/1/2011 3:04:47 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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I have enjoyed these past months with focus on evangelism. I want to continue, but also return back to our supreme model, the life of Jesus Christ.

When we study and reflect on such important topics as evangelism, it is critical that we look to Christ to pattern our practices after the actions and lessons from our Master. We will use that focus in the coming weeks, and it will return us back to the theme we left back in mid-August 2010, "Jesus, Lessons for Life."
As we move to look to Christ for more lessons in evangelism, I will be following the excellent classic Christian writings of Robert Coleman's The Master Plan of Evangelism. It is a classic study in reaching our world for Christ. Billy Graham referred to Coleman's work as timeless in quality – biblical principles which must undergird any authentic evangelistic outreach.
Evangelism is more than a theory. It is a necessity. 
One question that should always persist in our efforts to carry the gospel of Christ to the world is, "Are our efforts fulfilling the great commission of Christ?"
 
Mt 8:19 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.”
Just because we are busy trying does not mean we are succeeding. That is why we must evaluate based on what we are accomplishing.
Our Master was excellent is seeking and reaching people. So, we will look at principles that He applied in his methods of while He was on this earth.
More next time...
Blessings and thanks for your continuing interest,

Larry

 

Evangelism 10, What awaits closure of the evangelism mission?
1/23/2011 6:16:30 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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Last time was status report – how we are doing at reaching the lost with the Good News of Christ.  Progress is strong, though much work remains to be done.

As we read in the Bible, there will be an end, which really is a beautiful beginning – a new heaven and earth.
Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
On the eternal timeline, each of our lives is scarcely a blink. Yet, it is interesting and important to rest our assurance on what God has promised.
Even when each people group has been "reached," we know from our Bibles that more is in work that is essential to the "End." Christ's battle with evil will terminate, and we lean toward that time. 
Blessings and thanks,

Larry

 

 

Evangelism 9, How are we doing?
1/17/2011 9:04:00 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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It is interesting to get glimpses into the progress of sharing the Gospel around the world. In this post we will share some timely and current statistics. They may surprise you.

The world is a very complex place. We sometimes think of it in terms of its geographical and political boundaries. With that view, it would seem that we should be nearing completion of Christ's mandate to us, his great commission –
Mt 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.”
For purposes of evangelism, the world is more complex. Within a single country, even a relatively small country, there can be many peoples of distinctly different languages and cultures. Consider a couple of examples.
Guatemala – there are over 50 ethnic groups of people. Spanish is the official language, but there are between 40 and 50 spoken dialects and languages in this Central American country.
India – This is the most ethnically diverse nation on earth, with over 2500 distinct people groups within its 1.2 billion population. There are 22 official languages and over 456 languages in total.
When thinking about completion of the great commission, we often define it in terms of whether or not these distinct people groups have a viable and moving church within them. That more or less would define them as "reached" with the Gospel.
Here is a current status point.
Number of language/culture groups – 16,350 distinct people groups in the world
Number reached – 9705
Number yet to be reached – 6645 (these are classified as unreached or least reached)  In these population, less than 1/2 of 1% are Christians.  On average, 0.4%.  
It is an ever changing picture, too. People groups change, sometimes merge. The people of the world have always tended to migrate, also. The complexity is not static. But Christ's instruction was straight forward and clear – reach all... 
Are you surprised that in this day and age of technology and instant communication that so many peoples still do not have the Gospel message? Well, it is a good news – bad news story. It is bad that so many still remain, but so good that technology advances are accelerating the progress as never before. 
Our work must continue.
Blessings and thanks,

Larry

 

Evangelism 8, The Two Hands of Outreach
1/10/2011 10:03:23 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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Last time I mentioned a serious risk in our evangelism outreach activities. It is a challenge that needs careful attention, so I want to discuss it some more. As with all ministries that seek to reach and serve, it really can be a serious trap that our attention will not be balanced between the two components:

