Chapter 16
Personal Evangelism: The What
Evangelism is not a task that God does Himself. Rather, He sovereignly chooses to accomplish this work through His children. If God saw fit, He could use the stones to bear witness to the truth of the gospel (Matthew 3:9); He could use animals (Numbers 22:28) or angels (Luke 2:8–15). But He has chosen to use us, weak and sinful as we are, for this eternally significant work.1
—Mark McCloskey
Did you hear about the three pastors who met in an accountability group? One day they told one another their greatest hidden sins. The first said, “Don’t tell my congregation, but I’m an alcoholic.” The next confessed, “If my people knew I’m a compulsive gambler, they would fire me.” The third said, “I hate to admit it, but I’m addicted to gossip, and I can’t wait to get out of here!”
It seems more Christians are better at talking about other things or people than about the gospel. And more talk about evangelism than actually do it. In this chapter, we will focus on some specific ways to witness to others. But first, let us address the problem of fear. How do we get people in our churches to overcome their fears?
Facing Our Fears
Paul told young Timothy, “God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness” (2 Tim. 1:7). In my witness training through the years, two primary fears surface again and again: the fear of failure and the fear of rejection. After all, no one wants to fail, and no one enjoys being rejected by others.
Failure
If you have attempted to witness, you know about this fear: “I don’t know what to say. What if they ask a question I can’t answer?” The fear of failure is real. How do we cope with it?
This fear may exist because we misunderstand our task. We are called to faithfulness. Faithfulness to share is our measure of success. Our Lord Jesus did not win every person with whom He shared. We are ambassadors. Ambassadors do not speak on their authority but for another. We must remember that God holds us accountable for obedience, not perfection. Remember Jesus called us to follow Him, and if we did so He would make us fishers of men (Matt 4:19). If we enjoy fishing as much as catching, we will experience a lessening of this fear as we focus more on the joy of telling good news and less on our “success.”
Michael Jordan is arguably the best basketball player in history. Yet he missed many shots. During the 1997 NBA playoffs, a Nike commercial featured Jordan musing over his career. “I’ve missed nine thousand shots . . . I’ve lost almost three hundred games,” he pondered. “Twenty-six times I have been trusted to take the winning shot and missed.” Then he concluded: “I’ve failed over and over in my life—and that is why I succeed!”
We do not remember Michael Jordan as an all-time great because he is perfect but because he is tenacious. He won’t quit. He won’t let the fear of failure defeat him. The same season the commercial aired, in game one of the 1997 NBA finals against Utah, Michael Jordan was again trusted to take the game-winning shot, and he made it. He later hit the key shot in a game when he was sick with the flu. You can make it, too, as a witness—and what you are doing is far more important than a basketball game!
Where do we get the false notion that we should be able to answer any question a person raises? Nowhere in Scripture are we told that an effective witness must be a Bible know-it-all. I see this attitude in seminary students. I am getting a Master of Divinity, they think, so I must know all the answers. We don’t have to know everything; we must know what matters. Our focus should be on the essential gospel, not the trivial chatter of society.
This leads me to the best practical solution for this fear: witness training. What a joy it is to show people how simple it is to use a tract to present Christ. “I can do that!” they say. Believers who earnestly desire to serve Christ will find such training helpful. Witness training that allows people to learn through classroom experience, role playing, and field experience helps them to see that they can do it. The best training comes from going with another believer who shares his faith regularly to watch and learn.
Rejection
Rejection is an inevitable part of witnessing. The most winsome person on earth will not convince everyone the truth of the gospel. I have yet to meet any person who loves rejection. Facing rejection rather than avoiding rejection is crucial. We must understand the reasons for rejection in order to face it to the glory of God.
The Principle of Transference
Transference states that positive and negative feelings occur as a result of prior experiences. It is always present in new relationships; it is unconscious; and it can be positive, negative, or both. For example, you as a pastor might introduce yourself to a hospital patient. Before he even gets your name, he starts cursing you! Perhaps he didn’t like something about some preacher somewhere—and he’s taking it out on you. A lot of times you are the lightning rod for things that have nothing to do with you. When we share the gospel with people, they may not appreciate what we say, but we shouldn’t take this personally.
