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It is written:
Proverbs 11:30-The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.
The Lord has left us in this world to be His priesthood. Peter wrote:
1 Peter 2:9-But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
This passage is drawn from the Old Testament idea of the priesthood of Israel. God had declared that the Jewish people were to be His priesthood in the world among the nations:
Exodus 19:6-And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
One of the works of the priests in the Old Testament was to preach the Word of God among the Gentile nations, to prepare them for the coming Messiah. As Kaiser has pointed out:
“The whole purpose of God was to bless one people so that they might be the channel through which all the nations of the earth might receive a blessing. Israel was to be God’s missionary to the world—and thereby so were all who believed in this same gospel….The events of the exodus from Egypt were remarkable in that they repeatedly focused on the fact that everything that was happening to the Egyptians and to Pharaoh in particular had an evangelistic thrust! Almost one and a half dozen times in these Scriptures, the reason that is given for the plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea is that they were not simply to eradicate the Egyptians or their king, but instead all of this was to take place so that “the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord” (Exod. 7: 5; see also Exod. 7: 17; 8: 22; 14: 4, 18). It is stated even more strenuously in Exodus 9: 14, 16: “[ T] his time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. . . . But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” There can be little mistaking that the word know here connotes more than a mere intellectual or cognitive awareness of who God is. It expresses a desire that the Egyptians might themselves come to a personal, experiential knowledge and appreciation of who Yahweh is. God would proclaim his own name among the Gentiles even if the Israelites were not outgoing in their witness. Should the question be raised as to the effectiveness of all these demonstrations of the power of God and proclamation of the word of God through the plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea, the answer is available to us. When Israel left Egypt, a “mixed multitude,” or a group of “many other people,” went out with them (Exod. 12: 38, author’s translation). This would seem to indicate that many Egyptians were more than merely impressed by what they saw and heard. Instead, they became some of the firstfruits of the work of God in their midst. Given the background of the Egyptian religion, with all of the gods symbolized by the very elements that were being directly hit by the plagues, it would seem fair to say that the plagues announced Yahweh’s victory over the power of the occultic religion of Egypt. Moses wanted Pharaoh and the people of Egypt to know through the plagues “that the earth is the Lord’s” (Exod. 9: 29). The idols of Egypt, as in every other nation, cult, or religion, were no match for the one and only living God! God’s word and power exceeded everything a mortal could ask for in a deity. Indeed, many of “those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside [from out in the fields]. But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field” during the plague of the hail (Exod. 9: 20–21). To fear the word of the Lord was to believe in him and to act on the basis of what he had said. Salvation was coming to some of the Egyptians because they responded obediently to the word of God.” (Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations, 12-14 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic)
Since we are God’s priesthood, entrusted to preach His Word to a lost and dying world, it raises a question that is often asked of Christians: how can we set up Bible studies with our friends and loved ones?
Let’s study.
The best way to approach any subject is with the Bible as our guide. As such, when we turn to the pages of inspiration, we can learn several ways to effectively communicate with people about the Lord.
