Transcript Developing a Heart to Share Jesus

1
This Material Is Based On
The Book
Share Jesus Without Fear
By
William Fay & Ralph Hodge
2
“The Starfish Story”
“Well I sure made a difference for that one”
Just like that single starfish, the world for
one person can change every time you share
the gospel
3
Developing a Heart to Share Jesus
Recall some of the times you spoke about Christ
Five questions, Seven Verses & Five additional
questions
After this course, you will have the confidence
Witnessing should be a normal part of our life,
God is at work in people all around us
Our part is to be obedient
4
A Barrier To Sharing Christ
 Think of one person (co-worker, family member,
etc) whom you feel is the least likely person to
become a Christian
What is it about some people which makes us
feel they are so unlikely to receive Jesus as Lord
and Savior?
5
Are We to Witness?
Christ’s first instructions to His new followers
were: “Come follow Me, and I will make you
fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)
His last instructions to His disciples were: “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)
6
Many Christians do Not Know How
To share their faith
Many have tried and received a negative
reaction
Felt rejected and thought they failed
As a result they do not witness anymore and
now feel guilty about it
7
The Sin of Silence
Is there a sin of silence when we say nothing?
Is anybody here guilty of the sin of silence?
Maybe - someone else can speak to this person
about Christ
8
The Sin of Silence is a Deadly Sin
Can we recall the times we chose to be silent?
The Apostle Peter thought it made sense not to put
himself in danger
Many of us have also decided not to risk being
rejected, embarrassed or persecuted.
Why do we choose to be silent?
9
“Share Jesus Without Fear”
Will show you how to be free from failure when
witnessing to those who are spiritually lost.
You will learn that success is more than leading
someone to Christ.
Success is living the Christian life day by
day, sharing the gospel and trusting God for
the results.
10
What Is Success In Witnessing?
How many of you thought that success in
witnessing is bringing someone to the point of a
decision for Christ?
Success in witnessing is living out my Christian
life, sharing the gospel and trusting God for the
results
11
Gideon & Moses were reluctant to go
Gideon’s Objections were: “But Lord how can I
save Israel? My clan is the weakest in
Manasseh and I am the least in my family.”
(Judges 6:15)
Yet with nothing more than faith in God and in
partnership with Him, Gideon was to accomplish
God’s mission with only 300 men against an
opposing army of approx. 120,000
12
Moses Initial Reaction to God
1. He didn’t have the position or stature to
approach a powerful Pharaoh (Ex 3:11-12)
2. The people won’t believe his story (Ex 4:1-9)
3. That he isn’t a good speaker and can’t talk
easily or say the right things (Ex 4:10-12)
Does that sound familiar?
13
(Exodus 3:12) God Says “I will be with you”
Moses overlooked, God’s promise
Many Christians today overlook this promise
Jesus command in the Bible in Matthew 28:19
says “Go and make Disciples”
14
Why Are We Afraid To Share?
1. Fear of rejection
2. I don’t know enough
3. What if people will get offended
4. I’m uncomfortable sharing at work
5. My life is not what it ought to be
6. What if I get ridiculed for sharing
7. I’m not good at evangelism
15
Why Are We Afraid To Share
8. Fear of confrontation
9. Embarrassment
10. Complacency
11. Bad past experiences
12. More responsibilities
13. I won’t be liked
What can enable us to overcome these fears?
16
You Will Likely be One of Several
Christians in the lost persons life
On average it takes 7 or 8 times after hearing the
gospel before someone surrenders to Christ
You may be first touch
You may be #7 or even #10 or #30 for some
-- Or you may be the key that opens their heart
17
You can’t fail
If you’re faithful
The Bible will provide the answers
The Holy Spirit will provide the power
(John 16:7-8) says, “When He (the Holy Spirit)
comes He will convict the world of guilt in regard
to sin and righteousness and judgment.”
18
Learning a Way to Share Jesus
Three Simple Steps
To Sharing Jesus Without Fear
19
And.. the Three Simple Steps Are
1.You will ask a person Five Questions to determine if
God is working in a person’s life
2.The person will read seven verses from the Bible
and explain what each verse means (if they give
you permission to open your Bible)
3.You will then ask them Five additional Questions to
lead them to the point of a decision for Christ
This method makes witnessing incredibly simple
It will help you to avoid unnecessary arguments
20
And... How do you avoid an argument?
What is the best way to avoid an argument?
Answer “By asking questions”
What should you not do?
Answer “Not comment or argue”
21
Just Ask Questions
No Memorizing of Scripture
However, we do recommend memorizing the
questions
You are totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit
using the Word of God
No one will be able to argue with you
22
The First Step
Is a series of five questions that will help you
determine the person’s spiritual condition
You will sense if God is working in his/her life
These five questions will help you move a
conversation toward spiritual concerns
It will help you to avoid talking more than you
listen
23
The Five Questions
1. Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?