While serving as evangelism director, I provided leadership in a witnessing conference. As part of the training, we went out in threes to visit. The chairman of deacons at the church took my team to the “meanest guy in town.” His name was Mike. We sat in his living room, talking about sports. I transitioned to the gospel by asking, “Mike, do you know for certain you have eternal life and that you will go to heaven when you die?”
Immediately, Mike’s hands went up as if to form an invisible wall. “I don’t talk about religion in my house,” he said. I could sense his hostility, so I said, “Mike, I understand that I am a guest in your house. But, several years ago, Jesus Christ radically changed my life, and I have never gotten over it. As passionate as I am about sports, my love for God is deeper.”
For the next 20 or 30 minutes, we discussed spiritual things. Mike did not receive Christ, but he did listen. As we left, he told me I was the first preacher who treated him as a person, with respect. He had been negative toward me because of his past experiences. I am happy to say that he was eventually reached for Christ. We must not take it personally if a person rejects us.
The Engel Scale (see a simplified version in Figure 11.1) illustrates the reality that not every unsaved person will receive Christ on their first encounter with his truth.2 They may be atheists, but your witness could cause them to begin to think of spiritual things. Another person may be having questions; your witness can give answers. While we want to win everyone with whom we share, the truth is we will not. But we can help each person to consider more clearly the claims of the gospel. The Role of Rejection
We desperately need a paradigm shift in the American church. We must revisit the biblical teaching that we are never more like the prophets or Jesus than when we are rejected. How could you identify a true prophet in Old Testament times? What they said came true, and they led people toward faithfulness to God. The obsession with a consumer-Christianity focused on comfort and blessing will not push a believer into discipleship that values sacrifice for the gospel. A characteristic of a true prophet was that people often didn’t like what he said.
How do you know Micaiah was a true prophet? Because Ahab didn’t like what he had to say! You know Amos was a true prophet because he was told, “Go back where you came from, buddy” (see Amos 7:12). They were rejected because they said the truth. So when we speak the truth, some people are going to reject us.
What did Jesus say in the Beatitudes? “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven” (Matt 5:11–12). If you want to be in grand company spiritually, take note of how much you have been rejected. Our Lord Jesus was despised and rejected. We should never seek rejection, but it must be understood as a part of authentic Christianity. The quota for wimps has been met in the church. We must be loving, but we must also be bold, in spite of rejection.
We need to replace our fear with a greater fear. There’s an appropriate place for fear in the life of the Christian. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (see Prov 1:7). The apostle Paul declared that we must all appear before the judgment seat, the bema seat, the rewards seat of Christ (see 2 Cor 5:10). We will receive rewards based on the things we’ve done, whether good or evil. The word “evil” (phaulos) can be translated “trivial” or “worthless.” Then Paul says, knowing therefore the terror of God, we persuade men (see 2 Cor 5:11). Here we find a biblical motivation to share the gospel out of the holy fear of God. Having a healthy fear of God enhances our understanding of his love.
Let God Push You
In the matter of witnessing, it’s necessary for God to push us out of our comfort zones. When Hannah was a youngster, we as a family went annually for a vacation to Myrtle Beach. Hannah has always loved the water, but at that point simply would not put her head under water. I tried everything. I bribed her, offering candy bars. I threatened to ground her from swimming. I finally got her in the pool next to me, grabbed her neck, and shoved her under the water! OK, no, I did not do all those things, but I thought about it. Here is how I got her to do it—I reasoned with her. I said, “Hannah, look across that big pool. There is a lot of water, and you have fun at the surface, but there is so much more you can enjoy under the water if you will trust me.” Reluctantly at first, she finally went under. And from that day until now she is easily the best swimmer in our family. She found so much more to life once she pushed herself.
