A TIM EQUIPPING COURSE

OUTREACHAS A LIFE-STYLE

Scott D. Roen

This 12 lesson workbook will train people in how to develop friendships

which will lead to sharing Christ with them.

© 2012 byTrainingInMinistry.com

To purchase copies of this book, or its Leader’s Guide, log on to:

TRAININGINMINISTRY.COM

or order dirctly fromTheBookPatch.com

Locate the title, then click on:

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To Lewis Wimberly,Mary Shippe,

and the L.E.A.D. facilitators of The Evangelical Free Church of America.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Scott Roen is the Pastor of The Grace Evangelical Free Church in Birmingham, Michigan. For the past five years he has been involved in the ministry of Lay Evangelism and Discipleship with the Evangelical Free Church, which is a support ministry to local churches in the areas of evangelism and discipleship. Scott currently serves as the coordinator of L.E.A.D. workshops for the Eastern third of the United States. He is a graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Scott and his wife, Faye, have one five year old son.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION USED: Scripture quotations, are taken from the English Standard Version, ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

For Study Leaders.......................................................4

Curriculum of TIM Courses.........................................5

1 Game Plan for Outreach..............................................7

2 Keys to Evangelism....................................................18

3 Our Web of Relationships..........................................29

4 Your Personal Testimony...........................................38

5 Understanding Evangelism.......................................45

6 Stage of Unawareness...............................................53

7 Stage of Misunderstanding.......................................62

8 Stage of Testing.........................................................69

9 Genuine Interest and Positive Response..................78

10 The Presentation of the Gospel.................................89

11 Sharing With Unbelievers.........................................98

12 Handling Objections................................................109

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FOR STUDY LEADERS

Welcome to this significant opportunity to be involved in Jesus’ Great Commission to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20). To help you move forward, you are encouraged to:1. Download a free copy of “DESIGN YOUR EQUIPPING MINISTRY” from: TrainingInMinistry.com. Ch. titles in this key resource are:

What in the World is the Church Doing? The Biblical Mandate to Equip Lay Ministry in the Mirror of History How to Implement Change How Adults Learn Effectively How to Lead Effective Discussions How to Develop Your Equipping Ministry

2. Download the free Leader’s Guide for Christianity 101. This guide will be of much help to you as you lead each weekly group session.Educational Philosophy of TIM CoursesEvery TIM course incorporates a head, heart, and hands approach to learning. Head represents content to be learned, heart the application of this truth to one’s own life, and hands, involvement in ministry through using the course content. Your Time CommitmentYour Time CommitmentAs the Group Study Leader, you should spend adequate time: 1) Preparing the workbook lesson—just as thoroughly as you expect your learners to prepare. 2) Reading the Leader’s Guide and marking those questions and other items you want to emphasize during the group session.The Weekly Group MeetingThis 90 minute weekly meeting should feature a discussion of the lesson, focusing on integrative and application type questions found in the Leader’s Guide. It should consist of an hour of interaction with the lesson,

as well as time for prayer and group fellowship. Ministry InvolvementThis ministry opportunity should be appropriate to the gifts and ministry experiences of each learner; result in their growth; and “build up” the Body of Christ.

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Curriculum of TIM Courses

TRAINING IN MINISTRY courses will enable you to “equip the saints for the work of ministry and so build up the body of Christ.” Grounding CoursesCHRISTIANITY 101 is designed to disciple new Christians, either in small groups, or one-to-one. Application: Learners will lead another person through this course.A PANORAMA OF THE BIBLE features easy-to-remember visuals for each of the 12 Bible periods. Learners will thrill to find that they can remember the major themes of Bible content and message. Application: With the aid of the Leader’s Guide, learners will lead another person, or a small group through this course.TRUTH THAT TRANSFORMS will provide learners with a solid foundation in the major doctrines of Scripture, with an emphasis on practical applications. Application: Learners will, with the aid of the Leader’s Guide, lead another individual, or group of people through this course.A PANORAMA OF CHRISTIAN HISTORY provides a “big picture” view of the Church from the 1st through the 20th century. It also emphasizes practical lessons we can apply to our own ministry. Application: Learners will teach this course to another person or group.Growing CoursesWELCOME TO YOUR MINISTRY teaches the important truth that God has called and gifted all believers for ministry and challenges them to get involved in some basic ministries in the church. Application: Learners will commit to getting additional training for ministry, and getting involved in it.HOW TO DISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS will provide believers with a better understanding of which spiritual gifts they may have, and how to use their gifts in service for Christ. Application: A short-term assignment will be given, wherein learners use one of their gifts in an approved ministry.

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LEARNING TO SERVE: JESUS AS ROLE MODEL teaches the servant life-style of Jesus in many ministry related contexts, and helps learners put this into practice in their ministry. Application: Learners will be given a ministry role wherein they demonstrate the servant-leader style of Jesus.

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Going CoursesYOUR MINISTRY OF PRAYER studies prayer in Scripture, and will help learners become involved in a significant ministry of prayer. Application: Participants will commit to a ministry of prayer as suggested in the course content.OUTREACH AS A LIFE-STYLE will train lay people to develop friendships with people, leading to sharing Christ with them. Application: Learners will practice this personal evangelism approach in their lives of sharing their faith.YOUR MINISTRY AT HOME provides practical principles in how to establish and maintain a truly Christian home. Application: Applying the principles week by week within the learner’s family, including being consistent in reading the weekly schedule of verses and journaling based on these verses.TOUCHING TOMORROW BY TEACHING CHILDREN is a superb tool to train more workers to serve in the exciting ministry of teaching children. Application: Teaming up with an experienced teacher as an assistant for one quarter or more.CHRISTIANITY IN THE WORKPLACE relates faith to practical and ethical issues on the job. Its focus is how to be like Christ in the work world. Application: Learners will apply these biblical principles to their areas of work.CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH is a course on Christian apologetics, which will equip learners to defend and share their faith, especially among intellectual unbelievers. Application: Learners will engage in an effective ministry of defending and sharing their faith.A SURVEY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT is a 12-lesson survey of the New Testament. It includes outlines of each book, background information, and questions for individual study. Application: Learners will be able to lead Bible studies in any New Testament book.HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE will give students an in-depth exposure to the inductive method of Bible study and help them develop their own outlines for leading Bible studies. Application: Based on their study, learners will lead 10 Bible studies in the book of Ephesians.

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YOUR MINISTRY OF LEADERSHIP will encourage, equip, and train Christian men and women for increased effectiveness in leadership. Application: Learners will demonstrate the skills taught in this course in an assigned ministry position.

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Chapter 1

GAME PLANFOR EVANGELISM

America seems to be captivated by football. From July to February, weekends belong to players, coaches, commentators, and spectators, investing energies and resources into the pursuit of pigskin supremacy. But football is not the easiest sport to understand. In fact it is downright complicated. However, there is one aspect of the game that the average enthusiast can easily comprehend - the game plan. The game plan is simply the formulation of a strategy. It guides a team through the various situations faced during a game. When a decision needs to be made, the game plan will be consulted. It dictates when the team will pass or run, whether the defense will defend against the long pass or the short pass, the end sweep or the trap. This strategy is carefully thought out and based on the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the opponent. Let’s think about a basic game plan for one interested in the ministry of evangelism. It seems that there are two alternatives from which to choose. We can either attempt to attract the world to come to the church, and once there leave the work to the experts, or we can take the church to the world and minister on a day-to-day basis. These two game plans feature some interesting distinctives.Attract the World to the ChurchGod has given the Church certain gifted individuals in the area of evangelism. The task of the Church is

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to attract seeking unbelievers to a gathering where these gifted individuals can then minister to the unbeliever. This can be on a small scale, such as a local church meeting, or on a large scale, such as a city-wide crusade. Whatever the scope of the event, the strategy is clearly, attract the world to the church and to the “experts” of the church. While this is not the strategy suggested in our course, we must recognize that there is a legitimate place for this strategy. However, it must be within the proper context.Open your Bible to John 1:35-42. How is the strategy of attracting the world to the church described in these verses.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One could easily conclude from these verses that the role of the Christian in evangelism is to simply bring unbelievers to someone with the gift of evangelism—and let him evangelize! But a closer look at this event makes it clear that this conclusion is not as cut and dried as it might appear. Bear in mind that this initial encounter with Jesus was nothing more than an introduction to Himself. Neither Andrew nor Peter were willing to make a commitment to follow Christ at this point. They were simply responding to His invitation to “come and see” (vs. 39). Once with Jesus, the work was not finished, rather it just began. Find Mark 1:1-16. What was the invitation given by Jesus? ___________________________________________________________

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What was the response of these men to this invitation of Christ?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Have you even wondered about the radical decision made by these men? They dropped the tools of their profession and just left them on the beach. They abandoned their business to follow after a revolutionary teacher. But, careful study will reveal that it was not as sudden a decision as one might initially think. New Testament scholars have estimated that this incident happened three or four months after their initial introduction to Jesus, recorded in John 1:35-51. It happened after these men witnessed Jesus clear the temple and interact with religious leaders. It happened after they had long hours of personal interaction with Christ, experiencing His presence in their lives. They had many opportunities to dialogue with Jesus about life, and life after this life. Simply bringing a person to an expert will not necessarily do the job, unless he or she has been prepared earlier for the invitation to follow Christ, as were these first disciples. The “attract the world to the church” game plan can be effective, but it must be in the context of developing relationships and preparing one for the invitation to make a commitment to follow Christ.We might wonder about the great successes of the past generations in bringing the world to the church. If it is not the best game plan, how do we account for the results of D.L. Moody, Dwight Pentecost, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham, and others?

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How do we account for the great churches of America that have been built on the concept of bringing unbelievers to week long revival meetings, with invitations to follow Christ given at each service? The answer is that, like the first disciples, these people were introduced to Jesus before the invitation to follow Him was given by the gifted evangelist.One hundred years ago, American society held to Biblical values. Our Schools taught Judeo-Christian ethics. The media upheld morality and a Biblical perspective on the news. When the invitation to follow Jesus was given, People were prepared. The game plan, “attract the world to the church” was working.

The last 30, years, however, have brought a new set of circumstances to our evangelism strategy. No longer is our society an ally. No longer is the church held in high esteem. In fact, recent lawsuits give indication that many regard the Church as the enemy. Rather than an expression of the mainstream of society, Biblical Christianity stands against the morals and lifestyle of 20th century America.Now it is true that there is still great success in city-wide evangelistic campaigns where we seek to attract the world to the church. But on taking a close look at those who respond. Charlie Riggs of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has stated that around 90% are from evangelical churches. They have been prepared through prior relationships with Christians. It is time to consider a change in our game plan. But there has been a reluctance on the part of the Church to change. There is still the insistence that a few “professionals” carry the majority of the

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responsibility for evangelism and the role of the Christian is to bring them to the “experts”. Attempts are still being made to attract the world to the church, but the world is not listening.One reason is that the world needs to be prepared to hear an invitation to follow Jesus. They need to see Christianity in the lives of everyday people. Dr. Martin Marty, an authority on Church history has stated, “If you are part of the Evangelical sub-culture, it is your whole life...you go to church, you buy the religious books, you watch the television programs. But if you are not a part of the sub-culture, you never know it exists.” Why is this? The answer lies in the fact that the Church and society have become polarized. And with this polarization, people are not experiencing the love of Christ, they only hear it proclaimed. The preparation to hear the Gospel is no longer built in to the American society as it once was. The Church needs to change Her game plan.Go to the World The Church of tomorrow must return to the type of evangelism revealed in the pages of the New Testament. Nowhere in the Bible are we told to attempt to attract the world to meetings where a “professional” will minister. Quite the contrary. The Bible clearly instructs all Christians to go to the world. This is outreach.But some may ask, “If God did not give gifted individuals to the Church to do the work of the ministry, why did He give them?” Good question.Open you Bible to Eph. 4:11-12. Why did God give gifted individuals to the Church?__________________________________________________________

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_Does this mean that the “experts” cannot preach and use their gifts in evangelism? Of course not. But it does mean that they are not the only ones who should. All believers are to be ministers. All believers are to do the work of evangelism. All believers are to go to the world. The next section in our lesson will establish that the Bible clearly instructs Christians to go to the world, and then helps us formulate ideas on how to go to the world. Bible SearchLet’s examine the instructions of the New Testament. Look up the following verses and summarize the command.Matt 5:14-16

______________________________________________John 17:13-19

_____________________________________________John 20:21 _______________________________________________Evangelism And The Church ProgramLike the game plan for individual Christians, the organization and program of the local church needs to be re-evaluated as well. Let’s look at a typical church program, that is, those activities administered by the church leaders, whether within or outside the church building. List as many of the activities as you can think of that might be a part of your church program. 1 _________________________ 6 _________________________

2 _________________________ 7 _________________________

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3 _________________________ 8 _________________________

4 _________________________ 9 _________________________

5 _________________________ 10 _________________________

Place a check next to the items that are organized to bring the world to the church. Now place a zero next to the items that are organized to either take the Gospel to the world, or equip the members to take the gospel to the world. If your church is like most, you will have made more checks than zeros. We need to do some serious work. But I am not suggesting creating new programs. Rather, I am suggesting breathing new life into established programs. The present programs of the church can be revitalized to fulfill our game plan of taking the church to the world. Here are three ways to revitalize your existing church programs.INCREASE GENUINE CHRISTIAN LOVE. It is interesting to ask a person what it is about Christianity that either attracts or repels him/her. Some say that the reason people do not come to faith in Christ is that they do not know any Christians well. Others say that they do know believers but they have not been attracted to them. We must increase the possibility that the experience in each one of our church activities will result in a positive and loving experience for the unbeliever.It is much easier to communicate love as an individual than as a group. The love we need to show to unbelievers is the self sacrificing love which expects nothing in return. The classic passage in the Bible that describes this type of love is 1 Cor. 13. Read this passage and state what love is and does or what love is not and does not.

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LOVE IS AND DOES IS NOT AND DOES NOT___________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ _____________________________Christian love is communicated by unconditional acceptance. By this I mean that a person will be welcomed into the group just the way he/she is. I am told that one of the members of our church visited one of our worship services for the first time dressed in army fatigues, sporting shoulder length hair and a full beard. In a suburban church, comprised of mostly white collar type people, this presented quite an opportunity to give Christian love and to show unconditional acceptance. Well, he must have felt both, because he has since joined our church and even served as a Deacon. It is this kind of loving acceptance of people—not necessarily of their lifestyle—that is so greatly needed in our world today.What does James 2:1-13 say about acceptance of visitors to our church sponsored activities?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I doubt that any church consciously rejects anybody. But I do think that most of our churches need to take extra care to avoid falling short in

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unconditional love and acceptance.Here are some ideas that churches have used to show love and acceptance to first time visitors. A monthly carry-in dinner, with table service and beverage provided so that newcomers can attend. Place your greeters in the parking lot, and give them a visitor packet and map of the facility. Church hosts or hostess to show them around the facility. Create a set of second and third time greeters. That is, a group of regulars who focus their attention on those who are attending an activity for the second or third time. Visitation teams to follow-up on visitors. Win Arn, of The Institute of Church Growth says that the earlier after the initial visit the better, Sunday afternoon being better than Monday evening, Monday being better than Tuesday, etc. He also says that if a lay person makes the visit there is a greater impact than if the visit is made by the Pastor since there is a perception that paid clergy are “paid to make visits”. What are some ideas you have to increase the level of love and acceptance given to new comers?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SECURITY VS. THE RISK OF OUTREACH. In Outgrowing the Ingrown Church, C. John Miller has identified several attitudes that inhibit local church outreach. First what he calls “Tunnel Vision” is the attitude which limits what can be accomplished to the

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visible human resources at hand. “This unbelief expresses itself in the quiet acceptance of “churchy” dullness as normal and numerical stagnation or decline as inevitable.” (pg 31)Read John 14:12-14. What does Jesus say about the possibilities that result from faith?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It is always easier to stay in the security of a nice program that maintains a predictable path, but it seems that Jesus expected more out of those who followed Him. Read Matt 4:18-22. Describe the challenge and risk made by those described in this passage. What is the lesson for the church?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Miller also sites an extreme sensitivity to opposition as a symptom of a church that has trouble in the area of evangelism. Any time unbelievers begin to “infiltrate” a local church, there are those who cry out that the group is loosing its identity and is backsliding into the ways of the world. I will admit that change is a risky business, and it is often times accompanied by discomfort. But churches must forge ahead and challenge tradition.Read Matt. 15:1-9. What is Jesus’ attitude toward holding on to tradition at the expense of ministering to people?___________________________________________________________

