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July 18, 2021 3:00 am
Notes
“He that refreshes others will be refreshed himself.” —Proverbs 11:25
Who is called to go into all the world and preach the gospel? We are!
Where are we to preach the gospel? Everywhere!
Why are we to do this? Because God’s primary way of reaching people is through people.
When are we to share the gospel? All the time!
How are we to share the gospel? Our objective is to build a bridge, not burn one.
1. Evangelism “Jesus Style” begins with a burden.
“We will do anything short of sin to reach people for Christ.” —Craig Groeschel
2. If we want to evangelize “Jesus Style” we need to use tact!
3. To share the gospel “Jesus Style” we must adapt to the situation.
The problem is sin; the solution is Jesus.
4. If we want to evangelize “Jesus Style,” we don’t deal with everyone in the same way.
5. Telling your story (your testimony) is a powerful bridge for the gospel message.
Don’t glorify or exaggerate the past.
Don’t boast about what you gave up for Jesus, but about what He gave up for you!
L. A. S. T.
B – Build A Bridge
L – Lovingly Enter Their World
A – Ask Questions
S – Share Your Testimony
T – Tell Them How to Come to Jesus
Scripture Referenced
Matthew 28:19–20
1 Corinthians 1:21
Acts 8:39
Acts 3:19
1 Corinthians 9:19–23
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Everybody Greg Laurie here.
You're listening to the Grigori podcast and my objective is to deliver hopefully compelling practical insights and faith culture and current events. From a biblical perspective to find out more about our ministry. Just go to our website harvest.org so thanks for joining me for this podcast. Welcome back to Harvest at Home. The title of my message is the refreshing power of telling others about Jesus. When we pray father.
We know that you love the world so much that you gave your only begotten son, we know you're not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. And we also know Lord you've called us to go and preach the gospel to all the world and we know you reach people through people so as we look at what your word says about sharing our faith speak to us. We pray in Jesus name we ask it, amen.
Okay. Well, how many of you out there are fishermen, I'm not much of the fisherman myself. Years ago I was in Alaska and I went on little fishing trip for king salmon. I was with very seasoned of fishermen who knew what they were doing.
I didn't even know how to beat my coat.
Well anyway, what world just waiting for a bite and one from the my Think is going to hit. I just got a hit and got a kitten. I asked the guy who was with us, our God, will you know when you get a real bite. He says you'll know, and it's like almost right out of the womb. My pole moved and I start reeling away in that I got up big king salmon on my line. I was so excited night work at this went on for a while for you know maybe 20 minutes. I'm really awake. Finally, we get that this right of the side of the boat and the guy gets his nether there, and he misses it and the fish breaks away and then of course when you tell someone that story. No one believes you, because we all talk about the one that got away. But in my case it really happened, but I'll tell you a story about a fisherman who got a beast of a fish is called a Moscow longed fish ever heard of those of this guy is a testing and outboard propeller on his little boat on the lake in Ohio that is cruising along, he sees this massive Moscow longed fish right near the surface a week Cass is line in the direction of the fish a couple times the fish disappear. So the guy goes back to testing this motor half-hour later, the fish appears again. It's right near the surface, so this guy grabs a leather glove gets right behind the musky grabs up behind the gills and is wrestling it onto the boat. The fish was so big.
Another fishermen nearby came and helped him get this beast of a fish on his boat and when it was all said and done and weighed more than 53 pounds. Had he caught it properly. If you will with a rod and reel it would've said the record this is what it looks like a 53 pound muscle and stress affect in this photo. This one is the been this big as the one that the guy caught so this is what makes me laugh. This fisherman was interviewed afterwords in how did you pull this off catching this fish with a glove by hand in his responses. Well I was at the right place at the right time and I guess I was just cool enough to grab for Greg what are you talking is this a message on fishing. Yes, it is. It's a message on fishing for men. Jesus said, follow me, and you will be a Fisher of men, a literal translation of that is catch men alive. I suppose we need to be at the right place at the right time and be full enough to grab it.
I wanted to talk to you in this message about how to lead a person to Christ no. As you know were in a series recalling refresh last time we talked about the refreshing power of sharing your faith.