Witnessing can be like that. So many believers miss so much of the joy of trusting Christ because they skim the surface of the faith, never going deep, never taking risks. We’re nervous, we’re afraid, but when we step out and do something that honors God, it is exhilarating and rewarding beyond description.
How sad it would be for a person to grow up in a church, attend faithfully, become a devoted follower of Christ—but never learn to share his faith. Could it be that there are many Christians, even key church leaders, who have never consistently witnessed? Is it possible that there are many longtime believers who have never shared with a single lost person their testimony of how Christ changed their life? Are we as leaders not robbing saints of great joy by failing to show them the pleasure of witnessing?
A former student and effective evangelistic pastor named Jerry has taught me a couple of techniques to help people overcome their fear of witnessing. First, when Jerry witnesses to people for the first time, he asks how many times anyone else has shared Christ with them. Most people to whom he witnesses have never had anyone witness to them. This gives Jerry—and it should give each of us—a greater sense of urgency. The reason many people have not given their lives to Christ is that no one has told them how!
A second thing Jerry has done is sobering as well. One year when his church led the local association in baptisms, he checked with a funeral director in his town to determine how many people had died the year before. He discovered more people died that year than the entire association baptized. That served as a powerful motivation for both Jerry and his church to tell others—in spite of the fears that go along with witnessing.
The Approach to a Witnessing Encounter
When witnessing, many people have a difficult time guiding the conversation from the secular to the sacred. A good approach is helpful in doing this. By the “approach” I mean the initial contact with a lost person, through words and actions, which establishes enough relationship to allow a witness for Christ.
While teaching a required Old Testament course at Houston Baptist University in 1994, I noticed one young lady asked several questions about the course the first day. Most students just hoped to get through the syllabus so class would be over, but Allison continued to probe. Finally, she said, “I am a practicing Jew, in the nursing program, and I am very nervous about studying the Hebrew Bible at a Baptist school.”
I assured her that she would be treated with respect. Speaking with her after class, I learned the reason for her anxiety. While a student at another institution, she was approached by Christian witnesses. When Allison replied she was Jewish and not interested, they replied, “Oh well, we know you aren’t. After all, you Jews killed Jesus.” This was not the best approach. I told Allison that not every Christian was like that and encouraged her to share her thoughts with the class.
As we moved into Exodus, I asked Allison to explain a Jewish Seder (Passover) service to us. She went crazy with excitement! She demonstrated the whole service, complete with leg of lamb, the candy, and the trimmings. The students were wowed, the professor was impressed, and Allison felt a part of the class and the school.
As the class continued, I shared openly with Allison due to our friendship. By the end of the course, Allison said, “You know, I think Jesus may be the Messiah after all.” She even went to hear me preach. Although I moved and lost touch with Allison, the approach I took helped her become more open to the gospel. While this encounter occurred over a period of time, the same can be said about a one-time witnessing encounter.
I have met many believers who know how to share their faith but who struggle mightily in moving a conversation toward the gospel. While practical material follows including examples of how to go about this, remember your goal is more than to get the presentation out to a person. You want to help this person understand the gospel in his or her context. When possible you should so share that if the person does not trust Christ, you can continue to speak with them in future conversations. Too often we share once and then leave the person alone. We should be seeking to make friends, not just contact that person once.
The gospel is the power of God for salvation, so helping a person to hear the gospel in a context he understands matters. A good approach eases tensions of the person with whom you share. It is more winsome if you build rapport prior to moving into the gospel. A good approach also helps you to be able to share Christ more with this person later. Often we talk to an individual once, and if she is uninterested, we give up. We should continue to seek opportunities to live and speak the gospel to those we know. It eases the fears of the witness. One definition of soul-winning is “a conversation between two people, both of whom are nervous.”
How to Approach a Person to Follow Christ
The most significant practical detail related to personal evangelism is this: In order to win lost people to Christ, we must talk to lost people! You can build rapport by finding something in common with another person in only a couple of minutes. A great start is to ask, “Where are you from originally?”
