1 Stepping out by Keith Glasgow Sharing your Christian faith with those around you Training manual for the local church Copyright c 1994 - Living Hope Publications ISBN 0 - 9583345 - 3 - 6 Graphics by Paul Cornwell, Auckland, New Zealand Published by: Living Hope Publications 22 Chamberlain Drive, Kilsyth South VIC 3137 AUSTRALIA O2 l e a d e r s g u i d e HOW TO LEAD THE TRAINING CLASSES 1. Expect a high level of commitment from the start of the training sessions. Explain to your class that they will only benefit from the training if they are willing to do their part. Have them all read through the commitment on page 7 and sign it. 2. Organise the class into prayer partners for mutual encouragement over the duration of the course. Try to match the less experienced with those of the same sex who are more experienced. 3. Class participants must complete the weekly assignment ("Thinking it Through" pages) during the interval between each training session. This assignment will reinforce the lesson and can then be the basis for discussion at the commencement of the following class, or before the next evangelistic event. 4. The assessments are not to be completed in private as they are designed as simple tests to help the class measure how they are progressing. Give time at the com- mencement of each training session for the assessment to be filled in. 5. Agenda for the Training Sessions: ♦ Introductory welcome and prayer. ♦ The assessment page is to be filled in by each participant. It is a simple test. Referral to the Bible or notes is not permitted. These tests are not designed to be marked, but to be a weekly challenge. The leader will talk through the test after time has been given for the class to complete it, asking different ones to volunteer the answers and memory verse(s). ♦ The Gospel outline, Bible verses and key questions to be memorised for each assessment are located on pages 27 and 28 under the Section “The Light We Carry”. ♦ Opportunity should be given for participants to share with the class any witnessing opportunities they have had during the previous week. Limit these to about 2 or 3, and briefly discuss any significant points. ♦ Discussion groups (20 mins.) Divide into small groups of about 6-8 people, with previously selected group leaders. Discuss the assignment page from the previous week. Leaders are to hold back on their own opinions, drawing out the answers from their group members. Role-play when rel- evant. ♦ Teaching (40 mins.) The trainer should first review the major point(s) of the previous week’s instruction before giving a lecture on the next lesson. 6. If the material contained in any of the lessons is considered to be too much for one session, spread it over two weeks.3 How to Lead the Training Classes Introduction The First Step (Motivation) Prepared for the Journey (Spiritual resources) Keeping in Step (Our manner and approach) The Light We Carry (The Gospel message) Part 1 (Explanation of gospel terms) Part 2 (Commentary on gospel verses) Finding the Right Path (The process of evangelism)39 Part 1 Conversation Part 2 Conviction Part 3 Communication Overcoming Roadblocks (Dealing with objections) The Road Ahead (Follow up) Walking Together (Practical methods of evangelism) Part 1 - Visitation, home groups, courses Part 2 - Evangelistic Outreach Counselling 2 4 5 11 17 23 23 31 39 45 51 55 59 64 64 69 c o n t e n t s4 The adventure of sharing your faith Every true Christian must surely want to share the good news with others. Most want to, but few do! Most of us know it is our responsibility, but only a small number are proactive in telling others of the Saviour. If we want to share the Good News ... and know we should share the Good News, why don’t we? Most Christians take the course of least resistance. It is a constant challenge to be willing to leave our 'comfort zones' and en- gage a friend or neighbour in a conversation about the Lord. We may want to be involved in a lively, witnessing church, but can miss the truth that a witnessing church is made up of witnessing people! Evangelism is like a battle that must be fought, but most of the Lord’s army have chosen to be hospital staff and ambulance drivers, instead of soldiers in the front line! “The weapons we fight with...have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God...” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) When Christians take their weapons (prayer and the Word of God) and venture to the front line, they find an amazing thing - it’s enjoy- able! They experience a new power and assurance. The Spirit of God gives a joy and peace that cannot be explained. Sharing your faith as a way of life has great benefits in the Christian life. Faith grows strong. The Word of God comes to life, and provides answers to situations that arise. Prayer becomes specific, intense and rewarding. The ministry of the Holy Spirit becomes a much more important part of living. The crowning joy is to see people give their lives to Christ. When we become proactive in engaging with others with a view to sharing Christ, we find our whole Christian experience is renewed and transformed. • there is a real adventure in seeking divine appointments; • there is excitement in finding people who are open to listen because God has prepared them; • there is the thrill of leading people to freedom and forgiveness in Christ; • there is the wonder of being an instrument in the hands of God. I n t r o d u c t i o n5 THE FIRST STEP (Motivation to witness) A woman who was a truck driver and had to work late at night decided to get a dog for protection. She answered an add in the local paper and went to see a one year old Doberman. He looked big and scary enough! The owner assured her: “He doesn’t like men.” “Perfect,” she thought, and bought the dog. Then one day she was approached by two suspicious looking men in a parking lot. She called out to her canine bodyguard who was just behind her. But the dog ran and hid under the nearest car! For many Christians, when confronted with the Lord’s call to speak up for Him, and be a witness to friends, neighbours and work mates, we can have a similar reaction. We hide – not our bodies, but our light. It has been estimated that 95% of born-again Christians in western countries do not witness for Christ consistently, as a way of life. Imagine the impact on the unreached if all of God’s people were motivated! Without the essential ingredient of motivation, Christians will keep their mouths shut. Yet, with the right kind of compelling desire, the most feeble and unassuming believer can be an instrument in God’s hand to lead many to Christ. