Living Da God Kinda Life

When I was younger, I remember being taught that talking to strangers was a no-no. Now that I’m an adult, that still applies . . . sort of. Wisdom & discernment, coupled with the leading of the Holy Spirit often moves me to make talking to strangers a priority. The reason? Everyday, I’m exposed to the spiritually dead. And as a result of their being separated from God, I’m required to share my faith. Unfortunately though, modern day evangelism looks more like “The Great Omission” than “The Great Commission” (see Matthew 28:19-20). Here are two primary reasons: #1 – Fear: Some people fear rejection; others fear sounding silly. But I’ve found the most common reason people fear sharing the Gospel is because we fear what we don’t understand (see Luke 8:26-37). It’s impossible to confidently share information about something you aren’t confident in. The truth of the matter is fear is nothing more than your faith turned inside out. The most difficult part of sharing the Gospel is this: most people don’t realize they’re lost and need a Savior. How many people do you know that regularly visit the doctor when they’re feeling great? Understand that fear is a mental process which tries to predict the future. In other words, it’s a projection of our mind! It’s based on something that has not happened yet and is more a figment of our imagination than fact. #2 – Some Christians do not know how to share the Gospel. A wise man once said that as Christians, “We have a tendency to overestimate the event and underestimate the process.” We like the idea of people coming to Christ, but the steps necessary to get them there are often not given the same level of importance. A true heart of compassion will let those on the way to destruction know they can escape, but the only escape is through Jesus Christ. However, it’s foolish to think there is only one way to share the Gospel. The unbelieving world is made up of a variety of people: young, old, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, urban, rural, with different race, personalities, values, politics, and religious backgrounds. It's going to take more than one style of evangelism to reach such a diverse population. My goal today is to get you to evaluate which of these methods best describes you: 1. The Confrontational Approach (Acts 2) - Repent and be baptized! Save yourselves from this corrupt generation! 2. The Intellectual Approach (Acts 17) - Paul debated with the philosophers on Mars Hill to convince them. 3. The Testimonial Approach (John 9) - I was blind but now I see! 4. The Relational Approach (Mark 5) - Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you. 5. The Invitational Approach (John 4) - The Samaritan woman at the well begged the people of the city to come and hear Jesus for themselves. 6. The Servant’s Approach (Acts 9) - Dorcas impacted her city by doing deeds of kindness. Don't ever think you're a second class Christian because you don't proclaim Christ like Peter or Paul. Discover your own method, then get out of your chair and use it, for the Glory of God! The #1 question I’m asked after people give their life to Christ is “What Now??” The correct answer is “It’s time to become a disciple of Christ.” Witnessing and winning souls for Christ is great, but it’s not enough. We must be diligent in making disciples b/c the truth is we all know someone that has not accepted Jesus as Lord. And wouldn’t it be a shame if someone we’ve crossed paths w/ in this life died in sin b/c we committed the “Great Omission”? “You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.” – Martin Luthern I wa