Personal Witnessing Strategy - Session 2

PERSONAL WITNESSING STRATEGY

Session 2

PREPARATION FOR WITNESSING IS CRUCIAL

Preparation is key in sports. No matter what sport you’re interested in preparing for the event is absolutely necessary if you’re going to succeed. The marathon runner has to train his body to maintain a good pace for such a long time. The baseball player needs to prepare his mind for each play so he knows what to do if the ball is hit to him, and what to do if it isn’t. Witnessing is not different. Preparation is absolutely key.

1 Timothy 2:1-6

God wants all people to be saved by coming to know and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. If this is really true, and we know it is because it says so in God’s inspired Word, than it must be true that God is working to for this to happen! He is actively preparing people to come to faith. So how does God do this?

GOD DOES THE PREPARATION

First He prepares those who already know Him by building them up in faith in Christ and knowledge of God’s Word. In Sunday worship God repeatedly assures us that it is true, we have been saved from our sins by Christ’s sacrifice. The inheritance of heaven is ours because we are God’s children through faith in God’s Son. Through worship and study together with fellow Christians and alone, we are built up in God’s Word, knowing His grace and His will better.

Secondly God prepares Christians by giving them experiences that can serve as doorways to share the Gospel. Some of these experiences are ones that others have had. Others that don’t yet know Christ as their Great God and Savior. Some of these experiences are ones that other haven’t had.

Thirdly God prepares those who we might share Christ with. God does this in many ways that we never know. The people we talk to about Jesus, or about God, or about worship, or the Bible or any other area of our life in Christ – those people may have already heard about Christ from other Christians. Those people may have been prepared to understand our sharing of Christ by the experiences that we have in common with them. They may be prepared by the experiences we have had, that they haven’t!

When our experiences and the experiences of an unchurched person overlap, there is a potential opportunity to share Jesus with them in some way.

GOD’S PREPARING IN THE BIBLE

The fact that God prepares things in advance in order to have them happen is undeniable on the basis of God’s Word.

Genesis 37-50

If you study these chapters of Genesis you will see God setting up events in order to bring Israel’s family (including his twelve boys) to Egypt. Through the events that happened to Joseph (sold into slavery, wrongfully accused, imprisoned, interpreting dreams, brought before Pharaoh, raised to second in command over Egypt) his father’s family was brought to Egypt and placed in a rich land where they were safe, well fed, and became a NATION. The nation that God had promised to Israel’s grandfather Abraham. These things didn’t happen by “chance”, unless we define chance as “God’s way of remaining anonymous”.

Proverbs 16:9

Proverbs 16:33

Or think about the event of history that God directed in the life of His Son. The fact that Caesar called for a census might seem like just another act of a high ranking (and unbelieving) Roman ruler. But think about this: Caesar’s call for a census paved the way for Jesus to be born in BETHLEHEM (in accord with prophecy) instead of Nazareth where Mary and Joseph lived. God’s preparation at work.

Or speaking of paving, think about how the huge Roman empire paved roads all over their territories so their messengers could travel freely. Those roads came in awful handy for Paul, apostles and other early Christians to carry the message of sins forgiven through Christ far away from their homelands. God’s preparation at work.

Proverbs 21:1

When we are in the Word, we repeatedly see that God is at work in all the events around us. This truth can help us to relax in our witnessing. Not get lazy, but relax, not stressing out about it but being confident that God will accomplish His will of saving sinners through His power.

ORDINARY PEOPLE WITH AN EXTRODINARY MESSAGE

Romans 10:14

1 Corinthians 1:21-25

God, in all his wisdom and power has chosen to bring the message of salvation through Christ to unchurched people through the simple message spoken by ordinary Christians. That’s us.

So God prepares us for this event. And we are wise to prepare for this event also. The marathoner runs. The person planning wishing to retire someday saves. And the members of God’s team of Christian witnesses… do what?