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We may just have to move the men’s “prayer breakfast” from 6:00 A.M. on Saturday to Wednesday at 7:00, in order to make it possible for unbelievers to attend. And, we may even have to call it something else! The Lady’s Society may have to rethink its program, to include events that will minister to the needs of the 20th century woman. Youth Groups may have to do more than serve cookies and punch after the Sunday evening service. For example, how about a youth oriented concert in the Church Sanctuary? But these ideas will cause conflict! It is much more secure to keep the program like it has always been. But outreach to the world is worth taking a risk.PRAYER AS OUTREACH. Serious, fervent, outreach centered prayer facilitates evangelism. How many church programs do you know that only give lip service to the importance of prayer? Oh, we schedule “Prayer Meetings”, but they usually include 50 minutes for sharing and devotional, (both of which are good) leaving only 10 minutes for prayer. I consider prayer as the best use of time at a “prayer meeting”. We had a great experience one evening when we gathered to spent 10 minutes in sharing and 50 minutes in prayer. We prayed for one of our ladies who was ministering to an unbeliever. They had a meeting scheduled with the agenda to give an invitation to this unbeliever to repent, believe, and accept Christ. We prayed as a group for this meeting, and heard the next week that there was one more child adopted into God’s family. Believe me, this experience made an impact on our corporate prayer life! C. John Miller in Outgrowing the Ingrown Church describes the difference between a prayer meeting of maintenance and a Front line prayer meeting. (pg. 98-100)

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A prayer meeting for maintenance has a low level of expectancy, an occupation with the inner workings of the church, and a lack of keeping records of the prayers and God’s answers. A Front line Prayer meeting, on the other hand, is characterized by two elements. The first is a desire to meet God and to experience His presence as a group.Read the following passages and describe the attitude portrayed toward God. Psalm 27:4 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________Psalm 36:7-9 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________Eph. 1:15-23 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________The second characteristic of a Front line prayer meeting is a desire to see the power of God’s kingdom revealed and the church transformed into a community of faith. Of special interest to our subject is the desire for God to save the lost and to make us willing to be used of Him for that purpose.In the following passages list the needs of the church that could appear on a prayer list of a Front line prayer meeting.Acts 1:8, 14

______________________________________________

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Acts 13:1-3 ______________________________________________Rom. 15:5-6

______________________________________________1 Thess 1:2-3, 7-10 ________________________________________

Application The game plan of more effective outreach is to go to the world, rather than attempting to attract the world to the church. Earlier in this lesson, you listed all the activities of your church program. Take a few minutes now to reflect on each and list ways to improve their outreach effectiveness in:1. Increasing the outreach of love.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Stepping out in faith to revitalize traditions.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Increasing the emphasis of front line prayer.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Assignment For LifeThroughout our course we will be working on Scripture memorization. As you prepare for your group meeting this week, be prepared to share

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Matt. 28:19-20 as your memory verse this week.Making It Personal Later on in our course we will be discussing various approaches that can be used and methods that might be employed to help Christians interact with unbelievers. But before any of these activities can be executed, we must first be convinced of the game plan. We must go to the world and build relationships through presence and dialogue, and at the proper time, proclaim the marvelous Good News of forgiveness of sins and salvation in Christ Jesus. As you conclude your time of study this week, why not spend some time in prayer. Here are some things you might consider praying about.1. Pray that God would give you a willingness to take the message of the Church to the world.2. Pray that God would give you eyes to see opportunities to interact with unbelievers. Then write down the names of individuals He brings to mind, and begin to build a relationship with them.3. Pray for your own local church, that the leaders might seriously evaluate their game plan, and respond to the leading of God’s Spirit.4. Pray for the Church in America, and around the world, that believers might become involved in the ministry of evangelism, and not leave it all up to the “professionals”.

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Chapter 2

KEYS TOEVANGELISM

Most of us enjoy listening to music and if you are like me, you might also enjoy analyzing its components . Good music has a melody, some good harmony, and a tasteful and appropriate rhythm . We can find these three elements in the classics, jazz, pop, country and Gospel. In fact they are present in all of music. I have to admit, however, that there are times when I listen to the melody only, or the melody and harmony without the rhythm, and there are times when I find myself tapping my foot to a rhythm with no melody or harmony. But there is a consistent thread that weaves my musical habits together. I enjoy it the most when all three are present.Evangelism is much the same. There are also three elements to effective communication of the Gospel. Notice the statement composed at the 1974 conference on evangelism held at Lausanne Switzerland:To evangelize is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that as reigning Lord He now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Spirit to all who repent and believe. Our Christian presence in the world is indispensable to evangelism, and so is that kind of dialogue whose purpose is to listen sensitively in order to understand. But evangelism itself is the proclamation of the historical, biblical Christ as

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Savior and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to Him personally and so be reconciled to God.The highlighted words form the trinity of evangelism. Evangelism includes presence, dialogue, and proclamation.

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PresenceWhat I mean by the word presence is the visible out working of the Gospel as seen in the lives of Christians. You may have heard the statement, “I'll just let people look at my life and they'll see the gospel by the way I live.” While that is not necessarily a philosophy I would promote, there is truth in the concept that the love of the Lord can be seen by the way we live.How would James 2:18 support the concept that the Lord might be seen in the way we live?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The idea of presence is good works done in Jesus’ name that show the world His love. When this happens, He is present. Any ministry to persons in need introduces the presence of Jesus, and His presence is a vital element in evangelism. Therefore, whenever we are present in the world, Jesus is also there. There are two types of presence. The first is corporate. In Acts 2:42-46, we have the stirring account of how people banded together to meet one another’s needs. They shared their belongings, produce, and very lives with one another.Notice verse 43. What indication is there from this verse that the community noticed the Lord in the midst of the first century Christians?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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_The power of the Gospel was obvious to all who observed that first group of believers. That is corporate presence. Anytime a group begins to have an impact on a community, the presence of Christ among them is noticed. Think about your church. Is there a corporate presence to your community? If so, summarize your perception of it. If not, jot down a few ideas of what you might do to develop a corporate presence._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________To help you in your thoughts, here is a profile of one church’s corporate presence. This group of believers ministered to the community with the love of Jesus Christ. In fact, they were criticized because they welcomed those in the community who were outcasts, down-and-outers and rejects from other “proper” churches. They were the talk of the town, not because they were the fastest growing church around, but because they loved and accepted all of the people who attended. But it didn't stop there. A concerted effort and much money was invested in a downtown coffee house, geared to meeting the needs of those who, as yet, had no direction in their lives. Here was a group of people who, together as a body, served the community, giving God’s love to those who were in need. They had a group identity that glorified the Lord.

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The second type of presence is individual. Jesus said, “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Volunteering at the hospital is presence. Serving meals to shut-ins is presence. Visiting in the nursing home is presence. Watching the neighbor’s children while mom is sick is presence. Giving a cash gift to a needy family is presence. Presence is limited only by the imagination and energy of the Christian, and it is always motivated by love for others. Can you think of other ways that you might be able to serve an unbeliever? List them in the space provided.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We might say that presence is social activism. John Stott in his excellent book, Christian Mission In The Modern World, summarizes presence this way,...we are sent into the world, like Jesus, to serve. For this is the natural expression of our love for our neighbors. We love. We go. We serve. And in this we have (or should have) no ulterior motive.” “ . . . the reason for our acceptance of social responsibility is not primarily in order to give the gospel either a visibility or credibility it would otherwise lack, but rather simple, uncomplicated compassion. Love has no need to justify itself. It merely expresses itself in service wherever it sees need.

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Serving those who have a need in the name of Jesus is a vital element in evangelism. Without it, we have music without a melody.1. Give examples of the ministry of presence by Jesus in Matthew Ch. 8.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Read Acts 5:11-16. How was the ministry of presence by the first century church evident in Jerusalem?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________DialogueFlavel Yeakley, in his book Why Churches Grow, has outlined three styles of communication when there is an attempt to share information. The first is the transmission of facts. In this style there is a teacher/student relationship, with the teacher imparting correct information to the student in one way communication, after which there is an invitation to make a decision. Research has shown that in this style there is very little response that results in life changing commitment. In fact, a good teacher will never limit his/her teaching method to only the transmission of the facts. While the facts are important, there must be interaction, give and take, evaluation, discussion, and discovery before a student will own the content of a lesson.How would one-way communication limit the quality of understanding by the listener?

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The second style is manipulating through creative speaking. This is the classic salesman/customer relationship, where leading questions are asked which cannot be answered negatively. The technique is used to pressure the prospect into making a decision to purchase a product. I remember being asked by an encyclopedia salesman if I thought my children’s education was important. How could I answer no? When I said yes, he had me! This style can be very effective in getting people to make a decision, but after the initial encounter, there is very little on-going interaction. Most good sales people, will tell you that this method gives sales a bad name. Few successful companies employ it because they are seeking to establish lifelong commitments to their product.Now let’s apply these ideas to evangelism. Yeakley has shown that there is a very high occurrence of dropping out of any Christian activity when there has been manipulation. A decision to pray a prayer does not necessarily guarantee a lifelong commitment to becoming a disciple.Describe your impression of one who is seeking to manipulate you in order to cause you to agree with his/her point of view?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Describe your impression of the material he/she is seeking to communicate?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The third style of communication is dialogue. Here true two-way communication takes place. The relationship is friend to friend, where the thoughts and ideas of both individuals are genuinely considered. Of course, the Christian is not expected to affirm the truth of a false view of God. However, dialogue will permit the one to share his view in an atmosphere of personal acceptance where there is concern about the intrinsic worth of the persons involved. The goal of dialogue is not a decision. Rather, dialogue seeks to influence the way a person thinks. Let’s go into more detail about the benefit of dialogue in comparison to information transmission and manipulation.The following information from Yeakley’s book, Why Churches Grow, will help you to understand the importance of distinguishing between these three styles of communication. Notice the chart below. The figures summarize survey work done in 48 churches in a Southern denomination. IT means Information Transmission, M means Manipulation, and D means Dialogue. In the chart, we have a report of 240 people who became converts and continued in the church’s program afterwards; 240 people who converted, but dropped out of the church’s program; and 240 people who were interviewed but did not convert. When the personal worker believed that he/she was using Information Transmission, only 35 converted and continued in

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the church’s program, and when the manipulative approach was used, only 36 converted and continued in the church’s ministry. But, when the personal worker used the dialogue approach, 169 converted and continued in the church’s program.

IT M D240 converts, continued in 35 36 169Church activity240 converts who did 25 209 6not continue in Church activity240 people interviewed who 180 58 2did not convertNotice that the vast majority of converts who continued in the church’s program were saved when the personal worker believed he/she was using the dialogue approach, and the vast majority of converts who did not continue in the church’s program were saved when the manipulation approach was used. This would seem to be strong evidence that manipulation does result in “success”, but it is not lasting in terms of producing a lifelong commitment. On the other hand, dialogue also results in lasting fruit. Let’s look at a few examples of the dialogue approach from the life and ministry of the apostle Paul.1. Open your Bible to Acts 17:1-4. What evidence do you see from these verses that Paul was doing much more than presenting facts and then asking for a decision?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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2. Now turn to 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2. What clues do you have that the method of communication employed by Paul during his stay in Thessalonica was one of dialogue, building lasting relationships?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Now, turn to Acts 19:1-10. In verses 8-10, we have another description of dialogue. What words might be synonyms for the word “dialogue”?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The greatest challenge of dialogue as an evangelistic style is being patient. Notice how long Paul spent in both of these examples. Neither was a one-time attempt. It takes time to nurture the relationship to the point of being able to have a healthy interchange of ideas. It takes discipline for the Christian to resist blowing the ship out of the water when unbiblical ideas are spoken of as truth. But there must be genuine interest in the other person’s ideas before we can expect genuine interest in ours. Evangelism without dialogue is like music without rhythm.ProclamationThe third element in effective evangelism is proclamation. This is simply an articulation of the content of the Gospel, which is absolutely essential for conversion. One of the most arrogant statements ever made is, “People can look at my life

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and when they do, they will have all they need to become a Christian.” This is simply unscriptural. The Bible says that “ . . . So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17) We have been born again through the living and abiding Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). The only way can come to faith in Christ is to respond to the Word of God which is “living and active.” and “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Somewhere down the line, a person must hear the essentials of the gospel and act by faith upon its truth. The message must be proclaimed. Open your Bible to Romans 6:23. Fill in the blanks in the following chart. As you do, you will be identifying the general points of proclamation.Humankind’s spiritual need is caused by

__________________If ignored, this need leads to _______________________________The solution to man’s need is

______________________________who offers a free _______________________ to man. The ultimate benefit of this solution is __________________________

Similar to presence, there are two types of proclamation. The first is corporate proclamation, which is simply preaching the gospel to large groups of people. In a following lesson I will argue that this method of evangelism is becoming less and less effective in our 20th century American culture, but we must not discount it altogether. The Book of

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Acts is abundant in illustrations. List as many elements of the Gospel message as you can find in these passages.1. Peter on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:14-36.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Paul to the Athenians on Mars Hill, Acts 17:22-33.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Paul in the market places and in the lecture halls, Acts 17:17, 18. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________In such meetings there is opportunity to plant the seed of the gospel in many hearts at one time, to harvest many who have been nurtured prior to the meeting, and to give Christians first hand experience in leading individuals to faith in Christ. But the majority of our efforts in proclamation should be given to individual interaction. This is sharing the message one-to-one, or in intimate small group settings. List as many of the gospel points as you can find from these passages.1. Philip shared with the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts 8:27-40.__________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________2. Paul shared with a small group of women in Philippi, Acts 16:13-15, and also with the jailer and his household, v.31. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. One of the most familiar personal encounters is Jesus with Nicodemus, John 3:1-21.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Evangelism without proclamation is like music without harmony.

Personal Reflection 1. As you anticipate meeting for the group study this week, be prepared to share your experience in hearing the Gospel for the first time. Was it the result of an individual or corporate proclamation?___________________________________________________________2. Describe your feelings toward telling another the Gospel points.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This is the area that causes the most anxiety in the

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evangelistic process. Most people can serve others, but when it is time to speak to them about the claims of Christ, the butterflies become active, the tongue gets thick, the mouth becomes dry, and breath gets short. Will it ever become easy to proclaim the gospel? I don't think so. Even the most experienced Christian will admit to a certain amount of tension when it comes time to speak about the Lord. But in the context of dialogue, this tension can be overcome.Putting It TogetherLet’s walk through a model situation and identify the three elements of evangelism. John and Mary are members of a local evangelical church that encourages personal evangelism. Their next door neighbors, Bill and Cathy, just relocated to their neighborhood from another state. In the course of neighborly conversations, John and Mary discover that Bill injured himself at work the first week on his new job, leaving him disabled. Here they are, new in the area, with few, if any close friends, out of work, and wondering where the next meal will come from. Here is an opportunity for John and Mary and their church. John begins to help Bill scout for new work, and discovers an interest in computers, which happens to be his area of work. John begins to initiate an apprentice relationship with his company for Bill, which could lead to a new career. Mary, using her familiarity with the community, begins to help Cathy find the best shopping bargains, enroll the children in school, and become acquainted with opportunities for governmental assistance. Meanwhile, the plight of Bill and Cathy becomes known in the church, resulting in regular food showers and gestures of encouragement (corporate and individual

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presence). As this interaction continues, Bill and Cathy begin to inquire about John and Mary’s church, and their own personal beliefs. Many evenings are spent together sharing about their religious backgrounds, church experiences, and ideas about the Bible (Dialogue). During the course of an evening, John and Mary share their testimonies of how they came to have faith in Jesus Christ. This sounded interesting to Bill and Cathy, so they decided to visit John and Mary’s church, where they heard a sermon about justification by faith (Individual and corporate proclamation).This particular story is a model of the evangelistic process. If we simply allow it to help us understand the three elements of evangelism, it serves our purpose well. Presence, proclamation, and dialogue are all necessary in order for our evangelistic efforts to be pleasing music to those who hear us. To leave one out is to share a song without a melody, harmony, or rhythm. Assignment for LifeThis week’s memory verse is Matthew 5:16. Be prepared to share this verse with your group at your meeting. Also review Matthew 28:19-20, your verse from last week.

