6 Thoughts on Evangelism Every Leader Should Know

 

Perry Noble

Perry Noble

Publisher’s note: Perry Nobel socks a home run with his 6 Thoughts on Evangelism article. Soak up item number three. It helps release the hesitant.  

Noble is a 32,000 mega church pastor in South Carolina. He has recently been rebuked by his parent denomination, the Southern Baptists, for calling the 10 Commandments the 10 Promises. Be that as it may, this article on evangelism is not tainted by compromise. It’s worth digesting. We all say some silly things sometimes; let’s let the Baptists work this out with one of their own.

 

Evangelism (telling others about Jesus) is not a great idea…it is a COMMAND issued by Christ Himself.  It’s not easy, it does cause us to get uncomfortable, people will think you are crazy, and following the command of Christ will create tension at times.

Nonetheless, we are still called and empowered to do this! So today, I hope you will take a little time to read Acts 8:4-8 and then Acts 8:26-40 and let’s think about six things together.

1. Evangelism Is the Proclamation of Jesus Christ–PERIOD!  (Acts 8:4-8)

One of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard in my life is, “preach the Gospel all of the time and, when necessary, use words!”  DUMB! Because…God said in Romans 10:14-17, it’s through The Word that people are saved.

Listen, good deeds are never a bad thing…but please don’t try to convince me that cutting someone’s grass or paying for their coffee is evangelism…it’s NOT! The biblical definition of evangelism is when we proclaim Christ…and unfortunately, a cowardly church culture has turned it into a whole lot of things that Jesus never intended it to be. The Bible says in Acts 8:5 that Phillip proclaimed CHRIST…Acts 4:12 says there is no other name by which we must be saved…I Timothy 2:5 says there is ONE mediator, and we’ve been commissioned and commanded by Jesus with this calling/responsibility! (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:45-48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, II Corinthians 5:17-21!)

2. Evangelism Will Disrupt Our “Normal” Routine!

In Acts 8:4-8 Phillip is declaring Christ to the masses, but notice in Acts 8:26, God specifically speaks to his heart and leads him in a different direction. One of the things we’ve got to do is beg God to disrupt our “normal” routine and make ourselves available to do whatever He wants us to do. (I HIGHLY recommend Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels, the best book I’ve ever read on the subject of evangelism!)

3. God Is Preparing the Hearts of the People He Is Prompting Us to Share Christ With!

Check out Acts 8:27-28. The reason God sent Phillip down this road is that He was working on the heart of a man who desperately needed Him! Please understand that we never know what God may be doing in someone else’s life. They may portray that they have it all together and they are not interested, but you never know what God is doing in their hearts. If God is prompting you to share Christ with someone, then He has gone ahead of you and is preparing them as well!

4. Be Normal!

Please notice in Acts 8:29-30 that Phillip did not say, “Hello, hell-bound sinner, did you know that unless you repent of your sin and give your life to Jesus, you are going to fry like bacon in a devil’s hell?”  He did not scream, yell, or hold up signs.

He simply listened to the Spirit, ran up to the chariot (it does take effort), and asked a simple question, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

It’s amazing the opportunities that God puts in front of us every single day…and when we see them and embrace them, we simply need to be normal, engage them in conversation, and communicate that we are interested in them.

5. Evangelism Must Come Back Around to a Conversation About Christ.

I said it in point one…I will say it here…we are called to PROCLAIM CHRIST! Notice in Acts 8:31-35 that Phillip began where the eunuch was and brought the conversation back around to JESUS!  It HAS TO come back to Christ…we can’t allow the conversation to get sidetracked with political and sociological issues…no one EVER surrendered their lives to Christ because they had all of their questions answered!!!  Always bring it around to JESUS!

PLEASE understand this…if Phillip had simply said, “I am not going to share Christ with him…I’m just going to buy him a cup of coffee and give him a warm smile,” then we would have had nothing more than a story about a caffeinated eunuch who felt good about himself for a moment but NEVER HEARD ABOUT JESUS! BAD STORY!

