Week 10: Invitation
June 07, 2006 | Andy Davis
Evangelism
TEACHING NOTES - CLICK THE "NOTES" LINK ABOVE FOR THE CLASS BOOKLET
Team time
- Reviewing our covenant together
- Going over outline learned thus far (three-part “over-outline”, four-part “presentation outline”, “key question”, “God”, “Man”, “Christ”, “Response”)
Outline Work:
Invitation
- Key Questions: “Do you understand what we’ve talked about?” “Do you want to trust Christ now?”
- The “Invitation”: Calling sinners to repent and trust Christ
- The “Sinner’s Prayer”
- Counting the cost
- Assurance of salvation: what to do, what not to do
- The parable of the seed and the soils
Key Questions
At the end of our four-part outline, we have communicated everything that the hearer needs in order to trust Christ for salvation. Now it is time for them to speak. Our first priority is to be sure they’ve understood what we’ve discussed. We do this by asking a question like the following:
“Do you understand what we’ve talked about?”
Let the person answer. This may be the most important part of the interchange, because it is at this point that we are able to determine how much they’ve understood. If they haven’t understood the message, they cannot believe it. They may have questions for you. They may have objections as well. Don’t rush through this process! Remember that our words do not always communicate what we want them to. Be a good listener! Be a doctor, diagnosing a patient.
After this time of clarifying their understanding, ask the next key question:
“Do you want to trust Christ now?”
In this moment, we are giving them a chance to choose what they will do with the gospel. In posing this question, we should keep in mind the verse we studied earlier:
Acts 17:30 “In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.”
God is commanding this person to repent. We are giving them an opportunity to do this. If they hesitate, or if they seem unsure, I believe Christian compassion would compel us to plead with them:
Acts 2:40 "With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Paul warned them and he pleaded with them and he did so with many other words. There was passion and emotion in his appeal. He also refers to this pleading in discussing our “ministry of reconciliation”:
2 Corinthians 5:11 "Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men."
2 Corinthians 5:20 "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."
Paul, knowing the fear of the Lord, sought to persuade men. As Christ’s ambassador, he didn’t merely dump information on people, but he spoke as though God were making his appeal through him. This led him to implore people on Christ’s behalf to be reconciled to God. If our hearer seems hesitant or unconvinced, we need to warn, plead, persuade, and implore as though God himself were making His appeal through us.
The revival preachers used this kind of passionate appeal. Listen to George Whitefield’s revival sermon “Marriage of Cana,” which he preached in Philadelphia in 1742:
“I could urge many terrors of the Lord to persuade you; but if the Love of Jesus Christ will not constrain you, your case is desperate. Remember then this day I have invited all, even the worst of sinners, the most abandoned adulterers and adulteresses to the Lord Jesus. If you perish remember you do not perish for lack of invitation—you yourselves shall stand forth at the last day, and I here give you a summons to meet me at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and to clear both my Master and me. Would weeping, would my tears prevail on you, I could wish my head waters, and my eyes fountains of tears, that I might weep our every argument and melt you into love. Would anything I could do influence your hearts, I think I could bear to pluck out my eyes, or even to lay down my life for your sakes.”
Yet, as Whitefield went on to say very clearly, we must keep in mind that our role as evangelists is limited at this point:
“But such power belongeth to the Lord—I can only invite; it is He only who can work in you both to will and to do after his good pleasure; it is His property to take away the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. It is His Spirit that must convince you of unbelief, and of the everlasting righteousness of His dear Son. ‘Tis He alone must give you faith to apply His righteousness to your hearts, it is He alone who can give you a wedding garment, and cause you to sit down and drink new wine in His Kingdom.”
God alone can work salvation in a human heart. All we can do is “invite” or pass on the command.
The “Invitation System”
We tend to think in terms of “invitation,” and this has a Scriptural background:
Matthew 22:9-10 "Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests."
Revelation 19:9 "Then the angel said to me, 'Write: "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!"'"
Along with these passage on the “invitation” (Greek says “call”) to come to the Wedding Banquet are some others in which God Himself is inviting sinners to come to salvation:
Isaiah 55:1-3 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”
John 7:37 "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.'”
Matthew 11;28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Revelation 22:17 "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."
