Listed in this
section, you will find information on the importance of witnessing, how to
go about Spreading the Good News of the Gospel and tips on scripture
memorization, spiritual laws, prayer and more.
Do you wish you were
more effective in witnessing?
Does fear stop you from sharing the Gospel?
If you need
encouragement, suggestions, and some how-to's on witnessing and
evangelism, then check this out. We show you a simple, and proven
way to
witness to anyone anywhere. Learn how to share your faith with
confidence!
JUMP TO HOW TO MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE
JUMP TO THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER
JUMP TO THE FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS
JUMP TO THE ROMAN ROAD
Why Should We Witness?
Have you ever asked yourself, "Why should I witness?" Several reasons should
come to mind. First, because Jesus
commands you to: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
(Matt. 28:19). Also, Ezekiel 3:11 says, "and go to the exiles, to the sons
of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or
not..."
Second,
you must witness because you love the unsaved (if you don't, you should).
The most loving thing you can do is present the gospel in hopes of bringing
others to salvation. Galatians 5:22 lists love as one of the fruit of the
Spirit. It is love's nature to give. Take for example John 3:16, "For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." Love gives, and if
you have only a small portion of His love, you will want to give to others.
Third, witness because it is a wise
thing to do. Proverbs 11:30 says, "...he who is wise wins souls." Now, I
know I am not a very wise person. But, since God says I'll be wise to win
souls, or try to, then great, let me at it. I want to be wise in God's
sight.
Fourth, witness to keep people out of
hell. Hell is a terrifying place of utter anguish and eternal separation
from God. Those who are not saved go there. Witnessing is an attempt to keep
them out of hell.
And finally, and most important, witness
so they may find the love and fellowship of God (1 John 1:3), the greatest
of all treasures. I can think of no greater gift than salvation. It frees
the sinner from sin, it delivers the lost from damnation, and it reveals the
true and living God to those who don't know Him.
The angels of heaven rejoice greatly
when anyone passes from judgment into salvation (Luke 15:10). Shouldn't we
as Christians rejoice too? Shouldn't we weep over the lost? Shouldn't we ask
the Lord of the field to send laborers into His harvest (Luke 10:2)?
Certainly! The salvation of others is the goal of your efforts. The love of
God is your motive. Is there anything greater? So, give.
Three Important Verses In
Witnessing
"So shall My word be which goes
forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing
what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it"
(Isaiah 55:11).
If you only study one page on this
section on evangelism, this page is it. Why? Because here is where you will
learn three of the most important verses of evangelism: Isaiah 55:11, Romans
1:16; and John 12:32.
Isaiah 55:11 says, "So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and
without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." God's work is
unique. It was by His word (speech) that God created, "God said, 'Let
there be light'; and there was light" (Gen. 1:3). "By faith we
understand that the worlds were prepared by the Word of God..." (Heb.
11:3). Jesus is called the Word, "In the beginning was the Word and the
Word was with God and the Word was God... and the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us..." (John 1:1,14).
When Jesus was on the earth, He taught.
He taught with words and His words had a very strong effect on people. They
angered some and broke others. But when Jesus spoke, things happened.
Jesus forgave sins by speaking, "And
seeing their faith, He said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven you'"
(Luke 5:20). He raised the dead by speaking, "Lazarus, come forth" (John
11:43). He calmed the wind
and sea with words, "Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and
it became perfectly calm" (Matt.
8:26). He cast out demons by speech, "And He said to them, 'Begone!' And
they came out..." (Matt. 8:32). He healed by speech, "And He
stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.'
And immediately his leprosy was cleansed" (Matt. 8:3,13). God's words
are powerful.
The Word (The Bible) Is
Described As Having Many Qualities:
It Is Inspired: "All scripture is inspired
by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
training in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16).
It Is Truth: "The sum of Thy word is truth"
(Psalms 119:160).
It Makes You Free: "...If you abide in My
word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
It Produces Faith: "So faith comes from
hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17)
It Judges: "For the word of God is living
and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the
division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge
the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).
The Word Of God Is A Mighty Weapon. That is
why you should memorize!
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed
of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who
believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." What is the Gospel?
