Evangelism, Jesus Style: Building Bridges, Not Barriers

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Visit our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org. One would visualize Jesus. So we need to use the GAC the skill and grace dealing message and filled the messenger pastor Greg Laurie offers important season are words with grace. I can state in a loving way, even if this brother hard time is the art of making a point without making new beginning. Read more of the harvest with an exciting one night event coming in October. Given this important event was how should we be sharing our faith. Greg answered the question today beginning as he continues his series tell someone bring others to Jesus.

Details of harvest.org very briefly today study Jesus did not say that the whole world should go to church. What he did say that the church should go to the whole world. Let's quickly review what we've already discovered together in this series are recalling tell someone you can bring others to Jesus. I want to talk about those who the where the Y and the when of preaching the gospel and then today I'm in a TN on the house. So let's talk about who who was called to go into all the world and preach the gospel. We are Jesus gave us our marching orders in Matthew 28 go and make disciples of all the nations.

He said teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you alloy with you always, even to the end of the age, baptizing them in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit.

By the way of the original language that is not a suggestion, that's a command, our Lord, our commander orders us to go into all the world and also in the Greek.

The implication is this is to every person. In other words, it's not just to the so-called professionals, pastors, evangelist missionaries notes to every Christian is to every construction worker who calls on the name of the Lord. It's to every stay-at-home mom and soccer mom and it's to every student, and it's to every senior citizen edits to every person, every where, who is a believer where are we to preach the gospel where short answer everywhere. In Mark we have a variation on the great commission Mark 1615. He says going to the world and preach the gospel we could simplify by saying going to all of your world. I know the world is a big place, but your world is a lot smaller. Your sphere of influence your neighborhood, your family, people that you know going to your world so really what we want to engage in. As I mentioned recently is friend Julissa is and what is that evangelizing people name Fran well yes them to what fragile is it was just an acronym FRA and help you remember who you are to go to F stands for friends are stands for relatives. A stands for Associates and incense for neighbors so go to all of your friends and to all of your relatives do all of your associates to do all of your neighbors and preach the gospel.

Our objective is not to isolate its to infiltrate and its to permeate number three why we to do this because the primary way that God chooses to reach people is through people.

First Corinthians 121 says in the wisdom of God the world. The wisdom did not know God, but please God through the foolishness of the message preached to reach those that do not believe I don't know why God's chosen it but the fact of the matter is the Primary Way, God's chosen to reach a lot of people.

This is the verbal communication of the gospel message.

It's for people to speak to people why we to do this well where to do it because we should care. We learn that from the care Bears right because they care a lot. They care a lot and so should we.

And if we really care about lost people.

We will share the gospel with them. Number four. When we to do it all the time were always to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. First Peter 42 says preach the word. Be persistent. Whether the time is favorable or not, or is another translation puts it be on duty at all times and first Peter 315 says that Christ apart in your heart.

Listen always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asked you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do it with gentleness and respect. In a recent message.

I shared how when I was about two weeks old Lord I had the opportunity to lead a woman to the Lord on the beach.

I did this with a little gospel tract that I had even memorized yet and so I was very excited and now I wanted to tell everyone, so I was out sharing my faith in into one day I'm walking down the street and I run into my old buddy Greg.

He spilled his name would to Jesus we went to elementary school together. We've known each other for years so I come to Christ and Greg and I've known each other all these years we used to do drugs together. In all honesty, and does so. I remember saying these words to Greg Greg. Don't worry about me. The last thing you ever get to see is Lori referring to me was holding Lori a lot single ever see is Lori walking around like a crossing around his neck and a Bible say praise the Lord I'm not going to go that far. So just keep that in mind, so no fast-forward, maybe a month. I've let this lady to the Lord. I'm walking down the street and was walking in my direction, but Greg before I could catch myself. I said, praise the Lord, and he looked at me and I looked at him, looking at me and we both laughed out loud because the interim I met was across in my hand was a Bible and I just said praise the Lord I was in the bear. As I said I know Greg is funny is that it would never do about Greg Christ is change my life and in it really is real Greg and so is he will tell me about it so were talking and as I'm sure and think it would be fantastic if Greg would come to Christ right now and and you know I'm an expert now. I've let one person the Lord surely shall come to and so I'm just you know Sharon everything I know it's him and and he seems very interested in, all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere. Some guy steps into our conversation a little bit older, probably in his mid-20s, were both young kids still and he looks at me and think it was a study says I have a question for you Christian I'm standing there and I got Mike. I've got my Bible and Mike Crossan. I like yes yeah okay if God is so real. How could a God of love. Let people suffer if God is real about this, this, this is about five things that I like the answer. And Greg says yeah Lori what about that I didn't know. Gosh I don't I don't know Jessica train wreck and I walked away from that just devastated. I felt like such a failure and I prayed that I committed myself to study so I would have those answers as we read the first Peter 315. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone what you want. By the way, that comes from the Greek word apology we get our English word apologetic from an apologetic or appalling apologetic sort apologists is numbing were apologizing for our faith. It means technically you're giving a legal defense is in accord of law. So that's what I want to talk about today. How to share the gospel. There's a right and there's a wrong way to do it.