  • The mission to take the gospel to all peoples
  • The missions of mercy and service
My favorite way to look at this is to consider it like the work of two hands together. Our right hand works to deliver the message of Christ. Our left hand labors to serve people (this can be on many social platforms of service). The critical point is that we must always see that the power is in how the two hands work dynamically together. Sometimes the left hand must lead. That is fine. But we must never forget that the right hand is essential. Truth be known, the right hand, the work of sharing the gospel, is the reason for our labors. On the eternal timeline, our missions to serve people's needs and pain are useless unless we also serve their spiritual needs for Christ in their lives.
You may think this is common sense. However, I think it was the American author, Mark Twain, that once said, "The only problem with common sense – it's not that common." He was correct. Major Christian relief and service organizations are realizing that they have lost ground in their "Christian witness" as they have fought and labored valiantly to serve sources of people's physical pain. Fortunately some are recognizing this now, and beginning to make corrections.
The two hands working together for the glory of God is the goal. Serving in communities can be a powerful "left hand," which then enables the saving work of the Holy Spirit through the work of the "right hand" – the redemptive power of Christ.
We must never, never forget the Christian witness in our work

Blessings and thanks,

Larry

 

 

Evangelism 7, Don't forget the Christian witness
1/2/2011 9:15:26 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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Welcome back!  I pray you enjoyed a blessed Christmas holiday, just as we did here at Advanced Team Concepts.  We wish you the very best in your plans and activities for 2011.
Now we prepare to resume our dicussion on the important topic of evangelism.  Please join the discussion, sending your comments and/or questions along to us.  We look forward to your participation.
A trap, although full of good intentions, is that we focus on the social aspect of our outreach and neglect the real purpose – Christian witness in sharing the love and news of our Savior.

Where is the evangelism – the sharing of the Gospel in our outreach activities? We are talking about evangelism in this series of posts, so you may think this is a strange question. Well, here is why I assert that we should raise this question with everyone of our outreach efforts, whether near home or around the globe. 

A trap, although full of good intentions, is that we focus on the social aspect of our outreach and neglect the real purpose – Christian witness in sharing the love and news of our Savior.

This is a very real issue that tugs at my heart many times as we serve. It seems that sometimes church and ministry groups can become so focused and consumed by the social elements of outreach that evangelism is neglected. I have tenderly asked individuals as they describe an outreach program, "How is the Gospel shared or woven into this work?" I get some really funny and/or blank stares at times when I ask. It almost seems that it hadn't occurred to them.

It isn't just churches; it can and does happen to very large, well established ministry organizations. Groups may be doing an excellent job of feeding the hungry, but neglecting the "spiritual food" that is also needed. 
One such global group that we've worked with in our company is currently seeking guidance about how they might use internal training to improve their "Christian witness" as they provide their services. I like that! I am overjoyed that they see it. They recognize their need. They are a conduit for millions of dollars of resources each year being poured into communities around the world. They have a fabulous platform for sharing the God's Truth. 
How refreshing that they are re-calibrating in order to maximize that most important reason for their ministry's existence.
Let's all please learn from these lessons.

Blessings and thanks,

Larry

 

 

Evangelism 6, Love Them, An example from medical missions
12/1/2010 6:58:26 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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As we have seen and discussed, evangelism can be naturally and productively attached to mission outreach that serves the physical needs of people in communities. This is true in foreign mission work, but also for outreach close to home.