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Chapter 3

OUR WEBOF RELATIONSHIPS

In the first two sections of our course we have discussed the need for Christians to establish relationships with those in the world by utilizing the three concepts of evangelism: presence, dialogue, and proclamation. We noted the need to initiate personal interaction with unbelievers, rather than exclusively seeking to attract them to group meetings held at the church buildings where the “professionals” evangelize them. We then discussed the journey that an unbeliever takes in the process of coming to faith in Christ, concluding that a commitment to Christ is a series of small decisions made as the result of the faithful ministry of the evangelist, who, building on the relationship already existing, interacts with the proper amount of proclamation of the Gospel at the time when it will be most readily received. This strategy requires that we as Christians have the opportunity to relate with unbelievers. In this lesson, we will discuss the concept of evangelism among individuals in our existing circle of relationships.The Concept of HouseholdThe Old Testament describes a social structure of people living in a clan or in a tribe. It includes not only those people who live in the same house under the same roof (or tent), but also those who interact with one another as family, friends of the family, servants, or business associates. As these

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individuals relate one to another, they form a web of relationships. By a web I am suggesting an image that portrays people as being tied together by a common interest, common kinship, or common community. Picture these people in a human spider web and you will get the idea. These webs are seen throughout the Old Testament and can be described by the term household. In the following Old Testament passages, describe those in the household.Gen. 14:14 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Deut. 12:7-12, 14:26 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 Sam. 1:12 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The concept of household is not unique to the Old Testament. In the New Testament the same idea is very common. In the first century, individuals also formed webs of relationships and interacted together as a social unit. Describe the members of

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the household in the following New Testament passages.Luke 8:39 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Acts 10:2, 24 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________Acts 16:31 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________There are also several passages that describe the household principle without using the actual word “household”. Describe the individuals in these webs of relationships.John 4:9, 28-30 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________Mark 2:14, 15 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________Luke 15:1-8, 8-10, 11-32

_____________________________________________________________________________________________I would like to suggest that too often training in

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evangelism has been aimed at preparing Christians to take the Gospel to people they have never met before. While this has its place, we thereby neglect our most fertile source of contacts—our households, and other people with whom we have existing relationships. We recognize that sharing Christ with our relatives is sometimes difficult. The following suggestions may be helpful Love them—and show that love constantly. Don't be critical or negative because you disagree

with their values. Live your Christian life naturally before them—not

pushing it on them, nor holding back just because they are with you.

Evaluate them afresh in light of what you are learning in this course.

Look for times when they are open to talking on a deeper level, especially privately.

Above all, keep them in constant prayer.The Example of JesusIt is interesting to note that several of the 12 disciples of Jesus had a household relationship with Him prior to the time when He called them. What was the household relationship of Jesus to the following disciples?Matthew 10:2 James and John were

____________________

Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40 The mother of Zebedee’s sons (James and John) is

_______________________________________John 19:25 Salome and Jesus’ mother are

__________________

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Therefore, Jesus and James and John are half cousins.Luke 5:8-10 Peter is business partners with

_______________John 1:40 Andrew is Peter’s

______________________________John 1:44 Philip is from the same town as

_________________John 1:45-51 Nathaniel is a friend of

______________________Mt. 9:9 Levi (Matthew) is from the same town as

__________These men all have a common kinship, common interest, or common community. I do not think it is coincidence that Jesus chose these men as his disciples. He utilized the principle of household in two ways.First, He initiated a relationship with his family members, James and John. It has been said that evangelism among our own family members is the most difficult task for a Christian. That may be true if the principles discussed in this course are not utilized. But if we utilize presence and dialogue with the understanding that misunderstanding may need to be overcome, and if our proclamation is given in the context of allowing for authentication, what better opportunity is there for God to use us than in our own family. Relationships are the key. Difficulty in evangelism among our family members may be difficult because so many of us have poor relationships with our families in the first place. But I suggest that a new Christian humbly go to an estranged family member, confess his/her shortcomings in that past relationship and ask for

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forgiveness. Then begin serving that family member, dialoguing about past experiences with Christianity, and allowing for testing, all the while faithfully proclaiming the Gospel at the time when it will be most readily received. If all that takes place, I suggest that a harvest to the glory of God has a great potential to be realized. Jesus evangelized in His family.Jesus also initiated relationships with those in the household of his family members. Peter was a business partner of His cousins. Andrew was Peter’s brother. Philip and Matthew were from the same town as Andrew and Peter. Jesus related with all of them. I call that practice cultivating someone else’s household. Maybe you don't have a lot of contacts yourself, but your friends do, and their friends do as well. Sociologists say that we all have about 20 people in our own web of relationships, that is people with whom we spend at least one hour each week in meaningful interaction. Assuming that there is no overlap, each of those 20 has a web of 20 people. That makes 400 potential relationships with whom you might initiate interaction with the possibility of discovering a common interest upon which a relationship might be built. Let’s never think that we don't have opportunities for household evangelism. F.R.A.N.gelismElmer Towns, of Church Growth Institute, has coined the term FRANgelism, meaning evangelism among Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors. Take a few minutes to think about your household. Fill in the names of people on the appropriate space in the following chart. (For now, leave the space under Positive Action blank) We will discuss how to develop that relationship later in

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our lesson. When your group meets this week, share these names and begin praying as a group that God would work in their hearts and use you to minister His Word to them.Name Positive ActionFRIENDS1. ________________________ ________________________

2. ________________________ ________________________

3. ________________________ ________________________

4. ________________________ ________________________

RELATIVES (include immediate and extended family within geographical reach) 1. ________________________ ________________________

2. ________________________ ________________________

3. ________________________ ________________________

4. ________________________ ________________________

ASSOCIATES1. ________________________ ________________________

2. ________________________ ________________________

3. ________________________ ________________________

4. ________________________ ________________________

NEIGHBORS1. ________________________ ________________________

2. ________________________ ________________________

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3. ________________________ ________________________

4. ________________________ ________________________

If you do not have any names to put on the above chart, you might want to consider cultivating the household of a good friend. In the space provided, list the name(s) of a close friend with whom you would feel comfortable asking to introduce you to some of his/her friends who are unbelievers. Then pray for God’s leading in the development of these new relationships.

CLOSE FRIEND UNBELIEVING FRIEND

OF A CLOSE FRIEND1. ________________________ ________________________

2. ________________________ ________________________

3. ________________________ ________________________

4. ________________________ ________________________

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Cultivating a Relationship Now that we have become aware of potential relationships, we need to discuss how to grow these relationships. Jim Peterson in his book, Evangelism for Our Generation, has outlined four stages in developing a friendship. Let’s briefly look at them.STAGE ONE: Taking the Initiative. This stage could be the most difficult, because it involves breaking the ice in an unfamiliar circumstance. Here is one of the best suggestions that I have ever heard in initiating new friendships. When taking the initiative in a relationship, try asking your potential friend to do you a favor. Notice the action of Jesus in Luke 19:1-9. What favor did Jesus ask of Zacchaeus?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What was the response of Zacchaeus?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the believer asks a favor of the unbeliever, the feeling of obligation by the unbeliever to be involved with the believer is precluded. In its place is a desire to be of some use to him/her. This removes any impression that this person is a personal project of the believer.STAGE TWO: ESTABLISHING RAPPORT. This stage is the acceptance stage. It involves spending time with others, showing unconditional love.

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Read Luke 5:27-31. How did Jesus establish rapport with Levi and His friends?___________________________________________________________Some principles to keep in mind as your build rapport are found in the following verses. List them.Prov. 25:17 _______________________________________________Phil. 2:3-4

________________________________________________Acts. 26:2-3

______________________________________________Some activities might be: watching a sports event on TV; game nights; help one another in yard projects; yard parties; picnics; BBQ.STAGE THREE: BEING A FRIEND. This stage involves mutuality. It means sharing in a common interest or pursuit. It means revealing your self to your friends. When Jesus chose the twelve disciples, He was indicating to them that He wanted them to be His special friends.Read Luke 6:12 through 9:27. In these paragraphs, Jesus begins to develop a close friendship with these men. List the things he did to :1. Reveal to them what His values were. (6:17-49)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Reveal His power to them. (7:1-17)__________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________3. Develop a common interest. (9:1-27)______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Some activities you might do with your friend would be: fishing or camping trips; outings to the health club; YMCA; attend children’s school functions together; attend baseball games together; double dates, etc.STAGE FOUR: BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP. This is the time to become vulnerable to your friend. You share your finances, resources, seek council, and allow him/her to see the deepest parts of your life. Read Luke 9:28-36. This is the story of the transfigur-ation, when Jesus revealed His innermost person to his friends.Who did Jesus take with Him to this experience?___________________________________________________________Why didn't He take all of the twelve?__________________________________________________________At this point in a relationship, it is important to include your testimony, a brief story of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Since, for the Christian, Jesus Christ is the most important part of our lives, He must be an integral part of our relationships. However, this is not to say that you would not share your testimony at the other levels

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of friendship. It all depends on how the relationship is developing. In our next lesson we will discuss, in detail, the ins and outs of sharing your testimony and how and when to share it with unbelievers. Assignment For LifeRefer back to the chart under F.R.A.N.gelism. Notice the names of those you listed as friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. Based on your study of the four levels of relationships, list an appropriate activity you might do to nurture these relationships under the heading Positive Action. Now, prayerfully pick one or two of these individuals and come to the group this week prepared to share how you plan to nurture your relationship with this person or these persons.Then, review your memory verses from our first two lessons. Your verse for this week is Acts 16:31.

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Chapter 4

YOUR PERSONAL TESTIMONY

We are not all called to be pastors and teachers. In fact, we are not all called to be evangelists. Rather, as Paul says in 2 Tim 4:5, we are to do the work of an evangelist. Now this may seem like a small distinction, but in reality, this is the main point of our course. Each of us as God’s children are to be about the business of spreading the good news of the Gospel of Jesus, performing the ministry of presence, dialogue, and proclamation. It is to be our lifestyle. This “work” is not to be limited to the 10% or so of every local body who have the “gift” of evangelism. All of us are to respond to those around us who need Christ.. Our first step is to learn to share our personal testimony. What Is a Personal Testimony?Open your Bibles to 1 Peter 3:15. Peter reminds his readers that as they interact in the world, unbelievers will take notice of their lifestyle. Fill in the following blanks about our responsibility to these unbelievers.1. What will they ask us as believers?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. What is our response to this question?___________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________3. How are we to make this response?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Peter makes a very important point in this verse: That we are to be prepared. This implies that we are to plan ahead for an encounter with an unbeliever. It seems that Peter is suggesting that we clearly think about what we will say if someone asks us about Jesus Christ and to be ready to share these thoughts when the opportunity arises. (We will discuss when a personal testimony is especially appropriate in Chapter 7). The content of our message is simply your story—your experience with Jesus Christ. It is relatively easy to poke holes in theories, but when a real person is telling of real experiences, there is a real impact on the listener.General GuidelinesBefore we get into specifics, let’s discuss some general guidelines in telling our story. EXALT JESUS CHRIST, NOT SELF. It is easy to fall into the trap of focusing attention on your past history, rather than on the transformation you have experienced. This may be particularly tempting for one who formerly lived in deep sin. I am not saying that God does not mightily use the testimony of one who has a spectacular story. But under no circumstance is it appropriate to elevate the sin to a position other than to illustrate that he/she is in desperate need of the Savior.

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Read John 3:30? What is the attitude of John the Baptist as he tells about Jesus?___________________________________________________________BE CONCISE. Unless it is an important fact, necessary for a clear understanding of the circumstance, be very frugal with details. You should be able to tell your story in about 3 to four minutes. This will be difficult unless you focus on the material relevant to your encounter with Jesus.Read John 9:24-25. To what degree of detail did the blind man describe his experience of salvation?___________________________________________________________KEEP YOUR STORY POSITIVE. Negative statement could easily be misunderstood, and be a hindrance to the one with whom you are sharing, rather than an element of motivation for the unbeliever to further discuss the claims of Christ.Read Philippians 4:8. What is to be the content of the Christian’s thoughts?___________________________________________________________Read 1 Cor. 2:1-5. What was the level of intellect used by Paul as he shared the Gospel with the Corinthians?___________________________________________________________USE EASILY UNDERSTOOD TERMS. Can you imagine the picture the unbeliever has when he/she hears for the first time that Christians are “washed in the blood of the lamb”? Re-define the following terms in a way easily understood by every day Americans.

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Born again _______________________________________________Saved ____________________________________________________Lost ______________________________________________________Redeemed _______________________________________________Sin ______________________________________________________Repent

___________________________________________________Salvation _________________________________________________

Other terms needing clarification for the unbeliever are:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________PAUL’S PERSONAL TESTIMONY.Open your Bible to this exciting passage in Acts 26. Here we see the Apostle Paul give his personal testimony. After you read the entire passage, notice the five steps in his presentation.

Paul established a personal rapport with the prospect, vss. 1-3. State the common interests between Paul and Agrippa.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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There is no substitute to being gracious to the one with whom you are sharing. The important thing to remember is that your testimony needs to be prefaced by some type of interaction that is conducive to telling your story. Paul described his life before Christ, vss. 4-11. Paul described the circumstances of his

conversion in vss. 12-18. Paul described his life after trusting Christ, vss. 19-23. Paul asked for a response to his story in vss. 24-27. In a subsequent lesson we will learn more about the timing of an invitation to respond to the Gospel. Paul at this point had no indication that he would ever speak to Agrippa again. Therefore, it was important for him to learn what Agrippa’s spiritual attitudes were. I would expect that if Paul received a favorable response, he would have continued to elaborate on the content of the Gospel.SummaryReview the five steps of a personal testimony. They are:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Preparing Your Personal TestimonyNow it is time to begin to prepare your personal testimony. Take a few sheets of paper and use the following outline suggestions as a guide. ESTABLISHING RAPPORT. In subsequent lessons, we will be discussing how to develop a relationship with unbelievers. But for now, state how you might establish rapport with an unbeliever.DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE BEFORE CHRIST. In their excellent book, Christian Conversion: Biblical and Psychological Perspectives, Cedric Johnson and H. Newton Malony state that a person usually feels a deficiency that makes them willing to consider making a change in their lives. As you prepare to discuss your story, identify an area of felt need in your life before Christ. To help you, here are some areas listed by Johnson and Newton. Lack of social rewards. A person may feel that

he/she has not been recognized for accomplishments and personal attributes. Specific examples could be: Overshadowed by a sibling, peer, or a feeling of being unattractive.

Lack of consistency in life. A person may feel unsettled as a result of change or some crisis situation.

Lack of religious stability. A person may feel that there is a void of spiritual character, resulting in uncertainty in facing life’s issues.

Lack of personal influence. There may be a feeling of loneliness or that one’s life does not contribute anything significant to the world.

Lack of control over a personal issue, such as temper, depression, greed, or lust.

Once you have identified one area to focus on, describe how this unfulfilled felt need affected your

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attitudes, emotions, or relationships.DESCRIBE YOUR CONVERSION. Who were the people and circumstances involved in your coming into contact with the Gospel? At this point there is no need to elaborate on the content of the Gospel message. You are sharing your story, not preaching to the unbeliever. How did the truth of the Gospel relate to your unfulfilled need? (You may incorporate phrases such as the following into your story.) “I discovered that the Bible teaches me that....”

As you use this statement, relate that the Bible has something to say about the area you have chosen. For example, if you chose insecurity as an area of need, you can say that the Bible teaches that believers are promised peace in the midst of difficulty.

“I learned that God loves and accepts me in spite of ...” As you complete this statement you can share, for example, that even though you felt like an outcast in the world, God welcomes all believers into His family.

How did you place your trust in Christ to meet that felt need?

“I prayed”. It is important to tell the unbeliever that the only way to trust in Christ is to communicate directly with God. One cannot be saved by an esoteric experience with nature, philosophy, or any other means.

“I received the gift of God”. The cross provides us the opportunity to receive God’s gift of eternal life. God has already done everything required. We only need to receive the gift.

DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE AFTER TRUSTING CHRIST.

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Illustrate how God has fulfilled your felt need. Describe how your life is different now that you

are a believer.WHEN APPROPRIATE, ASK FOR A RESPONSE. Assuming that you will have an ongoing relationship with this person, (which is the thrust of this course) you will usually not need to ask for a response to your testimony. However, if you are given a “divine appointment” with someone, (an encounter with an inquisitive person on the bus, in a laundryman, etc.) you might want to prepare a few ways to ask for a response such as:“Have you ever noticed that you have an area of unfulfillment in your life?”“Can you relate to anything that I have experienced?” If this person appears ready at this time, give them the opportunity to pray with you and ask Christ into their life.

