3/17/13 DESIGN FOR LIFE
TELLING OTHERS ABOUT JESUS
We have favorites stories we love to tell. Kids have favorite stories they want you to read.Old Hymn: Tell Me The Old, Old Story (of Jesus and His love)
Today we are continuing on the theme from last week when we talked about how a person becomes saved. We will talk about our involvement, being ready to tell the reason for the hope that is in us.
1 Peter 3:15 NKJV
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
NLT
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
NIV
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Be ready to talk about what Jesus has done and is doing in your life.
Believers in Jesus are His disciples. A disciple is a learner. A disciple has a heart for witnessing, gives his testimony clearly and presents the gospel regularly with increasing skill.
A thought: sharing your faith is not like computer programming, where, if you do everything exactly right, it will work the same all the time. We need to learn scriptures and “techniques” but must rely heavily on the working and leading of the Holy Spirit. Remember the free-will of the person you’re talking with. God will work in their hearts, but they have to make the decision to accept.
There is a REASON for your hope in Christ.
Evangelism: winning new souls to Jesus. Vital key to the living organism called the Body of Christ. Something living reproduces itself, or dies.
Don’t ever rule out someone as a potential believer. Remember, Jesus is the Savior, not us. He is the God of the impossible situation.
Testimony
Every believer has a testimony. This is your story of your life and what Jesus has done. A testimony doesn’t have to be best-seller material. Jesus changes us, He makes us new. That is a real testimony.
Acts 4:13 NIV
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
They had been with Jesus. God can and will use anyone. Let Him.
It is extremely important that you memorize scriptures, that you know the Bible well to be able to use it in conversations. If you don’t know verses, you have no authority to speak, you’re only saying what you think.
Far from being mechanical, sharing your faith will most likely be relational. Being a friend, showing the true love of Jesus alive and active in your life so that it actually makes a difference, will be a powerful tool for you in bringing people to a personal relationship with Jesus.
TWO AWESOME QUESTIONS TO HELP A PERSON THINK:
Are you absolutely sure of your eternal home in heaven?
If you were to stand before God today as your judge, and He were to ask, “Why should I let you in to heaven?”, what would your answer be?
Every person who is a Christian, who has Jesus Christ as their Personal Savior living in their hearts, is a Christian because someone told them, someone (or some people) brought them to a place where they knew their need of salvation and helped them make the commitment to Jesus. This is the responsibility of every believer, to tell others of Jesus. The reason for this is that the Bible says that Jesus is the only way to eternal life. Without Jesus, people are lost.
Being lost is a frustrating experience. It’s bad when you are in a strange culture, don’t know the language. Whether it’s in the middle of a large city or out in the woods with millions of trees, when you are lost and don’t know your way to safety, it is a horrible experience.
I was in Chipala, Mexico. As we walked the streets we heard someone say that it was good to hear English being spoken. It was a retired American couple who were spending the winter there. They heard it was warm and cheap, so they committed to a winter in Mexico. They hadn’t been there long and were sorry they came. They had a problem with the apartment door lock and no one locally seemed too excited about helping them. The language, the culture, the food – it was all different and they really felt out of place. They felt lost. It is no fun to be lost.
Remember, whoever is without a relationship with Jesus is lost.
Being lost spiritually is even worse, for this deals with a person’s eternal destiny.
TAKE NOTE OF THESE VERSES
John 14:6 NIV
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Acts 4:12 NIV
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Romans 3:23 NIV
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 NIV
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A simple drawing to use with this verse, learn it and it can be used in many situations. (Illustrate)
Jesus is the peace the world is looking for. You could also say Jesus is the piece the world is looking for in the confusing jigsaw puzzle of life. The final piece to make life complete.
John 14:27 NIV
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Sin is a hard taskmaster and demands a horrible price. We easily see the consequences of sin. Broken and destroyed lives come as a result of sin. Sinners don’t have communication with, relationship with God. But, they can have it.
Revelation 3:20 NIV
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
So, since Jesus will come in to any life, any person who asks, someone must tell them.
Romans 10:14-15 NIV
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
For people to know about anything, someone has to tell them. It is not an option for Christians to tell others about Jesus.
There is not a simple formula for winning people to Jesus. Every situation is different. That’s why we need to pray and have the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. God will direct you in timing and in the verses to use.
Witnessing is not just something you “do” but is something you ARE. You must be a witness by your life (lifestyle), so that you can be a witness with your world. Your actions speak so loud that the world can’t hear what you say.
Christians must be planting seeds. There is no seed shortage, so spread it out liberally.
Jesus saves the one who comes and repents
John 6:37 NIV
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
God does a work in the heart of the sinner.
The sinner must respond to the work of God and His Word in his/her life and repent.
Romans 10:13 NIV
for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
When this is done, he/she is regenerated (born again) by the power of the Spirit.
John 1:11-13 NIV
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 3:3-7 NIV
3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” 4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin
1 John 1:9 NIV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
It’s the Word of God that makes the difference, not your opinion on things. Present the Gospel, never argue. If you win the argument but lose the soul, what good have you done?
There are many scriptures that you can use in witnessing. The Holy Spirit will guide you and you will find that He can use almost any verse in the Book at times. The more you read the Bible, the more you study in Sunday School, the more you pay attention in church services, the more verses you’ll have in your heart to use to win people to Jesus.
Application Questions
Do I really believe that God can and will use me to tell someone about Him?
What must I do to be prepared to share my faith?
Identify some specific people to pray for.