1 Cor. 15:1-4 says it is the sacrificial death and physical resurrection of
Jesus for sins. It is the
powerful message of salvation to sinners. If you know that the Word of God
will accomplish what God wants it to and if you know that the gospel has
power to save, then it should ease your mind to know that in witnessing you
are using two very powerful weapons: God's Word and God's Gospel. The Word
of God is the Bible. The Gospel of God is His revelation or redemption.
John 12:32
John 12:32, "And I, if I be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." Here Jesus speaks
specifically about His crucifixion. It is He who draws to Himself all who
are to be saved. When you present the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4), the
sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus for sins, Jesus draws the sinner
to Himself. He does the work, not you.
As a Christian, you are to witness with
truth, honesty, and integrity. As the Lord provides the opportunity, you
should respond in a humble and gentle spirit (2 Tim. 2:24-26). And in that,
you should point people to Jesus. It is He alone who saves.
If you know that God's Word will
accomplish what God desires, that the gospel is powerful to save, and that
it is Jesus who draws all men to Himself, then you should realize that the
responsibility of salvation does not rest on you, but on God. You are the
teacher, the deliverer of good news. "How shall they believe in Him who
they have not heard?" (Rom. 10:14). You help them hear!
These three verses should help you to
gain confidence. You witness; God saves. You plant the seeds; God waters. He
uses you. It is His Word that accomplishes salvation. It is His gospel that
is powerful. It is His Son Jesus who draws. You witness in power when you
witness with the Word of God.
(Back to Top)
HOW TO MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE
Many people don't think they can memorize their way out of a
new shopping mall let alone remember a verse in the Bible. I've spoken with
dozens of people about Scripture memorization who say the same thing: "I
have a terrible memory." My answer to them is, "Nonsense!" Everyone
memorizes all the time. You've learned to speak, haven't you? You've
memorized thousands of do's and don'ts in life, right? You know your social
security number, your phone number, your address, how many brothers,
sisters, or children you have, how to get to work and what to do when you
get there. The problem is not that people can't memorize, it's that they
won't memorize.
The Bible is the foundation for
witnessing and you must memorize verses to be able to use it -- this
applies to your devotional life as well as witnessing. One serious problem
I've found is that most people have memorized fewer than seven verses. The
average Jehovah's Witness has committed many more to memory and, given the
opportunity, could make the average Christian feel about as knowledgeable as
banana bread. What I would like to do is help you memorize better.
Four Easy Steps To Memorization
There are four easy steps to Scripture memorization. Let's use 1 Peter 2:24
as an example: "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that
we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by his wounds you were
healed" (NASB).
Step 1: Location
- The first step is to memorize the
location, not the verse. The reason for this is if you forget the verse, but
you've memorized the location, you can always go look it up.
First, memorize the location: "1 Peter 2:24." Say "1 Peter 2:24" over and
over again. Don't worry about what it says at first, just memorize the
location. Make sure that when you say 1 Peter 2:24 it flows smoothly off
your lips. Say 1 Peter 2:24 emphasizing different syllables. Say 1 Peter
2:24, or 1 Peter 2:24 or 1 Peter 2:24 or even 1
Peter 2:24. But say 1 Peter 2:24 enough times that when you say 1 Peter
2:24, it is as natural as breathing.
Step 2: Gist
- The second step is to learn the gist of what the verse is. In this case it
is very simple, "Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross." Say, "Jesus
bore our sins in His body on the cross" in different ways. Say, "Jesus bore
our sins in His body on the cross," or "Jesus bore our sins in His body on
the cross," and "Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross," etc. But say
"Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross" enough times that when you
say, "Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross," it is as natural as
saying 1 Peter 2:24. (Kind of repetitive, isn't it?)
Step 3: Association
- The third part is more fun. This is where you associate the two together.
Say, "1 Peter 2:24 is Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. Jesus
bore our sins in His body on the cross is 1 Peter 2:24. 1 Peter 2:24 is
Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross..." Say this over and over
again, about ten times. In no time, if you do this, you will memorize.
This association part is important
because it helps you to think of one part
whenever you think of the other. For example, if someone asked you "Where
does it say that Jesus bore our sin in his body?", you'd immediately reply
with "1 Peter. 2:24." It works.
Step 4: A Piece Of Paper
- The fourth and final part is to take a piece of lined paper, 8 1/2" by
11", and draw a vertical line about one inch from the left hand side.
