12 FOUNDATION STONES—CLASS 10A THE SEVEN STEPS WITNESSING, PART 1 ------------------------------- Section 1: Why Witness? ------------------------------- > Making a difference In the last class we talked about Heaven. We know it's a wonderful place, and today we're going to talk about how we can offer more people the opportunity of experiencing it! But we're not just going to talk about making a difference in eternity.—Let's also look at here and now. So many people struggle through life, battling loneliness, dissatisfaction, health problems, financial problems, frustrations, you name it—so many problems! When someone receives the Lord, their problems don't all magically disappear, as you've probably experienced yourself. But the difference is that now they have Jesus to walk with them along the path of life. They have the source of joy, of love, to help them through their lives. Don't we want other people to know Jesus as we know Him?—That's what "witnessing" is about. Witnessing is sharing the love of Jesus with another human being, testifying of your belief in Jesus. The goal is that the person you testify to will also accept Jesus as their Savior. > What do we mean by "witnessing"? Acts 1:8—But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. We use the term "witness" for the act of telling others about Jesus, salvation and our faith. Most of us are more familiar with this term being used to describe someone who testifies in legal proceedings. A witness stands before the judge and jury and tells what he or she knows. In similar manner, we who are saved and have come to know Jesus as our Savior, are called by Him to testify before the jury—the world—what we know about Him and His love for us. There are many ways to witness. You can witness with a smile, a hug, or an act of generosity. Yet what takes these actions beyond the realm of the "loving thing to do" into actual witnessing is if you bring Jesus to someone in some way, either talking about Jesus or God's love, or letting the person know that it is the love of Jesus that motivates you. You are telling them or conveying in some way that He loves them, that He offers them a chance for eternal life if they will receive Him as their Savior. This is witnessing. This is "preaching the Gospel to every creature," as He has given commandment to do. Mark 16:15—And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." --------------------------------- Witnessing: Making the connection Witnessing is making a connection from God to somebody who needs His love. You are the connection between God and that person. In everything we do in witnessing, God is the One who's sending the message and they are the one He wants to get it to. But it has to go through you.—You're like a telephone operator. And if you don't make the connection, if you're lazy and slow and negligent and you don't care and you don't even want to be bothered with these calls and so you don't make the connection, then it's a broken connection, and they never get the message, and they never receive the love, and so there's never any answer. A witness is the connector between God and the people. A witness is the operator who receives the message of God and passes it on. The definition of "witness" Dictionary definitions of "witness" include: One who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced: a witness to the accident. One who furnishes evidence. To testify to one's religious beliefs. ------------------------------- > Jesus gave the "Great Commission" to all believers Matthew 28:19–20—"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. John 20:21—So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." Romans 10:14–15—How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" "Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15) doesn't sound like an option, does it!? The message is clear! Jesus again made it quite apparent that all believers are appointed to preach the Gospel when He said: John 15:16a—You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. Salt of the earth At a meeting some young people were discussing the text, "You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). One suggestion after another was made as to the meaning of "salt" in this verse. "Salt imparts a desirable flavor," said one. "Salt preserves from decay," another suggested. Then a Chinese Christian girl spoke out of an experience none of the others had. "Salt creates thirst," she said, and there was a sudden hush in the room. Everyone was thinking: Have I ever made anyone thirsty for Jesus? (See Matthew 9:36–38) Which Martin do you know? At the beginning of the Reformation, Martin of Basle came to a knowledge of the truth, but, afraid to make a public confession, he wrote on a leaf of parchment: "O most merciful Christ, I know that I can be saved only by the merit of Thy blood. Holy Jesus, I acknowledge Thy sufferings for me. I love Thee! I love Thee!" Then he removed a stone from the wall of his chamber and hid it there. It was not discovered for more than a hundred years. About the same time Martin Luther found the truth as it is in Christ. He said: "My Lord has confessed me before men; I will not shrink from confessing Him before kings." The world knows what followed, and today it reveres the memory of Luther; but as for Martin of Basle, who remembers or even knows of him? ------------------------------- > We have a responsibility to the people we meet Proverbs 14:25a—A true witness delivers souls. Acts 26:18—..Open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. James 5:20—Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. ------------------------------- > If we don't offer them a chance for salvation, they will suffer, and so will we! Mark 8:38—For whoever is ashamed of Me and My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. 