And this is a part two to that message and you remember I pointed out to you that when you reach out to others. When you put your focus on others, and spiritually refreshes you remember, Jesus had given it shall be given to you press down, shaken together, running over with the same measure you give it shall be given back to you Jesus that it's more blessed, or literally happy making to give than it is to receive there's a happiness and giving the gospel out to others and of course over them. Proverbs 1125 it says he that refreshes others will be refreshed him self. So I want to help you share your faith out last time I mentioned, if you know John 316 are armed and dangerous and putting it on the screen again and I would love you to just say this out loud after me you can see the words right there in the spring. John 316 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have ever lasting life that is the gospel in a nutshell, you know that in God cause some trouble in a good way. So let's in this message.
Talk about the who the where the Y in the wind of telling others about Jesus. Let's start with the who, who is called to go into all the world and preach the gospel short answer we are. I am you are. Jesus said in Matthew 28. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you.
Hello, I am with you, even to the end of the age. By the way, in the original language that is addressed to everyone, not just preachers, not just pastors, not just missionaries.
It's addressed to student its address to athletes it's addressed to men it's addressed to women.
It's addressed to older people. It's addressed to younger people. It's addressed to older people who think the younger people. The point is, it's for everyone. No one gets off the hook if you will, were all called to go into all the world and preach the gospel now where are we to preach the gospel again everywhere and to all of the world. A let's localizer going to all of your world and preach the gospel going to your sphere of influence with the message of Jesus Christ. Number three. Why are we to do this.
This is important, why are we to do this because God's primary way of reaching people is through people in the primarily way we do that is through the verbal articulation of the gospel, you say well just be a good example in a be a model of what it means to be a Christian and that will be my form of evangelism, by all means be a model by all means be a good example of fact to be honest, if you're knocking to be a good example.
I would rather you did not preach the gospel but to also be that godly example, but that in effect earns you the right to articulate your faith, the Primary Way, God brings people into the kingdom is when they have had the gospel verbally articulated to them. First Corinthians 121 Paul writes in the wisdom of God the world the wisdom did not know God it please God through the foolishness of the message preached to save the hose that believe there is power in this message being communicated to a person number four when are we to share the gospel answer all the time all the time that you know the Bible says be instant in season and out of season or a modern translation puts it this way be on duty at all times. I've an illustration for this of one God call upon me at a very unusual moment saws in a department store. This is some years ago they had to go to the restroom. Yes preachers have to go to the restroom to so I took my seat in this alternative visualizes sin and I'm there and there's someone in the stall next to me. He clears his throat to someone next week. Whatever you knowing and then I hear a voice say to me hi Nola Connor know about you but I don't talk to people in restaurant Sammy. My objective is to get in and out as quickly as possible. He says hi. I didn't really know what to do as it can hi then a moment goes by and I hear this voice say at what is supposed to meet me here like, what, what were you supposed to meet me here. No, no, I wasn't supposed to meet you here.
That was the first genuinely irritated and then suddenly it occurred to me. One of the Lord wants me to share the gospel with this guy but wait in the bathroom. Could God use you in the bathroom and then he says what do you have something for me and thinking what is the sky what's going on and I said what is it you're looking for.
He says some drug I saw the guy was want to make a drug but he thought his drug dealer was going to meet him in the bathroom and I said what I've got something better for you than drug.
He said what is very interested. I set a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ again and thinking I can't do this in a bathroom that this this will why was doing it and then this is what the guy says I already tried that Yorty try that Yorty try accepting Christ.
Yes, the man says. I said or did you go to church.
Yes, he said I supported you go to church, is that I want to harvest Christian Fellowship about the church I pastor I said really that you I said you know who I am. He said no. I said I'm Greg Laurie, the pastor of harvest Christian Fellowship and then he said oh my God I had the last. It was hilarious. I said don't buddy God must really love you. He said your pastor into the bathroom where you were trying to make a drug buy. I want to talk to you afterwards. I waited for them. It was in the sock section. As I recall, so he comes out of the restroom. He was easy to identify. He was a guilty looking guy and I just said the Lord loves you, stop running from him and I prayed with them and he recommitted his life to the Lord. So you never know what God will call upon you when we the prayer of present the gospel when ever an opportunity arises okay.
