Teaching in the sense of evangelism
1)
One of the popular parts of the Internet “you tube.”
2)
This segment of the Internet, if we are not familiar
with it, is where all types of videos may be accessed.
3)
Some might think that You tube” has been around for
quite a while, but this is not true.
4)
You tub was started in 2005 by 3 former PayPal employees.
5)
You tube has come a long ways; some material from CBS
and the BBC may be found on it.
6)
Other types of unusual videos are also on you tube.
7)
Some preachers have made videos of their sermons and
posted them on you tube.
8)
School course work for young people has also been made
easier by this part of the Internet.
a)
One young person recently spoke about the trouble he
was having with calculus.
b)
His teacher was not making things very plain and he was
really struggling.
c)
He watched a you tube video that greatly simplified
calculus for him.
d)
After watching the video a couple of times, he
concluded that calculus is pretty easy.
e)
Some have found entertainment on you-tube.
f)
Many more are finding that this site has great value
because it actually teaches some things.
g)
You tube has made some things easier to learn.
h)
Part of the reason you tube is popular is that people
like things to be simplified.
i)
People like comedy that is easy to understand. People like teaching that makes things
simple.
9)
We do not like to sort through a 50 page instruction
booklet to figure out how to make something work.
10) Modern
man generally wants things to be streamlined and simplified.
11) When
it comes to the Bible, we find that people have this same desire.
12) Tonight
we want to think about being teachers who can make something quick and simple.
13) We
want to explore some techniques that allow us to quickly get and hold a
person’s attention.
14) There
are 5 things that we can use on a regular basis that are very easy and very
effective.
a)
Each of these tools involves a question.
b) We can ask five easy
questions that allow us to see if people will allow us to give them some
information.
c)
This is important because reaching people with the
gospel requires some individual effort.
15) At
the last elders and deacon’s meeting we spoke for a while about more outreach.
16) How
can we do a better job of evangelizing the lost in all the counties around us.
a)
We went through the list of things that we have done
and are continuing to do.
b)
We have distributed bread to the poor for about three
years.
c)
We have used the tv., radio, internet, newspaper, and
tens of thousands of mass mailings.
d)
We have sent out free CD’s and tracks.
e)
We have knocked on thousands of doors. We have tried VBS and gospel meetings.
f)
We have used bookmarks, had ladies’ days, and at least
one special seminar on creation and evolution.
g)
We have tried a friend’s day. All types of messages have been tried on a
public sign.
h)
We have dedicated at least some effort to evangelism at
the local jail.
i)
Some contacts have been made due to people being sick,
hospitalized, and funerals.
j)
We have devoted hundreds and probably thousands of
hours to mass evangelism.
k)
A high percentage of the seed we have sown has not been
all that productive.
17) The
consensus from the discussion in that last meeting was we need to focus on
individual efforts.
18) Most
of the conversion we experience will be based on our personal contact with
others.
19) There
are five questions that can help us reach people who have not become Christians.
20) The
first of these questions involves a person’s spiritual life.
a)
There are people we know or meet who would not mind
being asked this question:
b)
“Do you have any
kind of spiritual belief?”
c)
Or, we might ask:
“Do you attend services anywhere?”
d)
Neither of these questions is threatening.
21) If
we asked a person if they believed in God, we might get a hostile response.
22) A
person might shout, NO I DON’T BELIEVE
IN GOD.”
23) Or,
someone might say they do believe in God – they worship his statue located on their
fireplace mantle.
24) Asking
about a person’s spiritual interest is an easy question that most are very
willing to answer.
a)
Before we left for
b)
The
fellow who did the work was probably in his 20’s and apparently liked a lot of
human body artwork.
c)
His outward appearance left me with the impression that
he was not a religious man.
d)
The way he talked pretty much confirmed that suspicion.
e)
Before I drove off, I took just a minute to speak with
him about the spiritual part of life.
25) This
young man was not subjected to an inquisition.
He didn’t get a sermon.
26) There
were just a few brief words about whether or not he worshipped somewhere.
27) Did
he have some spiritual beliefs? He did,
though it did not seem they were very well organized.
28) I
gave him a card and he said knew exactly where our building is.
29) That
man may not know a single thing about the New Testament church.
a)
The next time he passes by this structure, I and pretty
he will know one thing.
b)
Someone from here cared enough about him to ask about
his beliefs and encouraged him to visit.
c)
This fellow received a personal invitation to come and
was given the times for services.
d)
We meet people day after day that we can deal with in
the same manner.
30) We
can ask if people if they have any spiritual beliefs or attend a religious
group.
31) Whatever
the answer to that question is, we can offer an invitation.