“…the way an awful lot of people go about witnessing. They have no idea where to begin, where they are, or where they are going. Allow me to point us in the right direction. Intentionally build relationships with unchurched people. Whether we are talking about living or witnessing, it works best to have a plan. Step 1 of any workable witnessing plan is this: develop friendships with some non-Christians. When we do that, the Lord will do the preparation work to provide the experiences that open the door for sharing our faith” (Gibson 32).

PRAY

During the time you set aside for prayer, ask the Lord to bring the names of people you know to mind, people that you might share Christ with. 1) Write these names down. Maybe you have a physical prayer list. You might also start a witnessing journal, it can be a very a useful and encouraging tool. 2) Pray for actual chances to share your faith experiences with them. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom when you speak. Pray and boldness not to pass up the opportunities God give you.

LIMIT YOUR FOCUS

You ain’t the apostle Paul, so limit your major focus to two or three on your list. Don’t stop praying for the others, if the opportunity arises, speak up! But concentrate your care on a few at a time. Mass conversions have happened, but the majority of people come to know Christ in a smaller setting.

BE REAL

Friends listen to what each other say. If your sharing Christ happens in the context of a friendship, chances are the people you witness to will pay attention to what you say instead of just thinking you’re a religious kook trying to claim so brownie points with God by pulling them into a church.

“Here is an important thing to remember: this is not a contrived friendship. I am not building a relationship just so I can share Jesus with him. He is my friend. I like him. I want to spend time with him and have him in my home. And, since I enjoy being with him, I also want him to be with me in heaven” (Gibson 34).

GETTING ONTO THE FIELD

1. Think back over your life and your experience with Christ. What events have been really important chapters in your life? How did God use these to direct you toward Christ? Which of these stories might be particularly useful to communicate the Good News of Jesus to someone else?

2. Write down the names of people who you know, who need to know Christ. Pick someone from that list that you want to share Christ with. Pray to God that you might be prepared to do so. Pray to God that you might see the opportunity when it arises. Commit yourself to praying for this person. Remember that God is with you in this, and will flex His power by His Holy Spirit and His mighty Word when the time is right. If you keep a journal you’ll be able to look back at God’s Work later. I wouldn’t be surprised, if His preparation becomes clear in unique and powerful ways.

Referenced: “Out of the Bleachers and Onto the Field” by Michael E. Gibson

-Pastor Caleb Schaller

Personal Witnessing Strategy - Session 1

PERSONAL WITNESSING STRATEGY

Session 1

This series of studies on personal witnessing strategy is largely taken from the book, “Out of the Bleachers and onto the Field”, by Michael E. Gibson.

Gibson starts off by describing a cold night of watching baseball with his son at Candlestick park. Gibson’s five year old son was sitting in his father’s lap, comfortably wrapped in a warm blanket. The little boy had lost interest in the game down on the field and was instead loudly announcing the balls and strikes by watching the scoreboard.

This is a picture of the comfortable Christian. Comfortable in the warm blanket of Christ’s forgiveness. Safe sitting in the lap of God the Father. Because of the Holy Spirit’s teaching, the Christian knows the score and the count: Satan has lost, Christ has won forgiveness of sins, life and peace for sinners.

But what about those who aren’t resting in the lap of the Father? There’s only so much time before this game is over. We can’t afford to be spectators. There’s to many people at stake here. It’s time for us Christians to get out of the bleachers and onto the field. We do this by what we call, “Witnessing”.

What do you think of when you hear the word “witnessing”?

What things prevent us from telling others about Jesus?

I pray that Jesus will help us overcome all the things that prevent us from declaring Him to our friends. I pray that through our study Jesus will lead us to a written, personal witnessing plan. I pray that Jesus will give us many opportunities to speak of His love so that those we know may also know, trust, love and rejoice in Him.

JESUS’ STORY BECOMES OUR STORY

Galatians 4:4-7

Jesus became part of our losing team (the human race) so that we might win forgiveness and eternal life through Him. When we came to trust in Jesus as the person who reunited us with God, Jesus’ story became our story. From then on His life became entwined with our lives. Our every day opens a new chapter in His interaction with us.