Pray And Plant. The early church prayed for people who were lost as they sought to share the Word of God with them (Romans 10:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:1). The work of the Christian is simply to present the Word of God in love to non-Christians (Ephesians 4:15). It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convert a person (John 16:8-11) through His Word (John 6:63). Your responsibility is simply to pray and plant. The person you are studying with controls the soil of his heart (Jeremiah 4:1; Matthew 13:14-15; Luke 8:15; Acts 13:46; Acts 13:40-41; Hebrews 3:7-11). Pray, plant, and pray some more as you keep watering: God will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:5-7). Writing of the importance of this pattern of evangelism in the Word of God, one author has pointed out:
“But that’s it. God’s method of church growth is preaching the Word, watered by believing prayer….Here is a principle to ponder: that which makes the Church a distinctive company in the world is the Word of God–or, putting it more concisely, the Word of God is the constitutive reality at the heart of the Church. It is what makes the Church what it is, and it has always been so….“What we call ‘the Acts of the Apostles’ is a case in point. In its twenty-eight chapters there are about thirty-seven references to the growth of the Church. Indeed ‘The Growing Church’ would be a more suitable title than ‘the Acts of the Apostles’. Of the thirty-seven or so references, six associate growth with the quality of church life and of Christian character, seven link growth with the evidence of ‘signs and wonders’, and twenty-four link growth with the preaching of the Word of God–indeed in 12: 24 the growth of the Church is actually called the growth of the Word, as if they were so closely related that they could be identified one with the other.” (Alec Motyer, Preaching? Simple Teaching On Simple Preaching, 175-193 (Kindle Edition); Scotland, U.K.; Christian Focus Publications)
Love People. We can see the love of Jesus and His church for lost humanity throughout the pages of the New Testament. This love was not a cushy and gushy warm feeling: it was a decided action of the will. Wuest has well described the love (agape) of God and the church.
“AGAPAO” speaks of a love which is awakened by a sense of value in an object which causes one to prize it. It springs from an apprehension of the preciousness of an object. It is a love of esteem and approbation. The quality of this love is determined by the character of the one who loves, and that of the object loved. Agapao is used in John 3:16. God’s love for a sinful and lost race springs from His heart in response to the high value He places upon each human soul. Every sinner is exceedingly precious in His sight….This preciousness of each member of the human race to the heart of God is the constituent element of the love that gave His Son to die on the Cross. The degree of the preciousness is measured by the infinite sacrifice which God made. The love in John 3: 16 therefore is a love whose essence is that of self-sacrifice for the benefit of the one loved, this love based upon an evaluation of the preciousness of the one loved.” (Kenneth S. Wuest, Golden Nuggets from the Greek New Testament, 52-53 (Kindle Edition); Pioneer Library)
This is a love that is learned (1 Timothy 1:5), and we must cultivate it for our fellow man as we try to reach them with the Gospel. We see the importance of showing this love when we see the compassion of Jesus as He worked with people. Otis Gatewood has well pointed out:
“Most of the life of our Lord was spent in personally teaching those who needed his help. He came to change the entire course of humanity, and the way he did so was by taking time to teach the individual. Christ was more interested in the personal problems of the human race than he was in large audiences. We have it reversed today. We think that if we can have large audiences, we are succeeding; but the Lord succeeded best in his teaching when eh taught only one. He came to be known as the ‘friend of the publican and sinner.’ The enemies of the Lord thought they were ridiculing him, but in that statement they paid him the greatest compliment. Today we love him and look to him-not because we believe he is interested in large audiences, but because he is interested in our personal problems. If he as the Savior of the world takes a personal interest in all our affairs, cannot we learn the lesson that we as Christians can best help him to save the world by being personal teachers?” (Otis Gatewood, You Can Do Personal Work! 15-16 (PDF Edition): Charleston, AR: Cobb Publishing)
We need to demonstrate a personal interest in the people that we work with.
Go To People Wherever They Are At. Jesus, His Apostles, and the church are always on the move. We see that clearly with the life of Christ as He is constantly traveling and sharing the Word of God. He “went about” doing good (Acts 10:38). He was willing to go to the households of people that the religious elite would not go near (Matthew 9:10-17). He was present at social events (John 2:1-11). He was one Who rejoiced with those who rejoiced, and wept with those who wept (Romans 12:15). He met people wherever they were. Some Christians have the idea that since we have a church building and a preacher, they should come to us. The Great Commission is not sit and wait for every person in the world to come to us: it is go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15-16). The Apostles likewise went to where people assembled together in order to meet them (cf. Acts 17:1-2). We need to go where people are. Does your congregation have a jail ministry? A homeless ministry? Outreach to addicts? College programs? These are excellent places to begin setting up ministry to share the Gospel.