We should, in concert with these Scriptures, urge our hearer to repent and trust Christ. We should wait for them to respond to that invitation. This is, indeed, a moment of eternal consequence... what will they say?
Yet Whitefield had his doctrine straight when he stated that no one can respond to this invitation unless God works it in them by His Spirit. This is exactly what Jesus meant to communicate when he concluded that parable on the general invitation to the wedding banquet with these words:
Matthew 22:14 “Many are called (i.e. invited) but few are chosen.”
Nowadays, we have something called the “invitation system,” in which we invite sinners to “come forward,” to walk down an aisle at church to the front of the building as a demonstration of their desire to follow Christ. We tend to think if many people “come forward,” the Spirit has been working mightily, and if no one “comes forward,” the Spirit has not been working at all. We couple this with other outward signs, like signing a commitment card, praying the “sinner’s prayer” (more on that in a moment), giving a testimony of conversion, and getting baptized. All of these outward acts may be evidences of God’s work in their souls, or it may not! It is no proof either way if someone does these outward, visible acts. The “invitation system” was invented by Charles Finney in the 1830’s, and since then it had been popularized by many revivalistic preachers, such as D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham. But before this approach, people were justified through simple faith in Christ without ever “coming forward” at any service. Martin Luther never “came forward” anywhere, but who could doubt his conversion?
Instead of banking on these contrivances, we want to preach the pure gospel, apply it passionately to the hearer, then give the person an opportunity to respond. If they delay or deny the gospel, we must passionately implore them to reconsider, warn them of the brevity of life, persuade them about some matter they have questioned… and ultimately leave the matter to God.
Baptism, Not “Coming Forward” the Outward Sign of Justification
It is surprising to me that Baptist churches have made “coming forward” at Sunday morning worship services to be the “outward and visible sign” of having been regenerated by the Holy Spirit into a saving faith in Jesus Christ. It would seem that Baptists would emphasize the biblical “outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality,” namely baptism. While baptism itself doesn’t save, yet it is symbol of salvation, the physical sign Christ gave for us to mark out those who are His disciples:
Matthew 28:19 “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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
After someone has trusted in Christ, they are to submit gladly to baptism as a first step of obedience in the long road of disciples hip in which they will be constantly taught to obey everything Christ has commanded them. If our hearer repents and believes the gospel, you should exhort them to be baptized in a good local church as soon as possible.
The “Sinner’s Prayer”
Most gospel tracts have some kind of sample prayer which a repenting sinner can use to express his/her convictions to God:
Another “outward and visible sign” modern evangelists have come to rely upon is the “sinner’s prayer.” Most gospel tracts have some kind of sample prayer which a repenting sinner can use to express his/her confession to God:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” [Billy Graham, “Steps to Peace with God”]
“Jesus, I know I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I turn from my sin and ask You into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Forgive my sin and give me Your gift of eternal life. Thank you for saving me and giving me eternal life. Amen.” [North American Mission Board, “One Verse: The Greatest Gift”]
Note: The remarkable thing about the “One Verse” card from the NAMB is that all there is on the card is Romans 6:23 and the “sinner’s prayer.” Most evangelical tracts consider this prayer absolutely indispensable to the process of evangelism.]
There is some Scriptural support for the “sinner’s prayer.” Perhaps the critical text people use to support this concept is Romans 10:13:
Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This, they say, refers to the “sinner’s prayer,” when the person “calls on the name of the Lord” in faith and asks Him to save them. I think there is some validity to it, but the idea of “calling on the name of the Lord” goes much deeper than one prayer patterned after something printed on the back of a tract. I believe that what occurs in a person who’s being saved is that, in their hearts, they begin to see themselves as lost and in need of Christ. They trust in Him completely, and do so the rest of their lives. Though regeneration and justification occur just once, we actually go on “calling on the name of the Lord” forever. And “the name of the Lord” is an incredibly deep theological topic, referring to everything that God has revealed about Himself: His nature, His promises, His plans. The “sinner’s prayer” doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of this.
Another verse which could be used to support some kind of prayer at the “invitation” section of our gospel presentation is 2 Corinthians 6:2.
2 Corinthians 6:2 “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you , now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
What does God hear in the time of God’s favor? Perhaps a prayer for salvation? It’s not too far a stretch of our imagination. Another verse is similar:
Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.”