Approach People with a Heart of Love
People are not stupid; they can tell if you care! You may stumble in the presentation. You may not answer every question they have. But your ability to look them in the eye and to lead them to sense that something important has happened in your life will overcome a world of mistakes. A concern for people will overcome other factors.
I have known people who stumbled through the presentation, even breaking into tears—partly because they were nervous, partly because they knew they were messing up—and still they led somebody to Christ. People can tell three things about you and me in a fifteen-minute conversation. They can tell if:
1. We care about them. People really do not care how much you know about God unless they can tell you also care about them!
2. We believe what we are talking about.
3. We have the hand of God on our lives.
Paul commended the Thessalonian believers for the impact their lives made with the gospel. They truly “lived loudly” the changed life they experienced in Christ. In fact, 1 Thess 1:8 says their lives so heralded the gospel that the apostles did not have to say anything. Imagine being in a community where the believers there share the gospel so consistently that the pastor did not need to do so! I am still looking for that community in our day.
Herschel Hobbs tells the story of a hardened criminal awaiting execution. Several pastors and ministers tried to reach him for Christ. Typically, they focused on what a sinner he was and how he needed salvation. This only hardened his heart. Then a layman came to see him. He sat with him and said, “You and I are in a terrible fix, aren’t we?” The humble layman’s identification with the hardened criminal led him to weep, and soon he repented of his sins and trusted the Savior. How should we approach people?
Approach in a Spirit of Prayer
Prayer opens the door for the wisdom of God. “For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said” (Luke 12:12). Our efforts are in partnership with the work of the Holy Spirit.
Approach with an Attitude of Expectancy
Believe he or she will be interested. A student in Houston visited my office to ask about her grade. I asked Sabrina if she ever thought about spiritual things, to which she replied, “Yes.” I shared Christ with her, and in a short while, we were on our knees in my office, as she gave her life to Christ!
Be Sensitive to the Spirit
The more you witness, the more you will learn to listen to the Holy Spirit. Even if you give a terrible approach, God can still use you. Bill Bright said we fail in witnessing only if we fail to witness. We learn to witness by doing it. And I will say it again—evangelism is caught more than taught.
In Claremont, New Hampshire, I met Eileen, an apartment finder for the town. I asked her, “You know the area well; what is the greatest need?” Immediately, she said, “There is a lot of hopelessness here.” I handed her a tract that said “Here’s Hope” on the cover (that got her attention!). I told her, “We are here to tell others of the hope of Jesus.” She was a recovering alcoholic and said she did more counseling than apartment finding.
I shared my testimony, and she replied with a nebulous belief in a nebulous God. She had never heard a clear presentation of the gospel. After sharing with her, I said to her, “Jesus Christ radically changed my life.” She replied, “I can tell he has!” I did not lead her to Christ, but it was another example that many people will talk about spiritual matters.
Models of a Good Approach
Learning some basic models can give confidence. The approach one takes can be formal, as with Jesus and Nicodemus. Don’t be afraid to be direct. I have told students to take gospel tracts and simply say, “I have this crazy professor who says I have to read this booklet to someone. Can I read it to you?” One student did that, and then came to class in tears. This direct approach opened the door for him to lead a person to Christ. Or we can be informal as Jesus was with the Samaritan woman (see John 4) and with Zacchaeus (see Luke 19). Here are three simple ideas for approaching people to witness.
Explore, Stimulate, Share3
Explore
Get to know the other person. Ask questions, listen, and be alert.
Stimulate
Raise their interest. Simple questions are effective:
• If you ever want to talk about the difference between religion and Christianity, let me know.
• When you attend church, where do you attend?
• Have you thought more lately about spiritual things?
• Would you say you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or are you still in the process? This question has been very effective!
• In your opinion, what is a real Christian?
• What do you think of ______? (God, Jesus, the Bible)
• Who do you think Jesus Christ was?
• We’ve been friends for a while. Could I share with you a very important part of my life?