1 Corinthians 9:16—For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! Ezekiel 3:17–19—Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: (18) When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. (19) Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. ------------------------------- > Don't miss the chance If you have the opportunity to witness to someone, you should talk to them! You may never see them again! Maybe they'll die, maybe they'll go some place else, maybe that's the last chance you'll have! You're responsible to give them the message. "You will never speak to that man again." This story was told by Dr. R. A. Torrey, American evangelist (1856–1928): One evening when Mr. Alexander and I were in Brighton, England, one of the workers went from the afternoon meeting to a restaurant for his evening meal. His attention was drawn toward the man who waited upon him, and there came to his heart a strong impression that he should speak to that waiter about his soul, but that seemed to him such an unusual thing to do that he kept putting it off. When the meal was ended and the bill paid, he stepped out of the restaurant, but had such a feeling that he should speak to that waiter that he decided to wait outside until the waiter came out. In a little while the proprietor came out and asked him why he was waiting. He replied that he was waiting to speak with the man who had waited upon him at the table. The proprietor replied, "You will never speak to that man again. After waiting upon you he went to his room and shot himself." His greatest mistake Evangelist D. L. Moody, said that his "greatest mistake" occurred October 8, 1871. On that night in Chicago, he addressed one of the largest crowds of his career. His message was about the Lord's trial before Pilate, and was based on Pilate's question, "What shall I do then with Jesus?" (Matthew 27:22). As Moody concluded, he said, "I wish you would seriously consider this subject, for next Sunday we will speak about the cross, and at that time I'll inquire, ‘What will you do with Jesus?' Ira Sankey then sang the closing hymn, which included the lines, ‘Today the Savior calls; for refuge fly. The storm of justice falls, and death is nigh.' But the hymn was never finished, for while Sankey was singing, there was the rush and a roar of fire engines on the street outside. That was the night of the great Chicago fire that almost destroyed the whole city. And before the next day, Chicago lay in ashes. "I have never since dared," said Moody, "to give an audience a week to think of their salvation." ------------------------------- > "The love of Christ compels us" Matthew 9:36—But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 2 Corinthians 5:14a—For the love of Christ compels us. The Lord wants us to be moved by the same feelings of compassion, love and care as He is. "He was moved with compassion." The love of Christ should motivate us to do all we can to reach out to others, not merely out of a sense of duty and obedience to His commandments, but because our hearts are sincerely touched by the needs of others. The blind man who was healed A blind man was taken to a hospital. The doctor operated, removing cataracts from his eyes. The man went back to his home seeing and rejoicing. In a few weeks he went back to the hospital. This time he was holding the end of a rope to which forty blind people were clinging. He had led them to the place where he had received his sight. Should we attempt to do less in a spiritual way? ------------------------------- > How your witness can change the world Your witness can change more than you realize! The words of God's prophets have crossed the ages and swept around the earth and changed the course of nations! Their messages have changed the hearts of men and given hope for a better world. But whether you change a nation or not, if you have changed even one life by the power of God's love you have changed a part of the world! If one life can be changed, it shows that it's possible for more lives to be changed, and the world can be changed, starting with just one person—all because you shared the love of God with others. Never underestimate the far-reaching results that the salvation of even one person can have! Even if you don't see the results right away, that person may some day do great things for God or mankind. *** For more on this subject, see the article "Change the World" in Activated issue #5 ------------------------------- World changers!