"Friendship Evangelism"

[jlujan69]

Are there any fund. churches who teach that the best method of evangelism is to befriend the lost person over a period of time by building a relationship of trust before beginning to witness to him? I'm currently watching a video series in Sunday School class that shows us how to use the Law as our primary witnessing tool and how to use it on total strangers if we like. It's powerful and will definitely get a lost person's attention. It basically does an end run around a person's intellectual objections to Christianity and aims straight for the conscience. The goal is to shatter the person's sense of self-righteousness. Of course there are risks. Some folks may not react favorably to such probing and this method certainly isn't foolproof. So, are any of you a friendship evangelism oriented church?

[Shane Roach]

Well, I am not the best evangelist it seems. I tend to be better as a person who, knowing a particular Christian, can help them feel more comfortable in their faith. I don't know how this goes using "the law", but certainly most effective evangelists I have ever seen or heard of do eventually call on a person to face their conscience head on.

So not sure how to answer this question yet. Do you mean "the law" as in the OT, or what?

[jlujan69]

Well, I am not the best evangelist it seems. I tend to be better as a person who, knowing a particular Christian, can help them feel more comfortable in their faith. I don't know how this goes using "the law", but certainly most effective evangelists I have ever seen or heard of do eventually call on a person to face their conscience head on.

So not sure how to answer this question yet. Do you mean "the law" as in the OT, or what?

I'm actually referring to witnessing to an unbeliever using the Ten Commandments as the standard to show the extent of their offenses against God and then talking about the atonement made by Christ--first the very bad news, then the very Good News.

[Shane Roach]

I'm actually referring to witnessing to an unbeliever using the Ten Commandments as the standard to show the extent of their offenses against God and then talking about the atonement made by Christ--first the very bad news, then the very Good News.

Well, yeah, I suppose I do that, but as I said not very well it seems, though I have my suspicions that people who evangelize well have a talent for finding the lost and discerning the ones who are really seeking, even if they are seeking in the wrong direction sometimes. I tend to just offer my beliefs to whoever seems interested, and not to necessarily single a person out to befriend and then witness to.

[Im_A]

Are there any fund. churches who teach that the best method of evangelism is to befriend the lost person over a period of time by building a relationship of trust before beginning to witness to him? I'm currently watching a video series in Sunday School class that shows us how to use the Law as our primary witnessing tool and how to use it on total strangers if we like. It's powerful and will definitely get a lost person's attention. It basically does an end run around a person's intellectual objections to Christianity and aims straight for the conscience. The goal is to shatter the person's sense of self-righteousness. Of course there are risks. Some folks may not react favorably to such probing and this method certainly isn't foolproof. So, are any of you a friendship evangelism oriented church?

i don't get this at all. i mean this here, seems like it's friendship based upon getting another conversion. and honestly, i will never have play in that sort of "evangelism". doesn't it seem like this sunday school class is treating non-Christians like lab rats?

what kind of trust is that, to shatter someone's perception of one's self after they finally trust you? that's being desceitful in my book.

my opinion, the best sense of witnessing is, obeying the Golden Rule. any other "way" of witnessing is just bogus to me. plant the seed, let God change, but always be there for that person even if they don't convert. it's pretty simple to me.

[e=mv^2]

I think it is most effective to witness to someone that already knows you in some way. Without some basic rapport it is difficult to get anyone to actually listen. After that just follow the Roman road (http://www.allaboutgod.com/the-roman-road.htm).

i don't get this at all. i mean this here, seems like it's friendship based upon getting another conversion. and honestly, i will never have play in that sort of "evangelism". doesn't it seem like this sunday school class is treating non-Christians like lab rats?

If there is anything false about you when you are witnessing the witnessee will know it straight away. It will only damage your cause.

my opinion, the best sense of witnessing is, obeying the Golden Rule. any other "way" of witnessing is just bogus to me. plant the seed, let God change, but always be there for that person even if they don't convert. it's pretty simple to me.

Obeying the golden rule is a good way to gain rapport with someone and is an excellent way to find an opening for the conversation. It is not however the only method of witnessing and sitting down with someone and taking them through the Roman road is FAR from bogus.