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Those Who Have Known Christ Since ChildhoodIf you have had the privilege of trusting Christ at an early age, you will want to use a somewhat different outline as you prepare your personal testimony. Some who have been believers since childhood think that they do not have anything to share because they are “inexperienced”. But the power of God can shine through your life, regardless of your past. Assignment For LifePrepare a first draft of your testimony. This is the most extensive assignment you will have in this entire course. However, you will not be expected to perfect it all in one week—nor will you be asked to share it with an unbeliever at this time. This will come later. For this week, do your best to follow the outline that fits your experience. Come to class with a rough draft of your story. After you discuss it with the group, you will be given opportunity to refine it and share it with the group. As the course progresses you will be encouraged to share it with an unbelieving friend.As you are completing your first draft, remember the four basic principles.1. Exalt _____________, not _______________________.2. Be ___________ rather than giving too many

___________3. Keep the content

_______________________________4. Use terms that are easily understood by

___________You will also want to continue to develop your

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relationship with the person with whom you are beginning to develop a friendship. Come prepared to share with the group about your interaction with him/her.How is your memory work coming? By now you should be able to share these verses with the group.1. Matt. 28:19-20; 2. Matt. 5:16; 3. Acts 16:31If you have time this week, memorize 1 Peter 3:15.

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Chapter 5

UNDERSTANDINGEVANGELISM

To some, it appears that the Bible presents two mutually exclusive truths in this issue of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. One states that it is God who draws and calls, and chooses sinners, and the other that it is man who repents, believes, and accepts Jesus Christ. Which one is right? The answer, thankfully, is that both are right. Charles Spurgeon was once asked to reconcile these two truths and he responded, “I wouldn't try. I never reconcile friends.” Here is how these two truths can be friends.The Responsibility of ManThere are many verses in the Bible that exhort men and women to participate in the process of coming to Christ. Examine the following passages and summarize the role of men and women in salvation.Mark 1:15

________________________________________________

John 3:18_________________________________________________

Acts 3:19_________________________________________________

Acts 16:31________________________________________________

Colossians 2:662

____________________________________________

1 John 3:23 _______________________________________________

State a summary principle about the responsibility of man in salvation._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It is clear that God has given men and women a role in salvation. Couple this truth with the commands to preach and call unbelievers to faith in Christ, and we have a clear statement that there is human responsibility in the process of salvation. The Responsibility of GodOne of the great joys of our Christian lives is that God is always with us—and this includes our efforts in evangelism.Read Matthew 28:20. What promise is given to those who carry on the ministry of evangelism?___________________________________________________________Now read the following verses and summarize God’s role in the salvation of men and women.John 6:44 _________________________________________________

John 16:5-12 ______________________________________________

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Romans 5:8 _______________________________________________

Romans 6:23 _____________________________________________

Ephesians 2:4-5 ___________________________________________

In your own words, state a principle of evangelism as it relates to the responsibility of God.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Fitting the Puzzle Together I would like to suggest that God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are like two pieces in a three-piece puzzle. Read the following verses and record the missing piece of the puzzle.Romans 10:17

____________________________________________

Hebrews 4:12 ____________________________________________

James 1:18 _______________________________________________

1 Peter 1:23 _______________________________________________

In your own words, state a summary principle as it relates to the role of the Word of God in salvation.

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Holy Spirit and EvangelismWhen I was first introduced to evangelism, I learned a simple song, which has profound theology. The entire text is, “Jesus in me, loves you.” God works through the evangelist, loving the world through their ministry of presence, dialogue, and proclamation. But simple observation reveals that God uses some more than others. Why is this? The Bible teaches that there is a power that is essential for the Christian to have in order for him/her to be used in evangelism. Open your Bibles to Acts 1:8. What does Jesus say will happen when the Holy Spirit comes?___________________________________________________________The key to being used by God in evangelism is having the power of the Holy Spirit at work in one’s life. Human ingenuity is not effective in evangelism. It is a supernatural enterprise. There is a difference between witnessing and being a witness. Witnessing is something that anyone can do. Being a witness is something only a Spirit controlled Christian and do. It is possible to share the gospel in one’s own strength. But it is not possible to manifest Jesus Christ in one’s own strength. This takes the Holy Spirit within. In our ministry of evangelism, it is more important to nurture one’s relationship with God than to learn techniques of communication. If we are practicing

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the discipline of walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and are trusting in Christ to live through us, God can use us to the full extent to reach out to the lost who are around us every day. We might be able to share with one sitting next to us on the bus, or to reach out to our neighbor who, from all outward appearances seems happy and content, but is really desperately crying for someone to care. How does one develop this type of relationship with God? From the following passages state an activity that helps a person grow close to God.Psalm 119:105

____________________________________________

Psalm 1:2 _________________________________________________

Luke 6:12 _________________________________________________

Acts 17:11 ________________________________________________

1 Thess. 5:17 ______________________________________________

Col. 1:9-10 ________________________________________________

2 Tim:2:19-22 _____________________________________________

James 5:16 ________________________________________________

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Prayer and EvangelismAnother key to effective evangelism is specific prayer for unbelievers with whom you are interacting. In his classic book, Power Through Prayer, E.M. Bounds says,Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still. He who has not learned well how to talk to God for men will never talk well and with real success to men for God.If it is God who does the saving, then it makes sense that we should be praying that God would save men and women. Read the following Scriptures and state how we should pray for unbelievers:In relation to the power of SatanLuke 8:4-15

______________________________________________2 Cor. 4:4

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In relation to the ministry of the Holy SpiritJohn 16:8-13

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In relation to the appropriation of faith1 Thess. 2:13

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Rom. 10:17________________________________________________

John 1:12

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_________________________________________________

John 5:24 _________________________________________________

In relation to their actionsActs 3:19

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Acts 17:30-31 ____________________________________________

It is very important that we become involved in the spiritual battle for the souls of men and women, a ministry too often overlooked.What About Methods?Sharing the Christian Gospel will not take the same form every time. God made every individual unique and special. To approach two individuals in the same mechanical way is to disregard the creativity of our Maker. Have you ever wondered why God did not reveal a single “method” of evangelism the New Testament? In the following Scripture passages, state the method used in the evangelistic process. Was the method a) teaching from a prophetic text, b) drawing conclusions from contemporary literature, or c) sharing a testimony?Acts 2:14-36

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Acts 8:25-40_____________________________________________

Acts 17:22-34

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____________________________________________

Acts 22:1-21_____________________________________________

We cannot limit evangelism to one set of laws, or steps, or one illustration, although all could be used of God at any given time or situation. Rather, evangelism is God, moving on the heart of one of His servants, who responds by sharing God’s love with those in need.What About Results?One would think that being sensitive to the situation would make for great success. Well, that depends on our definition of success. God was pleased with each of the efforts of the Biblical personalities in sharing the Gospel, but He blessed their gallant witness in different ways. State the results of the evangelistic efforts in the following passages, both positive and negative.Acts 3:11-4:4

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Acts Ch. 7________________________________________________

Acts 17:1-9 _______________________________________________

Acts 24:24-27 _____________________________________________

In your own words, state a principle of evangelism from these verses.__________________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Life ApplicationNow let’s review what we learned. First we discussed responsibility in evangelism. Many times a person hesitates to get involved in evangelism because of the responsibility factor. There is fear that one is alone and that the world will chew up and spit out anyone who attempts to share the gospel. Or even that if one did muster up the courage to share the gospel, it would accomplish nothing. What did we learn that might help a person deal with these fears? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Then we discussed the supernatural element in evangelism. Maybe you have tried being a witness for Christ, but your effort seemed ineffective. What did we learn that might help this need?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally we discussed the importance of prayer for unbelievers. Maybe this is the first time that you have heard that it is important to pray for an unbeliever. In lesson three we talked about developing relationships with those in our web of relationships. By now you should be actively interacting with one unbeliever in your web. We'll be discussing later specific prayer for specific needs, but for now there are two appropriate

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prayers we can pray for your new friend. Begin praying for that person, trusting God to loose him/her from the power of Satan and to be at work in his/her life by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Assignment For LifeThe conclusion of our lesson challenged you to begin praying for that person with whom you are seeking to develop a relationship. Be sure to continue to progress in the four levels of building a friendship. Be prepared to share with your group about the level you are interacting with your friend and how you plan to continue to nurture that relationship.Continue to work on your personal testimony. This week, see if you can have your final draft written out so you can read it to the group. Try to keep it about 3-4 minutes in length. Don't forget your Scripture memory. This week, we will be accountable for the four previously assigned verses: Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 5:16; Acts 16:31; 1 Peter 3:15.

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Chapter 6

STAGE OFUNAWARENESS

The next four chapters of our course will be focusing on a fundamental concept. That concept is: Conversion is not just a point or a decision. Rather it is a series of small decisions that constitute a process. To illustrate this I'd like to introduce you to Homer, a young man who proceeded through a series of small decisions in becoming the Commissioner of baseball. The first series of steps will be in a minus category, leading up to his “conversion”, followed by several steps in the plus category.Step #-5. Homer’s family was never interested in baseball. They didn't watch it on TV, did not participate in it, and had never even gone to a baseball game. Homer shared their disinterest.Step #-4. Homer makes a good friend at work who likes baseball. Homer makes no bones about telling his friend that baseball is kind of silly. He recounts to his friend that while he was watching some boys in the neighborhood play baseball one day, one of them hit the ball and it broke a window. But Homer somehow ended up taking the blame, which resulted in big trouble for him. Homer wanted no part in more trouble. But, since his friend does not push it upon him it does not become a factor in their friendship. Homer allows his friend to have his own interest. Their friendship is based on other common interests.Step #-3. Homer observes some great times in his

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friend’s life as a result of his interaction with baseball. His friend shares with him about the great times going to the games, about talking with others about the players, umpires, and all the different facets of the game. Homer begins to re-evaluate the entire subject and wonders about its influence in life.Step #-2. In order to get the true picture of baseball, Homer decides he has to go to a game as an adult and experience it again. He attends his first professional game with his friend and observes the interaction between the people around him. He watches those in the stands experience the joy of winning as well as the agony of defeat. He discovers that significant relationships develop as a result of each experience at the game.Step #-1. Homer begins to watch baseball once in a while on his own. He is open to hearing presentations about the local baseball fan club and considers the possibility of joining.Conversion! After much thought and consideration, Homer joins the baseball club. The club meets once each week to talk about favorite teams and observe the divisional races. There are guest speakers who teach all the club members more about baseball. Special banquets and fellowship times involve all club members.Step #+1. Homer decides he wants to become more involved with baseball and begins to master the basics of the game. He learns how to hit, how to run the bases, and how to field the ball.Step #+2. Homer decides to make baseball his career by dedicating himself full time to the pursuit of playing the game. He works hard at perfecting his skills and spends long hours in training. He

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spends several years in the minor leagues and then moves up to the major leagues. He has a long and fulfilling baseball career.Step #+3. Homer decides he would like to reproduce his own skills in the lives of others. He retires from the major leagues to coach in the minors. He eventually coaches in the major leagues. Homer develops a life-style of pouring his life into the lives of younger baseball players. As a result, Homer develops a worldwide perspective, and begins to become involved in taking baseball to the outer most parts of the earth. This particular illustration outlines the process Homer experienced as he progressed in his involvement with baseball. He did not suddenly commit his life to baseball. Rather it was a series of small decisions. In this and the next lessons, we will describe the journey of people much like Homer. The difference is that we will be discussing reality, and the issue will be eternal life. Notice the following chart.

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Figure I describes the process of coming to faith in Christ, and the process of discipleship. The steps prior to conversion are negative numbers and the steps following conversion are positive numbers. Since our present course is on the steps prior to conversion, we will limit our discussion to steps minus 5 through conversion.The process of coming to faith in Christ is described by the various steps labeled on the headings: Unaware, Misunderstanding, Testing, Genuine Interest, and Positive Response. The assumption is that an individual will pass through each of these steps in his/her journey to faith in Christ.Consider the area inside the dotted bell curve as being proportional to the amount of time given to proclamation. Consider the area outside the dotted triangle, as being proportional to the amount of time given to presence and dialogue. Therefore, as the believer interacts with the unbeliever during the

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various steps of the unbeliever’s journey to faith in Christ, all three elements of evangelism will be utilized, but at differing amounts, depending on the step in the process of the unbeliever. For example, interaction with an unbeliever who is at step -5 will include more presence and dialogue than proclamation. But interaction with an unbeliever at step -1 will include more proclamation than presence and dialogue. As you interact with unbelievers, you should be sensitive to their approximate location in the process of coming to faith in Christ—and interact appropriately in initiating presence, dialogue, and proclamation. Let’s begin by examining the character of a person at the farthest step from faith in Christ the unawareness stage, and discuss how the believer might share the Gospel with him/her.UnawarenessSome time ago I was watching a talk show on television, during which the host interviewed a Hollywood celebrity. Now this is a common event on late night programming, which makes the fact that I remember it significant. This particular evening, the celebrity being interviewed began describing her new found faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. She carefully explained the emptiness that was formerly in her life, and then beautifully contrasted that emptiness with the joy of a personal relationship with the Lord. That in itself is enough to cause a viewer to sit up and take notice. But it was one particular interchange between the two that planted the show in my memory. At the conclusion of the interview, the host patted the knee of the actress and tenderly

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said to her, “That’s just great. I'm happy for you.” The actress just poured out her life on national television, and all the host could say was, “I'm happy for you.” That experience contributed to my belief that no matter how much truth a believer verbally shares with an unbeliever, it will have little or no affect if the person is unaware of the implications of the Gospel.

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The Experience of Jesus Read Luke 4:14-22 and answer the following questions.1. What was the initial response to Jesus’ teaching according to verses 14, 15?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. What was Jesus’ tool in His interaction with the people in the synagogue?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. What was the response to His comments on the portion of Scripture that He read, according to verse 22a?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The response to the words of Jesus were not unlike the response of the television talk show host to the testimony of the actress. The people in effect had no understanding of the implications of what Jesus was saying. As far as they were concerned, their lives were going along quite well. They were self-sufficient and fairly secure. They were in a state of unawareness. How many times do we have the same experience? We talk till we are blue in the face to some folks,

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and the response is a polite acknowledgement of our right to believe whatever we want. They don't realize that the issue is eternal life! How do we get through to a person who is in this stage of unawareness?Lesson two in this course outlined the three elements of evangelism. Let’s see how each fits with the person at the step of unawareness.PresenceRead John 1:14. What did Jesus do to reach the world? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In like manner, we must build relationships with unbelievers. How? I would suggest building on common interests. This is very important when interacting with an unbeliever. Spending time together can appear very manipulative. One way to avoid that perception is to spend time with another around interests and activities where both have a shared investment. In the space provided, list activities where you could have a possible common interest with unbelievers. Include hobbies, recreational activities, community functions, service organizations, etc._________________________ ________________________

_________________________ ________________________

_________________________ ________________________

_________________________ ________________________

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To spend time together in the pursuit of one of these shared interests is a great way to build relationships. DialogueAs we spend time with unbelievers we will begin to share our lives with each other. Here is where dialogue becomes important. With one at the level of unawareness our interaction needs to be general and will probably center around our common interest. Therefore, learn as much from your new friend as possible about your common interest. Express an interest in his/her experiences. Offer your expertise and share your experiences. In general, be a friend. Ralph Neighbor in his book, “The Touch Of The Spirit”, lists several important principles to keep in mind when interacting with the unbeliever. Every unbeliever is interested in himself, not Jesus. Get him/her to talk about him/her self. Learn to love the unbeliever for what he/she will become, even though what he/she is now is most unlovable. Recognize his/her virtues. Overlook his/her faults. Be sensitive to his/her needs and be a helping hand. Be transparent so that Christ can reveal Himself through you.These principles are easier to practice for some than for others. One Christian might be able to overlook faults in an unbeliever, but be unable to recognize any virtue whatever. Spend a moment in introspection.