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and door to door salespersons are all motivated! They do not have the Spirit of God, nor the authority of the Word of God, yet they are ceaseless in their efforts. How much more should Christians be moved to speak! In 2 Corinthians 5:9-6:3 Paul lists several reasons we should be motivated: 1. A desire to please God “We make it our goal to please Him” (v.9) Paul was ambitious to please the Lord in all that he did. It was his aim in life. What pleases God most? Is it not the sacrifice of His Son on the cross? The Lord’s sacrifice was a “fragrant (pleasing) offering ... to God (Ephesians 5:2). Yet when we fail to tell the world that Christ died for them, the sacrifice of Christ for them is wasted. The whole purpose of Christ’s death was that men and women should know of this great fact. Every time you witness for Christ you are pleasing God. Whether people believe or not, God is glorified. 2. The coming judgement of believers “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ” (v.10). Will you arrive in Heaven rejoicing and “carrying sheaves with you” (Psalm 26:5-6)? Will you be welcomed into the eternal habitations by friends in whom you have invested time and money during this life (Luke 16:9)? Paul said of his converts: “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ when He comes? Is it not you?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19). The Lord is going to assess our lives at the “Judgement seat of Christ”. The way we have invested our time and effort in this brief lifetime is going to effect the degree of responsibility and reward we will enjoy for a far longer time to follow. How comfortable will you feel standing beside men and women who have been slandered, rejected, imprisoned and martyred simply because they opened their mouths to speak of Jesus Christ? How difficult will it be to face the Lord on the day of judgement and see the nail prints in His hands? Will you try to justify your lack of courage before Him? 3. Understanding God’s Nature “Since then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men” (v.11). God’s holiness demands wrath and judgement on all sin. Paul knew God well from his study of the Scriptures. He was totally convinced of the awesome justice of a holy God. This knowledge moved him to go beyond just talking. He persuaded men of their need of Jesus Christ as their Saviour. "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 5:9 - 6:3 16 4. Understanding the cause of others mocking “If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God...” (v.13). If people say we are mad, or if we are called religious fanatics, extremists, or half-wits, because we seek to share our faith, we are not to take it personally. It is not us they are opposing, it is God. They can’t crucify Christ again but they can crucify your character and laugh at you! If you witness for Christ in that environment you should rejoice that you are “counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41). Because Christ lives in us we will be treated the same as He was when He was here in the flesh. “If you belonged to the world, if would love you as its own...if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also...they will treat you this way because of My name...” (John 15:19-21). 5. Constrained by love “For Christ’s love compels us” (v.14). Perhaps the most important motivation to witness is love. a. His love for us Having realised the extent of God’s love for him, Paul could only respond by living for the Lord. “If The Lord from heaven gave up His life for me” says Paul, “I should no longer live for myself.” We have been made God’s people in order “...that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). b. His love through us “The fruit of the Spirit is love...” (Galatians 5:22). Our hearts should be overflowing with love for others (John 7:38-39). The only way our hearts will be moved with God’s love is for the Holy Spirit to fill us. Often we do not experience the Spirit-filled life because we have not dealt with sin or self-centred ambitions in our lives. In John 20:21 we read our commis- sion from Jesus: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Just as love moved God to send His Son, now we are to be motivated by that same love as we look out on a perishing world. 6. A new outlook on people “From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view” (v.16). We can easily allow our minds to be governed by this worlds values and ideals. People at work or in our neighbourhood who may seem unimportant or even a reject to others, have a very high value set on them by God. We should look at others around us through the eyes of God. How should Christians view people? a. The worth of people One soul is shown to be of great value because of: 1. The dignity of being created in God’s image (Genesis1:27; Psalm139:14). 2. The value God has put on mankind by sacrificing His Son to save “whosoever will” (Luke 19:10; 1 Peter 1:18-19). 