Regardless of the form of outreach, love is a most important ingredient. Here are example process steps from a medical mission campaign. The point of this brief outline of steps is to show how "love" is a component in each and every step of the way.
A typical day on a medical mission might look like this:
Arrival -- each day as you arrive, it is usual to be met by people eagerly waiting for the clinic to start. Your smiles and greetings to those who have come are the first chance to radiate the warmth, love, and approachability of Christ. People who are waiting may be hesitant, not knowing exactly what awaits their family in the day's visit. The love of Christ seen on the faces of the team set the stage for their experience in the medical campaign process.
Registration -- patient registration provides both logistic and health information that will be critical to the doctors or dentists. This is your opportunity to help the patient feel comfortable. The smiles, handshakes, and warmth of those who are registering patients are powerful to reflect the welcoming love of Jesus. This first interaction may very well be creating the comfort and confidence to open their lives to the evangelists they will meet this day.
Routing -- based on the registration interview, decisions are made about which medical and/or dental waiting areas the patients will be routed to. The people that guide them to different areas and steps in the day's process have still more opportunities to help them feel comfortable and cared for along the way. Non-verbal language is particularly important as people are guided and directed. A helpful and servant tone of voice and body language is desired, not a strong directive approach.

Doctors & dentists -- individual care is given in a professional and loving interaction that focuses on the patients' well being. 
Lab exams -- Throughout all medical or dental processes, people are treated with respect and love as Christ modeled for us when he served the physical needs of people.
Pharmacy -- pharmacy workers prepare the medications and information about how each medication is to be taken. Those working on this vital task sometimes feel like they are behind the scenes and thus not making an impression of patient and family. This is not true. Patients will see that a team is working hard to fulfill what is needed in service to their family. It makes and important impression. In addition, those who work in this area should be encouraged to mingle with patients in the waiting areas from time-to-time, to play with children when possible, all with the mission of sharing loving attention on those who have come.
Evangelism and prayer -- this is a supremely important part of the entire process. 
The opportunity to pray and share the Gospel is often most convenient while the family is waiting, for example as the pharmacy is preparing their medications.

Dispensing of medications
-- this is a critical step of the medical process. The people that dispense the medications to family members must communicate clearly in order to help the patient (or parent of the patient) understand completely the instructions for how and when each medicine is to be taken. As this information is communicated to each patient, it can be done with warmth and loving concern for the patient and the patient's family's well being, showing the love of Christ as the person nears the end of their experience in the medical campaign.
This has been a simple illustration of a process. My hope is that you see how natural and authentic love and caring along each step is important. When we do this well, it is amazing what God can work in people's hearts.

Blessings and thanks,

Larry

 

Evangelism 5 , Set the stage for discipleship
11/11/2010 6:25:54 AM Link 1 comment | Add comment

discipleship, evangelism


Whether we are evangelizing across the fence in our neighborhood, or we are sharing the Gospel on the other side of the globe from our home, we need to think of a person's acceptance of
Christ, his or her salvation, as the first step in a discipleship process.

I like some of the comments by Dan Glover and Claudia Lavy in their article, Discipleship in the Real World.[1]   
Glover and Lavy summarize: "Discipleship is the process whereby someone becomes more like Christ. It encompasses both the entry into the process (salvation) and growth in the process (sanctification)."
Salvation includes teaching about Jesus and his teaching as recorded in Scripture. This teaching, both formal and informal, will include not only the words that are spoken and taught, but also the actions that let people see the image of Christ in the life of the person(s) teaching and discipling.
Sanctification/growth in Christ includes the teaching and modeling of maturing in Christ. It encompasses all aspects of life. Through these discipleship processes, believers can experience spiritual growth in Jesus.
Both components of discipleship depend on the Holy Spirit to teach and guide in the processes of learning and growing.
I love sharing the Gospel, but I know that I may not be the best person to work in evangelism as a part of a mission trip to another country. Much better for this work is a local pastor. Then, if people receive the Lord, at the same time they can start to come into relation with those church leaders from their own community who can give them loving and necessary guidance in their walk with Jesus. The local pastor can invite them into the church community, can visit them in their home, can relate to special needs that accompany life in the community and region, and much more.
If for simple capacity needs in mission trip evangelism (and I am always ready to do so), I find myself sharing the Gospel message with individuals, I want local pastors and/or leaders from the church on hand so that I can introduce them to those who come to Christ. We can celebrate decisions made for Jesus, and very critical connections/bonds can be put into place to love and guide those who come to the Lord. This is critical. 
Blessings and thanks,