Sure is where the rubber really meets the road. There was no better example of how to do it than Jesus Christ himself.

Yes, he is God. Yes, he is our Savior and our Lord.

But he also was the master communicator and he build a amazing bridge the people he spoke with. It said in Scripture. The common people heard him gladly. That simply means regular folks understood what he was saying he didn't speak over anyone said Einstein once said quote we should speak in such a way that our grandmother understands." I would expand out and say we should speak in such a way that child can understand because our message is simple. It's not simplistic but it is simple and did not Jesus say we should become as little children to one of the kingdom of heaven, and to the point of children, were they not drawn to him as well. Remember the story of the children coming to Jesus wanting to be with him and I think the problem a lot of people have is they take that which is simple and they make it complex that they had stuff that is not essential even in their evangelism.

They speak in terminology that people do not understand its IQ come from another planet hi hey are you redeem, say, washed in the blood. A part of the body of Christ you realize somewhere that sounds to a nonbeliever washed in blood and part of the body of Christ. I mean you. I'm not saying we should not use biblical terminology. But what I am saying is we should not assume that our listener understands our lingo or Christian ease as I like to call it.

We need to translate because here is our objective. It's to build a bridge not burn one again. Our objective is to build a bridge not burn one and it is also to establish contact with that person. I have seen Christians arm with Bible verses go out in" share their faith and totally alienate their hair and Ed since they won the debate. But they lost the soul. If that's the case you missed the point is not to win the debate. It's not to say I'm smarter than you and I have the answer to every question hopefully will have some answers but we deliver them. Remember, as we already read their first Peter with gentleness and respect. In just a moment. Pastor Greg explains how Sophie teaches something important about how to share the gospel that's coming up next, emails, letters and phone calls from listeners are so encouraging to us and they let us know the effectiveness of these studies. Greg, I want to thank you for helping me learn and understand the word of God. I also wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your sense of humor even in my darkest times when I listen to your sermons I can go from crying to laughing. Keep up the wonderful work of God, and God bless you and your family. What an encouragement to hear the pastor Craig's teachings are helping this woman, and many others like her.

Let us know how these studies have impacted you send an email to Pastor Greg greg@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.org Pastor Greg is delivering some very practical insight today on sharing Christ in the most appropriate and most effective way possible. It's a message called evangelism Jesus style available of harvest.org. Let me tell you little secret that you probably already know, everybody's favorite subject is themselves.

I like to talk to the person that asked them what their opinions are about various subjects ring what is the most popular kind of photography today. Sophie's we go from telephoto lenses to Sophie sticks. You know how to get this lens and photograph these beautiful things so I want to object that will allow me to photograph myself even more effectively that I'm doing it now here I am here, here I am there. Look at me, you know will listen. People love to talk about themselves. So our objective is to build the bridge to the person inherent John for we see Jesus doing exactly that with a woman. Now we call her. The woman at the well, we don't know her name, and churchy had one, but this woman really messed up her life as she was not an educated woman. I don't think she had any understanding of Scripture she made a lot of bad decisions and most of them were balding men affect this girl was married and divorced five times on that's pretty radical for back that nowadays that's a radical in that day. Scandalous. That's why she came to the well at 12 in the afternoon when the sun was at its heart is because no one wanted to hang out with this woman who went to the well so she encounters Jesus here and I love the way he engager.

Frankly, this woman at the well. Reminds me of my own mother except my mom beer. My mom is very divorce seven times, but she was searching just like the woman at the well. I wanted you to see how Jesus reached out to her that we can learn how to be a bridge instead of a barrier to people coming to Christ.

How to be a steppingstone instead of a stumbling block and here's Jesus engaging this woman. Let's read about it John for starting the verse three he left today it departed again to Galilee, but he needed to go through Samaria so we came to a city of Samaria, which is called sidecar near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacobs well was there, and Jesus therefore being wearied from his journey sent by the well was about the sixth hour that's 12 noon and a woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, give me a drink for his disciples gone awake and of the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to how is it that you being a Jew would ask a drink for me, a Samaritan woman for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans Jesus answered and said, if you knew the gift of God, who it is that says to give me a drink, you would've asked them they would've given you living water.