[Im_A]

I think it is most effective to witness to someone that already knows you in some way. Without some basic rapport it is difficult to get anyone to actually listen. After that just follow the Roman road (http://www.allaboutgod.com/the-roman-road.htm).



If there is anything false about you when you are witnessing the witnessee will know it straight away. It will only damage your cause.



Obeying the golden rule is a good way to gain rapport with someone and is an excellent way to find an opening for the conversation. It is not however the only method of witnessing and sitting down with someone and taking them through the Roman road is FAR from bogus.

i disagree with you. most of the time, maybe not all the time, but a lot of the time, people have heard the same rhetoric time and time again from us Christians. ie the roman road whatever. i'm not dissing the story and the lessons, but there has to be better ways to show people the Gospel than to just repeat the same rhetoric they have repeatedly rejected time and time again. it's almost like giving pearls to swine at that point.

that's why i just believe becoming friends for no reason period but because you can is the best way. obeying the Golden Rule, being in their lives as friends, showing them love, and leave for discussions on this matter to be brought up by them. becoming friends, they find out what your interests are. they see what kind of books you have, they start to find out everything about you, to where when it comes to being a Christian, that will always come out, and then when they ask, and give a brief history, only then can anyone know how to tell them about God. there is no universal way of administering the Gospel. the only universal way that catches people's eyes is love, not repeating the failed rhetoric that only has a small percentage of a success rate. plus this way, even if they dont' convert over, the Christian would still be a great influence in their lives somehow, someway.

and the Golden Rule is the second greatest commandment of Christ, so it has to be better than the Roman Road.

[e=mv^2]

i disagree with you. most of the time, maybe not all the time, but a lot of the time, people have heard the same rhetoric time and time again from us Christians. ie the roman road whatever. i'm not dissing the story and the lessons, but there has to be better ways to show people the Gospel than to just repeat the same rhetoric they have repeatedly rejected time and time again. it's almost like giving pearls to swine at that point.

It is really going to depend on the person. Some people will throw up a wall the second you mention anything remotely christian. Others may have never heard the gospel. Here in the USA it is likely the majority of the population that has at least heard of christianity. With those people "preaching" will get you no where.

If you are living right and are kind and help the needy people will take notice. If you have joy in your heart people will see that. In the case of your friends and family that is a good way to start to show them the way. Eventually you are going to have to take it back to the bible tho don't you think? Eventually they have to hear the gospel and either accept or reject it?

[Im_A]

It is really going to depend on the person. Some people will throw up a wall the second you mention anything remotely christian. Others may have never heard the gospel. Here in the USA it is likely the majority of the population that has at least heard of christianity. With those people "preaching" will get you no where.

If you are living right and are kind and help the needy people will take notice. If you have joy in your heart people will see that. In the case of your friends and family that is a good way to start to show them the way. Eventually you are going to have to take it back to the bible tho don't you think? Eventually they have to hear the gospel and either accept or reject it?

you are going to take the Bible, but you said it there yourself. here in the usa, and even in western culture, Christianity is everywhere. so we have two choices. one repeat the same rhetorical stuff that is so common amongst the church, or find a different way. what i am afraid that is happening is God's Word is becoming propaganda now for the Christian church, because we still the use old ways of telling people that have heard it, time and time and time again and have repeatedly rejected it time and time and time again. it's almost like giving your pearls to swine at that point.

that's why i will always believe that pure friendship is the best way of evangelizing. only then will they be able to see you for who you really are. plus, i think we should let those people seek it out from us. wouldn't it make more of an impact on someone's life if we let them bring it up on their own time and still be pure friends for just friend's sake? in my opinion, that action within itself shows one's life with more sincerity and honesty.