Meet Your Contacts Where They Are Spiritually. America today is quite different then how it was decades ago. We are facing new challenges with the faith that were not as well known or popularly widespread as they were to former generations. Many in our country have espoused a non-religious belief. Several have been seduced by modern day conspiracy theories against Christianity. One author describes the impact of many of these attacks on the faith:
“So why can’t we simply disregard such vicious attempts? Because these works have had an effect on people. Only 9 percent of middle-aged adults and 14 percent of adults in their early thirties identify themselves as atheists or agnostics. Yet, when it comes to the people who have grown up in the shadow of such claims about Jesus—persons presently in their late teens and early twenties—nearly 20 percent openly refer to themselves as atheists or agnostics. Put another way, one out of every five college-aged students has rejected not merely Jesus but the very possibility of knowing God at all! 23”. (Timothy Paul Jones, Conspiracies and The Cross, 231-234 (Kindle Edition): Lake Mary, FL: FrontLine: A Strang Company)
It is here especially that we see the wisdom of the first century church in reaching out to people from various backgrounds. There is a pattern evident when we look at the Book of Acts: the Christians there met their neighbors wherever they were spiritually, socially, economically, and religiously, and began working with them from that point.
“When we look at the example of the first Christian evangelists and missionaries, as reported in the Book of Acts in the New Testament, we find that they have shown us the best way. When Paul and the other Apostles preached the gospel to the Jews, they invariably preached from the Old Testament Scriptures…Paul could reason with them from the Scriptures because they, like he, already knew the Scriptures and accepted them as the Word of God. With this common ground, he could use the evidence of fulfilled prophecy —especially as centered in Christ’s resurrection from the dead —and many of his listeners believed as a result. This approach was commonly used by the Apostles when they witnessed to Jews who knew and believed the Bible. When they addressed Gentile followers of other religions, or of no religion, however, their approach was altogether different. Such people neither knew nor believed the Scriptures, so it would have been futile to use them as a basis for their case. Instead the Apostles began on the common ground they shared with these atheists and polytheistic pantheists: the evidence of the Creator in His creation….The first method, reasoning out of the Scriptures, is appropriate for many church audiences in the United States and other Christian communities, since these people for the most part still believe the Bible and know something about its teachings, even though they may not yet have accepted Christ as personal Savior. The second method, however, is more appropriate for people brought up to believe in one or another of the world’s great non-Christian religions. Even in the so-called Christian nations the younger generations have been so indoctrinated with evolutionism and humanism that most of them reject the Bible and know little or nothing about its teachings.” (Henry M. Morris, The God Who Is Real, 121-146 (Kindle Edition); Green Forest, AR; Master Books)
Arm yourself with knowledge of Christian Apologetics (defenses). Can you share logical reasons with people of how you know that God exists? Are you able to share some proofs that the Bible is the Word of God? If asked why you believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son, are you preparing yourself to give logical answers? We need to try and meet our friends in such a way that we can give a logical and rational defense of the hope that we have as Christians (1 Peter 3:15). Meet with your friends wherever they are spiritually.
Set Up An Appointment With Your Contact. Another suggestion when trying to arrange a Bible study is to try and set up an appointment with the person that you are working with. The Bible tells us that Jesus made appointments. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night as was their standing custom (John 3:1). We read that the Apostles set up appointments in order to try and reach the people with the Gospel (Acts 13:7; 17:32; 28:17-20). Usually, it is better to set up an appointment with a person instead of trying to immediately convert them on the spot in one setting. I have often found that it is better to meet with someone over food. Most people love good fun, good food, and good fellowship! Jesus and the early church often used did as well (Luke 24:41-43; John 21:9-14; Acts 2:42-47; 10:39-43; 20:11; Jude 12). Utilize common methods of communication such as text messages, email, social media platforms, and other forms of communicating with your contacts.