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1. Which principle would be the easiest for you?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Which principle would be the most difficult for you? Why?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ProclamationRemember that we are dealing with a person who is totally unaware of the implications of the Gospel. To share the steps to salvation now may result in an acknowledgement that religion is fine for some people, but not for all. But, a clear proclamation with an invitation may result in rejection—and then nothing is accomplished. However, we must believe that some proclamation is appropriate, otherwise how could the Word of God begin to work in the life of the unbeliever? The answer is found in the experience of Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth. Jesus simply established that His values were based on the Word of God. He was very clear. That was all the proclamation He needed. In effect He said, “This is what the Bible says to me.”How do we translate this principle into our personal interaction with unbelievers? When dealing with an

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unbeliever at this step, our proclamation is woven into our presence and dialogue. When we have the opportunity to share about our lives, we should do so, keeping the focus on our own experience. “This is what the Bible says to me.” We need not give a full testimony at this point. I am simply suggesting that in the course of normal interaction, our unbelieving friend should know that our values are based on the authoritative Word of God. Here are some examples to grapple with:1. You are fishing with an unbelieving friend and you catch a fish that is undersize, so you gently release it. Your friend comments that nobody would know and that he would have kept it. What is your response?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. You are registering to play golf and receive too much change from the pro shop attendant. Your friend asks you why you didn't keep it. What is your response?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Give another example of an opportunity to share with a person at the unawareness step by making a “This is what the Bible says to me” statement.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________This perspective not only gives a proclamation that avoids rejection, but it also encourages further dialogue. However if your friend does not wish to discuss it more, it gives him/her the freedom to change the subject without having a negative experience.SummaryDealing with one at the step of unawareness can be described by the following illustration.

Notice that the amount of presence and dialogue are much greater than the amount of proclamation, but all three are involved.ConclusionThis lesson introduced the basic principle of evangelism followed in the entire course. Fill in the blanks as you review this principle.Conversion is not a ______________ or a ______________alone. Rather it is a decision resulting from ______________ ______________that constitutes a ______________We also discussed how to interact with a person at the step of unawareness.The emphasis of our presence is to ______________

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The purpose of our dialogue is to develop a relationship based on

________________________________________________The emphasis of our proclamation is to communicate the principle, “This is what the Bible __________________________

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Assignment for LifeHow is your relationship with your friend coming? Is this person stuck at the stage of unawareness? Or no longer at this stage? Come prepared to share with your group how your relationship is progressing, and at which of the four stages it is. Then have your group help you plan your next time together with your friend.You should now be able to share your testimony in 3-4 minutes, without using any notes. In the next group session you will be asked to pick someone from your group and practice with that person, and give constructive feedback to each other.Add to your memory verses Romans 3:23. Then review your previously assigned verses with your group.Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 5:16; Acts 16:31; 1 Peter 3:15.

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Chapter 7

STAGE OFMISUNDERSTANDING

Frequently you will discover a desire on the part of the unbeliever to discuss the implications of your proclamation at the unawareness step. This is great because it means that the unbeliever is making progress. If there is a desire to sincerely examine the claims of Christ, this person will be at the step of guarded interest, which is the subject of lesson 8. But more often than not there is the need to walk a person through a transitional step—which I call “being stuck on an invalid conclusion because of a past experience.” Let’s examine characteristics of a person at this place of misunderstanding.Some time ago I was at an evangelism training seminar which required me to survey someone at a bar. I entered the tavern and sat down at the bar next to a gentleman who was talking with a friend. As I initiated a conversation with him, the first question I asked was, “What do you think of the church in the 1980’s?” His response, not in the friendliest tone of voice, was: “You have a lot of nerve coming in here and pushing your religion down my throat!” I don't recall attempting to tell him anything. Rather I was asking him to tell me something, which he surely did. I took a deep breath and squeaked out my next question. “Is anyone in your family a Christian?” His tone of voice intensified as he said, “No, we are all dirty, rotten, @#*sinners”. Well, I knew that this conversation was leading to an unpleasant climax, so I excused myself and went back to the seminar.

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When asked to share about my “field trip” I reported that I met a man who had a bad experience in his past, which left him with a misunderstanding about the love of Jesus Christ. Of course, everyone at this step will not act in such an antagonistic manner, but the flavor of the interaction will be somewhat the same. There will be a perception of Christianity based on the past, which serves as a lens, through which the unbeliever filters all data about the Gospel in the present. It will matter very little what is said. All that the person hears will be interpreted, not by the present circumstances, but by the past experience. And most people have had at least some experience with religious institutions. Many of them were negative experiences that were overcome, such as membership in a non-evangelical church or in an evangelical church that presents a negative picture of Christianity. The tragedy is that because of the pain of the past, many do not take the next step to faith in Christ. This phenomenon is not limited to interaction about the Gospel. For example:Describe the feelings of one anticipating a visit to the dentist following a painful extraction of an impacted wisdom tooth?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A person is involved in a multi-car accident during rush hour on a busy freeway in a metropolitan area. What does that person think about the next time he approaches the on ramp?___________________________________________________________

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A child nearly drowns in the public swimming pool. What might be a legitimate fear for that child as he grows up?___________________________________________________________Maybe you can think of an experience in your past that colors your perception of the activity in the present. Describe it in the space provided.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Some of the resistance we encounter in our ministry of evangelism is the result of a painful or unpleasant experience somewhere in that person’s past. My acquaintance in the tavern surely had a painful exchange with a well-meaning evangelist or church person, or an embarrassing incident involving family members and the church. Unless someone initiates a relationship with him, and gives him a positive experience, this impression of Christianity will remain for eternity. Maybe God has led you to someone just like him for the purpose of helping him/her overcome that experience and then proceed to the joy of faith in Christ. Let’s examine our strategy. Again it involves presence, dialogue, and proclamation.PresenceThe only way a person overcomes a bad experience in the past is to have new experiences in the present. Therefore the role of the believer is to give the unbeliever new experiences, which produce good feelings and positive impressions. Now, that might be hard. Often a person at this step is not

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the most pleasant person to be around, especially for the Christian who is attempting to serve him/her. But that ought not deter us.Looking at the following passages, what is our attitude to be when the opportunity comes to serve an unbeliever? 1 Peter 2:21-24 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________Romans 12:14 _____________________________________________

___________________________________________________________Matthew 5:38-48

_________________________________________

___________________________________________________________When we serve unbelievers, they begin to have new experiences, which in time will become the new lens through which he/she interprets the Gospel.DialogueAssuming that you have built a friendship through common interests, (reflect on lesson 6), opportunities for you to get below the surface and discuss life experiences should develop. At this point it would be good to discuss the person’s past experiences that have colored his/her perception of the Gospel. But it must be done in dialogue, rather than teaching or manipulation. Some examples of interactions between an unbeliever and a believer follow. Choose the interaction which best

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represents the dialogue approach. Then make a suggestion as to the misunderstanding and its cause, which the unbeliever might have.UNBELIEVER:I really believe that if a person is sincere, that is all that is necessary to get to heaven.BELIEVER:

a. Well, people can be sincerely wrong. Like Hitler. He was one of the most sincere people the world ever knew.

b. I know lots of people who believe just like that. Tell me about the sincere people you know.

c. The Bible says that Jesus is the only way to the Father. No one gets to heaven but by Him.The misunderstanding could be___________________________________________________________The cause of the misunderstanding could be___________________________________________________________UNBELIEVER

I don't have much time for church. It is just full of hypocrites.BELIEVER

a. That’s right. There are no perfect churches. And if you ever find one, don't join because as soon as you do, it won't be perfect anymore.

b. Well, it’s better to be a hypocrite and on the way to heaven, than sincere and on the way to hell.

c. It sounds like you have had a bad experience

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with church people. Do you want to talk about it?The misunderstanding could be______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The cause of the misunderstanding could be______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________UNBELIEVER

I really question the reliability of the Bible. I just don't believe it is true.BELIEVER

a. I can understand why you think that. Only believers with the Holy Spirit can understand the Bible.

b. Have you had some courses in college that taught that the Bible isn't true? I'd like to hear what you learned.

c. The Bible is a faith proposition. You just need to accept it.The misunderstanding could be______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The cause of the misunderstanding could be__________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________UNBELIEVER

How can you say that God is love when there is so much evil and pain in the world?BELIEVER

a. It sounds like you have had some hard knocks in life. I have too. How about sharing our experiences?

b. Some things just have no explanation.c. If you become a Christian, God will take all of

your problems away.The misunderstanding could be______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The cause of the misunderstanding could be______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Proclamation The majority of our proclamation continues to be woven into our presence and dialogue. As we interact about past experiences and serve the unbeliever, there will be times when we have opportunity to share spiritual truth. But since we are still attempting to increase awareness and overcome obstacles, the perspective should

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continue to be on us. “This is what the Bible says to me” statements are the best statements.In the context of genuine dialogue about past experiences, you might be asked about your past experiences with Christianity. What do you say? At the step of misunderstanding, your most effective proclamation is probably your personal testimony.SummaryFigure 3 illustrates the interaction with one who is at the step of misunderstanding. Notice that the presence and dialogue are given the most time, but that proclamation time begins to increase.

SummaryLet’s review the basic principles of this lesson. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word or phrase.A person often has a misunderstanding about Christianity because of a negative _____________________________________The goal of the believer’s interaction is to give the unbeliever

___________________________________________________________The believer’s presence is to continue to___________________________________________________________

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The believer’s dialogue is to share about the unbeliever’s

___________________________________________________________The believer’s proclamation is to share his/her___________________________________________________________Assignment for LifeAs you continue to develop your relationship with your friend, look for an opportunity to share your personal testimony with him or her. If it is appropriate, that is, if she/he is past the unawareness stage, share your testimony this week. Be prepared to report your experience to your group.Add to your memory verses, Romans 6:23. Then review your verses: Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 5:16; Acts 16:31; 1 Peter 3:15; and Romans 3:23.

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Chapter 8

STAGE OFTESTING

By now that you are getting a good feel for the strategy of relational evangelism. You are seeing that it is not as important to become a skilled communicator as it is in becoming skilled in working with people. Learning how people think and feel will open doors for meaningful interaction and opportunities to share the gospel. Remember the person at the level of unawareness? The key in interaction at that level is to love that person for what he/she will become. That is a relational issue. The person at the level of misunderstanding needs someone with whom he/she can talk through previous experiences. That too is a relational issue. As we move on to discuss interaction with persons at the next levels, it will become increasingly important to think in terms of working to meet the needs of people. Especially at the level of testing.ValuesSomething very crucial happens when people overcome misunderstandings due to experiences of the past. They begin to compare their values to those of the Christian. What I mean by value is a fundamental belief, conviction, or motivating force, which governs the decisions of a person. For example, a person may decide not to smoke. That decision reflects a value, which could be described as a commitment to protect his/her lungs from the damage caused by smoking. The value is good health. But the person who smokes may do so

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because he/she enjoys smoking. The value for the smoker is pleasure. So every decision a person makes is governed by the underlying value held by that person. When unbelievers are asked to change their actions in life—which is basically what becoming a Christian involves—they are being asked to re-evaluate their values. Without realizing it, their lifelong, cherished values are now being challenged by those of a new friend.In Matthew 19:16-26, what is the value so cherished by the young ruler? ______________________________________________In the spaces below, list what you consider to be representative values of an unbeliever in our culture.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As we faithfully develop relationships with unbelievers, by virtue of presence, dialogue and proclamation, the Christian values, by implication, will be noticed by the unbeliever. But a person is not likely to consider altering his/her basic value system on the basis of perceived impressions. These new values must be understood and tested in order to prove their authenticity. Do they actually work in real life situations? Therefore, the unbeliever begins to test the Christian. There are two tests unbelievers will make as they consider

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altering their values in favor of Christian values.Testing the IndividualWhile I was in graduate school, I had the opportunity to work in the production department of a small factory that made chemicals for printing presses. We serviced accounts all over the Midwest, including some not so reputable adult magazine companies. Over the months I worked there, I began to develop a presence, dialogue, and proclamation with my co-workers. I knew that they were beginning to understand the implications of my witness when one day while eating my sack lunch, I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned around I found my nose about two inches from the navel of a center fold picture. There were a few snickers, but really very little noise. Rather, the lunch room was alive with anticipation for my response. They were testing me, to see if my values actually worked when faced with an obvious challenge. I know now that their values were being challenged by mine, and that there was a need to see mine in action. From then on I knew that I was being carefully observed, and that my actions were authenticating my message. Most believers will not be put to such an overt test as I was in the lunch room, but we will all be called upon to authenticate our message. The unbeliever needs to see if our values are worth accepting.Jesus authenticated His message throughout His ministry. In fact, that was one of the reasons He performed miracles.Read Luke 5:17-26. What message was Jesus authenticating by the miracle of healing the man paralyzed?__________________________________________________________

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_People heard of Him, but that was not enough. They wanted to see for themselves. They wanted to see if His message could stand up to real life. Open your Bibles and read Luke 4:31-5:26. Note down the incident which authenticated Jesus’ message, and the response of those who were observing.

Jesus’ Action Observers’ ResponseLuke 4:31-35 Luke 4:36, 37 ____________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________________Luke 4:38-40 Luke 4:41____________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________________Luke 5:1-7 Luke 5:9-11____________________________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________________

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____________________________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________________Luke 5:12-14 Luke 5:15____________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________________Luke 5:16-25 Luke 5:26____________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________________There are examples recorded by the Gospel writers when Jesus was specifically tested, (Luke 11:16, 17), but these incidents of testing were not for the purpose of authentication of His message as much as they were attempts to discredit Him. The testing at this stage is usually a genuine attempt to compare values and see if the message of Christianity really works in life.Corporate TestingAt this stage unbelievers need an authentication of the message from more than one individual. The

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beauty of the body of Christ is that Christ can be seen through many, that gives a more powerful message. For example, when an unbeliever can see harmony among a group of people, it does much to authenticate the message of the Gospel.Recently our church had the privilege of relating with an unbelieving man who never had a positive experience with a group of Christians. He and his Christian wife had been attending services for two weeks, when we discovered that he enjoyed playing softball, so we recruited him to play on our team. Over the next few months, Mike experienced genuine presence, dialogue, and proclamation from his teammates, and eventually made Jesus his Savior and Lord. Later he testified that it was the experience of watching the men interact on the softball team in game situations that proved to him that Christianity really worked. While Mike did not actually create situations to put the softball team to the test, he was looking for them to authenticate the Gospel. From the following Scripture passages, what aspect of Christian living will impact the unbeliever?John 13:34, 35

____________________________________________John 17: 21

_______________________________________________It is important to understand that a person may be seeking authentication from both the individual and the group, before being satisfied that Christianity really works. The need is to participate in warm, loving, and accepting churches to facilitate evangelism. More on this concept will be discussed in Lesson 12.We have seen the importance of allowing the

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unbeliever to test the values of Christianity, both individually and corporately. Now let’s discuss the strategy.PresenceDuring the period when the unbeliever is seeking authentication of the Christian message, Your ministry of presence should continue as before. Now however, you may begin to experience the new pressure of being under the microscope.Being under this kind of pressure may prove difficult. Do not give up. Christian values strike at the heart of unbelief. It is very threatening for an unbeliever to have the foundations of his/her life challenged. Many times an unbeliever will simply lash out at the evangelist. But rather than interpreting this negative action as a personal attack, think of it as the conflict created by comparing value systems. How are Christian values, as evaluated by unbelievers, described in the following verses?Acts 17:18

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________1 Cor. 1:23 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________When a Christian is mistreated, it could be a communication that a true authentication is being sought. Imagine the impact on the unbeliever if the Christian responds in greater commitment to love and to serve that unbeliever. Could it be that we miss opportunities for further interaction because

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we miss the true intent of apparent misconduct toward us? It is at this very level of interaction that many relationships between believers and unbelievers end when it could be that this step might vault the relationship into a genuine study of the truth of God’s Word. We must endure under difficult circumstances. A positive response may be just around the corner.What is the Christian value taught in Heb. 10:7?___________________________________________________________What are our instructions in 1 Peter 2:12-16 when facing difficult circumstances because of our faith?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Read 2 Cor. 4:1-6, where Paul discusses his witnessing to the people in Corinth. According to vs. 6, what will happen if we continue to serve the unbeliever, even in the midst of testing?___________________________________________________________Of course all experiences of testing will not be negative. A person might sincerely say to you, “Prove it”. It is at such times that the witness of the body is so important. Introduce the unbeliever to a group of Christians and give him/her experiences in seeing the love of Christ exemplified. More specific attention to interaction on this level will be given in Lessons 10 and 11.