The last question is good for somebody you’ve known for years but to whom you’ve never witnessed. I had a businessman in Tennessee who said to me, “I’ve been on the job for several years, and people know that I’m a Christian, but I’ve got friends to whom I’ve never witnessed. How do I go about witnessing to them?” I sensed he really wanted to know. He had one person in particular in mind. I will call him Bob.
“Let me tell you what you need to do for Bob,” I replied. “First of all, you need to go to church tomorrow. Go forward to recommit your life to Christ and say that you’ve not been the witness you need to be. Tell the entire church that. Monday morning find Bob and ask him if you can speak to him for a minute. Then tell him, ‘Bob, I need to apologize to you because of something I haven’t done. Yesterday I told my church that I’ve not been right, and I’m sorry. I want you to know the greatest thing that ever happened to me.’ Then go right into your testimony.”
Share
Respond to their needs. Apply the gospel to where they are.
Personal Testimony
The personal testimony is a great way to move into a gospel presentation. You might ask, “Where are you from originally?” After their answer, say “That’s interesting. I am from. . . .” Move into your testimony, followed by, “Has anything like this ever happened to you?” If they cannot give a clear testimony, move into the gospel.
Acrostic
An acrostic gives you a mnemonic tool to help you remember what to say, especially if you are a novice at witnessing. One example is the acrostic FIRE.
Family—simply ask the person about his family, where he grew up, if married, kids, etc.
Interests—ask about work, hobbies, sports teams, etc. You will likely find some things you have in common.
Religious background—Do not ask if they go to church. Ask, “When you attend church, where do you attend?” Such a question requires more than a yes or no answer (a sure conversation stopper) and assumes the best, not the worst of the person. Or you could ask about their spiritual interests, etc.
Exploratory questions—Questions can help you transition to speak about the gospel, such as: “Have you come to a place in your life that you know for certain that you have eternal life and that you will go to heaven when you die?” “Suppose you were standing before God right now and he asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ What do you think you would say?”
Servant Evangelism
A simple act of kindness provides a marvelous way of introducing the gospel. This particular approach is explained in detail in the following chapters. A simple example I use often is to ask a server in the restaurant if I can pray for them before our meal (always accompanied by a good tip!).
Tools for Sharing Your Faith
Your goal should be to learn how to talk about the things of God as you would talk about anything. In our family we have always attempted to avoid compartmentalizing God-talk from the rest of life, so that speaking of Jesus comes naturally, not in a contrived way. Still, as a learner there are some tools that can assist you in learning to share Christ better.
Marked New Testament
The first way I trained anyone to witness was by showing him how to mark a New Testament. One of the most used approaches to share Christ in history is the Roman Road, incorporating verses from Romans (1:16; 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9–10). There are many excellent Bibles already marked to assist the witness in sharing Christ. The approach Share Jesus Without Fear involves the use of the Bible. A positive feature of this is obvious: it gets people into the Word of God to see what Scripture says. A negative would be that if this were the only method you use, you would not be able to share anytime you did not have a New Testament with you.
Gospel Tracts
I confess to being a big fan of tracts, having led more people to Christ that way than any other. The first person I ever led to Christ, I used the Four Spiritual Laws booklet produced by Campus Crusade for Christ. Spurgeon said more people are in heaven because of tracts than any other means. Here are six useful principles for using tracts in witnessing.
1. Never use a tract you haven’t read. (Some are weak theologically.)
2. Brevity is desirable.
3. Use tracts that are attractive.
4. Be enthusiastic about the contents.
5. Be sure the tract sets forth the facts of the gospel.
6. The tract should explain the process by which a person becomes a Christian, particularly emphasizing repentance and faith.
Tracts are valuable for several reasons. They keep the witness on track with the gospel, and you can leave them with people for later reading and reflection. They typically have helpful information both in leading a person to Christ and for immediate follow-up. Negatively, tracts can take the place of a more personal, involved witness by developing a “tract bomb” attitude that causes you to leave a tract without much more involvement. And of course, there are some really bad tracts out there, so choose them carefully.