2. To you who is Jesus?
3. Do you think there is a heaven and a hell?
4. If you died right now, where would you go?
5. If what you believe were not true, would you
want to know it?
24
The First Question!
1. Do you have any type of spiritual belief?
Allow the person to bring their disbelief into the
conversation
You should not attempt to clarify anything the
person says
Just focus on attentive listening
Your only responses should be something like
“Umm” or “Uh huh.”
25
The Second Question!
2. To you who is Jesus?
This is a question for “Religious” people to see if they
actually have a personal relationship with Jesus.
Some will answer, He was a good man.
Or, the man who died on the cross
These answers do not indicate a personal relationship
with Christ
A Christian would simply answer, “My Lord and my
Savior.”
26
Does the Person Have A Personal
Relationship With Jesus?
Each one of us have to either accept or reject Him!
In Mat 16:13-16, Jesus asked, “But what about
you? Who do you say that I am?”
27
Question Three!
3. Do you think there is a heaven and a hell?
This is also, a non-threatening question
You are opening an opportunity for him or her to
talk about the subject of heaven and hell
Let them tell you what they believe
Let the Holy Spirit use this question to turn their
heart toward Jesus
28
Question Four!
4. If you died right now, where would you go?
This requires a response from the heart
People get very serious when reflecting on the
personal aspects of their lives
If the answer is “Heaven.” Ask, “Why would God
let you in.”
The answer they give will open their heart to
receive additional truth
29
Question Five!
If what you believe were not true would you
want to know it?
If the answer is “Yes” proceed to step two
(Reading the Bible verses)
If the answer is “No” then stop
When you become silent, they may want you to
continue
However, if you get a firm “No” remember, he is
30
using the freedom of choice that God gives
Seven Minute Break
31
The Second Step – Seven Bible Verses
This step provides a series of Bible verses to
ask the lost person to read out loud
In (Luke 24:45) it says “Then He (Jesus)
opened their minds so they could understand
the Scriptures.”
God uses Scripture to change people’s lives
32
The Rabbit Trail
Highlight and Mark Your Bible
This makes guiding them through the 7 verses of
the Bible very simple
They will probably think you went to Bible
college
Use a yellow highlighter,it is the easiest to see
through
33
The Seven Verses to Let The Bible Speak
1. Romans 3:23 – The issue of sin
2. Romans 6:23 – The penalty of sin
3. John 3:3 – how to enter a relationship with Christ
4. John 14:6 – The narrowness of the gospel
5. Romans 10:9-11 – Anyone can be saved
6. 2nd Cor 5:15 – We must turn from and turn to
7. Revelation 3:20 – A choice to accept or reject
34
Two Important Principles
To sharing your faith using verses from the Bible
1. “Hearing.” It is important to say, “Read the verse
out loud.” and
2. “Ask the Question.” “What does it mean to you”?
When the person has finished reading the verse
* You are only in the page turning business
* God’s Word does the convicting
35
Present What The Bible Says
 If a person says “I don’t know what it means’”
Just say read it again!
Don’t be to hasty explaining the Scripture Verse.
The purpose is to cause the person to think and
for the Holy Spirit to continue convicting him of
his spiritual emptiness.
36
Asking For A Decision……….
Something that many Christians fear the most
Many lost people want to find a way to receive
the promises of Scripture
They simply need someone to use the Bible to
tell them how
Remember, the power of the Holy Spirit will have
been working in the life of the lost person
37
The Five Closing Questions!
1. Are you a sinner?
2. Do you want forgiveness for your sins?
3. Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for
you and rose again?
4. Are you willing to surrender your life to Christ?
5. Are you ready to invite Jesus into your life and
into your heart?
38
The Answer Is “Yes” or “No”
Remember………..
You haven’t argued with or pressured the person
You have been a kind and thoughtful listener
Have faith that God will be at work
When you ask the final question: - be silent and
pray
This is a crucial point in the witnessing process
39
Wait For Their Answer!
If a person has broken the silence with a
simple “yes” or “I”m” ready. Then!
Kindly guide her to state specifically that she
wants to invite Jesus into her life
Then offer to lead her in a prayer of
repentance and faith
40
Jesus said “Today you will be with
Me in Paradise”
Remember it is not the words they use that
saves them
Deciding to trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior
saves them.
The only words the thief on the cross spoke to
enter heaven was “Jesus, remember me when
You come into Your kingdom!”
God knew what was in his heart.
41
The “Why” Principal
Answer the “No” response with “why?”