6. Evangelism Isn’t a One-Time Deal.

Notice Acts 8:36-40 (one of the coolest sections in the Bible…God literally teleports someone)! The eunuch receives Christ, is baptized, and then God moves Phillip somewhere else to KEEP proclaiming Christ. We are NEVER done with this…God has strategically placed each one of us in places of work, in neighborhoods, and in certain social situations NOT for our comfort…but rather He placed us there with specific relationships so that we can literally tell others about Jesus! It’s NOT a one-time deal…it’s a core value that we must embrace in our lives if we are going to follow Christ!

Mohammed is Dead. Better to Follow Someone Alive

Click for Options

Recently, while visiting Petra, the amazing carved rock formations in Jordan, I had time to wait while my ambitious, young traveling companions did their thing: high climbing and exploring.

I seated myself on an ancient broken pillar and was taking in the stunning scenery when a young Bedouin travel guide came and sat on a near-by, broken pillar. He wanted to visit and hopefully talk me into paying him and his donkey to take me up to the rock carved monastery. Since the dinars in my pocket were at an all time low, I knew I didn’t have enough for the trip plus tip, so I just chatted away with him.  After a few minutes I was quickened to ask him about his faith.

“Do any of you (the many Bedouin travel guides at Petra) believe in Isa?” (Isa is the Muslim name for Jesus.)

“No, we follow Mohammed,” was his predicted reply.

I stunned myself with my next unplanned and bold statement.

“Mohammed is dead.  Better to follow someone who is alive.  Jesus is alive,” I told him.

He appeared visibly shaken and explained it was the way they were brought up and even if he’s dead, they still follow him.

I explained a little about the death and resurrection of Jesus. I again emphasized the fact that Jesus is living and how it makes much more sense to follow someone who is actually alive and how following someone who is dead makes no sense.

He was almost speechless and said it is the way they were raised and they’ve always believed what they believe.

“Jesus often calls out to people who were raised with different beliefs,” I reassured him.

“Islam may help you somewhat in this life, but it will do you no good when you die.” I went on to explain, “Jesus said He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father except through Him. Believing in Jesus is the only way we can go to heaven after we die.”

At this point, maybe because he didn’t know what to say, he got up and went behind me to talk with his fellow travel guides. I could overhear him saying, “She just said….” and couldn’t hear the rest, but I knew he was sharing what he had just heard from me.  I didn’t sense they were going to go ballistic, but sensed more of a contemplative attitude in them.  I considered turning around and talking to all of them but instead felt led to sit quietly for awhile and then get up and move on after a few minutes.

I was surprised at the bold, directness that Jesus led me to use with this young man. Normally, I am not this bold when witnessing to Muslims, but I said it with compassion and truth. The truth sets people free, not wishy-washy niceties.  I had a sense of a Godly calling on this young man’s life. Please join me in praying that he have a life-changing encounter with his Savior.

Publisher’s note: We publish stories of personal evangelism. Print your story in the contact box below or contact me in the “About Mark” section on the home page. Your story can encourage others in the “lost art of personal evangelism.”

Salvation–Greatest Miracle of All

Publisher’s note: “Salvation–greatest miracle of all” is adapted from Dr. Naoman Serosh. Dr. Serosh, apostle from Pakistan now living in the United States, allows God to use him in the supernatural. The article has been adapted yet keeps the original flavor of Dr. Serosh’s words. You can view Dr. Sersosh live on YouTube.

Choicest greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  God has been so wonderful to me. He really proved what He promised in the month of January 2015.

I went to Philadelphia on January 8, 2015 to speak to a couple that needed counseling & prayer.  We had great worship. I shared the word that God put on my heart.

There came one Hindu couple. This man by the name of Om Sharma was Hindu from India. He married to one white American lady who accepted Hinduism because of her husband.

Mr. Om Sharma was sick and had a severe pain in his stomach. He had been to many doctors but he was not getting better. God healed him miraculously and then he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior. His wife also gave her heart to the Lord Jesus Christ.

That was so great. God also healed some other people. Physical healing is wonderful, but remember. “Salvation–greatest miracle of all.” This was really a great work of the Holy Ghost.