Larry



[1] Dan Glover and Lavy, Claudia, "Discipleship in the Real World", Clergy Journal, (Jul/Aug2007), Vol. 83 Issue 8, p11-13, 3p; (AN 25809724)
 
 
Evangelism 4 , Common Threads
10/28/2010 6:22:02 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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As we mentioned in the post early this month, Christ taught us that we would encounter people with differing levels of receptiveness to the Truth. We also recognize that there are many ways to reach out to people in order to share the Gospel message. Many time we engage in areas of service in communities, helping with the physical human needs. This can be a beautiful way to enter into relationships with people in order to also help with their spiritual needs – the need for Jesus in their lives.

Regardless of the setting or the local receptivity to the Word, there are some common threads that seem quite valuable in the work to share the precious Gospel message. Each of these can be woven into the fabric of our evangelism work. Done well, they create a tapestry that the Lord can use in order to open people's hearts to His Son.
Prayer – this is so powerful and so important. Pray and rally prayer support for your evangelism work. Pray as you approach each opportunity to share the Word, that the Holy Spirit will be empowered through your efforts, and that He will guide and direct your words. Pray intentionally for those with whom you have been blessed to share the Gospel message. You may never know the "rest of the story" in this life, but you can pray for increase in the Kingdom because of those you have met and shared with.
Love – nothing shines quite like the love of Christ. It should be apparent in every act and step of evangelism. (We will expand on this most important element with an example in a future post.) Nothing is more important in reaching people with the News of Christ than how we love them in the process – love them with the grace and love of Christ in all that we do.
Listen – get inside the person's story. We can gently ask about family, about challenges, about church in their community, or an infinite number of other aspects of daily life that can start to allow us to peek into their lives. It is amazing how some people never have a chance to talk and share about that which is their life. It can be like opening a floodgate. In a small pueblo in the Andes of Peru last year, a young girl expressed this to my wife after pouring out her story. In tears she then shared that no one, not family, friends, schoolmates, neighbors – no one prior to this precious moment had ever been interested to simply listen to her.
Share and guide – the Scriptures can do the talking. It can sometimes be helpful to share from our own experiences. The plan of salvation can sometimes come to life by the artful sharing of our own stories. We can include the brokenness of our life experience, the moment of rescue when we allowed Christ in, to the journey that followed. Always strive to do this in a way that does not take the focus off of the person you are witnessing to. Our story is not the focus, but only a way that lets us connect and amplify the power of the Gospel.
Invite – informing a person about the eternal gift through Christ can and should be accompanied with the invitation to accept him. The Bible can do the talking, combined with our heart in a way that lets them feel the choice, the invitation that the Lord offers to them.
Pray with them and more – armed with snapshots of a person's story and their pain, we can always offer to pray for them and with them. Even if they are not ready or willing to accept Christ at the moment, they may really be in need of intentional prayer for the challenges they face day-to-day. This can sometimes open still more windows into their life. It can be amazing what this simple question can provoke – "Is there something I can pray about for you?" Have you ears and your heart on full alert when you ask.
Regardless of the step of the "harvest model" where we find them, the above keys help us to reach out with love and connect.
Planting seeds in new soil – sharing the Gospel with someone for their first time is very special. Clear presentation and explanations of the precious Scriptures is important. If you are using a tract, still have your Bible present on your lap or at your side. Let the beauty of the Scriptures invite.
Watering prior seeds and encouraging understanding – often we are blessed to talk and share with people who have heard the Word before. In addition to presenting the Gospel, we can tenderly ask questions that reveal to us what they understand, where more explanation might be needed, what are their potential concerns or confusions, and where they might be in their heart's openness to receive Christ at this time.
Harvesting and celebrating – when the heart is open and the person is receptive to receive Christ, this is the evangelist's joy. Pray with them and for them as they receive the Lord. Don't rush as you share with them how to connect dots with the Bible, with a local church, with individuals who can continue discipling with them in the first steps of the new walk they are beginning with Christ. 
God make the offer of the precious gift of His Son. How blessed we are to be a small part in the most important sharing that can happen in any person's life. Only God can save. We are to love as we share his timeless message of love.