Point number five. How are we to share the gospel that this is where the rubber meets the road.
And frankly, this is word falls apart for many people. They just don't know how to get started and even more once they got started. They don't know how to finish. They don't know how to make that invitation for a person to come to Christ, so little kids.
John chapter 4 together a very familiar story of Jesus and the woman at the well and here we see Jesus as the master communicator as he was God walking among us. Yes, he was the Savior of the world. He was the Messiah, but he also was the greatest evangelist of all time. Any models for us how to engage people with his message of the Bible says that Jesus the common people heard him gladly.
That simply means Jesus never spoke over anyone said when he communicated people under stood him was Albert Einstein once said, quote you should speak in such a way that your grandmother would understand." I like to let me expand it.
We should speak in such a way that a child could under stand. I want children to understand what I'm saying sometimes I get letters from kids, you know, eight, nine years old that will watch Harvest at Home and I'm so glad when I get a letter like that because I want the kids to understand. Maybe they don't understand everything I'm saying but maybe they'll hear a joke or an illustration will connect with them but I want to connect to those people and as we're sharing the gospel, we want to connect with people and bring it to them in a way they can under stand that means we have to avoid what I call Christian E do know Christian easiness is sort of verbiage we use that doesn't make sense to a nonbeliever. You walk up to someone who is a Christian and you say you, he that have you been washed in the blood sanctified and are you part of the body of Christ.
Do you know how weird that sounds just as the person of the WASP and blood of the part of somebody all they know is they don't want to continue to have a conversation with you. You've gotta communicate in a language that people understand and Jesus certainly did that. You know sometimes people take that which is so incredible and so beautiful and they make it unnecessarily complex. Even worse, they make it boring. I can't stand boring preaching. Can you, so we need to make it understandable. We need to connect with the person that we are talking to.
The objective is not to win the debate. The objective is to win the soul. The objective is to not burn the bridge. The objective is to build the bridge and Jesus did that so perfectly. Listen, everything doesn't have to be a sermon you might be surprised to hear that from a preacher, but sometimes you just need to be of rent and make that initial connection and try not to be a weird person try to be half normal, if possible. As you talk to people about Jesus is the status interesting 79% of unchurched people agree with the following statement I don't mind talking to a friend about their faith if they really value it. I mentioned this last, I don't mind says almost 80% of the public talking to a friend about their faith if they really value it so you can see there is an audience for what we have to say if we go about it in the right way.
So when you're communicating with the nonbeliever take the time to listen to them.
Take the time to hear what they're saying.
Try not to cut them off you need to discover something that is called Tact. Tact is the intuitive knowledge of saying the right thing at the right time. The apostle Paul used tact so perfectly when he presented the gospel to the people in Athens at a place called Mars Hill this is Robbie intellectuals would gather to debate and discuss the latest philosophy that was coming along. So Paul stands up with this place called the Areopagus. In fact, I've started this very site where Paul stood and and delivered a message and so it's very exciting. The in this place were such a historical moment happened, but here are all these people with all these different philosophies and politics.
Spent some time in Athens look around the city.