A Modern Day Love Story to Warm Tender Hearts

A Modern Day Love Story

A Modern Day Love Story

A modern day love story that will warm tender hearts.

They came looking for answers. He was a distraught father and she an eleven year old daughter. She had recently been diagnosed with brittle diabetes, a severe form of diabetes which can cause extreme fluctuations of blood sugar and carries a short life expectancy. They came from a mountain village near Oaxaca, Mexico, and stopped at Casa Hogar Benito Juarez, the Children’s Home where I live and work.  They hoped to see a specialist here in Oaxaca.

The father and daughter were invited to participate in our daily devotional, a teaching and prayer time, at Casa Hogar. The dad declined and sat outside but the daughter came in.

She sat and listened and after the teaching and much individual prayer, Beto, a former resident who is now visiting Casa Hogar asked for prayer for his niece for healing. We all gathered around, laid our hands on her and start praying. Somehow she ended up in my arms, crying. I pulled her close and started praying for her. I asked Beto if she had ever asked Jesus into her life and he said “No.” I then started seriously praying that God would envelope her in his love, wrap his arms around her and let her know how much He loves her.

After a short time of praying, she looked up at me and I started talking to her about how much God loves her. I told her about how God created her special, how He knew her from the womb and now knows everything about her. He knows how many hairs are on her head and what kind of foods she likes and dislikes. He knows all about this disease and wants to help her all the way through it.

Then I asked her, “Do you want to ask Jesus into your heart?”

She said, “I don’t know.”

Another helper stepped up and started explaining how Jesus died on the cross for our sins and how everyone has sin.

The whole time this precious eleven year old just rested in my arms. She began to feel God’s love for her. I felt like I was part of a modern day love story. Then she looked at me again and I started praying again that God would envelop her in His love. The verse was going through my head that His love brings us to repentance.

Shortly after that I asked her again, “Do you want to receive Jesus into your heart?”

“Yes!” came her reply!

I asked her to repeat a prayer after me. I led her in a simple prayer of repentance, asking Jesus into her heart and life. We also asked Him for help with the doctors and healing for this disease. She started crying again and I just pulled her close and loved her.

Afterwards, I told her they were having a party in heaven and that I loved her and wanted her to come back and visit me again. I went back to my work and she went out of that room.  With the help of another lady, they then led her father to the Lord. What a happy, happy day!

Publisher’s note: Shelly Stalker teaches music and dance (and does the laundry!) at Casa Hogar, a children’s home for disabled children in Oaxaca, Mexico. She is commissioned as a missionary and sent out from The Church of Living Water in Muscatine, Iowa. Anyone wishing to financially support Shelly will have a reward in heaven. Contact The Church of the Living Water.

House Churches Are They Legit?

House Churches Are They Legit?

House Churches Are They Legit?

 

 

 

 

Do House Churches Work?

 Could they be an alternative structure to traditional churches?

Things happened at houses in the early church:

  • Pentecost started in a house. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.       Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1,2).
  • The early church grew—in homes, with larger gatherings at the temple: “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46). “Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news…” (Acts 5:42).
  • The Spirit fell on Gentiles in a house gathering (Acts 10:25).
  • The Philippian church was likely birthed in Lydia’s house (Acts 16:15; 16:40). Priscilla and Aquila had a church in their house (Ro.16:5; I Cor.16:19). Others had house churches: Nympha (Col.4:15), Archippus (Philemon 2).
  • Paul met with people in homes. His strategy began in the synagogue and moved to homes when a critical mass believed. In his farewell to the Ephesians elders, he said that he taught “publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20).

House Churches Have Some Advantages:

Low cost. Just pay the mortgage.

Fellowship. The sharing of lives in a home atmosphere.

Evangelism. More natural to invite someone to a home.

Discipleship. The structure of the house church makes application of truth a more lively potential, where the fellowship hopefully creates interdependence.

Leadership. There’s a shortage of seminary-trained pastors. House churches look for a mature leader, an elder in the faith. They can also answer to the clergy-laity gap.