[jlujan69]

This series is about "active" evangelism by using the Law as the schoolmaster it is. "Passive" evangelism is fine for co-workers, friends, and family, but even with them, it should be secondary. Using the Law attempts to show the person specifically how he's offended God and what the penalty is. If the person is honest, he'll see this, be aware of the wrath of God, and then be a little more open to the grace of God. The reason for the revulsion for this method among Christians is that many churches have abandoned this approach over time to resort to a "fluffier" version of evangelism. It's much easier to tell someone that "Jesus will give you a new life" or "God will fill the God-shaped vacuum in your heart that you can't fill if you just let Him" or something else deemed less confrontational. There's nothing untruthful about these last two, it's just that fear of the Lord has to be the beginning. A man who puts on his parachute while on the plane because he's told it will "enhance" his flight is very likely to discard that chute after experiencing all the discomfort of wearing it, the ribbing from other passengers, and other negative consequences. He will then want nothing to do with that chute again. On the other hand, the passenger who knows that the plane is going to crash and he'll need to bail out will cling to that parachute even tighter despite the scorning he takes from the others or the physical discomfort he experiences. The first passenger gave up because he put on the chute for the wrong reason, not so with the second. The first passenger represents the uncommitted (because he "committed" for the wrong reason) convert who will be that much more immune to the Gospel later on. The second passenger is the true convert (because he converted for the right reason) who will endure.

[reformedfan]

both methods of evangelism are equally effective, depending on God's plan for the target being evangelized. I use both: when hanging out with a bunch of people I'll never see again in my life obviously the law & God's wrath is the way to go. But with neighbors, relatives, etc. definitely friendship evangelism is the way to go & nothing is wrong with it.

The Navigators publish info on both types of evangelism, they can be found on most college campuses & in Christian book stores & their stuff is cheap & good.

[Im_A]

both methods of evangelism are equally effective, depending on God's plan for the target being evangelized. I use both: when hanging out with a bunch of people I'll never see again in my life obviously the law & God's wrath is the way to go. But with neighbors, relatives, etc. definitely friendship evangelism is the way to go & nothing is wrong with it.

The Navigators publish info on both types of evangelism, they can be found on most college campuses & in Christian book stores & their stuff is cheap & good.

see that's where i differ. everyone is equal, ie family/friends. sure there are different ways people are reached. but in my opinion, The golden rule will always be the best way of evangelizing why? because it's universal, not situational.

The golden rule puts ideas/theology into practice, instead of just giving everything off as ideas in our heads. and i leave it up to the person to ask me.

this is how i think of it:

question: a starving man comes up to you in need of food and what do you do?

A. Do you give him a 4 course plus meal, plus desert because you think getting all the food into him will just make him feel better?

B. Do you slowly feed and nourish him back to his health?

the answer is obvious. B. you dont' give a starving people, tons and tons of food, because the body cannot handle it at that time, no matter if it is good food or not, the body just cannot take it, so what happens? they throw it back up.

[reformedfan]

let's say you are in a shopping mall, a court room, a bus station surrounded by the walking dead who need Christ. Do you:
1. introduce yourself, hope the person doesn't think you are a fruitcake who expects to strike up friendships in line at the supermarket? or

2. Say, 'boy! I hope the train doesn't derail & kill all of us. At least if that does happen, I know that since Christ paid the penalty my sin deserves at the cross, I'm going to heaven! How 'bout you?'

If you see a guy about to fall into an unnoticed, open manhole, do you:

1. gently yell to him about the weather, last night's baseball scores, etc, for fear of offending him or

2. scream, run after him, etc, do whatever it takes to get his attention?

[fanatiquefou]

let's say you are in a shopping mall, a court room, a bus station surrounded by the walking dead who need Christ. Do you:
1. introduce yourself, hope the person doesn't think you are a fruitcake who expects to strike up friendships in line at the supermarket? or

2. Say, 'boy! I hope the train doesn't derail & kill all of us. At least if that does happen, I know that since Christ paid the penalty my sin deserves at the cross, I'm going to heaven! How 'bout you?'

If a person stood up and said your number two in front of me, I would see it as forced, artificial, smug, and downright silly. Do you really think anybody would respond to something like that, or would they just roll their eyes and move their children farther away from the scary man?

Also, I think your analogy regarding someone about to fall into a hole is faulty in this case. For one thing, I don't think that I, personally, can save anyone. It's not a matter of me being the only thing keeping someone from falling into a hole. That's entirely up to God, and he can bring someone to salvation regardless of whether or not I can yell really loud and be forceful. I think if you treat witnessing in such a way, you're just going to come across as rude, arrogant, and overly forceful. I much prefer the analogy of the starving person given earlier in this thread.