32) “We
would like to leave you with a church bulletin/a house to house publication, a
tract,” etc.
a)
This is “sowing the seed” (Lk. 8:5).
b)
If we did not sow much seed in 2008, we can do a better
job in this new year.
c)
By simply inviting someone to services there is a sense
in which we are teaching.
33) When
Jesus gave the parable He did in Lk. 8 He said something interesting.
a)
He said some seed “fell by the wayside.”
b)
A lot of the seed we buy is expensive.
c)
We usually do not want our seed to get scattered
anywhere but the planting area.
d)
We do not want good seed to fall into the street; we
are careful with where it goes.
34) With
God’s seed, we want to take and sow it in every possible place.
35) Some
of the ground may seem hard, but we sow it there if the soil does not seem too
fertile.
36) If
I would have made a guess about the man I met about a week ago, I would have
said “bad soil.”
a)
“There is little chance this fellow will ever darken
the door.”
b)
It is not my right to try and judge what ground might
be good and what ground is probably bad.
c)
Christians try to plant and water and God gives the
increase (1 Cor. 3:6).
d)
A
simple question about if people have a spiritual belief and where they worship
can bring big dividends.
37) A
second question is just as good as the first:
38) “What do you think of Jesus Christ?”
a)
We might pose this question to someone that we have met
at least a few times.
b)
Have they heard of Jesus? What is their view of the Lord?
c)
Someone might say they think Jesus “was a good man.”
d)
Others might say He was “a god,” but not part of the
Godhead.
e)
We might find some who think Jesus was some type of
imposter.
f)
When a person tells us what they think of Jesus, we can
ask why they came to this conclusion.
g)
People generally like to talk and are usually willing
to explain why they believe what they do.
39) Jesus
(Mt. 16:13) asked who people thought He was.
40) Then
He said to the apostles (Mt. 16:15), “Who do you say that I am?”
a)
This is still a great question and it allows us to
teach people.
b)
Asking this question allows a person to start thinking
about spiritual things.
c)
We immediately open a door to begin talking about
Christ and the gospel.
d)
This question might be asked after we first inquire
about a person’s beliefs.
e)
If someone says they do have some spiritual beliefs, we
ask them about their view of Jesus.
41) It
is also possible to ask them about a third matter: life after death.
42) There
are many times when we can ask people what they believe about heaven and hell.
a)
Sometimes this question just “fits” into a conversation
we are having.
b)
People may be discussing something related to morality.
c)
A person may not be prosecuted for a terrible crime
they committed and people comment on it.
d)
They may say “just was not served.”
e)
We may ask if that person believes there will be
justice in the after-life?
f)
Or, we may ask if the person in our minds believes in
life after death.
g)
Will the immoral people, some of whom are crooks, be
punished in the hereafter?
h)
This type of question again opens up a door for us to
start teaching.
i)
We can do a lot of evangelism by just opening our mouth
and asking just one question.
j)
Five or 6 words can often open a door that will
eventually lead a person to Christ.
43) Our
fourth question may be one deals with the after-life..
a)
There are times when it is appropriate to say to
someone, “If you died, where would you go?
b)
Most people accept the fact that they will one day die.
c)
Heb. 9:27 says all die, and the majority of people
accept this statement as being true.
d)
What does a person believe about death? Do they believe in heaven?
e)
Do they think this is where they will go? If so, why?
f)
Perhaps a person will say they do not know, but they
have always wondered about this subject.
g)
In these cases we can ask if they would like to see
what the Bible says about life after death.
h)
A Bible study appointment or a tract may be offered.
44) Some
might laugh and say, “I am going to Hell?”
I have had this happen.
45) Even
in these cases we have an opportunity to teach people.
46) We
can ask if they would not prefer the other place.
47) The
Bible shows time and time again the power of a simple question.
48) Thousands
of people have been taught because someone took the time to ask them a
question.
49) Questions
are often like keys.
50) They
can let us into a person’s life and often unlock the door to saving their
eternal spirit.
51) Question
5 is related to what people believe.
a)
This question may not be the best one to begin with,
but it is important.
b)
We may ask people about their beliefs.
c)
We might say to them, “If you believe something that is
false, would you want to know?”
d)
A few people might say they would prefer not to know.
e)
Most are thoughtful enough to say that they would like
to have the right information.
52) Once
again this opens up the door to start teaching people the Bible.
53) In
an average day most of us probably ask at least 5 or 6 questions.
54) We
can make a weekly goal of asking at least one person a religious question.
55) Tonight
we have given 5 possible questions that can be asked, but there are many
others.
56) Questions
are easy, effective, and can have an eternal benefit for people.
57) Most
of the invitations offered at this congregation are expressed in the form of a
question.
58) Are
we a Christian? Are we living a faithful
Christian life? Is there a way we can
help you?
59) Questions
open doors and that is what we want to do for the lost in our world—open doors
for them.
60) Tonight
a door is also open to those who are here.