It is important to ask “why” a person has decided
to reject Christ
The real reasons are usually far deeper than
what has been said
The simple question, “Why” provides an
opportunity to deal with the issue
You can keep using “Why” to get to the real
issue
42
Two common negative remarks about
the Bible
1. There are many errors in the Bible
Answer: Hand them your Bible and have them
point out the errors
2. There are many translations, how do you
know which one is right
Answer: Did you know that each of these
Christian versions all share the same intent?
43
“To Many Hypocrites In The Church!”
Brings an immediate switch from why she isn’t
ready, to a concern for hypocrites in the Church
Answer, “I have great comfort in the Bible
teaching us that we are to follow Jesus, not
people
I’ve also, come to realize that if I were to join a
perfect church it would no longer be perfect
44
They Live A Sinful Life and Enjoy It
Answer: Suppose you are driving home tonight
and you have an accident that takes your life
From what you’ve read in the Bible, since you
died after deciding not too trust your life to
Jesus, what will happen to you?
The usual response is an acknowledgment of
“Hell” of where they would go.
45
“I Am Not Good Enough”
Answer: (Romans 10:13) “Everyone who calls on
the name of Lord will be saved.”
You could say, “If a person is a murderer or a
thief, do you think that verse includes him?”
Most people will say “Yes”
You can respond with, “Then can He forgive
you?” The answer of course is “yes”
46
There Are Many Religions In The World
Which one is right?
All religions in the world can basically be divide
into two groups
Christianity on one hand
All other religions on the other hand
47
Other Religions Make Two Claims
(a) That Jesus is not God. He may be a great
prophet, teacher or good man but not the
Messiah and
(b) That if you do enough good works through
your own efforts, you can receive some form of
salvation
48
Christianity Claims
That Jesus is God.
That God has come to us in the person of Jesus
Christ who lived, died on the cross and rose from
the grave, that we might have eternal life
Jesus has paid the price for our salvation
And….. That without a personal relationship with
Christ we are all hopelessly lost
49
After Receiving Christ
 You might say something like this!
Now that you are a believer
God wants you to be involved in a fellowship of
believers
I would like to help you get started
If the person lives near your church, you will
probably invite the person to go with you to your
church
50
If They Don’t Live Close By
 You might say something like this!
Do you think you would be more interested in
going to a small church or a large church?
Then! Offer to help locate someone who will call
them within a few days
51
Seeing God Create A New Life
Do you think God could use you to reach
some of the people in your circle of
influence?
Someone knew that I wasn’t okay”
52
We Must Tell Others About Jesus
“and Let our Light shine……….”
53
Be Prepared To Witness
1. Determine where God is working
2. Allow the Word of God to convict
3. (Then ask the five additional) questions for the
person to reach a decision for Christ
Its as simple as that – even you can do it!
54
Your Greatest Strength Is
Your willingness to trust God as your Partner in
guiding a lost brother or sister, a parent, a son or
daughter, a colleague at work or a stranger to
know the saving grace of God
God will bless you as you join Him in the exciting
journey of Sharing Jesus Without Fear
55
Lets Read Mark 2:1-12
Mark 2:1-12 NIV A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the
people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no
room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.
Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since
they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening
in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the
paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some teachers of the law were
sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's
blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus knew
in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to
them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the
paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive
sins...." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go
home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This
amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen
anything like this!"
56
What does “Faith” do?
The house was packed; people had come from
miles around for Jesus to heal them
There was no room for anyone else!
Was it risky to carry an invalid up on the roof?
Was it dangerous to cut through the roof and
lower their friend down?
57
Faith Gets God’s Attention
Vs 5 says “When Jesus saw their faith, he said
to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven.“
Jesus not only healed his body He healed his
soul as well. God gives us so much more than
we could ever imagine when we come to Him in
faith
Four men had enough hope in Christ and love
for their friend that they took a chance
58
God gives us what we need!
And it’s a good thing
Which of us would have dared to say: God,
would you please be tortured and hang yourself
on a cross to a horrible death as a substitution
for every sin I have ever committed? And then
after you forgive me, could you prepare a place
for me in your house to live with you forever?
59
We are all like that Invalid!
Helpless and unable to save ourselves
We would ask for little things like a long life, a
healthy body and a good job
But - have you come to God to have your sins
totally and completely forgiven?
Are willing to repent and receive Christ ?
To receive Christ as the Lord and Master of your
life.
60
Are Your Sins Forgiven?
Jesus said in Vs 5 “Young man, your sins are
forgiven.”
Vs7 reminds us that “Only God can forgive sins.”
and in V5 Jesus is the one who forgives his sins
Will you be that person that stands up today to
repent (which means to turn from your sins and
turn to God) and come to Jesus to receive
forgiveness for your sins?
61
A Prayer to Receive Christ
Heavenly Father, I have sinned against You. I
want forgiveness for all my sins. I believe that
Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father I give You my life to do with as You wish.
I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into
my heart. I pray and ask this in Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
62