[reformedfan]

If a person stood up and said your number two in front of me, I would see it as forced, artificial, smug, and downright silly. Do you really think anybody would respond to something like that, or would they just roll their eyes and move their children farther away from the scary man?

So evangelism your way is the only right way, cuz what might people think?

Nope.

I lead a jail Bible study. It is the only opportunity I get to tell the Gospel to some (those busted for PI who are in for the weekend & released on Mondsay morn, those turned off by the message, etc.) Maybe this is a bad example, as these women are free to attend or stay away. However, sometimes God puts you in a spot where you get one chance: the Jehovah's Witness shows up at your door, what then? Invite them to tea & try to sneak the Gospel into their cookies while they try to evangelize you over hte cheese & crackers?

If God is working in someone's heart, they won't move their kids away from the scary LADY, they'll ask questions of someone, or ponder it silently oiver the intervening days, weeks, etc.. I could care less if they see me as smug- I guarantee they don't see me as artificial! My word, I have warnings upon warnings for my brutally honest & realistic posts 'round here.

Also, I think your analogy regarding someone about to fall into a hole is faulty in this case. For one thing, I don't think that I, personally, can save anyone. It's not a matter of me being the only thing keeping someone from falling into a hole. That's entirely up to God, and he can bring someone to salvation regardless of whether or not I can yell really loud and be forceful. I think if you treat witnessing in such a way, you're just going to come across as rude, arrogant, and overly forceful. I much prefer the analogy of the starving person given earlier in this thread.

Of course you like your analogy better. But who are you to criticize how someone else does it? If someone is the elect, they will convert, maybe through a quick 'tell the Gospel & run' or through relationship evangelism. I needed both kinds apparently, since that's what I got. I didn't think the evangelizor was rude, smug, forced, etc, cuz I was being regenerated. Eventually I converted, leave people & their evangelism style alone, bub. The way God calls them to do it is how they should do it, not they way you decide is best/ least risky/ safest/ funnest/ most nourishing.

[fanatiquefou]

Wow. I didn't ask for an attack. I wasn't saying that it always had to be 'my way or the highway.' There are times when a direct approach is the way to go. If Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses visited me, I would invite them in, and I would hope we would have an honest and thought-provoking discussion in which both sides would have an opportunity to present their own viewpoint and to listen to the other person's. That's all I can ask for. If I want people to listen to me, I have to be willing to listen to them as well. I don't want to 'sneak' anything to anyone - if someone is open and willing to discuss the issue of salvation with me, then I am more than ready to oblige. But I prefer to see it as a discussion, not as a speech I'm giving. If I can present my beliefs and my concerns for someone in a caring and understanding way, while listening to their own thoughts, then if in the end they still decide to reject me, see me as pushy or arrogant, or whatever, then I'll have done everything I can do, and I have great faith in God's ability to work with people in spite of myself.

[reformedfan]

I wasn't saying that it always had to be 'my way or the highway.' There are times when a direct approach is the way to go. and I have great faith in God's ability to work with people in spite of myself.

well kewl. Sounded like you were of the 'here's the only correct way to do it' school of thought, glad you're not.

[Im_A]

my answers to your question is in bold to seperate the font of the text to make it easier to read:
let's say you are in a shopping mall, a court room, a bus station surrounded by the walking dead who need Christ. Do you:
1. introduce yourself, hope the person doesn't think you are a fruitcake who expects to strike up friendships in line at the supermarket? or

2. Say, 'boy! I hope the train doesn't derail & kill all of us. At least if that does happen, I know that since Christ paid the penalty my sin deserves at the cross, I'm going to heaven! How 'bout you?'

my answer is 1. but, i'm not worried about them thinking i'm a fruitcake because i'm a Christian. i just don't talk to people that way with just meeting them out of no where, and never intend to either.
If you see a guy about to fall into an unnoticed, open manhole, do you:

1. gently yell to him about the weather, last night's baseball scores, etc, for fear of offending him or

2. scream, run after him, etc, do whatever it takes to get his attention?
this answer is obvious. number 2.