Memorized Presentations
The best examples of memorized presentations are from Evangelism Explosion (EE) and FAITH Evangelism, which uses this word as an acrostic to assist in sharing Christ. The NET is another memorized approach.4
Some people criticize memorized presentations because they are “canned.” In my experience, any presentation of the gospel—a marked New Testament, tract, or testimony—is canned, if the person sharing Christ doesn’t care about the person hearing the message. In fact, sermons and Bible lessons are canned if you focus on the delivery more than the discipleship. But the discipline of witnessing such an approach offers has aided many believers in their growth in personal evangelism.
Regardless of whether you use EE, FAITH, Billy Graham’s materials, The Way of the Master,5 or any other approach, make sure the presentation you use emphasizes the need of the lost person, as well as the work of Christ, and the biblical response (repentance and faith). A person cannot be saved unless he realizes he is lost and in need of saving. The law of God has a purpose—to show us our need for salvation and our insufficiency to save ourselves. We are not trying to get someone to “pray the prayer.” We are attempting to help individuals meet the God who created them. Role-Playing
Let me encourage you to train others to witness. A helpful way to teach believers to witness is through role-playing. I wish someone had taught me as a teenager how to witness and to role-play sharing the gospel. I wish seminary students would take more time to stop debating Calvinism or eschatology and help each other to become more effective in witness by role-playing. I believe I could have won 20 or 30 of my friends to Christ in high school because I was a leader, I was well liked on the campus, and I was a Christian. I had many friends, both Christians and non-Christians, but I didn’t know how to communicate the gospel clearly one-on-one. I could get people to come to church, and I saw some of my friends come to Christ, but how I wish someone had trained me. When I was a freshman in college, somebody taught me how, and it changed my life.
My students tell me that of all the things I teach in class, nothing helps them more than when I take a few minutes to role-play a given witnessing situation. If you are a pastor, you might be surprised at the impact you would have in helping your people learn to witness by simply taking time in a service annually to role-play sharing your faith. It is caught more than taught!
When I served at a local church, at times I would use a service for practical training. I would give everyone a tract, then have them spend some time role-playing with one another. I do this in class. In fact, for a few semesters I somehow got away from role-playing in class, and it made a negative impact on the effectiveness of my teaching.
I had been a pastor and was on staff at a church before I had ever watched anyone witness. I am convinced of the importance of watching somebody else. Sometimes I’ll go out witnessing with a pastor and say, “Let me watch you one time. I still have a lot to learn. Then you watch me and let’s talk about it.” The best way to teach someone to witness is to take them with you to witness. This leads to effective learning and effective witnessing.
Practical Examples
Many tools/witness training programs help in sharing one’s faith. Some were mentioned, but recent examples include The Way of the Master, Share Jesus Without Fear, FAITH Evangelism, the NET, and Evangelism Explosion. Pastor Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City talks about using “gospel summaries” to share Christ. Here are two examples:6
Do-Done summary (see example in Bill Hybels, Becoming a Contagious Christian).
“Do.” All forms of religion (formal or informal), are spelled D-O because they tell us we have to perform good works and obey moral and religious laws in order to find God, to achieve forgiveness, nirvana, or peace. But you can never be sure you have done enough.
“Done.” But Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E because God sent his son to earth to live the life we should live, and die on the cross to pay the debt we should pay for wrongs we’ve done. Buddha said, “Strive w/out ceasing”; Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
To become a Christian is to turn from “do” to “done” by asking God to accept you for Jesus’ sake and commit to live for him.
Sin-Salvation summary (based on a paragraph in John Stott’s The Cross of Christ):
Sin is us substituting ourselves for God, putting ourselves where only God deserves to be—in charge of our lives.
Salvation is God substituting himself for us, putting himself where only we deserve to be—dying on the cross. Read 2 Cor 5:21.
To become a Christian is first to admit the problem: that you have been substituting yourself for God either by religion (trying to be your own savior by obedience to moral standards) or by irreligion (trying to be your own lord by disobedience to moral standards). And second to accept the solution: asking God to accept you for Jesus’ sake and know that you are loved and accepted because of his record, not yours.