—A few examples from history. Armenia became the first Christian state in the history of the world in 301 A.D.. Gregory "the Illuminator" visited the country and in 303 A.D., converted King Tiridates III and members of his court. How Norway, Iceland and Greenland heard the message: Olaf I (968–1000 A.D.), King of Norway, participated in numerous Viking raids along the Baltic and North Sea coasts and in the British Isles. During his last campaign in England (994) he was converted to Christianity. The following year he returned to Norway, where he set out to Christianize the country. His efforts also contributed to the conversion of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faeroe Islands to Christianity. The story continues: Leif Ericson (circa 975–1020), was the Icelandic explorer thought to have been one of the first Europeans to set foot on North American soil. He voyaged from Greenland to Norway shortly before 1000. There, according to one tradition, King Olaf I was responsible for converting him to Christianity and later sent him back to Greenland to win its Viking settlers over to the Christian faith. One of his converts was his mother, Thjódhild, who is said to have built Greenland's first Christian church at Brattahlid. The abolition of slavery: Christians played important roles in many humanitarian and reform movements during the 19th century. In England, evangelical Protestants were leaders of the agitation that led to the abolition by Parliament of slavery in British dominions. In turn, at the Congress of Vienna in 1814, Great Britain exerted its influence to induce other foreign powers to adopt a similar policy abolishing the slave trade, and eventually nearly all the states of Europe passed laws or entered into treaties prohibiting the traffic. In the U.S., evangelical Protestants also actively campaigned against slavery. One of the outstanding leaders against slavery was William Wilberforce (1759–1833), British statesman and reformer. He converted to Christianity in 1784. Wilberforce became the chief spokesman in the House of Commons for the movement to abolish the slave trade. In 1807 Wilberforce secured enactment of legislation prohibiting the trade. He joined the struggle for the complete abolition of slavery and in 1823 was a founder of the Anti-Slavery Society. The Emancipation Bill abolishing slavery became law one month after his death. Each of these examples has one key point in common: What happened was the result of the conversion of one person. Former Japanese gangster a fervent witness A Japanese gangster who became a Christian is converting other criminals. Hiroyuki Suzuki takes the Christian message to railway stations and public squares, using his notoriety to grab attention, according to the Times of London. He has numerous tattoos and several amputated fingers attesting to his previous allegiance to the yakuza organized crime organization. Suzuki is the founder of Mission Barabbas, a group of reformed gangsters who have embraced evangelical Christianity. His ministry includes fervent preaching, songs, and faith-healing. Christianity is considered a mysterious sect by most Japanese, and only 1.5 percent of the population is Christian. But Suzuki's church in Tokyo overflows on Sundays. Suzuki dates his conversion to a point when he was deep in debt, taking drugs, and plagued by illness. He put a gun to his temple but didn't have the nerve to pull the trigger, according to the Times. His estranged wife had been an ardent churchgoer and, out of desperation, he sought refuge in a church. "I told the minister I was a gangster who had done time, deserted his wife and child, and was beyond redemption. But the minister talked to me about God's love and the meaning of the cross," Suzuki told the Times. He returned to his family and was accepted immediately. "That made me believe in the existence of unconditional love and the fact that people can start over again." Food for thought: What if the minister hadn't been available to talk with Suzuki? What if he had closed the doors, said it was too late, or maybe even been afraid to speak with him?—But because he was willing and available to witness to Suzuki, how many souls have been saved as a result? Miracles in Cambodia, 2000 Miracles are turning people to Christ in Cambodia, said Advance, a publication of the Foursquare Gospel Church. Residents of two villages professed faith in Christ after a display of God's power, Advance said. In one village residents asked a missionary pastor to pray for rain for their newly planted crops, while in a nearby village residents asked him to pray that God would stop the rain until their crops were planted. For the next week, rain fell on the village that had planted its crops, but not on the other village, the publication said. People in both villages declared themselves Christians and received the Lord as their Savior! Food for thought: What if the missionary hadn't been there? What if he had prayed for them, but hadn't told them Who was answering their prayers? ------------------------------- > Heavenly rewards for witnessing Daniel 12:3—Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. Luke 12:8—Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 1 Corinthians 3:8b—Each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 1 Corinthians 9:17a—For if I [preach the gospel] willingly, I have a reward. It's a thrilling, wonderful satisfying experience when, having found the love of Jesus, you pass it on to another. You'll be so thankful when you meet that soul in Heaven, that you'll be jumping up and down for joy, and feel that it was worth it all.—And they will be thankful to you for all eternity that you told them about Jesus' love and won them to the Lord! The most precious, priceless thing that God ever made is a human soul! Souls are forever! 