See If Your Contact Have Physical Needs That You Or Your Church Family Can Provide Assistance With. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says that one of the reasons that we do good to others is in order that they will hopefully glorify God. Throughout the Bible, this is a phrase that often meant a person giving themselves over to the service of God and seeking His salvation (cf. Acts 13:48; Romans 15:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; First Peter 2:12; Revelation 5:13). There is an old saying where I am from: people do not care about how much you know until they know about how much you care. Didn’t Jesus see to the various needs of others? Did He not go about doing to all (Acts 10:38)? Did He not feed the hungry (Matthew 15:32)? Did Jesus not heal the sick (Matthew 14:14)? Does Christ not show compassion on those who are poor and mistreated (Matthew 19:21; Luke 6:20)? Did the Old Testament not call on the people of Israel to care for those who are impoverished as well as the foreigners (Exodus 22:21; 23:9; Leviticus 19:18)? Are we not to do good to all men, especially those of the household of faith, as we have opportunity (Galatians 6:10)? Does your congregation have a way of making visitors feel welcome? Some churches utilize “visitor bags” to give out to those who assemble with the local church. These may have Bibles, pamphlets, toys for children, books, pens, notebooks, bulletins, candy, etc. How are we doing in showing people that we care for them? By showing love for the physical needs of others, we are sowing spiritual seeds that may lead to their glorifying God (2 Corinthians 9:13).
Watch Your Speech. Christians need to strive to speak words that are not corrupt but wholesome (Ephesians 4:29). Vulgar language, filthy jokes, racial and homophobic slurs, should not have a place in our vocabulary (Ephesians 5:1-5). Our speech needs to be with grace, seasoned with grace, that we may know how we ought to answer each one (Colossians 4:6). This is especially relevant regarding homosexuality. While the Bible condemns homosexual actions, it reminds us of God’s love for homosexuals (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Recent statistics show that one reason many in our day and age have rejected Christianity is because of biased attitudes displayed by Christians towards homosexuals and lesbians. Please consider the following lengthy quotation regarding this matter.
“In our research, the perception that Christians are “against” gays and lesbians-not only objecting to their lifestyles but also harboring irrational fear and unmerited scorn toward them-has reached critical mass. The gay issue has become the “big one,” the negative image most likely to be intertwined with Christianity’s reputation. It is also the dimension that most clearly demonstrates the unChristian faith to young people today, surfacing a spate of negative perceptions: judgmental, bigoted, sheltered, right-wingers, hypocritical, insincere, and uncaring. Outsiders say our hostility toward gays-not just opposition to homosexual politics and behaviors but disdain for gay individuals-has become virtually synonymous with the Christian faith. The severity of the perception surprised me, but it began showing up right from the start of our research…. Out of twenty attributes that we assessed, both positive and negative, as they related to Christianity, the perception of being antihomosexual was at the top of the list…. When you introduce yourself as a Christian to a friend, neighbor, or business associate who is an outsider, you might as well have it tattooed on your arm: antihomosexual, gay-hater, homophobic. I doubt you think of yourself in these terms, but that’s what outsiders think of you…When most of us engage homosexuals, we come across as arrogant, self-righteous, and uncaring-the opposite of how Jesus engaged outsiders. Rather than articulating a biblical perspective and living out a biblical response to homosexuals, the research demonstrates how inconsistent and uncompassionate- how passionate-how unChristian-we have been. And outsiders have been paying close attention. Here are a handful of examples pointed out by outsiders: ❑ Christians believe events like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina are God’s judgment on homosexuals. ❑ Public comments from pastors and other Christian leaders are often perceived as unduly berating gays. ❑ Another outsider pointed out how Christians oppose gays in public office: “Why should they be any less qualified to serve in government?” ❑ Christians use coarse jokes and offensive language to describe homosexuals, such as “fags;’ “sodomists.” ❑ Some outsiders we interviewed pointed to God-hates-gays websites. One such website juxtaposes a list of Bible verses condemning homosexuality alongside a cartoon man holding a