Dialogue and Proclamation

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An unbeliever at this level of testing is interested in justifying his/her own values, and will many times seek to accept the Gospel on his/her own terms. Therefore, when the opportunity arises, introduce new information and give a straightforward explanation of what the Bible says about life. You recall that at the unawareness and misunderstanding stages, proclamation is, “This is what the Bible says to me.” At that time we were seeking to raise awareness and clear up misunderstandings. But now that values are being considered, we must steer the discussion to actual life situations, and make comparisons with our authority, the Bible. The task of the evangelist is to articulate what God says about life and then help the unbeliever see that what God says is true. Here are some examples.Read Proverbs Chapter 5. What does the Bible teach about the results of immorality and adultery?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Give an example from modern news or of someone you personally know whose life has been damaged because of immorality._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Read James 1:19, 3:1-12. What does the Bible teach about a person who cannot control his/her tongue?

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Give an example from modern news or from our own experience of the trouble that resulted in improper words.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Read James 4:1, 2. What does the Bible say about ambition for power, greed and pleasure?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What does recent publicity about the drug wars reveal about the truth of these statements?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________These examples are only representative of the wealth of material suitable for dialogue with an unbelieving friend while discussing life. Other sources could be the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, or James. If you have trouble, do not hesitate to ask your Pastor or a church leader to help you as you dialogue about life with a friend. Through the give and take of these dialogues, the values of unbelief are seen to fall far short of those set forth in the

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Bible.Figure 4 illustrates a comparison of time spent in presence, dialogue, and proclamation. Notice that the amount of proclamation is beginning to increase.

ConclusionLet’s summarize our lesson. We have been discussing values and the process of allowing the unbeliever to test Christian values—and the Christian’s opportunity to prove that they are authentic. This may necessitate the Christian being placed under close scrutiny and even delicate situations. But as you realize what is happening, be encouraged that the unbeliever is moving closer to the point of trusting in Christ.In our interaction at the level of testing:1. Our presence is _______________________________________2. Our dialogue and proclamation are to discuss statements which illustrate what the Bibles says___________________________________________________________Let me add this final word of caution and encouragement. Our own Christian values may not always be perfectly lived out in our lives. Surprise? It was so even with the disciples. Peter was

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impetuous, Barnabas acted with prejudice in Antioch, and James and John wished an entire town to be burned with fire from heaven. Nobody is perfect. But if we are available to Him, Christ will shine through us and glorify Himself.Assignment for LifeContinue developing your relationship with your friend. And continue to share your progress with your group. Then discuss what activities would be appropriate in order to progress to the next of the four stages of friendship. Then, spend some time together as a group, praying for one another as you seek to reach out to your friends.Add to your memory verses Romans 5:8. Review your other verses: Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 5:16; Acts 16:31; 1 Peter 3:15; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23.

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Chapter 9

GENUINE INTEREST ANDPOSITIVE RESPONSE

Let’s review. First we have met an unbeliever and initiated a relationship based on a common interest. We have communicated that our life is based on the Bible, but we unconditionally accept, love, and serve him/her, while not endorsing the non-Christian life-style. A friendship grows. Over the course of this relationship we have the opportunity to share a personal testimony and model Christian values. We share what the Bible says to us. As our relationship grows deeper, we have opportunity to dialogue about these values and discuss the unbeliever’s past experiences with Christianity. If there has been a false impression due to a negative experience, we talk it through, allowing our unbelieving friend to test the authenticity of our message. We even introduce our friend to a group of believers so he/she can experience the dynamic of the body. We share what the Bible says about life. Our friend is beginning to experience the reality of Christ in our lives. Dialogue continues over the comparison of Christian and non-Christian values, with discussion of the Bible being a part of our interaction. It is at this point that he/she is ready to study the personal implications of the claims of the gospel. It is time to study the Bible together. But what does the Bible say about the Christian life?Counting the CostOne of the trends of our world today that is a major

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difficulty to true Christian living, is that of “easy believism.” Dr. Gary Collins in his book, Beyond Easy Believism, describes this philosophy as:A Christianity without cost or commitment. It sees religion as a personal hobby or an extra experience that does little more than add zest and interest to life.Recently I have been interacting with a gentleman who described a time when he “accepted Christ.” However, in further dialogue I discovered that he wanted nothing more than, to use his exact words, “an escape from Hell.” While avoiding the horrible conscious punishment of Hell is certainly one motivation for responding to the Gospel, I do not believe that one can “accept Christ” and then go on living a life in the flesh, trusting in a so-called insurance policy just in case there happens to be an unanticipated death.How would Paul (see Romans 6:1-4) respond to this man’s attitude?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There is more to Christianity than receiving reinforcement to our already self-centered value system. The health and wealth doctrine, which teaches that all Christians deserve a life absent from illness and full of material prosperity has created a generation of “Christians” who are out to

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get for themselves, rather than to worship a God who has given them what they absolutely do not deserve. Therefore, Christians facing the battles of life many times become disillusioned because they have never been faced with the reality that being a Christian includes suffering, self denial, persecution, and the possibility of fatal illnesses and accidents. We do a seeking unbeliever no favor if we paint anything but a realistic picture of the Christian life. What does Jesus say are the realities of becoming a Christian?Matt. 7:13, 14

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________Mark 8:34

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________Matt. 10:39

_______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, and make some notes about the hardships suffered by the Apostle Paul.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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_However, the privilege of knowing our great God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ is worth any cost.. Read Phil. 3:7-10. What is the most important value in the life of Paul?___________________________________________________________Although Christians do experience difficulty and hardship, what is the promise of God found in Rom. 8:28-39?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Therefore, while the Christian life is not a guaranteed life of creature comforts, it is one with guaranteed support and companionship with Almighty God.Genuine Interest Once a person has progressed through the stages of unawareness, misunderstanding and testing, there is no need to hold anything back. Our presence has reached it’s height, but our dialogue has been on a deeper level for some time. For a person at the stage of genuine interest, it is our proclamation that changes. We are now ready to progress from the earlier statements that express what the Bible says about me, and from statements that express what the Bible says about life, to what the Bible says to you. The confrontation and personal implication level of our proclamation begins.. In the context of relationships, this need not be a negative experience, either for the evangelist or for the unbeliever. We need only speak the truth in love,

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and let God take care of the rest. We need to speak about sin and death, as well as about God’s love and Christ’s work on the Cross. And we need to speak about the need for a personal acceptance of this truth. We can approach this stage with the attitude of the late missionary Jim Elliot: “Lord, give me firmness without hardness; steadfastness without dogmatism; love without weakness.” All Have SinnedWhat does the Bible mean when it speaks of sin? Open your Bible to Psalm 32:1, 2. List several types of sin mentioned by David.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Let’s discuss these four types of sin. First there is transgression. This means a passing over a boundary, exceeding a limit, breaking or disobeying a law, or breaking loose from an authority. The boundary or limit is God’s Word and the authority is God. Give some examples of this type of sin.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Secondly, there is sin. This is missing the mark, failure to live up to a standard. There can be an attempt to do the right thing, but one falls short. It is failure. Give some examples of this type of sin._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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_Third, there is iniquity. This is misusing something for a purpose other than God’s intended use. It is perverting or distorting something so that it no longer is what it was meant to be, or diverting something from its proper course. Give some examples of this type of sin.___________________________________________________________The fourth is deceit. This is fraud, guile, conscious misrepresentation, hypocrisy, or lying. Give some examples of this type of sin.___________________________________________________________Sin then is doing what we shouldn't, not doing what we should, misusing something, or misrepresenting something. The scope of sin is totally comprehensive. It is even more so when we consider that Jesus said that sin involves motives and even thoughts. How can a person live without falling into sin? That is a great question to ask a seeking unbeliever. The answer is found in Rom. 3:10-18. What is it?___________________________________________________________Sin Results in DeathIn our first lesson we discussed Romans 6:23, which teaches that the wages of sin is death. But what does this death mean? It can be explained as being separated from God. How do the following passages describe the destiny of those who are in sin?Gal. 5:19-21 _______________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________Eph. 4:18 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Revelation 20:11-15 __________________________________________________________________________________________________The Love of GodBut God in His matchless love decided to deal with this problem of separation. What is the solution as explained in the following verses?Matt. 1:21

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 3:16, 17 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 John 5:11, 12 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________The Work of Jesus ChristDuring His brief span on earth Jesus revealed much about God. Yet it was the death of Jesus that was most significant. For in the cross of Christ, the separation between mankind and God ended.What does 1 Peter 2:24 tell us happened in the

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death of Christ on the cross?___________________________________________________________To “bare” one’s sin on behalf of another means to suffer the penalty of one’s sin. What an incredible thought! Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, actually took our sin upon Himself, and died in our place, to pay the penalty of sin, thus making it possible for us to experience a relationship with God. The Biblical term is substitute. It means that one person acts or receives action that should be acted or received by another person. It is most clearly described in an Old Testament passage that speaks of the crucifixion of Jesus.Open your Bibles to Isaiah 53:1-12. Vs. 4 says that Jesus _____________ our infirmities and ___________ our sorrows. Vs. 5 says that He was pierced for _________ transgressions and crushed for _________ iniquities. In His death He became our substitute.Making It PersonalThe last great truth needed by the unbeliever is this simple, yet all-important truth: we must personally, individually, make a decision. It cannot be done for us. It cannot be inherited. It must be a personal commitment. What is the implication for a personal decision in the following verses?John 1:12

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 3:36 ________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

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Rev. 3:20 _________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________SummaryThe seeking unbeliever at the stage of genuine interest is ready to learn more about the Gospel. We have been discussing the need to give a full understanding in order to avoid false impressions about what commitment to Christ really means. This depth of interaction is in no way unrealistic because of the relationship that has been developed as presence, dialogue, and proclamation has taken place through the previous stages. Figure 5 describes the relationship between presence, dialogue, and proclamation at the stage of genuine interest.

Positive ResponseThe final stage in the journey to faith in Christ is what I call positive response. This is the time when the unbeliever makes the decision to repent, believe, and accept Christ. Like the genuine interest stage, presence and dialogue remain the same in the positive response stage. It is our proclamation that changes. Now is the time when a personal invitation is given to the unbeliever to respond.

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This is a time that may be most difficult for many of us. Even after many years of experience in evangelism, I still find that my heart starts pounding and the perspiration flows every time I am faced with the opportunity to ask for a response to the Gospel. It is a crucial event and we must not become timid. The following verses will give you strength to follow through. State the element(s) which give(s) encouragement.Acts 4:12 ________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________Rom. 1:16, 17 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Cor. 5:20 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Actual ResponseThroughout this section of our course, I have been using the words repent, believe, and accept Christ. Let’s examine them more closely as we discuss this stage in the journey of the unbeliever.Repent means to change one’s mind. How is our attitude change about sin expressed in 1 John 1:9?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________How is our attitude change about God expressed in

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1 Thess. 1:9?___________________________________________________________Repentance expresses a new attitude toward sin, as well as a new attitude toward God. One must turn from sin and turn toward God. That brings us to the second word.Believe means to place one’s trust in Christ alone to provide salvation. The best illustration of believing that I have ever heard is to be willing to climb into a wheel barrel while someone wheels you across a tight rope stretched over Niagara Falls. How did Jesus express the importance of belief in Him in the following passages:John 5:24 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 11:25 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 12:46 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 20:31 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________Accept Christ means to receive the gift of eternal life, by faith. How is this expressed in :Romans 10:9, 10

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____________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 1:12 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________It is not something we can attain, or earn, but something that we can only receive. Read Eph. 2:8, 9. Why are we encouraged to acknowledge salvation as a gift that we receive?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Now for a word of caution: I know many people who can point to a specific hour and day of the month when they accepted Christ. But I also know others—just as saved—who cannot point to a specific time. Being able to point to a specific time is not the important thing. A person may become saved as the result of responding to an invitation to repent, believe, and accept Christ. Or he/she might experience salvation while lying in bed at night. He may not remember when he made this decision, only that he did. Let’s not get hung up on this detail. What is your experience?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________However, when you have the opportunity to help a person accept Christ, the best way is to lead in prayer, asking the person to repeat after you. Here

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is an example of a prayer:Heavenly Father, I admit that I am a sinner, and that I am in need of the Savior. Please forgive me of my sin. I now, by faith, place my trust in Jesus Christ to give me the gift of eternal life. I accept His death as being the sufficient payment for the penalty of my sin. I receive Him as my Savior and Lord. Amen.The relationship between presence, dialogue, and proclamation is illustrated in figure 6 below. Notice that proclamation is the main activity.

ConclusionIn this lesson we have discussed the final stages of the journey of the unbeliever in coming to faith in Christ. Our presence in both stages is ______________________ Our dialogue is both stages is

_______________________ Our proclamation in both stages is to share what the Bible says about ____________________________________________

As you close your study this week, take a few moments to thank God for all that you have in Christ. Reflect on the fact that the privilege of

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knowing Christ is so much more valuable than experiencing earthly comforts. Make a commitment to never water down the Christian life with an unbeliever, but to realistically share the realities of the Gospel, along with the promises of God’s grace, even in the midst of trials.Assignment for LifeBy now you should be becoming fairly familiar with the individuals your group has been discussing. Continue to give input to one another about possible activities that might help the relationship progress. Continue to pray for each other, as well as for your friends.Add Romans 10:9 to your memory verses. Then review your other verses: Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 5:16; Acts 16:31; 1 Peter 3:15; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8.

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Chapter 10

THE PRESENTATIONOF THE GOSPEL

The Bible is very clear on many issues. For example, there is no doubt that the local church should meet regularly and worship the Lord. However, one does not find instructions on how to conduct a worship service in a local church. There are no instructions that a service should have a sermon, or if there is a sermon, if it should be by the same person each time the church meets. There are no commands to have or not to have a choir or soloists. We are not told to sing only hymns or only worship choruses of the psalms. Should a congregation take an offering, meet in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Or all three? I personally believe that God was not specific on these details because He wanted to insure that Christianity could adapt to various cultural and nationalistic distinctives. What would be appropriate in one circumstance, might not be appropriate in another. But no matter what the specific details of the practices of a local church, the essential concern is that there be worship. There is also no doubt that the local church should share the gospel message with the world about us. And like the example of worship, the gospel message may be presented in any number of ways, as long as the essential message is preserved. In our previous lesson, we discussed the content of that message. Key sub-headings of that lesson are:

All Have Sinned;

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Sin Results in Death;The Work of Jesus Christ;The Actual Response.

These four phrases are the four points of an effective tool for evangelism. Illustrated from the book of Romans, they form what is known as the “Romans Road”, entitled such because they articulate the essential gospel message from one book of the New Testament, giving the evangelist a road or path to follow.Put in their proper sequence, and in easily remembered phrases, the “Romans Road” is as follows: 1. All Have Sinned—Romans 3:232. Sin Results In Death—Romans 6:233. Jesus Died to Pay the Penalty For Sin—Romans 5:84. A Person Needs to Confess, Believe and Accept

God’sGift—Romans 10:9, 6:23

But how exactly do we present these phrases? Just as a worship service can be adapted to a variety of situations, the “Romans Road” can be adapted to fit almost any circumstance. Though the message will essentially remain constant, it can be adopted to fit a variety of circumstances. The emphasis appropriate to one person, might not be appropriate with another. In this lesson, we will discuss how to share the gospel using the “Romans Road”. After you are familiar with the basic outline, we will help you see how to adapt this outline, using different approaches. A Basic Outline

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The following outline will help provide a track that will help keep our discussion on track. You should plan to memorize this basic outline. ALL HAVE SINNED—ROM. 3:23 There is personal participation in sin. Illustration: Impure or angry thoughts, selfish motives, etc. God’s standard is perfection (Matt. 5:48)SIN RESULTS IN DEATH—ROM. 6:23 Death is separation from God. Illustration: The rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31JESUS DIED TO PAY THE PENALTY FOR SIN—ROM. 5:8 Grace—”Receiving something we don't deserve.” Substitution—”Someone paying the penalty for someone else.”ONE MUST CONFESS, BELIEVE AND ACCEPT GOD’S GIFT—ROM. 10:9; 6:23 To “confess” means to openly acknowledge. To believe is to make a life-changing decision. God’s gift of salvation is received through personal prayer to God.Understanding The OutlineNow let’s make sure that you have a full understanding of the “Romans Road”. Fill in the blanks as you study each point.ALL HAVE SINNED. Rom. 3:23There is personal participation in sin. What is the significance of the first word of this verse? __________________________________________________________

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_This can be illustrated from the following verses:Matt 5:21-22. What does Jesus say in about anger?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Matt. 5:27-28. What does Jesus say about our thoughts?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What does James 4:17 say about neglecting to do right?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________God’s standard is perfection (Matt 5:48)What standard does Jesus give for us in living to please God?___________________________________________________________In order to gain a fuller understanding of the concept that all have sinned, read Romans 3:10-18 and fill in the following blanks.All have sinned by refusing to ____________ God, vs. 10-12.All have sinned by their ______________________, vs. 13-14.