What does it mean to “call on Him while He is near” if not somehow expressed in a prayer to God? This is fine, and to be expected. I would recommend two
things:
1) Understand what truly justifies: faith alone!
The “sinner’s prayer” is not the “moment of salvation.” Justification occurs the moment faith springs in the heart through believing the gospel. According to Romans, our father Abraham was justified (declared righteous by God) simply by faith, by believing a promise from God:
Romans 4:3 “What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.’”
The moment of justification occurred when God took Abraham out, had him lookup into the night sky at the multitude of stars, and spoke a promise to him: “So shall your offspring be.” At that moment, Abraham believed that God would fulfill His promise, God saw Abraham’s heart and justified him (i.e. declared him “not guilty” of all his sins) (Genesis 15:1-6). If you had been with them at that moment, you would not have seen anything: no “outward and visible sign” at all. That’s okay, because you’re not the one who justifies anyway:
Romans 8:33 “It is God who justifies.”
And God justifies by faith, not by a “sinner’s prayer.” Just like our father Abraham, a sinner is justified by believing the promise of God (now in the gospel of Jesus Christ, not in a moment under a starry night sky). However, the “sinner’s prayer” is a fruit that often comes from a justified heart. I would contend that the person who has faith to begin the “sinner’s prayer” in spirit and in truth has already been justified before uttering a word!
Yet, the “calling on the Lord” and God’s yearning to hear the repentant one is obviously important, so encourage them to pray.
2) Don’t suggest any words.
Simply allow the person to communicate to the Lord what they would like to say. Perhaps even share these verses with them. The words mean nothing if not an accurate depiction of the heart. Let them say what they are believing now in their heart as a respond to the gospel. Tell them clearly the words are not important, but rather the faith behind the words.
Assurance of Salvation
After the invitation and response time (perhaps including the sinner’s prayer), they will want to know “Am I truly saved? Do I now have eternal life through faith in Christ?” This is a joyful and also a solemn moment. Christ had authority on earth to forgive sins. We have authority on earth as Christ’s ambassadors to proclaim the forgiveness of sins through faith in His name:
Jesus to His disciples on the night of His resurrection:
John 20:21, 23 “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me I am sending you... If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Matthew 18:18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be, having al- ready been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be, having already been loosed in heaven.” [my translation]
We have, therefore, the privilege and obligation of announcement: either, “Based on your testimony of faith in Christ, I announce to you that your sins are forgiven.” Or “Based on your rejection of Christ, I announce to you that you are still in your sins.” Realize that our role is no more than that of announcement, and it is not authoritative, since we cannot see the heart.
Concerning the issue of “assurance of salvation,” realize that this is not our role, but that of the Holy Spirit:
Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirits that we are children of God.”
Rather, it is our place to tell them that such assurance is offered, and to tell them on what grounds they may assure themselves of their own salvation. The issue of “assurance” is one of “knowing.” How can I “know for certain” that I am in Christ, and that my sins are forgiven. Some deny that this is even possible, thinking that if you were absolutely certain that you are going to heaven, you would no longer be motivated to live a holy and fruitful life for God (the Roman Catholics believe this). But this is false and shows a false understanding of what true faith does in the heart of a Christian.
Assurance is possible, according to 1 John:
1 John 5: 13 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God in order that you may know that you have eternal life.”
John states very clearly that he wants his readers to know that they have have life. Thus, assurance of salvation in this world is possible and desirable. But how does it come? John refers to “these things” which he has written, and I believe it refers to the entire letter of 1 John. There are a series of tests: “By this will you know...” or “We know that we have come to know Him if...” Assurance therefore comes from passing tests Scripture lays out for us, not just in 1 John:
Evidence of regeneration:
love for God, love for neighbor, glad obedience to God’s word, discernment over doctrine, hatred of sin, temptations resisted, delight in God’s word, godly character traits (such as the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5), testimony of the indwelling Spirit, good deeds done to those in need (not to pay for sins, but because they are right to do and delightful to do), etc.
Such tests are found in many places in the New Testament. You may want to say to the new believer, “You will find a greater and greater assurance coming to you as you walk by faith, obeying God’s commands as found in His word. So saturate your mind with His word and obey it gladly.” Assurance is little different than faith. Faith comes through hearing and is then is fed by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
Summary: We don’t give someone assurance. The Holy Spirit does that based on His Word. What we do is show someone proper grounds for assurance... things they will see coming into their lives as a result of their new nature in Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit in them.