New Testament model. Church buildings multiplied when Christianity became a state-recognized religion. Under persecution in the first two centuries, the house church model flourished.

History. The success of house churches in places like China and Africa is compelling. Revival and awakening have often been accompanied by a house church movement. Think Wesleyans, Moravians and Mennonites.

House Churches Have Some Liabilities:

  1. We’ve only known the traditional model.       House churches seem cultic to some.       Are they legit?
  2. The transfer from program-based church to a relational-based will take us through withdrawal. Programs may need to be replaced by stronger family ties.
  3. House churches could be another fad, the latest answer to pressing needs.
  4. Conventional churches have an endurance factor that house churches do not have.

How Might Some Transition to House Churches if Convinced this Could be Positive?

  1. Think about underlying values. Are they worth going after? What are they?
  2. Consider the questions involved: Must it be either-or? Could we take some values from the house church model and apply them to the traditional model? Would we do a house church alongside a traditional church? Could we try it as an evangelistic tool for our neighborhoods? How could oversight be given to house churches to guard against heresy?

The success of the house church movement has brought it into the limelight. It is gathering momentum, and the wind of the Spirit is blowing. We would do well at least to understand it. Could be quite a homecoming!

Paul Anderson is an author, pastor, teacher, and highly regarded apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. AS the former Director of Lutheran Renewal Services, he has shepherded thousands into the Spirit-led life. He and his wife Karen are blessed with six children and reside in Roseville, Minnesota. Latch onto his Godly wisdom at PastorPaulAnderson.com

Expansion 2015 Conference

Expansion 2015

Expansion 2015

 

 

 

Dear Friend,

We’re excited to announce our new Leadership Conference, called EXPANSION 2015! Instead of using our church as the venue as we have in the past, we’re going on the road for EXPANSION 2015. These will be powerful 2-day conferences filled with concentrated teaching sessions, worship and prayer—all toward the goal of enlarging Christ’s Kingdom through the ministry of your local church. And we’re stepping out in faith to do something we’ve always dreamed of—the conference will be absolutely FREE of charge for every attendee (except for a $20 registration fee)! On top of that, those attending will receive a copy of my new book STORM along with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s new worship project, plus other helpful items.

Our special musical guests at EXPANSION 2015 will be the Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers, who will serve also as worship leaders. EXPANSION 2015 is for every Christian pastor and their spouse, associate pastors, worship leaders and other church leadership. We are praying that this Conference will result in an explosion of effective evangelism/growth beyond what we can ask or think.

Pastors Tim Dilena, Michael Durso and others will join me as we look forward to ministering God’s Word to you. Our entire pastoral staff will be present to serve you in every way possible.

Sincerely,

Pastor Jim Cymbala

Dates and information for the Chicago and Baton Rouge, LA venues can be found at http://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/expansion2015

In the early 1970s Pastor Cymbala took over the leadership of the small, struggling Brooklyn Tabernacle in downtown Brooklyn. Today Pastor Cymbala oversees a congregation of several thousand people. The Lord has blessed Pastor Cymbala and Carol with three children and six grandchildren, including the most recent addition, little Levi, who was adopted from Ethiopia. A more complete account of the early years of The Brooklyn Tabernacle is included in Pastor Cymbala’s book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. Other books written by Pastor Cymbala include Fresh Faith; Fresh Power; Breakthrough Prayer; The Life God Blesses; The Church God Blesses; and The Promise of God’s Power.

 

Don’t Be Chicken

Don't be Chicken

Don’t be Chicken

Don’t be Chicken. ​It is the ​DOERS that ​Just ​​DO IT​ ​

There are many sick people that ​need ​to hear ​that ​Jesus came to heal them. Jesus healed people outside the walls of the synagogue. Jesus​ said, ​”The works that I do shall ye also.​” ​It is important that we just simply ​DO IT.  People ask me​, “Do you feel something before you ​pray for people?” ​My reply is just ​simply: ​DO IT! Sometimes a person​ is very ​intimidated to pray for a stranger, but again​ ​we just do it.​  Don’t be chicken. ​It is the ​DOERS that ​just ​​DO IT.​ ​
 