There was lots of idols and often floods of false gods and lots of altars directed to false gods suppose looking at all of these altars are directed to these false deities and becomes the one that's erected toward the unknown God against the people of Athens figured one case we missed one will put this one up to the unknown God. So Paul stands up before the people of Athens and all these philosophers and says men of Athens. I can see you're very religious. I was walking around your city and I saw this altar erected to the unknown God. That's the one want to talk to you about to get a said men of Athens. You are a bunch of idle worshipers, your pagans and your all going to hell with that of been through. Yes, it would've been. But Paul wanted to build a bridge instead of burn, one that was a good beginning. Some years ago I was in Hawaii and I was in a Cabdriver's name was Tom so were cruise along them there on the road was what they call a ghost to buy a ghost bike is a bike that's been painted white. Sometimes there's flowers in front of them to commemorate the fact that someone riding a bike was killed there, and unfortunately there were a few ghost bikes out on that particular day. It was a very well used road there on the island. The big island of Hawaii and I saw the ghost bike I went ghost bike that that's sad and Tom the cabdriver says yes I have a friend that was riding on this highway was killed not long ago, so I said well Tom what you think happens after we die and so Tom, the cabdriver told me his philosophy. He believed the you would come back is another life form and talk about it for a while I didn't interrupt him. I didn't contradict them. I didn't roll my eyes. I just listen to what Tom the cabdriver had to say. So he finished his talk about what he thought happens after a person dies then Tom says to me what you think happens after person stopped after a person dies. See, that's a give-and-take and then I told him what the Bible says that several I believe that if you're a believer in Jesus Christ. You go straight to heaven. I expanded on that a bit and after I was done. Tom said I like your version of the afterlife better than mine. A civil Tom, it's not my version is God's version, but my point in bringing this up as I was establishing a conversation a dialogue with a person. So let's see how Jesus did it in John chapter 4 trim there with me if you would, and I'm starting in verse three we read Jesus love Judea, and departed again to Galilee, but he needed to go through Samaria. You might want to underline the phrase it's very important. He needed to go through Samaria and came to a city of seminary which is called sidecar near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph Snow Jacob's well was there. Therefore Jesus was tired from his journey, and he stop by well it was around the sixth hour that would be 12 o'clock noon and a woman of Samaria came to draw water and Jesus said to her, give me a drink for his disciples and got away that the city to buy food.
Then the woman of Samaria said to him, how is it that you being a Jew would ask for a drink for me, a Samaritan woman for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans and Jesus answered and said to work if you knew the gift of God and who it is that says to you, give me a drink. He would've asked him and he would have given you living water. This is a perfect example of how the build a bridge to a person of this was an immoral woman as a story reveals she's been married and divorced five times and she was living with some guy at the moment. This is a woman who was ostracized from the rest of the community. She would not of been an educated woman. She didn't know what the Bible said. And so she was living this life that was in opposition to what the Bible teaches.
But Jesus does not start with that, he appeals first two were spiritual thirst. So often we want to go right to the lifestyle of the person or talking to and again affected the cart before the horse. We do need to get to that now talk about that in a moment because I believe in telling the truth the people.
However, Jesus starts like building a bridge.
Jesus starts like appealing to their spiritual thirst. He reaches out to her bringing me to some points now that you might want to write down the first point is simply this. If you want to evangelize Jesus style that's on them in a call this Jesus style because that's what it was. If you want to evangelize Jesus style begins with the burden again. Verse four he needed to go through Samaria. As a matter of fact he did not need to go through Samaria. It was actually way out of the way he was leaving his country. He was going to run effectively to another country that was populated by people that were known to be the enemies of Israel. So Jesus leaves his comfort zone if you will Jesus please.
His people goes to this other place, not just to what woman was a Samaritan but an immoral woman was a Samaritan. So when you want to share your faith effectively starts with the God given concern. You have to care about the soul of a person who is not yet a believer.
Jesus overcame any kind of prejudice.
Remember we talked about Jonah. And Jonah, it was hard for him because he didn't want to go to the Ninevites eat. He didn't want them to believe in and he went the other direction, but he ultimately obeyed God and we have this huge spiritual awakening of 300,000 people.
My friend Craig Rochelle puts it this way. This is the mission statement of his church quote we will do anything short of sin to reach people for Christ. I like that statement. We will do anything short of sin to reach people for Christ.
Greg is effectively Salak will do anything, almost will go away out of our way to reach people that don't yet know the Lord second point. If you want to evangelize Jesus style you need to use tact already touched on this earlier Paul use tax thereon Marcille we should do the same thing. Isaac Newton's" tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy" that's a very great way to sit here is a classic example of someone being tactful in the Bible.
His name was Philip. By the way, he's the only man identified as an evangelist Philip the evangelist, so Philip was having some great meetings. People were coming to Christ's miracles were being performed in an angel of the Lord says develop go to the desert. That's it. Go to the desert because he said no thank you. I'll stay right here. But no, he goes to the desert a wonderful and thinking of what I'm gonna preach the lizards want to bring the do in the desert, exactly.
So just literally standing in the desert waiting for directions and then he sees like this caravan coming this way was a large caravan is a got closer he could see these were important people.
