Title: Earning a hearing
Theme: Having a life worthy that one would want to listen to you.
Text:
In John 4 we read the story of Jesus witnessing to the Woman at the well. It this story we learn that Jesus earned a right to be heard. Here are some tips to earning a right to be heard.
“A man of good reputation”
I have titled this message today, “Earning a hearing”. It is important to understand the call and priority of witnessing. It is important to know all the techniques. But all of this will do you no good unless you earn a hearing before the people.
Notice how I use the word earn. It is not that you deserve. Yes we have the authority of Christ, yes we are spirit-filled, we may even know the Bible backwards and forwards and even have memorized the plan of Salvation (which is suggested), but to this world we are just another person trying to sell something to them that they don’t know if they need. But when we earn, that means putting forth the sacrifice before them. When we earn that means giving in on some of the arguments. When we earn, that means not being arrogant and condemning but loving and patience, then those around us will desire to hear our message.
Let me reiterate what I am trying to say. You can have all the language of witnessing down pat, you can know all the techniques and what to use in the particular situation. You can even know the scripture but if you have not earned a hearing then you will do know good and actually will do more to hurt the gospel than to help it.
So how do we earn a hearing.
I. By being qualified to witness.
A. Must be a thorough Christian
Jesus said unto Peter, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:32 AV). In other words Jesus was saying that Peter himself must be straight before he can witness to his brethren. He must be converted and saved.
Although God has used unconverted people, such as ministers, to win the lost it is always the exception not the rule.
We must apply the principle of Matthew 7:5 “First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye”.
B. Must be a spirit-filled Christian
In witnessing it is the spirit that does most of the work. Telling us who to witness to, when to witness, the convicting, the guiding. So shouldn’t it be our priority as a witness to understand as much about the spirit as we can. So we can listen to the guidance of the spirit. We should be spirit-filled
Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. (Acts 8:29-31 AV)
Phillip listened to the spirit and when he got his call he “ran” to the one whom he could witness to. He know that only the Spirit would do the work and if he called him to witness to a person then the Holy Spirit had already began to do the work.
C. Must be a man or woman of prayer
In prayer is when God gives us his work to be done. In prayer are we more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It was in prayer that Peter got the call to go the house of Cornelius. Acts Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11 AV)
I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: (Acts 11:5 AV)
And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house: (Acts 11:12 AV)
1. Pray for God to lead you to the right person
2. Pray for God to enable you to speak the right words
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6 AV)
3. Pray for God to continue the work.
This had been the desire of Paul when we read from the beginning of his letters he remembers his converts. Eph 1, Phil 1, Col 1
D. Must understand the priority of the great commission and for winning souls
Paul said in Rom 9:2,3 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (Romans 9:2-3 AV)
Accursed from Christ, all the joy that had been associated with him, all the peace and all the work of a mans life. He says I would give it all up for the salvation of Israel.
This was passion for souls. Jesus looked over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37 and saw the city that had killed the prophets and rejected the Messiah yet his desire was to gather them as a hen gathers her chicks. Then the Bible says he “wept”.
Oh the desire for lost souls. Oh the desire for people to be saved and know the true “joy of salvation”. Oh that this would be our desire then we could become a soul winner and one who wins souls is wise.
E. Must have confidence in the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit
Oh to know the power of the word of God. To understand how it is the word through the convicting of the Holy Spirit that does the convicting. God has just given us the privilege of being an instrument in this manner.
God is God who knows all, sees all, can do all so let him save and let us have faith in the word to know it is his work.
Illustration
A Christian worker once met a man who was hardened in sin and skepticism. After speaking to him about becoming a Christian, he said: “I don not believe in the Bible, or in God, or in heaven or hell. I am a skeptic.” The worker took no notice of the man’s confession, but quoted to him this passage: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish “Luke 13:3. “But”, he said again “did I not tell
you I did not believe in the Bible? Why do you quote it to me?” The Christian again quoted the same verse, and again the skeptic gave the same reply. After repeating that same verse, adding not words of his own to it, about a dozen times, the worker said to him, “Now , my friend, I do not remember half of what you have said to me; but you cannot forget the passage of Scripture I have quoted to you, and I am going to pray that God will, through that passage of Scripture, and His Holy Spirit, cause you to realize its truth.” “But,” he continued, “I do not believe it.” The was quoted Romans 3:3,4: “For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid.” The Christian then left the skeptic in the hands of God.
The next night the skeptic sought him and confessed that he had spent a miserable night. He said: “That verse you quoted so often has haunted me ever since; it will not leave my memory. Won’t you show me how to find rest for my soul?” What a joy it was to point him to John 1:29, leave him in Acts 13:52, and commend him in Jude 24. Thus, you see, God will honor His own Word.
II. By being a man or woman of good reputation
When we read of people like Timothy and Demetirus we read that they were men of good reputation. And from this that had a sucessful and fruitful ministry. It is important that out reputation is pure and clean. We are known as people who not only stand for truth but live it. Words travel fast so we must not have our corners or cliques in which we so called, “let our hair down” but we are who we are.
III. By taking an interest in the person not just their conversion
IV. By not being to heavenly minded that you are no earthly good
Other suggestions
1. Do not begin with criticism
2. Do not begin with condemnation
3. Do not argue
4. Do not antagonize
5. Begin with honest commendation
6. Find out a mans temporal interests before opening the subject of eternal intersts
7. Start where the man is, not where you want him to be
8. Seek for common interests