it's not about nessecarily about offending them or whatever. i don't want to offend people tho. and we look at Jesus, and the only people He offended was the Pharisees/religious establishment of the day and the people selling in the temple. i cannot see one place in the Gospel out of the 11 years of believeing to where Jesus was offensive to the common people.

what it is about is, doing unto others what you would do unto yourself. and honestly, if i wasn't a Christian, i would never want some pushy Christian coming up to my face out of no where and for no reason telling me about their beliefs. even as a Christian, i don't want Christians to do that to me even now, so why should i do that to the non-Christians if i don't like that? that's what it is mostly about here. what right does a Christian have to go up in someone's face about the Gospel, but yet not like people getting in their faces? that's being two face.

the reason why i am against outlined methods is because of the fact, they are not universal methods. they will not work for everyone. for some yes, for all, no. but it's a universal truth of the Golden Rule. in the end, all it is, is just a way of planting seeds. maybe it will grow with someone who is more upbrupt in this area, maybe not. maybe it will take more simple acts of obeying the second greatest commandment that Christ gave to us.

plus, how can we truly "memorize" some method to be prepared for whoever we come across. when i was going to bars a lot, do you think i was prepared to reach a spiritual need, while at the same time getting a spiritual need met? it's a long story but i can explain that to you if you want me to. the catch of that situation was, it wasn't by someone ministering in bars either. it was from someone struggling with the very same thing that i was. it took someone at my own level, not them being above me. another believer who struggled with the very same thing as i do, but yet still continuing on in the faith no matter what, instead of beating ourselves up with some verbal ball, whip and chain and being apathetic at that time.

so that's why i am advant and never budging that the Golden Rule will always be the best way of evangelizing. the moments will always be different because of the different types of people we run into. it doesn't take a rocket scientist, or theologian to know how to discern the situation and what needs to be said from either sides either. it doesn't take some outlined method to have in our minds. it just takes some open ears and doing to them what you would do unto yourself. it's something can be picked up universally from everyone. it's something that people can see without thinking about it. it's not biased, it's holding conditions with it. it's just simply being honest and not being two face.

that's all i'm saying here, because anything else seems to possibly be getting into some rhetorical arguing that has no purpose, because you cannot sway my opinion and i can't sway you and that is fine by me :) i just don't appreciate your assumption that it is all about being some nice, nice person, too afraid of offending someone with the Gospel. i use discernment instead of brute force and that is the way i am at peace with. God Bless you! <><

[e=mv^2]

Here is the best way to spread the word:

Whatever actually works.

If that means screaming at the highway or silently feeding the hungry then that is the best way.

Don't worry about the best way - let God do that. Just make yourself available for him to use and he will take care of it.

[hiumble1]

Both ways do work, but sometimes there is no time. If you knew that a person was to die that night and were unsure of whether that person was 'right' with God would you say something or would you try to make freinds first, we all believe 'it will never happen to us'. But truth is we never know when time will cease for us, so if someone you just crossed paths with in the grocery store were to die tomorrow and you said nothing would that not bother you. For passion needs to tempered with compassion for if God loves all, who are we to say we should love less (are we better than God).
Jesus witnessed continually on his behalf but used a different method making friends with everyone over time he went from the natural to the spiritual....
The woman at well for instance. A good place to understand what we truly have lost when witnessing is to go www.wayofthemaster.com (http://www.wayofthemaster.com) or www.livingwaters.com (http://www.livingwaters.com)
for we have watered down the conviction and why we truly need a savior creating backsliders and hard hearted individuals to hearing the truth.

What Battle? (Ray Comfort)
Some years ago a traditional church dropped "Onward Christian Soldiers" from their song index because it made reference to war. That's understandable for people who have never been born again. War is the last thing on their minds. They are "peacemakers" meeting in a building which they think is the "church." They are not born of the Sprit, so they live in a natural world. They are spiritually insensitive because they are spiritually dead. The world may think there is peace between man and God, but the Bible makes it clear that unregenerate man is an enemy of God in his mind through wicked works, that anyone who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God (see Colossians 1:21, Romans 5:10, Romans 8:7, James 4:4). Many within the Church have lost sight of this important truth, something evident by their passive lifestyle. We have become like the Dead Sea. It is dead because it has water flowing into it, but no outlet. The water has become so salty, a human being can't sink into it. Nothing lives in it, no one can penetrate it . . . just like the contemporary Church. If the average church made as much noise about God on Monday, as it makes to God on Sunday, we would certainly see revival.