The Parable of the Seed and the Soils
The greatest Scriptural mark of true salvation is consistent faith in Christ over time in the face of difficult trials. That is the point of the parable of the Seed and the Soils in Matthew 13:1-23. This may be one of the most important parables Jesus ever told. This parable explains why so many people seem to “fall away” from Christ, and “lose their salvation.” The truth is, only those who produce good fruit over a long period of time,despite bitter trials in this world are truly saved.
What is remarkable is that three of the four outcomes show some initially positive response to the gospel: the one sown in shallow soil “at once receives the seed with joy.” (Matthew 13:20) But he has no root, and when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. Don’t be too confused if someone who at one point received the gospel message with joy at one point falls away because of trials. There are many reasons why people respond over the gospel...only some of them are evidence of a genuinely transformed heart.
The one sown among thorns also grows initially, but “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it out. Making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22) There are some who start out well in the Christian life, but are diverted by worldliness. Realize from John 15:6 that withering under the gospel means the person is not saved at all.
The seed sown in good soil always produces fruit, a harvest, although of fruitful abundance (Matthew 13:23). Thus the greatest assurance of salvation is fruitful perseverance in Christ over a long period of time despite bitter afflictions in the world. This is something only God can work in the individual.
Now, an individual can have the assurance of the indwelling Holy Spirit now. But they must also observe a principle of fruitfulness in their lives over the long haul. This is the greatest assurance of all.
Practical Issues in Evangelism
- Grounds for Assurance
- Workplace Evangelism
- Evangelistic Bible Studies
- Friendship Evangelism
- Responding to Evolution
- Defending the Faith
Grounds for Assurance
In the last session, we touched on the idea that an evangelist should not so much “give assurance” of salvation to a hearer (based, supposedly on the “sinner’s prayer”), but rather show the biblical grounds for true assurance, so they can assure themselves under the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture clearly says that we should test ourselves to be sure we’re in Christ:
2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?"
What is the basis of the test? What are biblical grounds for assurance of salvation? The following are some possible grounds for assurance:
1) Love for God as shown by obedience to God’s commands
1 John 2:3-4 "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
1 John 5:3 "This is love for God: to obey his commands."
2) Daily lifestyle like Jesus Christ: “walking in the light / truth”
1 John 1:6-7 "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
1 John 2:5-6 "This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
3) Conviction of personal sinfulness
1 John 1:8-10 "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
4) Love for brothers and sisters in Christ (self-sacrificially, tangibly if needed)
1 John 2:9-11 "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."
1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death."
1 John 3:16-19 "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"
5) Hatred of the evil world system
1 John 2:15-18 "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
6) Acknowledgement of true (apostolic) doctrine, especially that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God
1 John 4:15 "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God."
1 John 2:20-23 "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."
1 John 4:6 "We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood."
7) Perseverance in true doctrine of Christ
1 John 2:24 "See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father."
1 John 2:19 "For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us"
2 John 9 "Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."
8) Ongoing purification from sin; regular, tangible victories over temptation through Christ
1 John 3:3 "Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure."
1 John 3:6 "No one who lives in him [Christ] keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him."
1 John 3:9-10 "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."
9) Active life of righteous actions in Christ
1 John 3:7 "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous."
10) Testimony of the Holy Spirit, setting our hearts at rest in God’s presence
1 John 3:21, 24 "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."
1 John 4:13 "We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit."
1 John 5:11-12 "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."
Workplace Evangelism
Acts 17:16-17 "While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there."
The workplace is a vital site of evangelism for the 21st century in America. While the “marketplace” was the place Paul sought to meet and evangelize pagan Greeks, the workplace is the number one place for us today. Where else can we develop close relationships with non-Christians? There are some hindrances at the workplace (i.e. company rules against “proselytizing” or Bible studies), but even these can be gotten past by being vigilant for opportunities. It’s still a free country, and if we can talk about last night’s ball game, we can also talk about what we learned in church. We also will find ourselves in gospel situations with co-workers outside the bounds of the workplace (i.e. at a company picnic, on a business trip, waiting outside the company for a ride home). We can also take initiative and invite co-workers over our house for social encounters or even evangelistic Bible studies.
