Series: Evangelism
Category: Core Seminars, Courage & Boldness, Work & Vocation, Family, Evangelism
Detail:
Core Seminar: Evangelism
Sharing with Family & Co-Workers
Welcome to the Evangelism C.S., Introduce yourself / co-teachers, Explain the Handout, Pray
Introduction
This is the 10th of 13 classes in our evangelism core seminar.
Before we begin our review from last week I’d like to see if anyone took the opportunity to share the Gospel in the past week? (Hear from the class) I want to encourage you to continue to pray and ask God to open doors for you to speak with people about Christ. Seek ways to begin conversations and move them toward the Gospel.
In week 1 we walked from Genesis to Revelation and showed that in history God is saving people for His glory.
In week 2 we discussed how God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility fit together in evangelism.
In week 3 we looked at what the Gospel message is, namely that Jesus came and died on the cross for sinners, rose from the dead and now calls all people to repent and believe in Him.
In week 4 we discussed how to share our personal testimony in such a way that proclaims the Gospel and calls people to “come and see” Jesus and how He has transformed our lives.
In week 5 we explored how the local church serves as a powerful evangelistic tool because it both pictures and proclaims the Gospel to all who are present.
In weeks 6-7 we got very practical and looked at methods of sharing the Gospel with 2 Ways to Live and Christianity Explored .
In week 8 , we talked about how to take into consideration people’s backgrounds and their cultural context when sharing the Gospel.
In week 9 , we talked about barriers that hinder us from sharing the Gospel and ways we could bridge from everyday conversations into eternal conversations.
In today’s class we are going to continue with the practical theme and talk about how we can be intentional and strategic in taking the Gospel to people who do not know Christ.
This will be a general idea that will include a few principles that we can seek to apply in our everyday lives.
Then, we will move literally closer to home and think about how we should be evangelistic in relationships with people we are close with like our family members, our friends and those we work with daily.
These topics are always challenging for most people, so I pray the Lord will give us an extra measure of His mercy this morning.
Be Intentional and Strategic with Your Life
Do not forget who we are. Jesus has commissioned us as His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20). This means we are His representatives wherever He has placed us.
Be devoted to Praying
Pray for God to give you compassion for the lost.
Pray for God to open doors.
Pray for God to give you wisdom of what to say.
Pray for God to give you courage to speak.
Always be Preparing
1 Peter 3:15 “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”Spend good time in devotional reading with the Lord. As you come to passages that show proclamation of the Gospel, pray for the Lord to move in your heart, family, neighborhood, workplace and the world through you.
Purchase copies of 2 Ways to Live or another trustworthy tract and carry a few copies around with you to give to people you speak with about the Gospel or with a tip.
Purchase some $5 Bibles and have a copy in your bag when you travel or at your desk. Consider making note of a few passages of Scripture that would be good for the person receiving it to read.
Read biographies of people who dedicated their lives to proclaiming the Gospel.[1]
Always be Pursuing
Be intentional to pray for and meet your neighbors and have them over for a meal. Illustr : Uncle Pip and Aunt Jenny
Make having non-Christians over for a meal a regular part of your life. Plan ahead! Illustr : tithe of groceries; …who should you have over for dinner? Who should you take out to lunch?
May I ask you a few questions…May I share with you what I believe as a follower of Jesus?
Talk to strangers
Be a creature of habit…Illustr : Mark @ Hops…Paul and Marissa at Ananas -> sharing the Gospel over dinner.
Always be Pursuing
Pray for Christian workers around the world. Illustr : Dispatches from the front DVD nights at the Wamkes
Give generously and sacrificially to your local church…supports missionaries (Andy Johnson)
Go on mission trips…if you’ve never gone…I encourage you to prayerfully consider.
How to talk with Family, Friends and Co-Workers About the Gospel
We share the same
As we talk about sharing the Gospel in relationships that we are closest to us, we should remember that no matter who we are sharing with, the Gospel never changes. People are always sinners, Christ is always the sinless Savior who died for rebels, rose from the dead and now calls them to repent and believe. There is no secret thing that you should say to your children or your parents or your best friend or your boss.
We should be diligent to pray
As we’ve talked about throughout this class, prayer is a powerful part of being a faithful evangelist. In regards to family, friends and co-workers…I would encourage you to keep a journal or a list of people you are praying for.
Illustr : Fridge prayer list at home
Make plans
As Christians, I believe we have the responsibility before God to tell those in our family who Christ is and what He wants from them. Parents clearly have the responsibility to tell their children. Deuteronomy 6 is a wonderful chapter to read sometimes for parents. If you are interested in resources on witnessing to your children email me and I’ll send you some recommendations.
Children also should seek to share with their parents. If God has been merciful to you, and opened your eyes to the Gospel apart from your parents…pray and plan to have conversations w/ them.
I would encourage you to sit down sometime and prayerfully make a list of people in your family and think of times you might be able to share with them. Ask God to give you opportunities and seek to make them happen.
Illustr : earlier this year, travels to SA, led to gospel conversations with a family friend.
Regarding your family and co-workers, speak to them with honor and humility
Illustr : T. Nelson to college students…go home, don’t start preaching…do dishes, make bed, lawn
Regarding your co-workers, be courageous
Be willing to take stands if necessary on issues…be willing to lose your job.
Matthew 10:37-39 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
The closer we are with someone, the more important it is for us to portray the Gospel with our lives
While we should always seek to live a life of godliness, it is very important to make sure that as we live humbly and carefully around our family and co-workers.
Q: Why do you think I say this? [take answers from class]
A: The Gospel is not just an idea that we should seek to communicate…instead we should view it as a reality that is to be proclaimed and portrayed. People should see how the hope, love, power of the Gospel is transforming our lives and giving us hope that is greater than this world. 1 Peter 3:1-6
You may not see the affects of your faithfulness until many years later.
As we proclaim the Gospel, also be looking for ways to serve.
We should be quick to confess if we have sinned against someone.
God will always save people in spite of us. “Spirit works in the midst of the mess.”
Witnessing to family, friends and co-workers should be urgent and patient
Don’t need to talk about it every time you see them.
Write letters
Conclusion & Homework
..ask God to 1) strengthen your heart…2) open doors
Sit down and ask God to help you plan times to share with friends, family and co-workers.
[1] Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God , Noel Piper; Through Gates of Spendor , Elizabeth Elliot; Whitfield by Arnold Dallimore ; To Golden Shore (Adoniram Judson)