Useless though it seems, the Dead Sea contains very valuable minerals, which are waiting to be harvested. So does the modern Church. It is a field which is white unto harvest, both for souls and for laborers.

Perhaps much of the Church needs to consider dropping "Onward Christian Soldiers" and replacing it with something more appropriate:

Backward Christian soldiers, fleeing from the fight
With the Cross of Jesus nearly out of sight.
Christ our rightful master, stands against the foe
But forward into battle, we are loathe to go.
Like a might tortoise moves the Church of God
Brothers we are treading where we've always trod.
We are much divided, many bodies we
Having many doctrines, not much charity.
Crowns and thorns may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus hidden does remain.
Gates of Hell should never 'gainst the Church prevail
We have Christ's own promise, but think that it will fail.
Sit here then ye people, join our useless throng
Blend with ours your voices in a feeble song
Blessings, ease and comfort, ask from Christ the King
With our modern thinking, we don't do a thing.

(Anonymous)



Are we hot for God? Can we say that we have witnessed to more than 12 people in the last 12 months? Do we have the testimony "to live means opportunities for Christ?" Is there a zeal to witness burning in our bones? It doesn't matter how much we pray, tithe, and sacrifice. Sure, those things are basics of the Christian faith, but if we are not sharing that faith we are not fulfilling our commission. We are like survivors of the Titanic singing songs as we polish brass in the lifeboat, when there is room for many who are drowning around us. There is nothing wrong with polishing brass . . . but not while people are drowning around us. We are commissioned soldiers. True Christianity is not a pleasure-cruiser on its way to Heaven, but a battleship stationed at the very gates of Hell.

[hiumble1]

Here is another:

The Firefighter (Ray Comfort)

An experienced New York fire fighter was charged this week with grave neglect of duty. Prosecutors maintained that he abandoned his responsibility and betrayed the people of New York when he failed to release rescue equipment. This resulted in the needless and tragic deaths of a family of five.

Eye-witnesses were sickened when they discovered that the reason the fire fighter remained in the locked emergency vehicle was simply to test a new high tech CD player, which he maintained that he had purchased as a gift for the Fire Chief.

The Fire Chief immediately distanced himself from the defendant, and dishonorably discharged him from the Department. In a prepared statement he said that there were no words to describe such a betrayal of those he was sworn to protect.

The lead prosecuting attorney argued that for more than three minutes after arriving at the scene, the fire fighter wore earphones and listened to a CD while a family of five screamed to be rescued from the sixth floor of a building. Horrified bystanders related that, as flames licked her clothing, a mother cried out in terror and fell to her death while still clutching an infant child in her arms. The distraught onlookers also said that the father held onto two terrified children as he was engulfed by the massive flames. This terrifying drama took place in full view of the fire fighter as he remained seated in the vehicle listening to the CD.

The defense pleaded No Contest, but added that the defendant had gone to great personal sacrifice to purchase the expensive gift for the Chief, and that he hoped that the judge would take that into account when passing sentence.

A Fitting Sentence</SPAN>

Here now are some questions in reference to this case. The first is, What is a fitting punishment for this serious crime? Should he receive a strong reprimand, two years in prison, twenty years, a life sentence, or perhaps capital punishment? Please make a choice.

The second question is, Do you enjoy worshipping God? Most of the modern Church does. All across the country auditoriums are full of hand-raising, God-loving Christians. That's understandable, because when the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer it's not hard to worship our glorious and worthy Creator. It is as natural for the godly to worship the Lord as it is for flowers to open in the warmth of sunlight. The sunshine of His great love opens the sweet-smelling petals of praise. Yet, the "sacrifice of praise" (Hebrews 13:15) isn't so great a sacrifice, in the light of the sacrifice of the cross.

Rather, our love for Him is more evidenced by obedience to do His will, and that doesn't come so naturally. It takes a concerted effort to obey the Great Commission and follow in the footsteps of Jesus to seek the lost. Our professed love and worship of God should evidence a determined devotion to do His will.

