Introduction:
A. For every task that we face, there are many approaches or methods that we might employ.
1. Some methods are certainly better than others.
2. What is true with most things is also true with evangelism.
3. As you know, this week we have been involved in an outreach training seminar – praise God that it has been a fantastic week!
B. Being involved in the seminar reminded me of the story told of the Christian man who owned a barber shop and who went to an evangelism training seminar.
1. He faithfully attended the seminar sessions every night for two weeks.
2. He rehearsed all the material, took extensive notes, and memorized the assigned Bible verses.
3. At the end of the two weeks he received a certificate acknowledging his completion of the course.
4. The next morning, in the barber shop, he hung the certificate and bowed his head. “Dear Lord,” he prayed, “Help me to witness to the first man to come through that door this morning.”
5. At that moment in walked the biggest, meanest, foulest man the barber had ever seen.
6. It seems this man had recently lost a bet with some "biker" buddies and now he had to get his head shaved.
7. Needless to say, the barber did not feel very comfortable quoting the “Roman Road” to a man covered with tattoos who looked angry about having to shave his head.
8. The rest of the day did not go any better for the barber.
9. At 5:00 p.m., the barber was sobbing with shame. He had not witnessed to a single person.
10. He bowed his head again. This time he prayed, “Lord, if you will allow one more opportunity, I promise I will do my part.”
11. At that, the door opened and in walked a pleasant looking gentleman.
12. The man smiled at the barber, apologized for coming in so late and took a seat in the chair.
13. As the barber draped the man in his protective sheet, he began to try to remember what he was supposed to say. He began to get very confused.
14. As the barber put shaving cream on the man’s face, he tried to remember the answers he had learned to the possible objections.
15. As the barber began to strop his razor, he realized that he simply could not remember a thing he had learned.
16. All of this made the barber very nervous and soon sweat began to break out on his forehead.
17. Finally, in desperation, he shook the razor at the man and screamed, “ARE YOU PREPARED TO DIE??!!!”
18. As I said, “Some methods of evangelism are better than others.”
C. Reaching out to others and talking with them about spiritual things can be very intimidating and nerve-racking.
1. But it is our glorious calling, and our privileged responsibility.
2. Jesus gave these marching orders in the Great Commission, “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.” (Mt. 28:19,20)
3. Mark records Jesus’ words, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mk. 16:15,16)
4. Luke records these words of Jesus: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
D. So these have been the marching orders for followers of Jesus for the last 2000 years.
1. And as I said a minute ago, some methods and approaches to evangelism are certainly better than others.
2. And some approaches are better suited to each of us than other approaches.
3. The key for success is not only employing the most effective approaches, but employing the ones that best match our own individual personalities and gifts.
4. Let’s spend some time talking about different approaches to outreach and see which approaches are the best fit for you and for me.
I. The Proclamation Approach
A. The proclamation approach involves standing before others and proclaiming the good news about Jesus, simply and clearly.
1. God gave Peter and Paul many opportunities to proclaim Jesus to groups both small and large.
2. Can you think of a better person than Peter to stand before the Jews on the Day of Pentecost and proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah? (Acts 2)
3. Can you think of a better person than Paul to stand before the Greek philosophers in Athens and argue that there is only one true God? (Acts 17)
4. Perhaps God has given you gifts of communication.
5. You may have a gift for teaching and reasoning and perhaps God will open doors for you to speak to groups in a public forum: like a high school, or a collage dorm room, or a living room.
6. If this is the case, then you need to employ your gifts with faith and love. You need to speak for Christ in those places and at those times.
7. There is a new avenue for proclamation has come through the use of the internet.
a. Many Christians are effectively sharing their faith in chat rooms, on blogs and websites designed to teach the gospel.
b. So the internet may be a place where you can effectively share your faith.