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All have sinned by their ______________________,vs. 15-18.SIN RESULTS IN DEATH. Rom 6:23Death is separation from God.Read Eph. 2:1. What is the condition of those who are in trespasses and sins? _________________________________What does Paul explain that this means in Eph. 2:12?___________________________________________________________This can be illustrated by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31What is the environment of Lazarus?___________________________________________________________What is the environment of the rich man?___________________________________________________________Why could there be no interaction between the rich man and Lazarus? (vs. 26)___________________________________________________________JESUS DIED TO PAY FOR OUR SIN. Rom. 5:8Grace—”Receiving something we don't deserve”According to this verse, what was the condition of man when Christ came to die for us? ___________________________________________________________Now look at Romans 6:23. What did we deserve?

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___________________________________________________________What (who) did God give us instead? ___________________________________________________________Substitution—”Someone else paying the penalty.”Open your Bible to Isaiah. 53:6. Who were the ones who deserved to be punished like sheep who went astray?___________________________________________________________Upon whom did God lay the penalty for our actions? ___________________________________________________________ONE MUST CONFESS, BELIEVE, AND ACCEPT CHRIST, GOD’S GIFT. ROM. 10:9; 6:23.Repentance is not always mentioned in passages dealing with how to receive God’s Son as Savior, but it is always assumed. Paul everywhere preached repentance, as well as trust in Christ. See Acts 17:30; 20:2; 26:20 and Romans 2:4.Turning to Romans 10:9, 10, list the action verbs you find.1. ________________________________________________________2. ________________________________________________________First, the unbeliever must confess ___________________________________________________________Another word for Lord is “master of a household”.

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What authority does a master of a household have over those in the household? ___________________________________________________________Here is where we discuss with our friend the idea of counting the cost. This word implies that we will be willing to have others know about our decision to make Jesus master of our house. What does Jesus say about one who is ashamed to acknowledge a relationship with God in Mark 8:34-38?___________________________________________________________Second, according to Romans 10:9, he must___________________________________________________________If someone agrees that a fact is true, it is a belief in his/her head. The heart is a word that denotes the center of one’s being, that which governs one’s life. God’s gift is eternal life. One accepts it in prayer.Read 1 John 5:11-12. What does God want to give us? ________________ This gift is in ___________; he who has ___________ has eternal life. One receives life by accepting ____________________________________If someone wanted to give you a present, what would you have to do before the transaction could be completed? ___________________________________________________________ One accepts God’s gift in prayer.Once the presentation is complete, simply ask your friend if he/she would like to receive God’s gift of eternal life. Explain that this is done by talking to

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God and telling Him the desire of our hearts. Here is a sample prayer you might lead him/her through, a phrase at a time. Simply have your friend repeat after you, making your words his/her own prayer to God.“Heavenly Father, I admit that I have sinned, and that I am separated from You. Please forgive me of my sin. I now accept Your gift of eternal life. I accept the death of Jesus as being the payment for the penalty of my sin. I receive Him as my Savior and Lord. Amen.”Application of the Romans RoadOnce you have mastered this simple outline, you can adapt it to most any situation. Here are four examples of how to use it.POSSIBLE APPROACH I: “WE HAVE THIS PROBLEM TO SOLVE.”This approach works well with a person who is problem oriented. Therefore, when presenting the gospel to this person, create the context of finding a solution to the problem that exists. The “Romans Road” works very well in this circumstance.What problem is described in Romans 3:23?__________________________________________________________

What is the ultimate consequence of this problem if it is not solved, Romans 6:23?__________________________________________________________

God has offered a solution to this problem. What is it, Romans 5:8?___________________________________________________________In order to have the benefit of God’s solution, what

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must we do, Romans 10:9, 10?__________________________________________________________

POSSIBLE APPROACH II: GOD HAS SOMETHING WONDERFUL AND EXCITING FOR YOU.”This approach can be used with a person who is full of energy, enthusiasm and optimism. It seeks to create a climate condusive to fun and happiness. These people are full of emotion and are frequently the “life of the party”. In sharing the “Romans Road” with these energetic people, our task could be to convince them that apart from Christ they are missing out on the greatest experience of all time. When a person sins, what does he/she miss out on, according to Rom. 3:23? __________________________________________________________

The idea of sin will be significant because it is a negative experience in life. Therefore, our task is to show our fun loving friends that living other than God’s way results in pain and sorrow in this life.What is the ultimate negative result of sin, Romans 6:23?__________________________________________________________

Eternal separation from God is not the brightest prospect for the future. God has made it possible for us to experience all that He can give to us. How has He done that, Romans 5:8?__________________________________________________________

In order to experience all that God has for us, what must we do, Romans 10:9, 10?

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__________________________________________________________

POSSIBLE APPROACH III: “GOD WANTS TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.”This approach would be especially helpful when sharing with a person who is concerned about relationships. For some people, nothing is as important as developing a close friendship and getting “deep” with another person. The prospect of an intimate relationship with God is very motivating. What would prevent one from having a relationship with God, Romans 3:23?__________________________________________________________

Anybody who studies relationships knows that there are certain things that can stand between two individuals, derailing fellowship, communication, and intimacy.What is the consequence of not having a relationship with God, Romans 6:23?__________________________________________________________

What has God done to make it possible for us to have a relationship with Him, Romans 5:8?__________________________________________________________

How does a person begin a relationship with God, Romans 10:9, 10?__________________________________________________________

Maybe you can think of other possible approaches to sharing the “Romans Road”. There may be many. The great joy of using this particular approach is that no matter how you adapt the outline, the truth of the Gospel is always there.

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SummaryThere are other methods of sharing the gospel points. But the “Romans Road” is one that can conform to meet the need of each individual. It is also one that gives the evangelist the opportunity to read directly from Scripture without having to turn through many pages. May God bless you as you share the truth of the Gospel with those who are in such need of the Savior.Assignment For LifeContinue to share about your friendship with the group. By now you have undoubtedly become a support group for one another as you are discussing your ministries together. This is very healthy and good. Be sure to spend time in prayer for one another and for your friends.This week would be a wonderful time (if God so prepared your non-Christian friend) for you to invite him or her to receive Christ personally. Ask the Lord to give you this wonderful opportunity. And continue to pray for your unbelieving friend. Pray too that the Lord will give you both the courage and the obedience needed to give this simple, yet all-important invitation.As you have now discovered, you have been memorizing the “Romans Road” in your previous assignments. This week, work on memorizing the basic outline of the Romans Road and be prepared to share it with your group. Then review your other memory verses: Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 5:16; Acts 16:31; 1 Peter 3:15.

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Chapter 11

SHARING WITHUNBELIEVERS

In the middle seventies, the Beatles recorded a hit single, “Eleanor Rigby.” The song was filled with despair and pain, and reached its climax in the chorus, that rang forth, “Oh, look at all the lonely people...” We need not look far! And as we do, we will discover that there are basically two types of lonely people in the world. I will describe them as the religious unbeliever, and the secular unbeliever.The Religious UnbelieverThis is a type of person with whom I readily identify, because I was once one myself. I grew up in a family with fine morals and a record of regular attendance in church. I faithfully attended the educational programs (which taught great biblical Christian doctrine) and graduated with flying colors. I was active in the youth ministries and even preached a sermon on Youth Sunday, receiving the praise of both family and friends. From all outward indications, I was on my way to heaven. But then came the first years of college and life away from home, and the first experience of independence.My church attendance dwindled to being non-existent. I found myself criticizing the campus organizations that faithfully proclaimed that God required more than a good “Christian” heritage. My language degenerated, my morals were beginning to weaken, and my basic philosophy about life was being influenced by the “make love not war”

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attitudes of the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s. I believed in God, and accepted the name Christian, but I was living anything but the biblical Christian lifestyle. But, I thank the Lord, that by His wonderful and unexplainable grace, He worked a miracle in my heart and rescued me from a life that was fast leading to moral and intellectual suicide.The tragic point of this testimony, is that I fully believed that I had experienced all that Christianity had to offer. And I was supported by countless others who held that same belief. I was religious, to a point, but certainly not one of God’s adopted children.The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization has described 5 types of people who could be described as religious unbelievers.1. One who attends church regularly and worships devoutly, but who has no vital personal relationship with Jesus as Savior and Lord. 2. One who attends church regularly but for cultural reasons only.3. One who attends church only for major church festivals (Christmas, Easter, etc.) and ceremonies (weddings, funerals, etc.)4. One who hardly ever attends church but maintains a church relationship for reasons of security, emotional or family ties, or tradition.5. One who has no relationship to any specific church and who never attends, yet considers himself a believer in God (in a Christian sense).I think that at one point or another in my life as an unbeliever, I fell into each of these categories. Mark McCloskey, in his book, Tell It Often, Tell It

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Well, reports statistics which show that a vast number of Americans have the same experience. He sites a 1979 Gallup Poll that reports some very illuminating statistics. Of those polled, 80% believe that Jesus Christ is divine, but only half of them say they are hoping to go to heaven because of their faith in Him. 94% believe in God, and 87% of those find comfort in that belief, but only about 40% of them claim a Biblical conversion experience. Of those 40%, only a small percentage claimed a conversion that included asking Jesus to be personal Savior. We are faced with a large segment of our American population which Gallup calls “the company of the orthodox”, but who have a “glaring lack of knowledge about the basic facts of our religious heritage and a fuzziness about central tenets of our religions.” What is Jesus’ sad statement about these people, Matt 7:21-25?__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Read Luke 18:9-14. Which of the two men would be a religious unbeliever, and why?__________________________________________________________

How does Paul describe the two categories of religious people in Romans 2:28-29?__________________________________________________________

But what is our responsibility to either kind, as described in 2 Tim. 2:24-25?___________________________________________________________Beliefs Of The Religious Unbeliever

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McCloskey, in Tell It Often, Tell It Well, sites three attitudes about sin held by religious unbelievers. All three are couched in a misunderstanding of the fact and seriousness of sin and the relationship of sin to the holiness of God.First, a religious unbeliever believes that forgiveness is not required. God will not take sin seriously he believes, at least not seriously enough to judge it. What does the Bible teach about the seriousness of sin and the judgment of God?Gen. 2:15-17 ______________________________________________

Rom. 5:12 ________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________A second attitude of religious unbelievers is that, forgiveness is required, but earned. This person recognizes the fact and seriousness of sin, but falsely believes that by accumulating more good works than sins, he/she will achieve favor with God. What does the Bible teach about earning God’s favor?Matt. 5:17-20 _____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Eph. 2:8-9 _________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

A third attitude of religious unbelievers is that forgiveness is required, but automatic. This person

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holds to the false doctrine of universalism, which teaches that the love and mercy of God will be the basis for all people to somehow end up in heaven. They propose that all roads end in heaven, and that all religions are valid. Such false security is directly contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture. What do the following verses teach is the basis for eternal life?John 14:6 __________________________________________________

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1 John 5:11, 12 _____________________________________________

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Later in this lesson we will learn about how to reach the religious unbeliever. But for now, keep in mind two basic principles. Never place a label on a religious unbeliever. A

lady in our church is working with another lady who is extremely offended if she is not referred to as a Christian.

Never give the impression that a religious unbeliever is a project. Such persons are convinced that there is nothing unacceptable about their life, and to suggest otherwise may only derail further dialogue.

The Secular PersonThe second type of person might be called secular unbelievers. Webster defines secular as someone or something “of or relating to the worldly or temporal.” A good friend of mine grew up with very little influence from spiritual things. Recently he

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shared with me that it wasn't until he developed a friendship with the man who eventually lead him to Christ that he realized that Easter celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. He had no idea of its significance. He was totally focused on things that he could see, touch, and smell. Nothing else mattered. Mike was a secular man. Mark McCloskey has outlined three categories of secular person. The intellectual secularist. Only those things that

can be touched, smelled, tasted, seen, or heard have significance. God is non-existent or irrelevant. McCloskey says that for the intellectual secularist, “Man is the apex of an impersonal evolutionary process and is therefore ultimately accountable to no one in matters of personal values, morality and behavior. Man is seen as a highly sophisticated, technological animal.” (pg.102)

How does the Bible evaluate the intellectual secularist? 1 Cor. 1:18-25 _____________________________________________

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1 Cor. 3:18-23 _____________________________________________

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The self-fulfillment secularist. This person finds his/her significance in the accumulation of material things and the status of affluence. “Pleasure, position, power, and possessions are

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some of his objective criteria for determining the meaning of life” says McCloskey. A good word to summarize the self-fulfillment secularist is “more”. What is a Biblical evaluation of this person?

Gal. 5:19-21 _____________________________________________

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James 3:13-16 ____________________________________________

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The hopeless secularist. This person is overwhelmed by life. The pursuit of self-fulfillment holds no promise of satisfaction. Difficult circumstances and personal despair overshadow any ambition to “get ahead”, which seems increasingly difficult when loneliness, alienation, fear of death, and lack of personal worth are daily struggles.

Read Eph. 2:12. What does the Bible say is the source of the despair of the hopeless secularist?___________________________________________________________Secular persons are either insulated by a life of intellectual gymnastics, or selfish ambition, or are defeated by hopelessness and despair. ApplicationWe have learned that people progress through the process of conversion in small stages, each at a different rate. People are at the stage of

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unawareness, misunderstanding, testing, or genuine interest—ready to respond. It is vital that we gear our interaction with people in a way that is consistent with where people are in this process. Giving attention to a person’s heritage is important.Our Presence in the First 3 StepsWe have learned that there are three fundamentals of evangelism: presence, dialogue, and proclamation. Since the truth of the gospel is unalterable, our proclamation will be the same for both the religious and secular individual. Our dialogue will be the same too, since this fundamentally deals with the way we communicate the truth of the gospel. However, our presence in the life of an unbeliever is directly affected by his or her heritage. Let’s identify the ways a believers presence with a religious unbeliever might differ from his/her presence with a secular unbeliever as we walk through the first 3 steps in the process of conversion.UNAWARENESS. We learned (lesson 6) that a person at the stage of unawareness is basically self-sufficient and fairly secure. Based on your study in this lesson, what would provide the self-sufficiency and security for:The religious unbeliever ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The secular unbeliever ___________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________How would your ministry of presence differ for the religious unbeliever and the secular unbeliever? Refer back to lesson 6 and review the section on presence.___________________________________________________________MISUNDERSTANDING. We also discussed (Lesson 7) that frequently a person has a false impression of what it means to be a believer because of an invalid conclusion based on a past experience with a person, a group, or organization. Sometimes it is an impression from society as a whole. Based on your study of this lesson, answer the following questions concerning religious unbelievers or secular unbelievers.Both religious unbelievers and secular unbelievers could have invalid conclusions about the meaning of Christmas because of experiences in our present society. Give an example of an invalid conclusion about the meaning of Christmas._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Now describe how that conclusion might be the same for both groups, or the reason that it might be different.___________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What might be the conclusion of a religious unbeliever as he/she views the downfall of a religious personality.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________How might the conclusion of a secular unbeliever be different?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Looking back again to lesson 7, how might your ministry of presence to a religious unbeliever at this level differ from your ministry of presence to a secular unbeliever at this level?__________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TESTING. In lesson 8 we discussed that a person needs to test the validity of a believer’s values, because they differ, in part or in full, from his or her own. Based on your study of this lesson, answer the following questions.1. What is the source for the formation of values for the religious unbeliever?___________________________________________________________Are these values necessarily different from those of a believer? Why or why not?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. What is the source for the formation of values for the secular unbeliever?___________________________________________________________Are these values likely to be different from those of a believer? Why or why not?___________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Refer now to lesson 8. How might your ministry of presence to a religious unbeliever at this level differ from your ministry of presence to a secular unbeliever at this same level?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Our Proclamation In The Final StepsGENUINE INTEREST AND POSITIVE RESPONSE. Once a person progresses to this level, there is a desire to study the Scriptures. At this point our proclamation begins to develop, while our presence and dialogue remain essentially the same. As you study with your unbelieving friend, at some point, take the opportunity to share the “Romans Road” with him/her. Based on your study of this lesson, answer the following questions.1. The fact of sin. Is it easier to discuss personal involvement in sin with the religious unbeliever, or with the secular unbeliever? Why?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. The penalty for sin. Is there a difference between the way religious unbeliever and the secular unbeliever might consider this point? If so, state it; if not state why there is not.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. God’s grace and Christ’s substitution. Which of these two groups might have an easier time understanding grace and substitution? Why?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4. The fourth point deals with confession, belief in Jesus, and acceptance of God’s free gift. How might these two groups understand each of these concepts?Religious Unbeliever Secular Unbeliever

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Confession ___________________________ _________________________________________________________ ______________________________Belief in Jesus___________________________ _________________________________________________________ ______________________________Acceptance of God’s free gift___________________________ _________________________________________________________ ______________________________

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ConclusionMost of the people we come in contact with will probably fall into the category of the religious unbeliever, simply because our culture encourages a belief in some form of supernaturalism. However, recent trends indicate that our society is becoming increasingly secular in its outlook on life. Therefore it is important to have a handle on dealing with both types of people. As you conclude your study this week reflect about your own evangelism ministry. Are you better suited to reach religious unbelievers, or do you have a better opportunity to reach secular unbelievers? As you come to your group meeting, be prepared to share your future ministry of outreach, and interact with your group about their ministry outreach. Assignment for LifeCome prepared to share with your group about your present relationship with your unbelieving friend. Continue to share with one another about how to develop this relationship. Keep praying for your ministries and for your friend. Last week you memorized the basic outline of the “Romans Road” This week, come prepared to share the entire gospel presentation. Pair up in twos and practice sharing with each other.Review your other memory verses: Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 5:16; Acts 16:31; 1 Peter 3:15.