This brings us to point number one evangelism Jesus style of the way Christ did it start with a burden we've already alluded to this verse four says he needed to go. This Samaria little background Jews and Samaritans didn't like each other affect actually hated each other. That's why the Samaritan woman said why would you would you ask for a drink of water from me, a Samaritan, don't you know we don't deal with each other. There was a strong hatred in a cultural prejudice between these peoples. But Jesus needed to go.

By the way, this was not the shortest route to his destination, he effectively went out of his way to meet this woman. Why, because in the councils of eternity. It was decided that a burned out tomorrow.

Woman was going to meet Jesus on that day. She had an appointment with God and other there are times and you will be out about your business and your gonna walk smack dab into the middle of God's will in your gonna come across a person and has an appointment with God and God wants to reach that person through. So here's Jesus ETCs are sitting there at the well and it's a good reminder to us that we need to overcome our prejudices and our bias sometimes godly leaders to go to someone that's different than us. Their older, their younger there a different race or different social economic background, who cares if God leads you to go to that person go to that person. I member shortly after I was converted.

I felt very strong that the Lord was leading me to only share the gospel with really cute girls convinces the Fry is a great way to meet girls that didn't last long large, it would be doing you know that was obviously not from him but we need to go to people that are different than us leave our comfort zone number two if we want to evangelize Jesus style we need to use TAC T contact Jesus the master evangelist you something that many Christians seriously lack that is attacked other words, for tact are diplomacy, sensitivity of one person defined tact as skill and grace in dealing with others. Isaac Newton said, quote tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy like making a point without making an enemy I can state truth in a loving way, even if the truth is rather harsh at times.

You can do it in a friendly way. A lot of times will come up to a person say crazy stuff to them like pay. Did you know you're going to hell. Wow, what a great conversation starter went up build a wall instead of up.

Fred, I see that that was not Jesus style that should not be ours either you know when I present the gospel in service or in a crusade. I it's a monologue. Effectively, I'm standing behind the pulpit nine proclaiming the truth of God's word to people to monologue when I engage people one on one. It's a dialogue I don't walk around the pulpit on wheels and if you know that to get in the market pushes along an know grabbed the bread the eggs in the milk and hello, there may be by the bottle water. If you drink this water you'll thirst again. Some like that I don't do that when I talk to people one on one. II don't project like this and I just talk to them like a regular person. It's a dialogue and in most cases we share our faith.

It's going to be more of a dialogue, not a monologue we're not supposed to be evangelism machines are supposed to have give-and-take and listen to the person were speaking with the Jesus modeled this, look at Jesus with Nicodemus.

In chapter 3 of John that we see them with the woman at the well that we seem with the rich young ruler, and that we seen was that key is he going to set or look I'm God you're not, let's cut to the chase repentance with that of been accurate. Yes, without a been effective.

No Joey Starwood tact while back I was getting in a taxi and I sat down and I pray that the Lord of your mom and the doctor this guy just open the door.

Scientists are to sit Narinder were cruising along, and we go buy one of these things they call them a ghost bike to be ever seen these before when when a bicyclist is killed on the road. Sometimes a put up across the commemorated and sometimes they put up a bite that painted white and the bee flowers put in front of the call of the ghost bike and does so. We saw one of those nights at home and someone died. He says yes people are killed on this highway all the time is said that is so sad and he said yeah friend of mine was out here right in here a while back and he got hit and killed and the driver just took office at that is so wrong in this guy's name was Thomas and Tom let me ask you a question. What you think happens after we die and he says well I think that we you know go off somewhere and come back later is another life form and we keep doing that over and over again and then he says to me what you think that's us going forward. I didn't just blurt out what I thought. I asked him what he thought. First, what do you think I said well I believe that we have an eternal soul inside of us and when we die we go into eternity.

If we believe in Jesus Christ. I think will go to heaven and one day the Bible says heaven will come to work.

Tom says I like your version of the afterlife better than mine is able Thomas on my version. I didn't invented. This is what the Bible says and this is what Jesus said in the quarter from John 14. We talked for a while and any said yeah you know my family. My wife is always call me a doubting Thomas.