Blessings and thanks,

Larry


Evangelism 3 , Planting and Harvesting
10/1/2010 6:25:05 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

evangelism


Christ's model of planting seeds and harvesting

Jesus taught us wisely about how to consider the tasks of sharing with the world about him. He often compared it to sowing seeds so that a harvest can be achieved.
Mt 13:3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
To avoid any confusion, Jesus later explained this important teaching in detail to his disciples. It was their mission. It is ours. The Lord took special care to make sure that we understand.
Mt 13:18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
As we meet with people to share the Gospel, we will encounter people with different levels of openness to the Message of Christ. Regardless, we can pray for them and love them. Most importantly, we can do our work, plant the seeds, and where possible, help the Lord with the harvest.
 
We can work hard to present the Word so that it is understood. This will make it more difficult for the enemy to "snatch it away."
For those who receive the Word with joy, we can guide them to Christ as God opens their hearts. As scripture tells us, it is important for the Word to have a chance to take root. This is why the connection to a local church is critical. Church leaders can and should invite them to be a part of worship and learning -- to grow these critical roots.
For those who are not receptive, we need to love them and pray for them. Perhaps there will be another time when someone else will be used by the Lord to water the seeds or plant more. We do our work -- plant the seeds. We trust God to do his work -- open the hearts.
For those that accept and truly embrace the Word and desire to grow in Christ, the blessings of the local church will be truly important. We have observed that some individuals may be shy about attending the formal church at first. If you have options such as home-based study groups, invite them to attend. This may be more comfortable for some to begin their Christian walk.
Blessings and thanks,

Larry


Evangelism 2- We Go
9/9/2010 3:07:44 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

evangelism


"Fill the earth." From the beginning this is God's recorded command, reflecting his desire for an earth full of people with his image, people in right relationship with Him. 

What does He want of us, as commanded by Christ before his ascension into heaven? 

Go. Make disciples of all nations.
Mt 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.”
Last time we realized that this started in the earliest accounts of the Bible, with Adam, Noah, and Abraham. 
We see the theme and command to "go" in order to accomplish God's will woven throughout the stories that we know so well in the Bible.
Jonah is but one example, where God required him to "go" to the people of Nineveh.
Jnh 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai:
2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
From the beginning, God has been sending people for his purposes. That purpose includes having people in right relationship with God, for the glory of God.
Christ was fulfilling the promises of blessing way back to Abraham. With Jesus' death for our sins, He paved the way for us to come into right relationship with God. From this rich history of God's desire for all peoples to be in right relationship with him, we now focus this command / work under the heading of evangelism. As quoted from the Lausanne Covenant by John Stott, we see the context.
"To evangelize is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that as the reigning Lord he now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Spirit to all who repent and believe."
If we fast forward to the end of the Bible, we can start to see the fruit of the labor of evangelism.
Rev 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
What a beautiful vision God shard with John, as recorded in the Bible's final book--Revelation. It will be a multitude we cannot imagine. It will include people from every nation, tribe and language, giving glory to God our Father.
So, we "go." We want to do our part in this on-going story. 
How do we do it? That is where we now turn our attention. 
While Christ was on earth, he provided excellent lessons for us in how to reach people.
In the next post we consider his metaphor of planting and harvesting.
Blessings,

Larry


Evangelism 1- Why Do We Go?
9/1/2010 1:35:47 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

evangelism


We will take a short break from our series, Jesus' Lessons for Life, in order to talk for a few weeks on the topic of sharing God's Word and Truth. We have just returned from a mission trip to Guatemala. (click here if you would like to see the trip report) 
My head and heart are filled with fresh emphasis on our responsibilities to share Christ around the globe (which also include right here at home).