Write the verse location in the left
column on your paper and on the right side simply write the verse. Do this
with each verse you want to remember. Fold it up, put it in your pocket or
purse, and carry it with you everywhere you go. When you forget a verse or
its location simply pull out the paper and refresh your memory. In no time
at all, you'll have over one hundred verses committed to memory.
Memorization is like exercise. The more
you do it, the easier it gets; the less you do the harder it gets. So do it.
If you follow this procedure your mind will become like a sponge, you'll end
up memorizing all sorts of stuff with the greatest of ease, like how many
socks are in your drawer, everything that is in your refrigerator, and
even where your car keys are.
And one more thing. You will be amazed
at how the Lord uses what you've memorized.
(Back to Top)
The Importance Of Prayer In
Evangelism
"The harvest is plentiful, but
the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out
workers into His harvest" (Matt.
9:37-38).
Prayer is essential in the Christian's life. Without it your witness will be
far less effective and you will be far more vulnerable to the enemy. When
you witness, you need the blessing and support of the Lord. You need to be
in fellowship with Him. Prayer makes this all possible.
When you witness you plant the seeds of
the Gospel, but it is God who causes the growth (1 Cor. 3:6-7). In prayer
you ask God to give that growth. In prayer you ask God to convict the
unrepentant of their sin and by that awaken in them the need for salvation.
In prayer you, "...let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6).
Think back to your own
conversion. Were there people praying and requesting your salvation?
Jesus prayed frequently (Matt. 14:23;
26:36; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; John 17). Paul prayed (Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:16).
Stephen prayed (Acts 7:59-60). You must pray. God wants you to pray to Him
and have fellowship with Him (1 John 1:1-4). Why? One reason is that our
battle is not against flesh and blood but against powers and the spiritual
forces of darkness (Eph. 6:12). That is where the real
battle is, in the spiritual realm. You need prayer. Prayer is one of
God's ordained means for you to do spiritual warfare and sharing the Gospel
is definitely spiritual warfare.
Another reason to pray is that you can
actually influence God with your payers. If you are
doubtful then look at 2 Kings 20:1-7. King Hezekiah was told by the prophet
Amos that he should set his house in order because he was surely going to
die (v. 1). Hezekiah prayed earnestly (v. 2,3). The Lord heard his prayers
and said, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will
heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of
the LORD. And I will add fifteen years to your life" (v. 5).
Hezekiah's prayer made a difference.
That is why you, as a Christian, can be an effective witness, because you
have influence with God and because you can ask God to save. Prayer is a
vital part of witnessing.
What Should You Pray For?
Pray for more people to witness. Jesus
specifically asked you to pray to the Father and ask Him to send workers
into the field (Matt. 9:37-38). What is the field? It
is the world of sinners. Who are the workers? They are people like you.
Jesus wants people to find salvation and enjoy eternal fellowship with Him.
He wants you to preach the Gospel. He has given the command "Go therefore
and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matt. 28:19). Your witness for
God may or may not be verbal. But either way, you need to pray and ask God
to give you strength, love, and insight.
Pray for compassion for the
lost. Compassion is a necessary
element in witnessing. It motivates you to speak, to teach, and to pray for
others to come into the kingdom of
God. Compassion helps you to cry
over the lost and to come to God in humble request for their salvation.
Paul said, "Brethren, my heart's desire and by prayer to God for them is for
their salvation" (Rom. 10:1).
Pray for the desire to
witness. Pray this regularly and
watch the Lord change you and give you a desire to reach out and tell people
about Jesus. God will grant your prayers and joy will fill your heart as you
fulfill the command of God by witnessing.
Pray for boldness.
Pray for the courage to step out in faith
and speak up when needed. Many Christians are timid because speaking a word
of the sake of the Lord can be risky and frightening. Boldness gives you the
courage to risk ridicule and to endure the scorn. Ask God for it.
"For God has not given us a
spirit of timidity, but of power and love and disciple. Therefore do not be
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord" (2 Tim. 1:7-8).
Pray to the Lord to bind
Satan and his angels. There is a
hierarchy of demons seeking to hinder your witness and steal the seeds of
the Gospel that you plant. You cannot fight spirits with reason or flesh and
blood, but you can ask the Lord to fight. With prayer you can assault the
camp of the enemy and weaken his false kingdom. Prayer is a mighty tool, a
powerful tool. You need it if you are going to witness.