 

People in Great Need Need ​DOERS! ​

Recently I was at SAM’s Club loading my car with purchased items and took notice of a lady in a wheel chair. I started the conversations by talking about the weather​.​ After talking about the weather​,​ I ask​ed​ the lady ​about her health.  She ​responded joyfully​, explaining her situation. I prayed for her to be healed. She ask​ed​ for my phone number and I gave it to her. When I reached my home​,​ the​ ​phone rang and it was this lady tell​ing​ me that she was no longer in the wheel chair because Jesus healed her​!!!  ​People in great need need ​DOERS! ​

 

​So Don’t be Chicken, Take Steps of Faith  

Don’t be afraid of people’s faces, start casual conversations and turn it to sharing about the Lord.  Pray for the sick as you meet them.  Ask Jesus to touch them in every level and every need in their life.  People are just astonished that you would pray out loud for them right then and there!  Let’s use every opportunity to share Christ.  How can they hear unless someone tells them?  
Bobby Martz , evangelist, ministers primarily in the Philippines, Africa, South America and the United States. Together with his wife Rhonda, they have started several churches in remote areas of the Philippines. Miracles and healing are a salient part of Bobby’s ministry. He can be reached at http://hourofharvest.org/ 

Don’t Be Afraid of Faces

Chicken Evangelism--Don't Be Afraid of Faces

Chicken Evangelism–Don’t Be Afraid of Faces

 Don’t be afraid of faces.

Chicken evangelism​?​ 

Don’t be afraid of faces.

​Wh​at are you talking about? 

No​,​ we are not ​talking ​about sharing the ​G​ospel with chickens.

There are times in our lives when we need to take action ​even ​when it seems scary or ​challenges us to ​do something we have not done before.​ We feel “chicken”. ​Perhaps you ​have ​not share​d​​ Jesus with others or ​have only ​shared occasionally​.​

Perhaps I can encourage you by telling you my first experience with chicken evangelism.

I was a new convert to Christ. ​At the time, ​I was in the ​N​av​y in San Di​e​go, ​California​​. I was sharing Christ along with other Jesus followers. We were on the street handing out ​​Gospel tracts when a very large and mean looking man ​came​ walking toward me.

The ​L​ord told me to talk to this man and invite him to​ church. I said​,​​ “Lord, He is is bigger and very mean looking.​”​ I thought​ that​ if I talked to him,​ he’d beat me up and it would be my last day to be alive. ​But somehow the Lord empowered me. I mustered up strength​,​ and ​put ​on the best look that I could​. Fearfully​ approach​ing​ the man​, I invited him to go to church with me that evening​. ​The man’s total countenance changed! The hardness became softness, the angry look became a happy look! ​The man became very excited and came with me to church ​that very night ​and got saved. He was so happy that he wanted to sing and play a guitar​ right there at church that night!​.

 

Let me encourage you not to be afraid of faces.

​If y​ou are wondering what to say​, just ​begin the chicken evangelism by simply​ starting to talk about easy topics. ​ I still do this. People are at ​​different ​stages in their lives​ and have different interests​.​ The Lord helps us to be sensitive to what they might be interested in so we can have “conversation starters”​, such as ​starting to talk about ​sports.

 

Sometimes, ​I wear ​a​n NFL hat or MBA jacket to​ make sports talk with strangers​. ​Then​ ​I ​lead​ the conversation into ​a ​Jesus talk. ​Or w​hen ​my wife and I​ take walks​,​ we meet people working in the yards and flower beds. ​Then ​we engage in yard and and garden talk​,​ ​and lead​ ​into ​talking about the Lord Jesus.​  When we ​share ​w​hat Jesus ​has ​brought into our lives and w​hat He has done ​personally ​for ​us, no one can argue that experience. ​

Bobby Martz , evangelist, ministers primarily in the Philippines, Africa, South America and the United States. Together with his wife Rhonda, they have started several churches in remote areas of the Philippines. Miracles and healing are a salient part of Bobby’s ministry. He can be reached at http://hourofharvest.org/ 

He Did That for Us?