yellow sign condemning gays with two stick figures in a sexually suggestive gay pose. The outsider’s comment: “What more do you need to see that Christians hate gay people?” Are these just extreme examples? Perhaps most Christ followers would be ashamed by these stories, but our inconsistencies and biases run deeper than we imagine. Consider these realities: ❑ Born-again Christians are more likely to disapprove of homosexuality sexuality than divorce. The vast majority of Christians say that homosexuality should not be considered a legitimate lifestyle and strongly reject church-sanctioned weddings for same-sex unions. However, a minority of born-again believers (39 percent) embrace Jesus’s teaching that divorce is a sin except in cases of adultery (see Matt. 5:32). Even among evangelicals, just three out of five describe divorce as a sin, well below their opposition to gay marriage. ❑ Most born-again Christians have a hard time knowing how they should respond to the lifestyles of homosexuals as well as how to respond to the political efforts of gay and lesbian activists. For instance, many believers advocate legal restrictions on homosexual behavior. A majority of born-again Christians, including more than four out of five evangelicals, say that homosexual relations between two consenting adults should be illegal.’ ❑ Millions of Americans, including two out of every five churchgoers, say that school boards ought to have the right to fire teachers who are known homosexuals. Of course the issues are complicated, but Christians are fueling the idea that gays and lesbians should not be allowed to work in public schools.2 ❑ Many Christians continue to be very skeptical about donating to HIV/AIDS causes, even overseas, despite Christians’ generosity in many other arenas. In one poll we found that just 14 percent of born-again Christians say they would be highly motivated to help HIV/AIDS orphans overseas.’ In another study we discovered that two out of every five born-again Christians, including the same proportion of evangelicals, admitted they have more sympathy for people who have cancer than they do for people with HIV/AIDS.4 In probing people’s attitudes, we find this perspective typically springs from the idea that the disease is deserved. They believe God is punishing these people-or that their decisions and lifestyle deserve this outcome. As you will see, our criticism of gays and lesbians is not only ineffective, but also it repels many Busters and Mosaics. As one survey respondent put it, “I cannot imagine Jesus actually treating gays and lesbians like Christians do today.” When you have read this chapter, my prayer is that you will be inspired and challenged to reverse this image in your own life and community. God intends to use your life as a conduit of his grace and compassion toward outsiders-gay, straight, bisexual, or transgender. Outsiders are getting the message loud and clear that Christians reject the gay lifestyle, and they say that Christians’ disdain for homosexuals is unmistakable. I realize this topic is controversial, but to deal with unChristian faith, we have to take a look at the tough realities of our antihomosexual label. We have to help a generation that has few sexual or moral boundaries understand and embrace the deep and rich truth of Christianity. My research leads me to conclude we have not been doing this.” (David Kinnaman, Gabe Lyons, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters, 92-95 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books)
We need to be people who hate sin, and love the sinner (1 Timothy 1:15; Ezekiel 18:23).
Be Wise In Your Meetings. Jesus advised His people to go out teaching in pairs (Mark 6:7). When you study with people, try and take precautions. It is advisable to never meet with anyone alone. In preaching school, we were advised to never meet alone with a woman or to be alone with anyone’s children. Try and have someone with you when you meet with your contact. Besides safety concerns, it is sometimes easier to talk openly if another person is present. Make sure to keep things shared in confidence private (Leviticus 19:16; Proverbs 11:13; 26:20-22; 1 Peter 4:15).
Be Patient And Don’t “Push” Baptism. Make it a priority to continue Bible studies with your friend after the initial study. Don’t give the impression that you are trying to pressure them into being baptized. Jesus encouraged people to count the cost of being His disciple (Luke 9:23-26; 14:26-35). Paul was praying and fasting for three days and nights till he was ready to be baptized (Acts 9:9-11; 22:16). Encourage a person to obey the Gospel, but be patient with them as God has been with you. Remember a seed takes time to bear fruit (Luke 8:11-15).
God bless you in your efforts to reach the lost!
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.