The following are some practical hints for workplace witness:
Top Ten Practical Hints for Workplace Evangelism
1) Every month, make a list of five coworkers to pray daily for, and pray for them in two different ways: first, for immediate needs they may have (listen to them carefully to see how they may need prayer); second, that they may come to personal faith in Christ, and that God would give you an opportunity to lead them to Christ. Next month, make a new list. Consider yourself God’s minister to this company, and make prayer a major part of your ministry. Look for specific opportunities to witness to those five that month (see hint #2).
2) Pray every day that God would give you a chance to speak about spiritual things to someone that day, then look for the answer to that prayer all day. (You may be driving in a car alone with someone, you may be sitting at lunch with them, you may be involved in one of those Monday morning conversations centered on the topic, “How was your weekend?”)
3) Pray daily for opportunities to be a loving, sacrificial servant to some coworker today, and again watch throughout the day for the opportunity. God will answer the prayer! You will find yourself coming out of work and someone has car trouble and needs a ride somewhere.
4) Make a note of coworkers’ birthdates, and give them a card on their special day. Make the card a Christian card with a Bible verse on it.
5) Organize a four-week investigative Bible study centered on the life of Jesus form the Gospel of John. Invite people to come. Have the Bible study, even if its only with one person!
6) Be sure you work very diligently all the time, living your faith by your disciplined approach to work. Scripture openly commands this: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:22-24)
7) If you have an office area and if it is permitted, put subtle and thought-provoking things on your walls that may lead someone to ask you a question about spiritual things. For example, I used to have a “Proverb of the Day” sheet on the door of my office, and people used to gather to read them: “It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.” Proverbs 20:3. People would then discuss the proverb, and opportunities for evangelism would arise. Look for unique and thought-provoking verses, since the goal is to draw out conversation.
7a) Another version of this is to have a thought-provoking answer to common office scenarios. One man always responded to “How are you doing?” with “Better than I deserve!” This led many times into discussions of what we truly deserve (judgment from God) and of the meaning of grace in Christ!
8) Diligently avoid office slander and gossip. Be above reproach in all you conversation, and especially avoid complaining about your boss or your workload. When hearing others complain, use it as an opportunity to bring the Lord into the situation. Be a peacemaker by helping the person to see the other point of view.
9) Memorize a list of thought-provoking questions that could lead into spiritual conversations, and use them when there are chances to talk (i.e. lunchtime). For example: “Imagine you are eighty years old, sitting on your porch and looking back over a successful life. What would be the three most important aspects of that success?”
10) Make a list of all employees at your company, and make it a goal to invite everyone of them to church before you leave that company. Put a check next to the name when you’ve invited each person. Don’t stop until you’ve invited each of them at least once.
Evangelistic Bible Studies
The most powerful tool for workplace and neighborhood evangelism is a four-week investigative Bible study, (if the company permits it). Invitations could proceed through word of mouth, or e-mail. At work, the proper approach is “We’re having a four-week lunch-time study of the Gospel of John (for example; you could do Mark or some other Gospel) to see what it says about the person of Jesus Christ. Would you be interested in attending?” Neighborhood studies should be on an evening in your home or another host home. The fact that it’s closed-ended (four-weeks) makes it more attractive to people… they’re not “signing their lives away.” Conducting the study itself is a challenge, but there are many good Bible studies out there. The best format is a question-answer approach in which the leader leads by asking good questions focused on the Bible text. This is not a “pooling of ignorance” but an investigation of the Bible text to see what it says. Each participant will feel free to speak up, but the constant direction of the time is “What does the Scripture say?”
At the end of the four-weeks, you should ask people if they would like to continue meeting. If they do, you can continue with the same book, or go in a different direction. The ongoing format would be the same.
In the neighborhood, you could go door-to-door, or call all the neighbors and invite them to your home for the four-week study. Your ongoing relationship with them will come into play at that point, and they will feel comfortable coming to your home. Set the date once you have a certain number of interested parties and hold the study no matter how many invited people come. Pray that God will allow the study to evolve into something permanent. In a year’s time, you may see many participants come to faith in Christ!