We have been adopted into the Family of God, and the inheritance of heaven is ours. But there are others who need to experience this joy too. So, as we became members of God’s family, we also became representatives, witnesses and ambassadors for Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20

1 Peter 2:9-10

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

WITNESSING IS STORY TELLING

First Peter 2:10 reveals how awesome our story really is. God was angry with us, now He is pleased. We were heading for destruction, but God had mercy on us through Jesus!

“What an awesome story it is: You and I interacting with the God of all creation. It is a story of his faithfulness in the midst of our faithlessness, nothing more, nothing less!” (Gibson 17)

In the Bible we have numerous examples of people who just have to speak out after they’ve experienced God’s gracious working in their lives.

Luke 2:16-20 -The shepherds

Mark 1:40-45 -The leper

Mark 5:18-20 -The demon possessed man

Acts 4:18-20 -Peter and John

Acts 21:39, 22:3-21 -Paul

Acts 26 -Paul

These people all told what Jesus had done for them. They couldn’t help it. The shepherds weren’t instructed to do this. The leper was instructed not to! Peter and John wouldn’t dare do anything else. Paul repeatedly told his personal story of how Jesus has changed his life.

Why tell these stories? Well, they’re amazing stories of God interaction with humans! They speak of God’s love for sinners, and the forgiveness and healing He gives them through His Son.

Your story speaks of the same love, forgiveness and healing. Just as Jesus touched the life of Paul, He’s touched your life too.

“But my story isn’t as exciting as Paul’s”, you might say. That’s okay. Most people don’t come to faith in Christ through a blinding light and God speaking to them with an audible voice from heaven! Countless thousands have been gently born into the Kingdom of Jesus through the waters of Baptism. No blinding light, just water applied. No loud yelling or magical incantations, just the simple Word of God spoken as the Bible directs.

“I came to know Jesus as my Savior and Lord in December 1956 when I was baptized as an infant. There is never a time in my life when I didn’t know Jesus to be my Savior. Oh, there were rough times along the way. I did a pretty good job trying to run away from him. But every time I turned around, there stood my heavenly Father with his arms outstretched, welcoming me back and affirming that my inheritance was still intact. You see, my story is a great example of God’s perfect faithfulness in the midst of my inconsistency. It is God taking me just as I am but not letting me stay that way.” (Gibson 23)

WHY MY STORY?

The following bullets are reasons why your personal story is an important tool when sharing Jesus with others. Evaluate each bullet as you read through them. Ask yourself, “Why does this matter?”

¨ Your story provides a contemporary context for the story of Jesus’ work of salvation.

¨ We communicate best when we’re speaking about what we know.

¨ Your story may not be movie material, but it’s real, and people can relate to real.

¨ Your friends trust you. They care about what you’ve been through. They’ll listen to what you have to say when it isn’t contrived.

¨ God has called YOU to share your faith with the people HE puts you in contact with (Acts 17:26-28).

“I think that my simple story, with its details that make it particularly mine, of the Lord’s faithfulness in the life of a normal, everyday sinner is powerful. Why? Because most of the people I know are in the same boat. They can relate to a story like mine.

They can understand a story like yours.

So, what’s your story?” (Gibson 23)

GETTING ONTO THE FIELD

Take some time to work through the following questions. These will help you to be ready to share your story of Jesus’ interaction in your life – with others. It will be helpful to get a notebook to use as your personal witnessing journal.

1. When were you born into God’s Family through the waters of Baptism? Where? By whom? Who else was there? Write down the date of your Baptism into Christ and celebrate it in some special way each year. (Galatians 3:26-29)

2. Read Luke 15:11-32. Think about your history and compare it to the people of the parable. Who do you relate to most closely? How have you handled the amazing inheritance given you by your Heavenly Father?

3. A co-worker of yours does not attend a church. His wife does. She encourages him to come with her, but he’s unsure what to expect and hasn’t as of yet. One day he sits down by you in the break room and asks, “My wife want me to go to church with her, but I’m not sure if I want to or not. You go to church, right? Why? What does it do for you?” How would you answer?

-Pastor Caleb Schaller