I did get the funny thing, your name is Tom visited with Tom here is what Jesus said to doubting Thomas and John 14. I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes of the father but by make our cab ride to come to an end effectively, and I told Tom I would pray for him so I was sewing this either that I was looking for that open door practical insight on how to sow seeds and engage people in conversation about the Lord. Pastor Greg Laurie with his message today on a new beginning called evangelism Jesus style now our current studies are a part of Pastor Greg series called tell someone.

And because of the importance of this information.

Pastor Greg has developed an online training course that corresponds with a series it's a six-week course comes to you a lesson per week via email and it's absolutely free at the end of six weeks.

You can be fully equipped and ready to share your faith, just as Jesus has commanded us all to do. Learn more about the free tell someone training course@harvest.org and then were so happy to make available a fantastic book to help you share your faith is called person of interest by retired cold case detective J.

Warner Wallace, Jim Wallace, Jim, you point out, there is a relationship between which true and what matters is a few of this order our lives around and make decisions based on our belief in Bigfoot. We don't believe something is true, then it doesn't matter. As we share our faith is important to remember that a nonbeliever may not think Christianity matters to them because they don't believe it's true. We need to start at that point. Don't wait yet is no doubt about that has been said that one of the biggest challenges to theism, the belief in God is atheism right that believes there is no God but I think is actually bigger chant a challenge and that's what people started to call.

Apathy is another words and then there isn't a sense of urgency about this while I care about this. It is true, why would I even give my life to this.

This is why we really want to focus on does Jesus matter will it turns out he matters in all the areas that you are really matter to me as an atheist look at as normally as I only became a believer is about 35 walked into a church and no interest. I didn't think was even worth debunking.

I got a good friendly struggle with occasional Christ Lee and Leslie.

Leslie became a Christian. First, he was out to prove her wrong I was not to prove what I'm want to investigate the Easter Bunny. Nobody does that okay this is so patently false, is not worth my time, but it turns out that as I examine the things my own life the matter the most, which would've been education in science and the arts.

I've got to run the arts. I was at architect before being a police officer. These are things that matter to him that even in terms of spirituality is non-Christian. Will it turns out that all of those areas Jesus matters in those areas is Christ followers who shaped art the way we know it today in shaped music the way we note datasheet education and science is matter fact no one's hadn't bigger impact on non-Christian religions and then Jesus of Nazareth, so all those things that matter most to us as a culture, it turns out we owe a debt of gratitude to Jesus of Nazareth.

I think when people realize, at least in my initiate this effort to decide who is he� Investigate who this guy is because it turns out he changed the world.

So J Warner Wallace.

Jim is sitting next to me right now is a dateline featured homicide detective, so he's approaching this from a different perspective.

He's worked on actual cold cases. He knows what he's talking about. He's presented the evidence to juries and seeing people convicted for their crime. So he's approaching this from a different angle, but one thing you said to me Jim I found interesting is this almost is like a kids book for an adult and is a look through it.

You mentioned you have a background in design, as do I and you've illustrated it pretty much looks like almost every page or at least every other page. Maybe every page has an illustration of some kind which makes this very digestible.

Think well I can wrap my mind around that.

She really broken this down in a way that just an ordinary person could understand why this is like a kids but it was a great graphic novel and try the idea is that the current generation of people, myself included, we become so conditioned to seeing it down and use that expression. You know I see what you mean as yours will do this right will yeah I got it I was. I saw it when you went you down area showing me so I wanted to build illustrated in the way the people to see that over 400 illustrations and so we spent apart about three months just elevating the dog beds idea here is to help jurors.

Whoever reads the book to see what were talking about. So the juror is the reader. That's right. And maybe you know somebody it's on the believer. This would be a great book to put in their hands, but it's also a great book for the believer to equip them to respond to the questions that nonbelievers ask. It's called person of interest written by J Warner Wallace and his former cold case detective and we want to offer this to you for your gift of any size here to new beginning. Just so you can be better equipped to share your faith with other people. So for your gift of any size will send you a copy of person of interest by J.

Warner Wallace is such an effective tool for helping you share your faith and really for helping you understand why you believe what you believe it's brand-new.

If I could publisher kindly supplied us with some advanced copies, we can make them available ahead of the official release date and we want to send it to you to thank you for helping to make a new beginning available to others here in your community and elsewhere around the country you're investing in helping others come to know the Lord Wallace and road and said dear Pastor Greg your program on the radio is what brought me back to a closer walk with the Lord Jesus, thank you for all you do.

I still listen to you often. So thank you for sending your investment today to a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us anytime 24 seven at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest Don for the next time more from Pastor Greg message called evangelism Jesus style. Some of the best insight on evangelism you'll ever hear. Be sure to tune in new beginning and everybody thinks or listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God