As Christians, we can sometimes fall into a pattern of attendance and participation in church activities, but neglect the responsibility to communicate God's love through Christ to others. So, the next several posts will be themes related to evangelism.
As we begin, I do not know exactly how many posts this series on evangelism will include, but these are a few of the themes to be shared:
  •  Why do we go? Why do we share Christ?
  •  Jesus' metaphor of planting and harvesting
  •  How do we effectively share and communicate the good news of Christ?
    o   To those who have never heard the name Jesus?
    o   To those who have heard of Christ, but not yet accepted?
    o  
    To those who have heard of the Lord and have hearts ready to receive him?
  • Common threads for presenting the message of Christ
  • Serving people's physical needs in order to reach their hearts for Jesus
  • Don't forget the Christian witness while we serve
Please participate in the discussion by adding your comments.
Today we begin with the question, "Why do we go?"
We will allow the Bible to clarify God's Will for us to go. We will start briefly today, then continue with the question of "why?" when we return next time.
God from the beginning of his recorded Word, the Bible, has desired for the earth that He created to be filled with people who know him, who bear his image.
Ge 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.
That was a command, the very first command in the Bible -- "fill the earth..." God had made man in his own image and desires his image to fill the earth.
As we know, sin then entered the story and things became complicated. Even with man's failure through sin, God's desire for the earth to be filled with man, those who bear his image, did not change.
At one point early on God was so angry with the sins of man that He was ready to start over, and He did, with a single family -- Noah's family.
Even so, His command to Noah and his family after the great flood was the same, "fill the earth..."
Ge 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.
This emphasis continued. The "father" of the nation of Israel, Abraham, received his orders to go. 
The command had the same purposes -- to fill the earth with people who bear God's image. God connected that command with great promise.
Ge 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
We can easily see it confirmed over and over, God was sending people with the intention of representing his great image in the world, to the world.
Next time we will consider still more verses with this emphasis to go and represent God, including the great commission from Christ himself. This is building for us the background about why evangelism work is so important and so desired by God. As scripture reminds us, it is a command -- Go
Blessings, and please reflect this week about how you are representing God to those you meet each day.

Larry

 

More Roles of our Local Churches


This entry will include three additional functions of our local churches. Each is very important.
 

Evangelism
 
The church is a center of work for evangelism. It is clear—Christ’s mission for the church is to reach the world with the Gospel.
 
Mt 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.”
 
It is our mission, and it is wonderful that He promises to be with us always as we work toward his purpose.
 
Helping the needy
 
Churches are critical to charity within communities. In Romans 15 we read about members of the early gentile church family sending offerings to Jerusalem to aid the poor. We see many wonderful examples from today’s churches. Each year offerings are sent throughout communities to help those in need. This is especially evident in times of crisis. In recent years, a notable example was in the months following hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the southern United States. It was the church families that opened their doors to assist and care for the many people escaping from the regions destroyed by the storms. Similar examples can be seen every year around the world – Christians reaching out to help those in need.
 
Ro 15:25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there.  26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
 
Stewardship – Giving
 
The church is where we can live out stewardship of our resources according to God’s will. God has an expectation that we share a portion of the resources and money he has blessed us with. The local church provides a focal point for our giving. It enables our offerings to serve the Kingdom.
 
Paul at times reminded the local churches of this. He encouraged them to keep an attitude of love as they gave their gifts to God.
 
2Co 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
 
It is in through our local churches that we can participate in God’s work. These basic functions of the church enable us:
 
  • Worshiping
  • Growing in the Word of God
  • Fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ
  • Praying together
  • Working in evangelism
  • Providing to those in need
  • Giving – following God in our stewardship
 Many blessings,

Larry

 

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