1 John 2:17—And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. The end result and goal of witnessing is a newborn babe in the family of God, a soul made whole by the hands of God. Saved souls are the only thing we can take with us from this world! As Paul wrote to one of his flocks: 1 Thessalonians 2:9,13,19—We preached to you the gospel of God; (13) when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (19) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? ------------------------------- > Joy in Heaven as a result of each soul saved! Luke 15:10—Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. ------------------------------------ Section 2: Getting Ready To Witness ------------------------------------ > How to witness Most likely you've already been witnessing. Maybe you gave a tract to someone. Maybe you told someone else about these classes. Maybe you have been acting differently and someone you're close to asked you "why" and you told them about your faith. Or maybe you've been telling someone about what you've been learning or reading. There are many ways to witness. In this class we'd like to help you learn in more detail some of the ways of witnessing successfully, including how to explain salvation, how to answer questions, how to lead someone in prayer, and how to witness in a way that will appeal to the hearer. The Bible says: Proverbs 11:30—The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. Before we look at the main lessons in this class, there are a few points to take into consideration. ------------------------------- > Pray and ask the Lord to lead you As with everything else in life, you'll be more successful and have fewer problems if you ask the Lord for His guidance! Although the various tips and lessons in this class will be useful, there is not a set method for how to use them. It is up to you to pray about how to apply and use these tips. Ask the Lord to speak to you about those He wants you to witness to. He can show you the best approach and the best timing if you ask Him. ------------------------------- > Be flexible A witnessing method, or a certain subject of conversation, may be very successful on one occasion but inappropriate on another. For example, the elderly and the terminally ill are probably thinking about what awaits them at death, so the promise of eternal life in Heaven will probably inspire them more than anything else to receive Jesus. Most teenagers, on the other hand, feel they have their whole lives ahead of them and are far more concerned about coping with the present, so the promise of a Friend who truly understands and will love them unconditionally may be just the thing to win them. Be prepared to alter your way of witnessing depending on the needs, interests, and the circumstances of those you are talking with. ------------------------------- > Use wisdom Not every witnessing "method" is appropriate under all circumstances. For instance, in some countries public distribution of Christian literature is against the law. The Lord expects us to exercise wisdom in how and when and to whom we witness. "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves," Jesus told His disciples. "Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). The Lord doesn't mean for us to cause ourselves unnecessary trouble by giving the message to people who we know won't receive it and possibly even persecute us for it. The whole purpose of witnessing is to win others with the Lord's love, not antagonize or offend. In some non-Christian countries, unwise witnessing can lead to serious persecution. In some countries or cultures where people are fairly ignorant about Jesus or the Bible, you need to go slower in order for them to understand. In those situations it can take time and a lot of patience to win people to Jesus. Some people have to be convinced of your sample—the way you live and how loving and concerned you are for others—before they're ready to accept what you have to say. Ask the Lord for His wisdom in knowing how, when, and where to witness and to whom! ------------------------------- > A matter of timing There's also the issue of how quickly or slowly to bring up Jesus, and how far to take it the first time. When it comes to your family and friends, a lot of your witnessing can easily be incorporated into your conversations with them on other topics. You don't have to come home and start preaching constantly at them right off the bat.—In fact, it will likely turn them off to what you have to say if you do. In those circumstances start off gently, and sometimes slowly. Bring Godly principles and mentions of Him and His Word into your discussions as the opportunity arises. Your friends and family will be watching to see what good your newfound faith is doing you. Seeing you changed for the better, a sample of happiness, kindness, and love, will be a far greater testimony to them than any sermon. Soon enough, an opportune time should come up where you can explain Jesus' love and His gift of salvation to your friend or loved one who has not yet received Him. ------------------------------- > Be available Your best ability is availability when it comes to preaching the Gospel! You can be a witness at school, at work, in your neighborhood or city, or on some foreign shore. If you're willing to be what Jesus wants you to be and to do what He asks you to do, He can make you a mighty witness, whatever your age and experience. ------------------------------- > Personal witnessing Many soul-winners have found that the most effective way of winning souls is through personal conversations. You talk with someone and listen to that person as an individual, and therefore can adapt your witness to their individual needs. There are other more public methods of witnessing. We'll talk about some of the most useful in our next class (including literature distribution and so on), but for now, we'll concentrate on personal witnessing. (continued in part 2)