B. In reality, however, many of us are not given these gifts, nor these platforms or opportunities.
1. Most of us will be called upon to use a different approach other than the proclamation approach.
II. The Testimonial Approach
A. The blind man from John 9 is a good example of someone who effectively used this approach.
1. From the get go, this man didn’t know very much about Jesus nor about religion, but he knew what Jesus had done for him. He knew the difference that Jesus had made in his life.
2. He said, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.”
B. The Apostle Paul also used this approach on many occasions.
1. Twice in the book of Acts (22 and 26) we see him sharing his testimony of how he came to believe in Jesus.
2. And as you recall, his was a very dramatic conversion – he was blinded while on the way to persecute Christians in Damascus.
C. I’m certain that there are many people in your corner of the world who need to hear your story about how God is working in your life.
1. Rest assured that your testimony doesn’t have to be dramatic to be effective.
2. Some people might discount a dramatic testimony and excuse themselves from spirituality saying, that certainly people like that need religion, but I’ve never been that bad or that down and out.
3. Your everyday story may relate to their everyday life and show them that they, too, need the grace and direction of God that you’ve found.
III. The Invitational Approach
A. Many of us may find that this approach suits us well.
1. In this approach we simply invite others to join us as we participate in Christian gatherings.
2. So, we might invite someone to join us at a worship gathering like we have every Sunday morning, or for a special worship gathering like we have on Friend Day each Fall.
3. Other things that we might invite someone to could include, our small group, a special seminar, a neighborhood Bible study, or a special concert.
4. Another thing we might invite someone to do is to study the Bible with us, or to simply read the Bible with us.
B. What we are doing when we use this approach is trying to have them experience something that we have experienced.
1. The Samaritan Woman in John 4 used this approach with her friends back at Sychar.
a. Do you remember her story?
b. She met Jesus one day at the well and Jesus began a spiritual conversation with her.
c. Using the powers that Jesus had, being God, he showed that knew everything about her.
d. He then revealed to her that He was the Messiah that everyone was waiting for.
e. Being so impressed and overwhelmed by all of this, the woman ran to town to tell her friends about her experience.
f. What was her invitation to her friends? “Come and see the man who told me everything I ever did.”
2. Philip said a similar thing to Nathanael, “Come and see the Messiah.” (Jn. 1:46)
3. Your most effective outreach approach may not be proclamation, or testimony, or anything else, but just a simple invitation to come and see the church family, or come and hear the good news, or come and experience the small group.
4. George Barna’s research showes that about 25% of adults in the U.S. said they would go to church if a friend would invite them.
IV. The Service Approach.
A. Christians have always been known for their acts of kindness whether it be in nursing the sick, or feeding the hungry.
1. These are certainly two of the ways we can let our light shine.
B. The Bible says in Acts 9:36 that Dorcas was “always doing good and helping the poor.”
1. She was well-known for her loving acts of service which she performed in the name of Christ.
2. Specifically, she made robes and articles of clothing for widows and other needy people in her town.
3. As people observed her benevolent activity, they got a glimpse of the love of Christ that inspired her.
4. Dorcas was so important to the work in Joppa that when she died a premature death, the disciples sent for Peter who raised her from the dead and put her back into service.
C. The service-style of evangelism touches people in ways that no other way can.
1. A person’s service and self-sacrifice may get the attention of not only the person being served, but also those nearby.
2. So, give thought and pay attention to ways to serve - take a meal to a neighbor who is sick, clean their house, help someone fix their car, mow their yard, clean their gutters, listen to them when they need someone to talk to.
3. And as a congregation, let’s be thinking of ways to respond to the real needs of people around us – whether it’s food or clothing, home repair, or child-care.
4. Our new Panera bread ministry is really bringing us opportunity to serve our community and build relationships with those who come for bread.
5. Let’s keep looking for ways to serve others so that doors may be opened for the gospel.
V. The Relational Approach.
A. This was the approach that was employed by Matthew the tax collector, when he invited all his irreligious friends to a party where they could begin a relationship with Jesus and the disciples.