When then did you last do His will and share your faith with an unsaved person? When did you last meditate on the fact that all who die in their sins will be cast into the Lake of Fire? In his book, The Coming Revival Dr. Bill Bright said that only 2% of the American Church share their faith with others. Most are so locked into worship (with the volume turned high) that they have little or no thought for the fate of the ungodly.

Here now is the point. If you are not seeking to "save [the lost] with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh" (Jude 23), then you are the fire fighter. If you call Jesus "Lord," but refuse to do the things He has commanded you to do, then He is not your "Lord," and He will distance Himself from you on the Day of Judgment, despite your professed sacrifice of praise. When you cry out "Lord, Lord!" He will say, "Depart from me…I never knew you."

What Was Your Judgment?</SPAN>

What sentence did you give the New York fire fighter? Are you honest enough to judge yourself with the same standard? Think of the terrifying fate of that poor family. Think of his dreadful neglect of duty. He was no fire fighter. He was a Judas…a contemptible traitor. Their blood was on his hands.

Now, think of the terrible fate of the lost. They will be cast into a Lake of Fire. Think of your neglect of duty. Is Jesus your Lord? What then will be your defense if you do nothing to reach the lost, on the Day that you stand before His Judgment throne (2 Corinthians 5:10)?

Read these sobering verses of warning from God's Word:

"Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, 'Surely we did not know this,' does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?" Proverbs 24:11--12

"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." Ezekiel 3:18

The Apostle Paul said, "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:26-27). If we refuse to follow in his steps, if we are like the wicked and slothful servant who knew His Lord's will but didn't do it (see Matthew 25), then we are not free from the blood of those who perish.

Oswald J. Smith said, "Oh my friends we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the Church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost is almost entirely neglected." We have been gazing to the heavens while sinners are sinking into Hell.

The Highest Calling</SPAN>

Worship is the highest calling of the Christian, and we can see in the Book of Revelation that in the future the Church will one day be consumed in worship before the Throne of the Almighty. But when we look back at the Book of Acts, we don't find that the Church was consumed with worship. Instead we find that they were devoted to reaching the lost, to a point where they willingly gave their lives to preach the gospel.

Devotion is nothing but a surrendered human will to the will of God. Gethsemane was a sweat and blood-stained altar of worship, and I believe that when Jesus whispered "Not My will but Yours be done," it was more pleasing to the Father than the adulation of myriads of angels.

Perhaps the very thought of preaching or witnessing to the lost makes you sweat your own great drops of blood, and your soul may become exceedingly sorrowful to a point of death, but when you determine to be true and faithful to your calling, you are proving the reality of your devotion.

Time is short. Are we going to passively sit during these precious moments of time, and muffle the cries of dying humanity with the sweet sounds of worship? Let's re-evaluate our priorities, take off the earphones, unlock the doors, become equipped, and prove the depth of our love for our God by rescuing those who are about to perish.

Don't put it off any longer. Every moment sinners are falling headlong into the terrors of death and a fiery Hell. Don't neglect your duty. Right now, bow your head in worship and whisper "Not my will but Yours be done," then do what you know you should. Do His will…seek and save that which is lost.

[Im_A]

Both ways do work, but sometimes there is no time. If you knew that a person was to die that night and were unsure of whether that person was 'right' with God would you say something or would you try to make freinds first, we all believe 'it will never happen to us'. But truth is we never know when time will cease for us, so if someone you just crossed paths with in the grocery store were to die tomorrow and you said nothing would that not bother you. For passion needs to tempered with compassion for if God loves all, who are we to say we should love less (are we better than God).
Jesus witnessed continually on his behalf but used a different method making friends with everyone over time he went from the natural to the spiritual....
The woman at well for instance. A good place to understand what we truly have lost when witnessing is to go www.wayofthemaster.com (http://www.wayofthemaster.com/) or www.livingwaters.com (http://www.livingwaters.com/)
for we have watered down the conviction and why we truly need a savior creating backsliders and hard hearted individuals to hearing the truth.


that's just it. we dont' know when anyone will die, and two i think it is out of line to go preaching to someone dieing in a hospital bed when their in pain and dieing from an illness. i'm sure a testimony would go over really well when someone is in severe pain from cancer. when someone is dieing, maybe we should ask people about God, if the situation is right. but we have to remember, that person did have every chance to come to God before they were about to die. maybe the best measure is to pray for them and leave God be the judge. sometimes the best example is to pray for them and maybe ask if they will pray together, and give someone that is dieing love to so they can at least see God's love administered before they go, till maybe they will maybe by themselves, in their own quiet place come to accept God. just my opinion of the situation you gave.