In fact what he was seeing was a man from Ethiopia that served under the Queen.
He was like a foreign dignitaries. It was happening today. There was a stretch limo with the little flags of his country on the car with the Secret Service guys running on each side.
So here comes a foreign dignitaries but he Sennacherib not a stretch limo in this man from Ethiopia is reading from Isaiah 53.
No, he didn't have a Bible that escrow. The very fact that he had a scroll says a lot about how important he was, because everything was written by hand.
In those days there were no printing presses yet he's reading the scroll of Isaiah, which was given to him. Apparently this important dignitary from Ethiopia went to Jerusalem searching for God and didn't find God, but they gave him a scroll of Isaiah. So is reading from Isaiah as a sheep is led before his shares and is quiet so he opened not his mouth is literally reading aloud from the scroll photo center. There is an acute Lord. I think I know what I'm supposed to do next. Two guys cruising by this Philip hey has gone on villages standing in the middle of a desert waiting for you.
Actually, Philip says don't you understand what you're reading. The man from Ethiopia says how can I unless someone shows me the way and he invited Philip into his chariot will steps into the man's chariot and we read that Philip explained to him what that text means by the way. Isaiah 53 talking about a lamb before her shares, being quiet, so he opened not his mouth is speaking of the death of Jesus, who was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So Philip displaying the meaning of Isaiah 53.
I love the way the story ends, we read that the man from Ethiopia. When on his way rejoicing.
Acts 839. But here's the important thing when Philip saw this man reading from Isaiah 53 he says do you understand what you're reading and the man said how can I unless someone shows me away. This is what people are looking for binoculars say to you. Show me the way to come to Jesus. In most cases there waiting for you to initiate the conversation there waiting for you to talk to them about God when I was a kid, I was searching for God loves you would've asked me Greg, are you searching for got a probably with the said no but I'm searching for truth, but in reality I was searching for. Got I tried to find truth through alcohol, imparting, I knew that was not the answer. I tried to find it through drug use.
I smoke a lot of weed and took LSD and all of that and I knew that was not the answer I was searching and I remember I would hang around Newport Beach at night said lean against the wall there and there would be Christians, walking around handing out religious literature and they would look at me and walked right by me occasionally that would give me something Arriba they wouldn't engage me and I remember thinking as a 17-year-old kid.
Why won't you talk to me because they bought this faade. This this image I put out of writer look like everything I don't care but I didn't care people hide behind faades but they really are waiting for someone to enter their world and show them the way. Will you be that person. You know people like this are you going to see someone like this before the day is over. So, just as Philip entered the world of the Ethiopian. So Jesus enters the world of the woman at the well. He says a few drinks of this water will thirst again he's using the well is a metaphor for life you'll be thirsty if you drink of this water.
Again, you could write that over many wells of life if you will, you could write it over the well of materialism.
If you drink of this water you will thirst again. You can write it over the well of fame. If you drink of this water you will thirst again you could write it over the well of so many things even religion. If you drink of this water you will thirst again another woman isn't fully getting what Jesus is saying, and now she starts to effectively argue with him bringing me to my next point to share the gospel. Jesus style, we must adapt to the situation. John 1415 the woman said to him, sir, to be this water, that they may not thirst, nor come here to draw two things are just ago yeah you give water to drink. Although Sir, give me this water that your talking about Jesus effectively calls her out, he says in John 416. Why don't you call your husband come here. She says well I have no husband. Jesus is true that we then say to that but he said that's true. You had five husbands in your living with some dude right now. She is a will hello how did he know that she says Sir I perceive that you are a prophet see that there will come a moment when you're engaging something you appeal to their spiritual thirst.
But they might ask you a question like what what time I'm living with my boyfriend, girlfriend, or reason I'm doing drugs.
It what I have to give that up to follow Jesus, you might say well I don't want to see you know yes that might turn them away know you need to tell them the truth.
Yes, you need to give that up to follow Jesus Christ. You see, sin is keeping you from God I don't start with those issues but I'm not going to avoid them when I get to them.
They need to know that sin separates them from God, but the solution is a relationship with Jesus.
The problem is in the solution is Jesus. And so Jesus engages her and tells her what she needs to do acts 319 says repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out in times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord say we need to tell people there are sinners and that they need a Savior.