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Chapter 12

HANDLINGOBJECTIONS

Throughout this course, we have been emphasizing the importance of interaction with unbelievers within the context of relationships. While there will be occasions when God gives you a special opportunity to share with a stranger, your training has zeroed in on: Presence—developing a friendship and sharing

the gospel by serving others. Dialogue—sharing in two-way communication. Proclamation—articulating the content of the

gospel in the appropriate circumstance.Ideally, this relationship will blossom and give you much opportunity to discuss the various issues of the Christian faith. In these discussions, you will undoubtedly encounter questions about Christianity that will need satisfactory explanations. This final chapter in our course will introduce you to four basic objections to our faith as Christians, and give you a brief response to each of them. However, please bear in mind that it is not possible to treat these issues completely in one chapter. You will do well to consult your Pastor for further help in answering questions in these areas.Our Attitude Is CrucialThere is a common phrase that says, “It’s possible to win the battle but loose the war”. Handling objections to the truth of the gospel is surely one area where this expression applies. Two principles will help you share effectively:

AVOID ARGUMENTS. There may be times when your friend puts on the gloves and begins to challenge you to go one on one for a while. Do not be alarmed when this happens. As we have already learned, there may be two reasons why your friend responds to you in this way. Review chapters 7 and 8 and fill in the blanks.One reason a person might want to argue is that an experience of his/her past has resulted in___________________________________________________________Another reason a person might want to argue is that there is a need to __________________ the _________________________ of your faith.However, it may be that God is convicting your friend and arguing is a way to avoid facing the truth. In this case, loving persistence is the Christian response.RE-LABEL THE BEHAVIOR. While I was in graduate school, a counseling professor taught me to acknowledge inappropriate behavior in a client, but to give it a description that may open the door to positive interaction about the issue.For example, a wife wrongly nags her husband because she feels he is not spending enough time with the children. She can be re-labeled: a mother who sees the importance of a strong male influence in the early development of children. This re-labeling puts the attention on the issue itself, thus opening up an avenue of productive dialogue. See if you can do some re-labeling yourself, using the following examples:A friend erupts when told that there may be some people in the world who may not go to heaven.

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A person laughs at the possibility of a personal God.___________________________________________________________The way you handle the questions of your unbelieving friend may well open or close doors to future dialogue with him/her. Remember: avoid arguments; instead, seek re-label inappropriate behavior. Then, discuss the particular issue that triggered the behavior.Here are four common objections and some ideas to help you in your dialogue.“I HAVE TROUBLE ACCEPTING THE BIBLE AS MY AUTHORITY.” This will be a common objection—especially with the approach that encourages the evangelist to share statements such as: “This is what the Bible says to me.” (At levels -5,-4); “This is what the Bible says about life.” (At level -3) and “This is what the Bible says to you.” (At levels -2,-1).The Bible is the authority for the Christian, and therefore must be able to stand under the scrutiny of the unbeliever. Here is a simple four part line of reasoning to share with your unbelieving friend about the authority of the Bible. The Bible is historically reliable. Here are just a few examples:Read Gen. 11:1-9. Alfredo Trombetti and Max Mueller, both modern day philologists have stated

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that they can trace and prove the common origin of all languages.Read Joshua 6:1-20. The archeological excavation of that sight, from 1930-1936, verifies beyond doubt that the walls indeed fell outward, so that the army of Israel could enter the city.Read John 5:1-17. This sight was discovered in 1888, near the Church of St. Anne.Read John 19:13. This sight was discovered by William Albright, with an account of the discovery recorded in his book, The Archeology of Palestine.Here is what a few scholars have said about the historical reliability of the Biblical text. Sir William Ramsey, regarded as one of the greatest archaeologists ever to live, says, “Luke is a historian of first rank.”...”In short, this author (Luke) should be placed along with the very greatest historians.” Nelson Glueck, a renowned Jewish archaeologist says, “It may be stated categorically, that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.” He continues his assertion of “the almost incredibly accurate historical memory of the Bible, and particularly so when it is fortified by archaeological fact.” We can say with great confidence, that there has never been a Bible account that has been refuted by modern archaeology or historical pursuit. The present text is an accurate preservation of the words of the original writers. Some who contend that the Bible is not authoritative believe that since the Bible was written so long ago, there must be numerous alterations from the original text. They say scribes added to it or deleted from it, either

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because of their own personal whims, or because of human error in transmission from one edition to another.Through a science called textual criticism, modern scholars can trace the transition of the Bible from one edition to another by examining the manuscripts now available, and thus verify the accuracy of the Bible. Their conclusion is that there is no variation from one manuscript to another that alters the reliability of a single event or doctrine described in the Bible. Few, if any scholars, would ever doubt the authenticity of the text we have of Tetralogies, by Plato, written 427-347 B.C. Yet the earliest copy was written by a scribe in 900 A.D., some 1200 years after the original was written, and there are only 7 copies of it in existence. For Ceasars Gallic War, written 50-58 B.C., there are only 10 copies, and the oldest dates more than 900 years after Caesar’s day. Notice two important things here: one, the length of time between the author’s life and the oldest copy now in existence; and two, the small number of copies in existence today.Contrast this with the New Testament, which was written 40-90 A.D, and some copies dating as early as 200 A.D., 150 years or so later. And most significantly, there are well over 5000 copies available to us today.The reliability of the Old Testament can be compared to that of the New Testament. Until a few decades ago, the reliability of the Old Testament was regarded by some scholars as no greater than other ancient classical literature. However, in 1947, a shepherd boy discovered in a cave, several jars containing scrolls of the Old

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Testament. Later given the name, “The Dead Sea Scrolls”, these manuscripts authenticated the text of the Old Testament with much the same reliability as the New Testament manuscripts. Writing about the Isaiah scroll, Gleason Archer says that it “proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95% of the text. The 5% of variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling.”Josh McDowell concludes, “After trying to shatter the historicity and validity of the Scripture, I came to the conclusion that they are historically trustworthy. If one discards the Bible as being unreliable, then he must discard almost all literature of antiquity.” The original writers of the New Testament recorded what actually happened. Some would suggest that the events and conversations recorded in the Bible are not the actual events and conversations, rather the ideas and myths made up by the writers. This is an easy objection to refute, once one accepts that the Bible is historically reliable and that we have an accurate edition of the words of the original authors. As you answer the following questions you will gain an appreciation for the point to follow.Read Mark 6:33-44. How many people witnessed this miracle by Jesus?___________________________________________________________Read Mark 15:22-41. How many people witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus?___________________________________________________________Read 1 Cor. 15:3-8. How many people witness that

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Jesus had risen from the dead?___________________________________________________________Read Acts 1:1-11. How many people witnessed the ascension of Jesus up to heaven?___________________________________________________________The accounts of these incidences were written within 30 years of the actual occurrences. That is about one generation. It is probable that most of those who witnessed these events were still alive when the Gospel of Mark, the book of Acts, and Paul’s First letter to the Corinthians were circulated. With so many eyewitnesses still alive, the popularity of these writings would easily be diminished by their testimony that the accounts were false. But the eyewitnesses did not discredit these writings, because they were accurate!! For the Christian writers to write false information about the life of Jesus would be the same as attempting to write of false events about WWII. However, with so many eyewitness of WWII still alive, any false writing would gain no credibility. How foolish to think that things would be different in the first century.The fulfillment of prophecy proves that it is a supernatural book. Jesus’ life as explained by the NT fulfills events predicted hundreds of years earlier. What event is predicted and fulfilled in each of these texts?Micah 5:2; Matt 2:1

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Ps. 41:9 ; Matt 26:20-25, 47-56____________________________

___________________________________________________________Ps. 34:20; Jn. 19:34-35

_________________________________________________________________________________________________There are over 50 predictions about the life of Jesus in the OT, all of which were literately fulfilled by Jesus. The probability that 48 of these predictions would be fulfilled in the life of one person is 1 in 10 to the 157th power. There is no doubt that the Bible is not an ordinary book.The above data, taken mostly from Evidence That Demands A Verdict, by Josh McDowell, gives us much information that supports the authority of the Bible. We Christians need not be uneasy about our faith in the Scriptures, and neither should a prospective believer!“I CAN'T ACCEPT THAT JESUS IS ANYTHING MORE THAN A GREAT PROPHET.” The idea that Jesus is not God is a growing idea in our present day and age, especially with the popularity of what is called “New Age” theology, that teaches that there are many gods, and that all roads lead to heaven. Couched in the guise of Hinduism, and popularized by celebrities, this false doctrine is running rampant in our culture, and will certainly raise its ugly head in discussions with those who are in tune with the present trends of our society. However, the objection is not new. For centuries, men and women have been attempting to escape the reality of the living God in the person of Jesus. The idea is directly addressed by C.S.Lewis in his book Mere

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Christianity, saying that if Jesus is not the Son of God, then he was either a liar, or a lunatic. If He was not God He was a liar because the Bible very clearly records His own words stating that He was divine. But if not a liar, certainly he was self deceived for the same reason. One thing is for sure. No person could be considered a great prophet who had a lifestyle of deception or intellectual incompetence. That leaves the third alternative. Jesus was, and still is, the Lord God, Jehovah. Fill in the blanks as you study this important doctrine.State how Jesus claimed to be God. Mark 2:1-13

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John 5:1-18 _______________________________________________

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John 8:31 _________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________State how Jesus allowed others to believe that he was God.Matt. 14:33

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_________________________________________________________________________________________________________State the miracles Jesus performed.Matt 8:1-17 _______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________Matt 8:23-9:8 ______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________What is the declaration of the Apostles about His deity?John 1:1-3

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Col. 2:9

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Heb. 1:3, 8

_______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________There is more to this person, Jesus, than simply a religious figure who lived centuries ago. He is totally unique from any other person. He indeed is God, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

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“WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD THE GOSPEL?” This issue raises one of the most frequently asked questions by those who object to the Gospel. “What about the heathen in Africa or South America? Will they spend eternity in Hell just because they live in a country where Christianity is not taught? The answer to this question will be varied, depending upon that branch of theology you happen to embrace. And we must admit that it is possible for this discussion to become emotional. Therefore, I would suggest that we respond to this question by discussing truths of Scripture upon which all evangelicals agree. First, God is a loving God, and is concerned about those living in countries where the Gospel is not presently available. Read Jonah 4:2. What is the prophet’s conclusion about God’s concern for the pagan city of Nineveh?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Certainly, God has the same concern for those living in non-Christian countries in our generation.Second, while we would like to have it another way, there will be some who spend eternity in Hell. Read the following passages, and fill in the blanks.1 John 5:11-12. Those who go to heaven are those who___________________________________________________________Those who do not go to heaven are those who__________________________________________________________

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_Matt 25:31-34, 41,46. Those who have been placed on the right of the Son of Man will ___________________________________________________________Those who have been placed on the left of the Son of Man will ___________________.But we need not dwell negatively on these sobering thoughts. The encouraging result is that for generations, the truth of man’s plight apart from Christ has motivated thousands to share the good news that God has offered His grace to many. And millions have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through their efforts. Third, God is a just God and will judge men and women fairly and correctly.Read Deut. 32:3-4 and fill in the blanks.God’s works are ________________________________________.God’s ways are ________________________________________.God is a faithful God who does no

_______________________God is upright and ______________________________________.While these truths may help answer this question, your ministry to your unbelieving friend will be served best by focusing his/her attention on the certain opportunity he/she has to be one who can have the assurance of eternal life in heaven, rather than on the uncertainties of those living in other countries.

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“WHY IS THERE UNDESERVED SUFFERING IN THE WORLD?” This is probably the most difficult objection to answer to the satisfaction of an unbeliever. It has taken scholars volumes to explain the problem of pain, evil, and suffering, so it is clear that we cannot treat the issue completely now. However, for the purpose of discussing the issue with your unbelieving friend, the following outline would be helpful. State how the Bible passages following these statements support the statements about the problem of evil.God is not the author of sin.James 1:13-14

________________________________________________________________________________________________________Gen. 1:31

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________1 Tim. 4:4

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________God created people with free will, thus capable of sin, and its resulting pain and suffering. But this also allows for the possibility of Christian virtues to develop.James 1:1-5______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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2 Cor. 12:7-10______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________God knows just how much evil to allow.Rom. 8:28-30______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Job 1:7-12; 2:1-6______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________God will graciously and lovingly provide his strength and grace when His children face suffering.1 Cor. 4:7-9______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Rom. 8:37-39______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There are a few other thoughts about pain and suffering. Have you ever noticed that one is warned

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of great harm by experiencing a small amount of pain, such as a small burn to the finger so as to warn one that a hand is on a hot stove? Sometimes God warns an entire nation of future judgment by allowing disease or a natural disaster. (Is there a message here that we need to hear?) Some pain is necessary to achieve a greater good, such as the pain of surgery to save a life. But generally, this issue is one that has to be dealt with on a spiritual level, rather than on a rational level. State a good spiritual principle in the following Scriptures.Isaiah. 55:8-9 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hebrews 11:6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ConclusionThese are only four of the most commonly asked questions asked those who are seeking to reach out to unbelievers. There are others. But it is important to remember that it is not necessary for one to have a grasp on all of the theological issues addressed in Scripture in order to become a child of God. A famous philosopher said that it is necessary for one to take a leap in the dark in order to be saved. While it is true that we must venture into the unknown, we do so with the promises of a loving God who will protect and lead us all the way. This makes our decision far from a leap in the dark. God has revealed much to us, making it more of a

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step of faith. We need to thank God for what we know, and to trust Him for what we do not know.Assignment For LifeContinue to discuss with your group the stages of your relationship with your unbelieving friend. Maybe someone in your group has had the joy of praying with his/her friend to confess, believe, and accept Christ. Be sure to give opportunity for praise and thanksgiving. Then pray for one another in your ministries of outreach.Now that you have practiced the “Romans Road” in your group, look for an opportunity to share it with your unbelieving friend. Be sure to ask God to shine through you and give you the power of the Holy Spirit as you do.Add to your memory verses Hebrews 11:6. Then review all of your verses: Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 5:16; Acts 16:31; I Peter 3:15; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9.A Concluding RemarkBe encouraged in your ministry of outreach. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Gal. 6:9. God is filled with joy when we allow Him to use us to minister to the hurts, pains, and needs of His creation. If we allow Him, He will use us!! What a great promise to claim by faith. May God bless you as your seek to put the principles of outreach studied in this course into your lifestyle.

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