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[hiumble1]

what better situation.....
If someone is in very sever pain or is at deaths door, if our compassion is real they will feel it. Go to them and ask them if it would be ok for you to pray for them right there. Then within your prayer you may ask God to find them, that they find eternity in his presence, that any knowledge of transgressions of his holy and just laws be brought to the cross for their forgiveness, and that the blood of christ jesus save them.
as you pray for them, they may pray or think to themselves that which you are praying, and afterward may thank you or ask you about your thoughts on God and Jesus, than you can tell them about how you found God and through his son Jesus, that it wasn't until you knew you have transgressed the laws of God that you would be judged, and how it all made sense, and the only way to find forgiveness was thorugh his son Jesus.
Death was conquered by Jesus and we too can conquer that which we all have an appointment with. Compassion will show in your voice and in how you act toward that person. I never wsih to offend anyone, but I am hopeful oneday to come across all those I have gave a gospel tract to or have something to, etc. in paradise have them come up to me and say thank you, for God saved me by using you to come to me. (visualizing a tearfilled hug, and God smilling)

[Im_A]

why would you want people to thank you in heaven? i don't understand that at all. i'm not trying to be knitpicky and i'm cool with what you said in your post, because the prayer for someone in pain the way you described seemes heartfelt.

but i do not understand why you would want people to thank you up in heaven for some tract or something you did. myself, i don't want one person to thank me for anything i have done that has lead them to God. i'm not Neo. they need to thank God and thank God alone.

[Ssm117]

see that's where i differ. everyone is equal, ie family/friends. sure there are different ways people are reached. but in my opinion, The golden rule will always be the best way of evangelizing why? because it's universal, not situational.

The golden rule puts ideas/theology into practice, instead of just giving everything off as ideas in our heads. and i leave it up to the person to ask me.

this is how i think of it:

question: a starving man comes up to you in need of food and what do you do?

A. Do you give him a 4 course plus meal, plus desert because you think getting all the food into him will just make him feel better?

B. Do you slowly feed and nourish him back to his health?

the answer is obvious. B. you dont' give a starving people, tons and tons of food, because the body cannot handle it at that time, no matter if it is good food or not, the body just cannot take it, so what happens? they throw it back up.

I don't quite agree with the analogy that you have used because in the realm of evangelism you must get people to realize their need for the savior. Your analogy applies to someone who already knows what they need, and even in this case it doesn't quite fit. If someone comes up to you knowing that they need Jesus, are you going to give the message over a period of time? Or give them the gospel right away? Most non-Chrisitians will not approach you saying, "Hey I need Jesus" because most of them are ignorant to the law. You must remember that these people are on the Highway to Hell, and waiting to share the gospel with them isn't such a great idea since you never know when they will die. Look throughout the NT, Paul didn't wait for people to approach him, neither did Peter, Nor John the Baptist. Jesus did not do it either. There is a hurting world out there full of darkness, and if everyone waited to be approached by someone who does not know the Lord, hardly anyone would hear the gospel. By no means am I belittling relationship evangelism, but you must use discernment and not wait too long, for no one knows what will happen tomorrow, and it is very necessary to take the initiative. Take a look at John 4. For myself, I have found that the closer the person is to me, the harder is to evangelize because I run the risk of offending a person that I care about. Evangelizing strangers is necessary if the word is to be preached to the ends of the earth.

Relationship Evangelism is good, but I feel like some people may use that as shield to avoid talking with strangers and leaving their comfort zone. Masses of people will not hear about Christ through relationship evangelism alone, and hardly no one hear about him if we wait for them to come to us. This is true because most people are ignorant to their true condition before God, so naturally they wouldn't all of a sudden in approach someone to know about Jesus.