Listen to this. The Bible says if you confess your sins he is faithful and just to forgive you your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
So comes down to this. If you fess up to your mess up Jesus will clean your mess up next point. If you want to do evangelism Jesus style. You don't deal with everyone in the same way, see Jesus dealt in a certain way with the woman at the well and then he dealt an entirely different way with Nicodemus. Nicodemus is in John three. The woman at the well John for Nicodemus is a religious devout man. John four is about an irreligious sinful woman, but the answer was the same for both the bulk needed Jesus with the woman at the well. Jesus engages her draws her in confronts her about her sin and tells her the truth with Nicodemus and came to Jesus at night.
Jesus effectively cut to the chase Nicodemus the same certain teacher, we know you're great man. No one could do the things that you do unless God is with them effectively. Jesus is love somebody with just get to the bottom line. You need to be born again so the point is we adapt to the person we are speaking to. Sometimes when I'm sure the gospel I start quite charming. You know what Charlene is.
It's getting some Paignton things in the water to get the fish biting.
So instead of just going them with a full gospel press. I might just kind of alluded to it, talking to a nonbeliever in my just mention all why just reviewing the Bible about that very thing you just mentioned or wow God answer to prayer for me recently I was talking to a young lady the other day and she was not a believer in. She told me she's going into get surgery and I said, would you mind if I pray for you and she said please and I prayed for her and I prefer her in the name of Jesus. Eat.
It's pretty rare you're gonna find even the nonbeliever save you. I don't want you to pray for me because they acknowledge probably that there's a God out there so it's a good way to get a conversation started over friend. His name is Steve over is a past record church in Los Angeles. So Steve is very effective at sharing the gospel not only in the pulpit but out of the pulpit as well been with him on many occasions sometimes are right Harleys together and wherever you are. You can be sure it's only a matter of time till Steve asked this question and I'll even do it in his voice because he is a very interesting way of speaking still say has anyone ever told you that there's a God in heaven who loves you not been with him and we been online in a coffee shop with 10 people behind us and he tells that to the a barista I've been with him and restaurants recess into a server. I've been with them recess it to random people on the street and there's a lot of reactions so that statement again. Has anyone ever told you that there is a God in heaven loves you.
Some people think no what your order.
Others say we literally know what to say. Sometimes people will respond. So were in a Mexican restaurant. There's me and Stephen as I recall two other pastors were all writing Harleys.
We were getting ready to order our tacos and the guy the pastors are having a theological discussion about something as pastors do and I'm sitting there, listening in on the conversation and then Steve turns of the services. Has anyone ever told you that God loves you, so I just watch like, prayed Lord open this man's heart. The sky was a genuinely touched.
He says no, no one's ever told me that Steve says will there is a God in heaven loves you and he started sharing the gospel. The pastors are still having their theological discussion oblivious to what is happening a few more months felt a spike in Steve is literally leaving the server to the Lord.
The server praised these pastors still didn't notice and the pastor goes away acutely. The server goes away. A turn of the pastors. I said did you see what happened. Steve just led that server to the Lord in this reminds me of the church a little bit you know were having our discussions are political debates that would you think about this said, it kind of it's time to lift up our eyes and look the harvest is great, but the laborers are few and I think one day I like to go on the mission field across the sea to tell people about Jesus 81 adjuster Arbeit crossing the street. There are opportunities in front of you each and every day we need to be looking for them now. After this woman at the well here's Jesus telling the truth. She says that Sir I think you might be the Messiah.
He goes loose paraphrase girl I am the Messiah your speaking with the Messiah.
Then we read these words. John 428.
The woman left her water pot when a way that the city instead of the rent come see a man who told me all things I ever did. Could this be the Christ brings into my final point, telling your story or sharing your testimony is a powerful bridge for the gospel message again telling your story also known as your testimony now basically you just tell people of how you came to pick it.
Sometimes nonbelievers don't realize we were all born this way, you know, people might think all Greg. He's a preacher he probably was raised in a nice mission home in learn the Bible from his youth know I've told you many times that something case for 17 years of my life.
