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.
B. I like the story of the man who was injured on the job and had to provide further explanation of the cause of his injuries for the insurance company.
1. He wrote, “I trust that the following explanation will be sufficient.”
2. “I am a bricklayer by trade. On the date of the injury, I was working alone, laying brick around the top of a three-story building. When I finished the job, I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to put them into a barrel and lower them by a pulley that was fastened to the top of the building.”
3. “I secured the end of the rope at ground level, went back up to the top of the building, loaded the bricks into the barrel, and pushed it over the side. I went back down to the ground and untied the rope, holding it securely to insure the slow descent of the barrel.”
4. “As you will note in block #6 of the claim form, I weigh 145 pounds. At the shock of being jerked off the ground so swiftly by the 500 pounds of bricks in the barrel, I lost my presence of mind and forget to let go of the rope.”
5. “Between the second and third floors I met the barrel. This accounts for the bruises and lacerations on my upper body. Fortunately, I retained enough presence of mind to maintain my tight hold on the rope and proceeded rapidly up the side of the building, not stopping until my right hand was jammed in the pulley. This accounts for the broken thumb.”
6. “Despite the pain, I continued to hold tightly to the rope. Unfortunately, at approximately the same time, the barrel hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel along with the bricks. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel now weighed about fifty pounds. I again refer you to block #6, where my weight is listed as 145 pounds. I began a rapid descent.”
7. “In the vicinity of the second floor, I met the barrel coming up. This explains the injury to my legs and lower body. Slowed only slightly, I continued my descent, landing on the pile of bricks. Fortunately, my back was only sprained.”
8. “I’m sorry to report, however, that at this point I again lost my presence of mind and let go of the rope.”
C. As I said, “Some methods are better than others.”
1. Some approaches to moving bricks from the roof to the ground are more effective than others.
2. And the same is true with approaches to evangelism - some certainly are better than others.
3. It is also true that some of us are better suited for some approaches than for other approaches.
4. 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.
D. Two weeks ago, we talked about what some might call “friendship evangelism,” which is what we are going to call the relational approach later in today’s sermon.
1. And in that sermon, I said that I believe that friendship evangelism is one of the more effective approaches.
2. I pointed out that it was the approach that Jesus, and the apostles, Matthew and Paul, often employed.
3. But I also pointed out that friendship evangelism is not the only approach that works, and I said that Lord willing, we would look at some of the other possible approaches this week.
4. So, in today’s sermon, I want us to examine some other approaches for reaching the lost that might be a better fit for you or for me.
Let’s start with…
I. The Proclamation Approach
A. The proclamation approach involves proclaiming the good news about Jesus, simply and directly, to others in many different public forums.
1. Peter and Paul were both used by the Lord to speak to small and large groups about Jesus.
2. They each were given a public platform from which to proclaim the gospel and they were faithful to their calling.
3. Can you think of a better person than Peter to stand before the Jewish people on the Day of Pentecost and proclaim that Jesus is the messiah? (Acts 2)
4. 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)
5. Perhaps God has given you the gift of communication.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. For some people, the internet has become an avenue for proclamation of the gospel.
a. Some Christians are effectively sharing their faith in chat rooms, on blogs and websites designed to teach the gospel.
b. And so, the internet may be a place where you can effectively share your faith through proclamation.
B. In reality, however, many people don’t have the personality, giftedness, or the opportunities for the engaging in the proclamation approach to evangelism and so those individuals will be called upon to use a different approach other than the proclamation approach.
A second evangelistic approach is…
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.
2. He knew the difference that Jesus had made in his life.
3. He said, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.”
B. Another good example of the testimonial approach is the demon possessed man from Mark 5 who had a legion of demons in him.
1. After he was healed by Jesus and was in his right mind, he asked Jesus if he could follow Jesus on His ministry journey.
2. Jesus told him it would be better for him to go home and tell people how much the Lord had done for him.
C. The Apostle Paul also used this approach on many occasions.
1. Twice in the book of Acts (chapters 22 and 26) we see him sharing his testimony of how he came to believe in Jesus.
2. And as you likely recall, his conversion was a very dramatic conversion.
3. Jesus appeared to him and blinded him when Paul was on the way to persecute disciples in Damascus, but Jesus sent a disciple to restore Paul’s sight and baptize him into Christ.