3. The words of Jesus in Luke 9:25 “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” 4. The response in Heaven over one sinner repenting (Luke 15:7,10). 5. The battle for possession of a person’s soul (God vs. Satan: Luke 11:21-26). “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit...” (Romans 5:5).7 b. The Condition of unsaved individuals 1. Mankind's spiritual condition a. Spiritually dead Mankind has been alienated (sepa- rated) from the life of God (Ephesians 2:1; 4:18). The relationship with God that existed at creation has been bro- ken (Luke 15:24). b. Lost Because mankind’s relationship with God has been broken, everyone is far away from Him, and ignorant of how to get right with Him (Luke 15; Isaah 53:6). c. Spiritually blind The Bible describes people's resistance to the truth as hardness of heart, which in turn produces a wilful ignorance and a darkened understanding (2 Cor.4:3-4; Eph.4:18; 5:8). d. Enslaved Ephesians 2:1-3 shows that the unbeliever is enslaved to the world, the devil and the sinful nature. Those who commit sin, Jesus said, are slaves of sin ( John 8:34; Rom.6:16,20). e. Condemned God has consigned (imprisoned) all men to the prison-house of disobedience in order to have mercy on everyone (Rom.11:32). See also Rom.3:19b,23; 6:23. 2. People's psychological condition a. No peace of heart - restless and insecure; b. No power over sin - even those trying to live a good life experience frustration; c. No purpose to living - meaningless existence, no ultimate focus or direction in life. c. The Destiny of unsaved individuals Jesus spoke more about hell than He did of heaven. H orror of separation from God and from all that is good (Luke 16:23); E ternal punishment - there is no end and no relief (2 Thess.1:9; Matt.25:41,46); L ost - outer darkness; a place where there is no love, joy or peace (Rev.20:11-15); L ament - remorse over lost opportunity. There is no escape. Hell is final (Heb.10:27). 7. Transforming people “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation...” (v.17). The most significant thing that any person could ever do, is to bring peole into a brand new life (James 5:20). This results in - a. God’s glory God’s Name is not honoured among the nations, but when people turn to Christ it exalts the Name of God and brings honour to Him (Psa.108:5). b. The persons welfare To live God’s way is the best thing people could ever do for themselves. c. The influence on home and society The new creation which God performs inside a Christian results in a new way of living. This is the only effective way to radically change society. It happened in the first century and it can happen today. Governments, psychologists and self-help gurus have high ideals, but do not have the power of the gospel to actually change people. If Christ was as commit- ted to us as we are to Him, would He have suffered the rejection, shame and suffering of the cross? Alexander Marshall said: “A soul saved, saves that soul from more misery, an- guish and torment than has ever been suffered... for that soul has been saved from eternal punishment. A soul saved brings that soul into possession of more joy, peace and bless- ing than has ever been enjoyed... for that soul has been brought into posses- sion of eternal joy”8 8. Our responsibility as ambassadors God has “committed to us the message of reconciliation” (v.19). God has put in our trust the sacred duty of proclaiming His free offer of forgiveness. If He committed it to angels, heaven would be empty in a few seconds as they sped to do His will. Jesus gave a command: go, and make disciples” (Matt.28:18-19)! See also Acts 5:29. To fail to share our faith is to disobey Christ. Blood guilt is taught in Ezel.33:7-9, and in Acts 18:6; 20:26. Will you be found guilty of the blood of neighbours and workmates because you didn’t make an effort to share the gospel with them? An ambassador represents his government in a foreign land. If a Prime Minister or President were to command his ambassador to deliver a message, they would be bound to do so, without adding to it, or taking from it. In Romans 1:14-15, Paul called himself a ‘debtor’: “I am a debtor...and so I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome”. If you had been entrusted with a large sum of money which was to be passed on to a young woman when she turned 21, you would be under an obligation to pay that “debt” as soon as she comes of age. In a similar way, we are under an obligation to the people around us. 9. Our privilege of working with Christ “As God’s fellow workers...” (6:1) a. The honour A powerful motivation to sharing our faith is the knowledge that we are the mouthpiece of the Lord Jesus Christ. While living on earth Jesus went from place to place and from person to person, telling them the good news of the Kingdom. If He were still here, He would be doing the same. But He is not. You are His hands and His feet. His only way of speaking to your neighbours is with your mouth! We are called to go “in His Name,” with His Presence and His Power. b. The joy The Spirit of the Lord Jesus in our hearts witnesses with our spirit when we talk to others about Christ. He produces great joy in us if we dare to speak up for Him. Witnessing is a key to spiritual life and vitality. The joy which comes from witnessing reaches high tide when someone you have helped comes to know Christ. As Jesus Himself said: “Sower and reaper rejoice together” (John 4:36). 10. The limited time and opportunities we have “now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation” (6:2). There is never any certainty that tomorrow will come for any person. We are to redeem the time! “Be prepared in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have...” (1 Peter 3:15).Next >