1. At that party he mixed the “sinners” with the “saints.”
2. Maybe your gift will be in the area of creating environments where Christians and non-Christians can rub shoulders.
B. Paul shared with us his understanding of this approach when he said that he became all things to all men, so that by all possible means he might save some (1 Cor. 9).
1. In other words, Paul tried to meet people where they were.
2. He would show interest in what they were interested in, so that he could build a relational bridge.
3. So, if this approach fits you, then open up your home and your life to others and watch the Lord do His work building relational bridges to others.
VI. The Conversational Approach.
A. This final approach is one that we spent a lot of time discussing and practicing this week.
1. This approach is actually something that might be used with a number of the other approaches.
2. The “conversational approach” has to do with trying to bring about conversations with people about spiritual things by asking them questions.
3. We need to learn to ask questions about basic spiritual things like God, Jesus and the Bible.
4. How will we know what people think about spiritual things if we don’t ask them?
5. And how will we know where to begin to minister to them if we don’t know what they are thinking?
6. When it is appropriate, we can ask what they think or believe about God, Jesus or the Bible.
B. Or we might want to explore other more general topics with our questions.
1. We might ask about their hopes for their family, and then ask if they ever thought about looking in the Bible to see what it says about family.
2. We might ask about what they think the meaning of life is, and then ask if they know what the Bible says about the meaning of life.
3. A good question that people might find interesting is “Do you think that the majority of people will go to heaven when they die?” Then we can ask if they would like to know what the Bible says about that.
C. After we ask a question, then we need to listen.
1. And then keep asking questions, like: why do you think that way?
2. Dennis Menear, the seminar leader, kept saying, “Be like a 4 year-old, and ask a lot of questions. Why? Why? Why?”
3. These conversations will hopefully turn into an opportunity when the person in return asks you what you think about the question you asked.
4. And hopefully will turn into a Bible study.
Conclusion:
A. Paul wrote, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6)
1. A daily prayer based on these verses is one of the ongoing assignments that came out of the seminar.
2. Would you be willing to add this focus to your daily prayers?
3. Would you be willing to ask God for help in being wise in the way you act toward outsiders?
4. Would you pray to be able to make the most of every opportunity?
5. Would you pray that your conversation be always seasoned with salt and be full of grace?
6. Would you pray that God would help you to know how to answer everyone?
B. As we look over the list of ways to evangelize, we will realize that some people will only be gifted to employ one or two approaches, whereas others may be gifted to employ most or all of them.
1. The important thing is not how many of the approaches we can be engaged in, but that we be engaged in the ones that our gifts and personalities are suited for.
2. And it is also important to be sensitive to the needs of the person we are interested in reaching out to.
3. If we can’t reach out to them in a way that will mesh with them and their needs, then maybe we will need to get someone involved who can.
C. Let me end with some powerful thoughts about evangelism in the form of this poem:
“I stay near the door. I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which people walk when they find God.
There’s no use my going way inside, and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I, crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find is only the wall where a door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind people, with outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door, yet they never find it…
So I stay near the door.
The most tremendous thing in the world is for people to find that door - the door of God.
The most important thing anyone can do is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands and to put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks and opens to the person’s own touch.
People die outside that door, as starving beggars die on cold nights in cruel cities in the
dead of winter - Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live, on the other side of it - live because they have found it.
Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it, and open it, and walk in and find him. So I stay near the door.”
D. Are you searching for the door this morning? We want to help you find the door of God.
1. Are you willing to come inside and find God?
2. We hope that you will come inside and find the only life worth living.
E. For those of us who have found the door and have come inside, will we stay near the door?
1. Are we willing to help others find the way inside?
2. I hope so and I pray so.
3. I want to encourage you to experiment with the different approaches we’ve talked about today until you find the ones that best fit you.
4. Let’s be praying that God will give us many opportunities to share our faith.
5. Let’s be praying that we have the courage to reach out and speak about our faith.
6. And let’s be praying that we can make the most of every opportunity to help someone find the door of God.
(Much from this sermon comes from Hybils’ Becoming A Contagious Christian, chapter 9)