Calling for a Decision
We are obligated to God and the other person to ask for a decision whenever possible. At times this can’t be done because of time factors or interruptions. But the gospel presentation is incomplete without a call to decision. Intellectual awareness of the gospel does not mean salvation has occurred. We need to look for opportunities to draw the net. Paul reminded the Corinthians in 2 Cor 5:11 that because we as Christ followers will stand before the Judgment Seat, that fear should motivate us to persuade men. Not to manipulate but to be persuasive. We cannot make a person respond to the gospel nor should we, but we should challenge them to do so.
In assisting people in their commitment to Christ, we must remember we cannot always determine what is happening in their hearts. We must explain the message, pray for them, and trust the leadership of the Spirit.
Leading to a Commitment
Asking questions of the person with whom you have shared the gospel can help. Examples:
1. Transition Question: “Does what we have been discussing make sense to you?”
2. Willingness Question: “Is there any reason why you would not be willing to receive God’s gift of eternal life?”
3. Commitment Question: “Are you willing to turn from your sin and place your faith in Jesus right now?”
Explain the commitment the person is to make. When using a tract, read the prayer to the person, asking if it expresses their desire to know God. Remind the other person that Christianity is a relationship, not a ritual. They are to talk to God personally.
You can pray with the person, having them repeat after you. You can have them pray in their own words. You can invite them to pray silently. Note: the Scripture does not give a prescribed “sinner’s prayer,” so a formula is not required. However, the Bible does teach a lost person to cry out to God in prayer for salvation (Rom 10:9,13), so a sinner’s prayer can be deduced from Scripture. The danger is in emphasizing the reciting of words more than the attitude of the will.
Further, I would avoid such terminology as “accepting Jesus into your heart,” a concept that is not found in Scripture. Repentance and faith are the conditions; further, receiving the gift of salvation is a biblically valid expression. The question is not, do I accept Jesus, but does Jesus accept me? Thankfully, the response is yes, when we come in repentance and faith.
When I have shared Christ with a person who wants to repent and believe, I typically follow a simple process. First, I pray for the other person, thanking God for bringing us together, for the wonder of salvation, and the work of the Spirit. Second, I pray with the person, helping them as needed to cry out to God for salvation. Finally, I ask the other person to thank God for what He has done through Christ, and I thank God as well. I have heard some wonderful prayers of gratitude on occasions like this.
Practical Ideas for Personal Witness
David Mills complied a list of ideas to help you to use in your witness or to think about further practical ways to share your faith.
Follow-up and Assimilation
When a person becomes a believer, he or she is birthed into the kingdom of God. But he is a baby spiritually and in need of nurture. Immediate follow-up can help a new believer in her or his time of spiritual infancy. Churches have neglected follow-up. We have left a generation of baby Christians stranded, unsure of how to grow.
In his book on this subject, Waylon Moore makes the following point concerning follow-up.
Follow-up is the conservation, maturation, and multiplication of the fruit of evangelism. Winning and building are inseparably linked together in the scriptures. There is no continuing New Testament evangelism without follow-up. They are God’s “two-edged sword” for reaching men and making them effective disciples for Christ.7
There are two extremes we must recognize in dealing with the subject of follow-up. First, there is the extreme that emphasizes follow-up so strongly that witnessing occurs only in the most ideal settings—settings in which the growth of the new Christian is virtually ensured. We must remember that Philip shared Christ with the eunuch (Acts 8), although he was not able to stay with the Ethiopian to assist his growth. On the other hand, there are those who are extremely evangelistic but who give little regard for the nurture of new Christians. This extreme emphasizes decisions, not disciples as Jesus did.
Practical Steps
Be as urgent about follow-up as you were about sharing Christ. When a person trusts Christ, do not wait a week or two to help him to grow.
Help the new believer with assurance. Immediately after a person repents, pray a prayer of thanksgiving, then ask the other person to thank God in his or her own words. I have heard wonderful, simple, earnest prayers uttered by baby Christians. Then go over their commitment with them briefly. Encourage them by reminding them that heaven rejoices in their commitment.
