Are You Going Out To Witness? Then...

We are continuing our teaching on Evangelism and your involvement. Please follow us as we reach others for Christ.

Are You Going Out To Witness, Then..

1. Dress neatly, not extravagantly, but conservatively.

Don’t wear clothing that is stenched with yesterday’s heavy sweating. You must have had a bath and cleansed your teeth. You must endeavour to comb your hair and tidy up your beard if you wear one. Try not to give any cause for offense. Body odour can repel people.

2. Take your Bible and tracts.

Sit down a bit. Be calm in your body and soul. Open your heart and life to God in prayer. Ask Him to cleanse you of all sins, to fill you with His Spirit and to use you for His glory on anybody He wants you to meet, or anything He wants you to do. Believe that He has accepted your prayer. Being filled, radiate warmth of love with simple, sincere, naturally pleasant smiles. Don’t fake spiritual airs. It is God sending a beggar to tell another beggar where he has found food.

3. Go out in the Spirit of the Lord.

Remember, you are His ambassador, so let your thoughts be filled with the glories of Him and His Kingdom. Remember that His word which you proclaim will not return to Him void, there is no need then for antics, grimaces and other fleshly flourishes. Remember the story of Uzzah (Second Samuel 6:6). He died because he wanted to help God.

4. Start with “Hello, excuse me, and may I speak to you for just a few minutes?”

Don’t wait for an answer. Proceed with the message with pleasing ease, walking alongside if the person is on the way and in a hurry. Don’t try to detain him or ask him to stop to listen to you. If he is willing to halt and wait out to listen go on with your testimony, the better then. This is also applicable if you meet the person at home or in a shop but not busy attending to customers.

5. Invest your time well.

Get right to business and introduce him to Christ, not your Bible Class, your Church or your high spiritual status. Don’t argue. It will divert you from your objective. Follow the example of Jesus Christ in John 4. As you speak to him it will interest him to hear of how Jesus saved you from your own life of sin and shame. Apply it carefully to show that Christ can do the same for him. Don't start with Mark 16:16...ever! Don't promise him that he is going to become a snake-charmer, acid-drinker, a fire – eater, or bullet-proof if he believes in Jesus Christ. Don’t use such words as “when I was in the world ...”. Remember, the Gospel is the story of God’s love. Let God’s love be your main theme. Love does not fail, and love shall cover a multitude of sins

What to say after "Hello".

Here are a few suggested procedures after “Hello ...”

"Hello, of course I don’t know your name, but mine is Benjamin (here do not pause). I am just asking to share with you the truth that it is God’s earnest desire for you to have eternal life. The Bible in John 5:11-12 clearly states that God has given to us eternal life, (Us means that you and I are included) but it also states that this life is in His Son. That being so, you can only have this life when you have Jesus Christ, God’s Son. “Do you know why many people have not this God-filled overflowing and bountiful life? It is because they willingly opened their lives to sin and Satan but not to Jesus Christ. The Bible says such misbehaviour is common to everybody. (All have sinned). As you have opened you life to sin, you must get God’s penalty for sin. In Romans 6:23; God pronounced that the penalty for sin is death. Death? Yes, death! Death is eternal separation from God. This penalty shows how God hates the sin in your life and mine. But the heart of God is full of mercy, goodness and love to give to you eternal life, which I plead with you, to please accept. For the Bible says that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus His Son. You have the opportunity to open your heart here and now to Jesus. Invite Him and He will come into your heart and life. He has the power to come in and cleanse your life of all sins; and in its place give you peace and eternal life. If this is your desire now, please say so and I will lead you through a short prayer to submit the government of your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ."

OR

"Hello ... Would you like to get to heaven? (here don’t pause), and if I could show you how, would you be willing to do what the Bible says you should do? John 3:5 says, “Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of heaven”(he cannot go to heaven)"

Then proceed to lead him to the point of decision and prayer.

There are some witnessing approach that depend on the situations surrounding the one you are witnessing to. Let us look at some situational approaches.

The Narrow Escape:

"Hello, thank God you are safe! It could have been worse, you know. By the way, were you to have lost your life, are you sure of what would have happened next? May I share with you what the Bible says about that situation? Hebrews 9:27 states that it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this, the judgment” Judgment! Could lead to either condemnation or justification! But why be condemned when there is provision by God for your salvation and justification."

Then read John 3:16-19 and continue to the point of decision and prayer.

The Bible Name:

"Hello, my name is Benjamin; what is your name? David! Great! That is a great name and a beautiful name. People don’t bear such names, Bible names, for nothing. David was a man after God’s heart. Please be careful to ensure that your own David is also written in the Lamb’s Book of life because Revelation 21:27 states that there shall never enter into heaven anything that defiles, neither whatever works abomination, or makes a lie, but they whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of life. You can even right now be sure that you have eternal life and your name be written in the Lamb’s Book of life." Proceed to the point of decision and prayer.

The Lovers and the Dejected:

• Assure young lustful couples you meet by the wayside or wherever, that there is a real and better love they can have in Jesus Christ.
• Assure the dejected, perhaps one who has been jilted by a love, that there is no disappointment in the love of Jesus

Just be sensitive and observant, there is always a leading that you can grasp and use to start a witnessing procedure. Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In all don’t pressurize or threaten to obtain a decision. Yours is to sow the seed, or water the one already sown by an earlier witness, God will give the increase.

What to do If He/She decides to follow Jesus

Assure him/her that receiving Jesus Christ means receiving the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is God’s dedicated Companion who will lead you through life and ensure that you get to God’s Kingdom. Romans 8:9 says; If any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. God gives us freedom in the Holy Spirit. The Bible says in Second Corinthians 3:17: “The heart is free where the Spirit of the Lord is; The Lord is that Spirit.

Mention the name of your Church only when he insists on knowing; but state clearly that salvation is obtained not in a Church, but In Jesus Christ. If he insists give him your Church address and time of worship service and or Bible and Prayer meetings or direct him to a living Church near him.

God bless you.

Funny video on how not to evangelise: