Personal Evangelism

Fundamentals of Kingdom Expansion

• For the most part, the Western church expects the pastors, selected leaders, and designated volunteers to do all the work of evangelism and missions.
• The Saints are not doing their part (and often aren’t even taught what their part is)
• Obedience to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission are the MAIN THINGS for the Church of Jesus!
  • The Church of Jesus grew day-by-day – not through the singular efforts of the original disciples, but through the testimony of those being saved.
  • Acts 2:46-47: So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

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Network Marketing Analogy

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant (excellent meal, service, and value) or found an especially good sale, and then shared the news with someone else (family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker, etc.)?  We all have a personal testimony to share…

This is a form of network marketing – only you aren’t getting paid to the referrals.

If you are so willing and able to share something as trivial as a meal or a sale – and you can appreciate how much that God has done for you – then why would you even hesitate to share the good news of Jesus?

It is YOUR testimony!

BTW:  speaking of network marketing, are you aware that Jesus actual instituted the concept?  He had 3 in His inner circle; 12 direct disciples – whom He sent out to make more disciples; then 60, then 125; then 600+…

Why do we sit back and wait for the pastor or selected missionaries to evangelize the lost, when it is clearly our assignment? 

What is the work of the ministry? To save the lost and make disciples! Everything else is peripheral or subordinate.

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Have You Ever Personally Led Someone to Jesus?

1. Most Christians will never share Jesus or lead anyone into salvation.

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Here are a few facts to consider – REALITY CHECK:

• Most Christians will never share Jesus or lead anyone into salvation.
  • 97% of Christians, according to Life Way Research, will never share the plan of salvation with one unbeliever EVER in their entire lifetime.
  • 90% of unbelievers will NEVER come to our churches (my opinion)
  • But 75% of unbelievers are willing to LISTEN to a Christian talk about their faith, (according to Barna Research)
  • Current statistics:  98% have never led anyone to the Lord
  • Personal testimony:  asked Senior Pastors how many in their congregation have personally led someone to the Lord – common response is 5% or less.
• It normally takes up to seven or more positive impressions before most people will change their mind (core belief system)  leading to decisions and changes in attitudes/actions (advertising, witness Jesus, respond with changed habits, …)

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2. Why don’t most Christians share their faith with unbelievers?

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2017 Poll:  Only 6% of Christians feel equipped to share their faith while only 4% of pastors feel equipped to share their faith.

• But here is the truth according to God’s word:

1 Corinthians 1:5-7 (NIV) – For in him you have been enriched in every way — with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge — God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore, you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

Revelation 12:10-12 (NKJV) – Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

You don’t need to have a college education, a ministry degree, be a Bible scholar, or have years of experience in evangelism. 

All you need to know is your own personal testimony – who/what were you before you met Jesus, how did you get saved, and what has He done in your life. 

No one can refute or argue with YOUR testimony – they can listen and choose to believe or not.  You have done your part – now it is the Holy Spirit’s turn.

“And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’” John 4:36-37 (NKJV)

As mentioned before, the average person hears the gospel seven times before he gives his life to the Lordship of Jesus. SEVEN times! That means it takes six people to sow the seed of the gospel before the seventh can reap the results. What if the sixth person gave up? What if the fourth person neglected to share? What if the second person was too busy to share?

Your testimony is a seed into them – you may be the first (new information), the fourth (confirmation), or the seventh (ready to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior)!