Pray for your needs.
Do you have a close walk with God? Do you need a deeper fellowship with Him?
Do you have sins you need to confess and forsake? If so, then pray. Enjoy
your privilege of coming to the Creator of the universe who meets your every
need. He loves you. He wants to hear from you and He wants you to make your
needs known to Him. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"
(Phil. 4:6).
Hindrances To Prayer
Prayer is important for many reasons,
especially for witnessing. But prayer can be hindered. So that your prayers
and witnessing might be as affective as possible, a discussion of the
hindrances of prayer is necessary. Do any of the following apply to you?
Sin hinders prayer.
"If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear"
(Psalm 66:18). We all sin, but do you have unconfessed and unrepentant sin
in your life? If so, confess your sin, repent from it as you are commanded
in Acts 17:30, and continue in
witnessing an d prayer.
Selfishness hinders prayer.
"You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that
you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3). Examine yourself. Make
sure your prayers are not motivated by selfish desires. If you find that
selfishness is a factor then confess it and repent.
Doubt hinders prayer.
"But let him ask in faith without any
doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and
tossed by the wind" (James 1:6).
We all doubt. We all fail. But when you doubt be reminded of the man who
said to Jesus, "Lord I believe, help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). He
believed and yet doubted and Jesus granted his request. Remember that God
has given a measure of faith to every man (Rom. 12:3). Trust God, even when
you have doubts. It does not matter necessarily how much faith you have as
much as who your faith is in. Put what faith you have in Jesus. Trust Him.
Watch Him be faithful to you.
Pride hinders prayer.
Jesus spoke of the Pharisee and the
tax-gatherer who both were praying. The Pharisee boasted about himself while
the tax-gatherer asked for mercy from God. Jesus said in Luke 18:14
regarding the tax-gatherer, "I tell you, this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other." Jesus shows us that pride is sin and
that it hinders prayer (James 4:6). Have the same attitude that Jesus had in
heaven in His full glory as He had on Earth as a man. He was humble. If
you are prideful, confess it as sin, repent, and continue in humility.
Prayer is a privilege
Prayer is a privilege. It is a
powerful tool. Without it you will be a foolish worker in the fields of the
dead. Pray and ask the Lord of the harvest to raise the dead to life. Bend
your knees in fellowship with your Lord. Let Him wash you in His presence
and fill you with the Holy Spirit. Prayer is where you meet Him. Prayer is
where you are shaped. Pray.
(Back to Top)
The Four Spiritual Laws
If you've gone through a discussion with someone and you want to present the
gospel message in a simple and systematic way, the well known "Four
Spiritual Laws" can be of help. They are simple, to the point, and use
Scripture to convict, convince, and convert. They are:
God loves you:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but
have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Man is sinful and separated
from God. "For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23); "For the wages of
sin is death" (Rom. 6:23); "But your iniquities have made a
separation between you and your God" (Isaiah 59:2).
Jesus Christ is God's only
provision for man's sin. "I am
the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but
through Me" (John 14:6); "But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).
We must individually receive
Jesus as Savior and Lord. "But as
many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,
even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12); "if you confess with
your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from
the dead, you shall be saved" (Rom. 10:9);
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8).
(Back to Top)
Another list of verses usable in the same way as the Four Spiritual Laws is
the "Roman Road." The advantage to these seven verses is that they are all
in the book of Romans. Sometimes this is an advantage when you don't
want to flip through a lot of pages.
Rom. 3:10: "As it is written,
'There is none righteous, not even one...'"
Rom.
3:23:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Rom. 5:12: "Therefore, just as through
one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death
spread to all men, because all sinned."
Rom.
6:23:
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Rom. 5:8:
"But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Rom.
10:9-10: "if you confess with your mouth
Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,
you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
Rom.
10:13:
"For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
I recommend you put the Roman Road in your Bible. Go to Romans 3:10
underline it and write Romans 3:23 next to it. Then go to Romans 3:28,
underline it and write Romans 5:12 next to it, and so on. That way all you
need to do is memorize where you start: Romans 3:10.
(Back to Top)
|