Friendship Evangelism
One popular approach to evangelism is called “friendship evangelism,” and this ties in well with neighborhood outreach as well as office witness. The basic idea is to put yourself in a position to get to know non-Christians, to develop the relationship, and eventually to witness to them. Other than the natural connections of co-workers or near neighbors, some Christians have made friends by getting involved in civic groups, swim clubs, hobby groups (e.g. cooking club), etc. Others use their children’s sports teams or piano lessons (etc.) to make friends for the Lord.
Prayer is a key to this ministry. If your child is on a soccer team, pray that God would allow you to befriend one of the other “soccer moms” (or dads) and to lead them to Christ. Look for the answer to your prayer, and take bold initiative. Have the team over for a cookout at your house. Or simply strike up conversations while at the practices or games. Always look for a suitable time to mention Christ, or to invite them to an investigative Bible study or to church.
One drawback to friendship evangelism is that the development of close friendships with non-Christians takes a great deal of time, and we’re never sure if the person we’re reaching out to will receive Christ. If they repeatedly reject the gospel, how should we continue the relationship? The preciousness of time makes this a pressing issue for many. However, you must continue to trust God in this matter. Also, be careful not to develop close friendships/business partnerships with non-Christians which could lead you to compromise your Christian convictions. Remember to heed Paul’s warning:
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
This puts a limit on friendship evangelism. However, it doesn’t eliminate it. Just keep sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Responding to Evolution
Given our gospel presentation’s starting point, “God as Creator”, you can see how vital it is that we be able to refute the error of evolution. Evolution challenges the very ground of our message, and therefore we must be able to respond intelligently. It is beyond my purpose here to give you anything more than a basic starting point for your own research.
The Institute for Creation Research (www.icr.org) has extensive information and resources, as does Answers in Genesis (Ken Ham’s group, http://answersingenesis.org/). These are great starting points for your research. Chuck Colson’s book How Now Shall We Live? (Tyndale House Publishers, 1999) has several easy to read chapters (pages 41-100) on reasons why Darwinism is losing ground in the scientific community. Reading these chapters in this Colson book may be the quickest way to arm yourself with some answers for common, everyday objectors to the gospel.
Some other key books are as follows: Michael Behe, Darwin’s Black Box (Simon and Schuster, 1998) is compelling in its presentation of “irreducible complexity,” the idea that cellular systems cannot have evolved up into their incredible levels of complexity. Philip Johnson has looked at the arguments of Darwinism and found significant weaknesses in his Darwin on Trial (IVP, 1993). Finally, Refuting Evolution by Jonathan Sarfati (www.masterbooks.net) is another good overview on ways to answer the challenge of evolution.
Defending the Faith
As we evangelize, we’re going to find many challenges to our worldview in this pluralistic age. Some believe there is no absolute truth, others talk of the truth claims of other world religions like Buddhism. How can we know that Christianity alone holds the answer for the human race? The answer to this question is far greater than I intend to go into now, but there are two absolutely immovable evidences of the exclusive truth claims of Christianity that you must carry with you at all times:
1) The Supernatural Scriptures:
The Scriptures show their divine origin in many remarkable ways, but especially in these things: fulfilled prophecy, accounts of the life of Christ. No other religious system has this. The fulfilled prophecies about Jesus Christ are hard to refute. Learn the following ones by heart:
Place of Birth: Micah 5:2
Immanuel: Isaiah 9:6
Son of Man: Daniel 7:13-14
Substitutionary Death: Isaiah 53
Crucifixion: Psalm 22
Resurrection: Psalm 16
Worldwide Kingdom: Psalm 2, Psalm 110
All of them were written 600 to 1000 years before Christ!! There are other shocking ones, (like Alexander the Great in Daniel 8) which give a sense of the supernatural origin of Scripture.
2) The Empty Tomb of Jesus Christ:
One French philosopher said: “I only want to ask two questions of religion. First, has anyone ever found a way to defeat death? Secondly, did he make a way for me to defeat it too?” Jesus Christ is the only one with power over death. The empty tomb of Christ proves His ultimate power, and no other religious system has an empty tomb.
Rejecters of Christianity must come to grips with the evidence of the resurrection, and the exclusivity of it. Learn to ask your hearers, “What do you think happened to the body of Jesus Christ?” This is a great evidence of Christianity, and a great hope for all who trust in Christ.