Kari Anderson

Kari Anderson

He Did That for Us?

 

Recently, while waiting in a shuttle bus from downtown Los Angeles to the LA airport I asked a young man, a fellow passenger,”Have you given your heart to Jesus?”  He politely told me he was from China and didn’t know much about those things.

I then proceeded to tell him about Jesus.  How He was God’s son  and came from heaven as a baby and how God had sent Him to earth to help us.  “Because”, I reminded the young man, “we all do things that are wrong.”

He affirmed.  “Yes, we all do wrong things.”

I explained how Jesus died on a cross to pay for all of our sins so we can be forgiven of them and totally cleansed from all wrong doing!

The young man looked at me very intently and said emphatically, “He did that for us?”

This truth seemed to be a tremendous relief for this young man who was very hungry for righteousness. I went on to explain that Jesus rose again and is alive today and with us always.

At this the young man said, “So, He’s right here with us now?”

“Yes.” I replied. “He’s right here now with us in this shuttle bus and we can ask Him for help anytime.”

“How do you do that?” the young man asked. “Do you mean if I need help making a decision, He can help me know what to do?”

“Yes”, I explained, “you can talk to Him anytime and not even out loud and ask for His help.”

At that point other passengers started entering the bus and it was difficult to continue on with the conversation but I asked him if he’d like me to send him some literature that could further help him understand.

He said, “No, that’s okay.  I can look up more information about Jesus on the internet.”

That was one precious moment with a young Chinese man and a great privilege to be the first one to explain to him about Jesus and His power of forgiveness.

Kari Anderson, my wonderful wife, reflects Christ Jesus. Known as  one who “hears God and does what He says,” Kari has traveled in obedience to His will on several continents. A “prophetic forerunner,” she has instigated mission work in Turkey, above the Arctic Circle, in the Middle East, and in the United States. Kari can be reached at her website www.karipearls.com –Publisher’s note

Evangelism Stories — Carl Bittner

Evangelism Stories

Evangelism Stories

Editor’s note: Personal evangelism stories are both rare and encouraging. Carl Bittner is a former high school classmate of mine. We played basketball and baseball together. We happily reconnected at a class reunion where I was pleased to learn Carl received the Holy Spirit and is an avid witness for Christ.  His two dramatic evangelism stories were included in a recent letter. Both show the eternal importance of personal witnessing.
Hi Mark,

    Here is one of my little evangelism stories:

    For many years I was involved in teaching and training people to do personal evangelism.  We saw first hand often the
    power of the Holy Spirit working in people’s lives.  I remember one year when we had already started a semester of classes
    when a woman showed up for class the fourth week.  She was determined that she be allowed to take the class even though
    we told her that it was already the fourth week and we usually didn’t allow anyone to start that late.  She told us, “I believe the
    Holy Spirit wants me to take the class now.  I can do it.  I can catch up.”  She did and finished right along with everyone else.
    Shortly after the class ended her mother got sick and ended up in the hospital and was dying.  This lady now with the ability to
    share the gospel, told her mother the way to salvation through Jesus.  The mother accepted Jesus as her Savior and died shortly
    thereafter.

    Here is another of my evangelism stories

    The first evening of the beginning of a personal evangelism training class three of us were conversing at the door of our
    classroom when a woman came in and asked if we were there for the dance class.  We said no and told her where it was
    being held and then asked her how she was doing.  With complete open honesty she said, “Not very well.  I’ve got cancer.”
    Over the course of the following year two of us kept in contact with her and ministered to her.  We learned that she went
    to church regularly but had never accepted Jesus as her Savior.  We asked if she would like to know Jesus personally as her Savior.
    She said yes and we led her in a confession of faith in Jesus.  Not many months later she died in comfort knowing she would be
    in heaven.
    And there you have them, Mark.  Two of my favorite evangelism stories of salvation.
    Keep well.  The Lord bless you.
    Carl
Do you have an evangelism story to tell? Put it here to encourage someone else.