• Here’s the point: Sometimes we will reap. Sometimes we will sow. Sometimes we till the soil and water.  But the more we faithfully sow, the greater the reaping… and the greater the harvest!
• Years ago, the Fuller Brush Company built their business on door-to-door salespeople. On average, every 6th house they visited would buy. That’s what gave them hope. That’s perspective!
• John 4:36-37 gives us our perspective. It says one day the sowers and the reapers will rejoice together, as they see how they partnered without even realizing it. One day we will get to heaven and meet people who thank us for sharing with them. We will say, “I don’t remember you at all.” But they will say:
  • “I was the 6-year-old neighbor boy whom you brought to Vacation Bible School.”
  • “I was the college buddy that was making fun of your Christianity.”
  • “I was watching you at work every day, seeing how you forgave people who hurt you.”
  • “I was the one who spread gossip about you at church, because really I envied you.”
  • “I was the one riding on a bus with you many years ago, and you asked if you could pray for me.”
  • “I was the one you shared your testimony with while we were riding on the airplane.”
  • “I am from a different county. But you financially supported Oasis World Ministries to train others to share their faith.”
• That’s why we must keep sowing. Without the sower, the reapers get nothing. We are a team, working towards the same goal… to bring in His harvest!
• That’s the BIG picture!
• That’s the kingdom perspective.  “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” (John 4:38).
• By the way, do you know who the first missionary was?
  • It was Jesus!
  • He crossed every possible cultural barrier.
  • He taught and modeled that we must love everyone, including our enemies

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3. What we need is a New Testament Theology of Church – the church and missions are key components of the Great Commission.

The biblical mandate is to make disciples.

The biblical method is to plant churches.

A compassionate heart creates a desire to learn how to reach the hurting. True compassion is not just theory – it is love in action.

We should always be looking for ways to improve our witness and make our lives even more fruitful for the Lord.

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• We should always be mentoring others before us, sharing with our peers, and learning from those ahead of us.
• We should be LIFETIME STUDENTS…
• John Hurston example: (we never know who may make a huge impact for the kingdom!)
  • He led Dr. Cho in South Korea to the Lord.
  • He led Dr. Paul Ai in Vietnam to the Lord.
  • Millions of salvations have been documented through these two ministries alone!

The Fire Next Door Analogy

What would you do if you came home late one night and your next-door neighbor’s house was on fire?  Virtually all of us would immediately respond without thinking: 

I can’t imagine too many people would just drive into their garage and shut the door, thinking that someone else will call the Fire Department or warn their neighbors.  Some might – but I personally don’t want them as friends or neighbors!

Do you believe in hell?  Jesus clearly testified how awful hell will be for those who choose not to believe in and give their lives to Him.  The Book of Revelation is very clear as well.

Revelation 20:10-15 – And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. … Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Realistically, it’s not our neighbor’s home that is on fire – it is our neighbor themselves – if he/she doesn’t know Jesus.

Why would we even consider not telling them?  Why keep Jesus a secret?

This is directly related to our COMPASSION for others in action – mercy, pity, and concern.

As much as I love God, I will never be an effective witness unless I love people.

Apathy is often fed by my own selfishness, of which I must repent.

Christ’s love must be my motivator.

In ministry, we tend to lose sight of the main things in lieu of doing the peripheral things (all good and necessary, but not the core thing that Jesus directed).

• Discipleship: “knowledge without application is useless!”

• Effective leadership is based on relationship and discipleship.

• We have a perfect model of what we should do and how to do it = JESUS.

• Process of discipleship: 1 (Jesus)  3 (12)  60  125  600  the world

How do churches grow today?

• People accidentally stopping by – advertising, slick website.

• Come with a friend or family member.

• Sense of obligation from the past (Christmas, Easter).

Or is there another – more effective – way?

Our Challenge – We must get the church (that’s us!) out of the four walls of a building and into the world – the world is increasingly less likely to come to the established church for multiple reasons – this is a function Small Groups could be fulfilling at all local churches!

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4. It all starts with you and me – Personal Evangelism

Each Believer must obey the Great Commission to go and make disciples.

“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior. Isaiah 43:10 -11

The key question: “If God asked you for one minute a day on a special project for him, would you give it to him?”

We must get the church (that’s us!) out of the four walls and into the world – the world is increasingly less likely to come to the established church for multiple reasons.  Remember: don’t just invite them to church, BRING them!

Knowledge without application is useless.

Faith without works is dead.

We must personally receive the great commission as our personal assignment from the Lord Himself, and intentionally act on it regularly and diligently.

Our additional recommendations:

Contact Oasis World Ministries

Complete the One Minute Witness Training

IMAGINE – a 5-minute casting vision video