I live with my alcoholic mother and went through her divorces those seven in total, and that I made my own foolish choices in the early days of my youth that I heard the gospel and give my life to Christ, so you have a story everyone he has a story and it's a testimony so this is the way of kind of preaching to a person without preaching at. Let me illustrate. Here's how I might use my story, I might say what you know I was 17 years old I was using drugs. My life was empty and I saw these Christians sitting on the front lawn of my high school campus singing about God and I thought these people are crazy. These people you know fell off the stupid tree and hit every branch of the way down. What's wrong with these people. Why do they believe this, so I'm kind of putting myself in the shoes of the person I'm talking to because maybe that is actually how they feel at the moment, but then I going to say but then I tried a new thought on for size.
What if this is true, and I quickly dismissed it.
It couldn't be true. There's no way to be true, but again I thought what if it's all true.
And then a guy got up to speak and he said Jesus said your forming or against me. I looked at the Christians and I realize I wasn't one of them and that was the day I prayed and asked Christ in the my life down him telling the story and putting myself in the way I used to think which may be the way the person I'm talking to is thinking the present and I'm showing them the transition how I got from a to B and in a way I'm preaching to them because in telling them what the preacher said, but I'm not pointing my finger at them, but I'm building the bridge. That's the point of a testimony. It builds the bridge just a few tips about sharing your personal story don't glorify or exaggerate the path don't glorify or exaggerate the past you know some people there. Testimony gets more dramatic with the telling Everett some people talking. So how they can be Christ like him. A few years later in while on more stuff is in that story did you just remember that her are you embellishing it a little bit, you know, don't make your parents some better then your present I've heard some people say you know I used to have it all meant. I was turning that money I had women I had was great, but then I came to Christ. Notice all the sudden kind of a downer, lightweight your own life was miserable. Why are you making your old life, some better than your new life.
Someone might be listening to you and thinking I want your old life, not your new life.
I love the way the Paul had perspective on his past was a very accomplished individual. Very intelligent, but he dismissed all of it. He said in Philippians 3 all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ as my Lord. Everything I used to think was significant is now insignificant and then one translation puts it into dog dung. The word Bhopal uses that root word excrement that stuff. It's like poop compared compared to what I have now. He says I've dumped it in the trash so I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him, a beautiful, so don't talk about what you gave up for Jesus, talk about with Jesus gave up for you.
I really don't care what you keep up. It's nothing compared to what God is done for you. Talk about how Jesus died on the cross for your sin how he made the greatest sacrifice of all it's not about you it's about him and you tell your story only to make a beeline to his story. The greatest story ever told. So I have a new acronym for you. The last DL AST now.
I read a book recently called blessed BLESS they had an acronym for reaching people with the gospel and I read through a little bit of this book and I liked but I thought I am the come up with my own acronym so mine is the last be L a SC this sort of pulls together some of the things I've said you be deliberate, so mom are talking to people about Jesus. Start by building a bridge. I didn't say burn a bridge build a bridge L lovingly enter their world and other world taken interest in them that brings me to a asked question and listen don't interrupt asking lots of questions asked share your testimony.
We just talked about that. Tell them your story of how you came to believe in Jesus and finally T tell them how to come to Jesus again be build a bridge L lovingly enter the world a asked questions asked share your testimony. T tell them how to come to Jesus were almost done.
This is where breakdown for a lot of people. How do you get the person from a to B. How do you get them to come to Jesus you shared your testimony you share the gospel. How do you lead them to crisis his back to the guy with the Moscow lunch fish said it was full enough to just reach out and grab it.
Will you be full enough to reach out and pop the question if you will a little bit like a marriage proposal averted some pretty amazing and creative marriage proposals from the proposed to his wife underwater. Yet one of those little tablets you know you can write underwater and he wrote will you miss me. I've heard people putting it or you know, sky writing, will you marry me. My wife tells me I never properly proposed. She says we were out having dinner, I looked at her and would been going out for around I don't know two years at the point and I said George according to Kathy well I guess were going to get married. She says that was my proposal of getting down on one knee know will you marry me is a bring the just, well I guess were getting married half well, week at least. I said something so you wonder, how do you pop the question. It's as simple as this.