Give specific guidance in the Christian life. Many tracts do this well. Help the new believer discover the best time for Bible study and prayer, the name of persons who would rejoice in this person’s salvation, and the names of those who need to hear the gospel.
Biblical Model
Waylon B. Moore lists four ingredients in New Testament follow-up:8 1. Personal Contact
2. Personal Prayer
3. Personal Representatives
4. Personal Correspondence
Follow-up begins with a proper understanding of evangelism. A church functioning with a definition of evangelism that focuses on decisions rather than disciples will not emphasize follow-up. Follow-up is helped by building a gregarious fellowship. A program alone is not the cure. Build a spirit of friendliness in the congregation. Statistics indicate that if a new believer doesn’t make seven friends during the first year in the church, he or she likely will not stay there. New Christians need good role models.
Be the type of person with whom new converts want to be. A joyous, aggressive church provides a great atmosphere for follow-up. In addition, take new believers out witnessing. This is great follow-up. Also look for ways to enhance current structure for effective follow-up: the Sunday school, more ministry, and so on.
Provide tools for the new converts, such as Beginning Steps,9 a booklet with instructions in the Christian life. The following points are covered in this resource: • Assurance
• Baptism/church membership
• Bible study
• Prayer
• Corporate worship/fellowship
• Witness
• Discipleship
Jesus called His followers to make disciples, not decisions. Assimilating new believers into a local church is part of the evangelistic task. What are factors today that help to assimilate new believers?
In his excellent book Membership Matters, Chuck Lawless found churches that do a better job of assimilation make use of new member classes. A novelty in many churches only a few years ago, such classes are not only growing in use; they are growing in acceptance by church members.10 Church leaders feel the main reason for such classes is to teach the core values of the church to new people. The new believers agree but overwhelmingly see their benefit as providing a means to meet others in the church and develop relationships as well.
I heard a speaker tell a story about the late entertainer Jimmy Durante, who often entertained troops during wartime. On one occasion, he was visiting a military hospital. The administrator asked him to stay for a short show in the auditorium. Durante said he had to leave for appointments, but the administrator insisted. “Five minutes,” Durante agreed, “but then I must go.”
The sick and wounded were brought into the auditorium. Durante did a brief routine, and the crowd clapped and cheered profusely. Instead of leaving, the comedian continued—for a full hour. The elated administrator asked him why he stayed so long.
“When I did the first routine,” Durante replied, “I noticed two men in the front row. The one on the left had lost his right arm. The one on the right had lost his left arm. When they clapped, they clapped as one. I was so moved, I couldn’t leave.”
When we learn that what we give in evangelism as we share Christ, lead people to Him, and help them to grow does not compare to what we will receive, we will share the gospel.
Questions for Consideration
1. What fear most likely hinders your witness?
2. Is presenting the gospel a part of your lifestyle?
3. Suppose for a moment that you are the only Christian in your world. No one you know is saved—neighbors, work associates, family, or friends. What are the odds of any of these coming to Christ if you continue to witness at your current level?
NOTES
1. M. McCloskey, Tell It Often, Tell It Well (San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life, 1986), 75.
2. J. F. Engel and H. W. Norton, What’s Gone Wrong with the Harvest? A Communication Strategy for the Church and World Evangelism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975), 45.
3. I am indebted to T. Beougher, evangelism professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, for this concept.
4. See eeinternational.org; lifeway.com/faith; namb.net/thenet.
5. See www.wayofthemaster.com.
6. T. Keller, Evangelism: Studies in the Book of Acts Participant’s Guide (Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2005), 26–27.
7. W. Moore, New Testament Follow-up (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1963), 17.
9. To order a copy go to http://www.namb.net/site/c.9qKILUOzEpH/b.4145595/.
10. C. E. Lawless, Membership Matters: Insights from Effective Churches on New Member Classes and Assimilation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 22.
