Category Archives: Evangelism

The knock at your door — how do you respond?

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You’ve been looking forward to this for the last 5 days. Now it’s Saturday and you’re settling down with that book you’ve been meaning to read. Just when you kick your shoes off and get comfortable, you hear a knock at the door. Sorta sounded like the way the FedEx lady knocks when she has a delivery. What a surprise when you open the door and there are two 20 year-old “elders” in white shirts, black ties, and black name tags. You really want to get back to your “book time” that you so deserve, but you always feel guilty for dismissing them quickly, as you have so many times in the past.

What do you do? I’m sure there’s not a person reading this who hasn’t had to make that decision. I’m also thinking I’d not be far off if I suggested that probably three quarters of us (or more) just want to get the uninvited guests on their way as soon as possible.

I don’t have any research data on this at all, so this is just a hunch, but here’s what I believe:

  • We know we should treat them with kindness and respect, and certainly not be rude.
  • Many of us have felt guilty for practically slamming the door in their face in the past.
  • We want to be able to “let our light shine” (Matthew 5:16), but don’t really know how to get the conversation started.
  • Although we feel confident in our own faith, we feel really uncomfortable because we’re not exactly sure what they believe.
  • Therefore, we’d rather not say anything than to be in a situation where they say something to us that we know is wrong, but makes really good sense, and we just don’t know how to respond. We’re afraid of looking foolish, looking like we’re not really dedicated Christians, or of speaking up but saying the wrong thing.

There could easily be several dozen posts on the subject of personal evangelism, but let’s just be satisfied for today with a few thoughts.

Peter instructs us to “always be prepared to give an answer to those who ask us about our faith” (1 Peter 3:15), but what exactly does that mean? Does that mean we need to be ready to quote scripture, giving book chapter & verse, whenever people on our doorstep tell us about “a new covenant”? Certainly that’s a goal, but I don’t think that’s what Peter means.

First and foremost, you need to be so familiar with the truth that when you’re faced with a counterfeit, you’re able to recognize it immediately. You certainly don’t have to be an expert in someone else’s faith in order to be a faithful witness of your own, but you do have to know the truth well enough to be able to spot a phony.

Secondly, don’t be afraid of saying “I don’t know but I’ll find out”. It doesn’t make you look any less faithful or any less of a Christian if you have to admit you don’t know how to answer their questions.

Third, the only way you get any better at anything is by practice. The first time you engage these doorstep visitors in conversation, you’ll probably feel a bit uncomfortable, but the more practice you allow yourself, the better at it you’ll be. And you’ll no doubt learn and strengthen your faith in the process!

How do you spend your time?

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My long-time friend Jim Martin is pulpit minister for a congregation in Waco, and maintains a blog I highly recommend: A Place For The God-Hungry. His post from Tuesday (2/4/09) was a pretty insightful look at how we spend our time, and the things we should really be making time for. I repeat that post here, with his permission…

I have been on Facebook for about a year. What I absolutely love about Facebook is the opportunity to re-connect with friends from the past. In the past few months, I have had the opportunity to communicate with Frank, Gary, Debbie, John, Bob, Debbie, Rick, and today — Stan. I haven’t seen most of these people in decades. Yet, re-connecting with these people is a special gift because we share a common history and a common memory. We were a part of a small Christian school in Dallas.

I have been thinking this week about how short life really is. When I was in junior high school, some days would seem like weeks. In some ways, time passes so slowly when you are young. Now? Now time moves quickly. Oh, I don’t feel old or even refer to myself as being old. Yet, I remember passing a mirror not long ago almost startled by the man staring at me. Yes, it was me inside this man’s body. But inside? “I’m still the boy.”

Today, I realize just how valuable time really is.

  1. I don’t have time to waste on things that don’t matter. I have plenty of time for the things that count.
  2. I don’t have time to get moody, self-centered, and irritable. I do have time to love my wife and children.
  3. I don’t have time to wallow in the past over what might have been. I do have time to focus on what God wants to do in my life today.
  4. I don’t have time to play self-importance games (Whom do you know? What kind of house do you live in? What have your kids accomplished? What are you driving?). I do have time to build up others and forget myself.
  5. I don’t have time to coddle worldly, immature Christians whose idea of church is getting their way. I have plenty of time to love fellow Christians who may have various opinions.
  6. I don’t have time to be a peacemonger (doing whatever it takes to keep others from getting upset). I do have time to be a peacemaker (loving people no matter what).
  7. I don’t have time to play it safe and never risk the possibility of discomfort. I do have time to trust God who has promised to never leave me or forsake me.
  8. I don’t have time to whine and blame others for being obstacles. I do have time to take responsibility for my own actions and behavior.
  9. I don’t have time to complain and focus on the negative. I do have time to speak a word of hope to people who are overwhelmed by heartache.
  10. I don’t have time to settle for the mediocre. I do have time to be passionate about what matters most to God.

Jim Martin

It’s the same in any language

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18Jesus ta va hedere, ta va tantere asi: “Nonkondo nadinye demeguru nedi depevhu nyame va di pa. 19Yipo nye nomu zira konomuhoko nadinye, mu ka di ninke di kare varongwa vange, mu ka di kuhwire medina lyaGuhwe neli lyoMuna neli lyoMpepo zoKupongoka. 20Ka di rongeni, di ka limburukwire nayinye eyi na mu rekera. Tareni, ame neni ngani kara dogoro nokouhura wouzuni.” Mateusa 28:18-20

Unless you’re a linguist or you live in Southwestern Africa, you most likely don’t recognize the text above, but here are a few clues:

  • It’s from the book of “Mateusa”, which most people familiar with the books of the Bible would probably guess correctly to be Matthew.
  • Most Christians should recognize the chapter/verse — 28:18-20. I know of no other oft-quoted passage of scripture from the 28th chapter of any book, verses 18-20.

Yes, it’s what we have labeled the Great Commission. Although Jesus likely spoke these words in Aramaic, the instructions are just as valid in Rukwangali (the language above), or English, or any other language. Jesus issued these instructions to the apostles, but there is nothing in the context that would limit the charge to that select group.

I was privileged and blessed last week to have the opportunity to share the Gospel in Rundu Namibia with those who would hear it — and there were many. There are yet many more who need to hear it, but you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to obey these commands. Talk to your neighbor; share the good news with your unsaved family members.

How much do you need to know in order to be effective at sharing the Gospel? You need to know exactly this: you are a sinner, sin separates you from God, all sinners deserve to die, Jesus paid the price for our sin, salvation is a free gift but we must accept this gift in accordance with scripture.

There are a few dozen scriptures you could use when teaching someone, but there are only a handful that are absolutely necessary. In the last 40 or so years, we’ve “grown” away from memorizing scripture and its teachings, but you’ll be rich indeed if you’ll learn at least those passages through which you can teach the plan of salvation. Write them down first, and use the list when teaching. The more you use them, the quicker you’ll learn them — most likely without even trying!