4. Paul’s testimony was a powerful one as he not only received a personal visit from the resurrected Lord Jesus, but he went from being a persecutor to a promotor of Christianity.
D. But know this for sure, your testimony doesn’t have to be dramatic to be effective.
1. I’m certain that there are many people in your corner of the world who need to hear your story about how God has and is working in your life.
2. Some people might discount a dramatic testimony and excuse themselves from the need for God saying that they’ve never been that bad or that down and out as someone’s dramatic conversion story.
3. And so, your everyday story may relate to their everyday life and show them that they, too, need the grace and leadership of God that you’ve found.
4. I believe it is helpful for all of us to learn how to tell our story of conversion in a clear and concise manner, so that we can share our story whenever God gives us the opportunity.
A third evangelistic approach is…
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 every November.
3. Other things we might invite someone to could include the church picnic, or a special seminar we might offer, or a Bible study we are involved in, or we might just invite them to read the Bible with us.
B. What we are doing when we use this approach is we are trying to have them experience something that we have experienced with God, God’s Word, or God’s family.
1. The Samaritan Woman in John 4 used this approach with her friends back Sychar.
a. You remember her story, don’t you?
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 Jesus.
f. And what was her invitation to those people? “Come and see.”
2. That’s the same thing that Philip said 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 a Bible study.
4. Past research by George Barna’s research organization revealed that about 25% of adults in the United States said they would go to church if a friend would invite them.
A fourth evangelism approach is…
IV. The Service Approach.
A. The service approach is one that I have alluded to a number of times during this sermon series.
1. Christians have always been known for their acts of kindness whether it be in nursing the sick or feeding the hungry.
2. This is certainly one of the ways we can let our light shine and draw people to Jesus.
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 sometimes 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 others – you might make a meal for a sick neighbor, or clean their house, or help someone fix their car, mow their yard, snow blow their driveway, clean their gutters, or listen to them when they need someone to talk to.
3. When we serve them, it opens doors for the sharing of our faith.
4. 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, child-care, education or occupational help.
5. As you know, we are already serving our community through our food pantry and food sense ministries, as well as other community service things like the Christmas baskets and back to school outreach.
6. Let’s continue to serve our community so that doors may be opened for the gospel.
As we conclude this sermon, I want to remind us of the approach that we discussed two weeks ago…
V. The Relational Approach.
A. This was the approach that was employed by Matthew, the tax collector turned disciple, when he invited all his irreligious friends to a party.
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. The apostle Paul shared with us his understanding of this approach when he said that he has become all things to all men, so that by all possible means he might save some. (1 Cor. 9:19-23)
1. In other words, Paul tried to meet people where they were.
2. Paul showed interest in what others were interested in, so that he could build a relational bridges.
3. Paul befriended others in order to share the good news of Jesus with them.
C. So, if this approach fits you, then open up your home, your heart, and your life to others and watch the Lord do His work.
Conclusion:
A. Ultimately, we should want to follow the instructions that the Apostle Paul gave us in Colossians 4, when he 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. Let’s be wise and make the most of every opportunity.
2. In some upcoming sermons, we will address the content of our words as we try to clearly communicate the good news about Jesus.
B. But for today, I want to encourage us to look over the list of ways to evangelize and realize that some people will only be gifted to employ one or two of the 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, maybe you need to get someone involved who can.
C. Let me end with some powerful thoughts from a man named Sam Shoemaker who had spiritual influence on the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. He wrote:
“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 near the door this morning?
1. Do you need to come inside and find God?
2. Please come inside and find the one God who offers the only life worth living.
E. For those of us who have found the door, 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. Let’s experiment with the different approaches until we find the one that fits us best.
4. And then let’s be active in employing that approach in sharing our faith, so that we can help people find the door, who is Jesus.
Resources:
• Becoming a Contagious Christian, Bill Hybels