After you shared all the things of the person you are asking this question would you like to ask Jesus Christ to come into your life right now know is a great theologian Kenny Rogers once said, you need to know when to hold them know when the Oldham no one to walk away knowing the rent you need to be led by the spirit. But the Lord might direct you to answer this question and edit unexpected time. Let me tell you a story about a man name Roy and wife Kathy and I would go take walks in the morning and we came upon this older gentleman that was obviously struggling because he would wanted have to stop and does so we started talking with them, he said, I think I've seen on TV as a guy been on TV a few times and are you a preacher yes I'm a preacher which your name my name is Roy, my name is Greg nice to meet you Roy how you doing well. He says I have a heart condition and in my heart actually will hurt, but I'm exercising and I'm doing everything that I can to you know stay strong and and so I started to share the gospel with Roy Roy's immediately defensive. All my whole family's Christian.
He says are always telling me to believe in Jesus but I have a lot of questions about the Christian faith that that while Roy, what are some of them so he asked me a couple of the questions and I answer them and then we say nice to see you and that these over so the next day we see Roy again because I have another question for you preacher sure Roy fire incident of the question. I gave him an answer. I see him the next day, I would. Another question for you.
This went on for kind of a long time. A few weeks actually with the questions from the skeptical Roy. I wasn't hopeful he was going to believe necessarily but one day I was sitting with my wife and our house and were actually having the devotion together work reading the Bible and and were praying and I look out my window and literally right in my eyes shot I see Roy just standing there standing there like this and I said Kathy I think this is Roy's day to come to Christ, so I walked out of my house. I want to pay Roy how you doing this is a okay just stopping my hurts hurting a little bit so Roy will ask you a question without a lot of talks about the questions you have. Yes, here's my question for you Roy.
Would you like to accept Jesus Christ right now. He said this, I would just there was a moment's I said let's pray and I prayed with Roy is a beautiful thing. So I give my Bible and then I would see them after that. I knew his family were there all Christian and they were all very excited. I heard that Roy come to Christ, so I'd see in the next day because I was just remembering some of the songs I used to sing in church when I was a little boy and I saw him the next day. These is my hurts hurting right now but I'm just thinking of how much pain Jesus went through as he died on the cross.
Roy was like growing in his faith that was amazing and then out for a few days. We didn't see Roy out there walking one day we get a knock on our door.
As a young man standing there nieces.
I'm Roy's grandson said yes. He says I'm sorry to tell you that my grandfather went to be with the Lord. But I want to thank you for sharing the gospel with them and he love the Lord and we had such great times together.
After he had committed his life to Christ. I was so thankful I pop the question. Maybe I can close by popping the question to you is I know this is what white people literally all around the world. I'm talking to somebody right now the needs Jesus and the promises.
No one is ever told you how to actually become Christian.
Let me tell you in the simplest way I can let me go back and remind your similarity said you're a sinner, don't take it personally.
I'm a sinner are all sinners, we broken God's commandments, we fallen short of his glory.
God loves you so much. He sent his son to die on the cross for your sin and then Jesus rose again from the dead and Jesus is literally standing at the door of your life, and he is knocking, and he is saying if you will hear his voice and open the door he will come in. Here's my question. Would you like Jesus Christ to come into your life right here right now.
It's as simple as a prayer all lead you in the same prayer I lead Roy in some years ago.
Simple prayer.
We will just say Lord I want your forgiveness.
I want to help my spiritual thirst satisfied. I want to know that when I die I will go to heaven if you want Jesus to come in your life if you want that void in your life, fill if you want your guilt is taken away if you want to go to heaven when you die if you want to find the meaning and purpose of life. Pray this prayer with me right now when I pray it. You can pray it out loud.
Or you can pray quietly in your heart, would you pray to think is pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner but I know that you are the Savior who died on the cross for me, and rose again from the dead, Jesus I choose to follow you from this moment forward be my Savior and Lord be my God and my friend in Jesus name I pray that everybody Greg Laurie here. Thanks for listening to our podcast and the learn more about harvest ministries. Please subscribe and consider supporting this show.
Just go to harvest.org and by the way, if you want to find out how to come into a personal relationship with God. Go to know God.org that's key NOW GLD.org