There are five elements working together
in every witnessing encounter
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1. The Witnesses
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2. The Message
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3. The Person being witnessed to
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4. God
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5. Time
There are four essential stages in successful personal evangelism.
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1. Preparing the Soil
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2. Planting and Watering the Seed
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3. Patient Waiting For The Young Plant to Grow
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4. Picking The Ripe Crop
Preparing the Soil
Matthew 13:18-23
"Listen then to what the parable of the
sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not
understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his
heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed
that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives
it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When
trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who
hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth
choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that
fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He
produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
¨ The Four Types Of Soil
1. The Path (No understanding)
2. Rocky Places (Some understanding)
3. Thorny Places (Some understanding)
4. Good Soil (Full understanding)
¨ Preparation Of The Soil
1. Prayer
2. Establish a personal relationship with the Non-Christian
3. Light witnessing when the opportunity arises, mostly small positive
comments (offer to pray during crises, illness, stressful times, etc.)
4. Make sure the message is clear! Lose the Christianese!
5. Be gentle and respectful!
I Peter 3:15
"...But in your hearts set apart Christ
as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you
to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness
and respect..."
Planting and Watering the Seed
I Corinthians 3:5-8
"What, after all, is Apollos? And what
is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord
has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it,
but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything,
but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who
waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own
labor."
¨ Evangelism Involves Teamwork!
1. Each servant has his or her assigned task. (Planting or Watering)
2. God makes the seed grow!
3. Each member of the team has only ONE PURPOSE! (Bringing people
into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ)
4. Each member of the team is rewarded according to their labor.
¨ Planting The Seed And Watering
1. Continue praying
2. Continue the personal relationship with the individual
3. Heavier witnessing - Answering specific questions from the Bible
- Pray for their specifically requested needs Make special NOTE when prayers
are answered. Many people are amazed when God answers prayers for them.
4. Make sure your message is clear. Focus on JESUS as their need.
5. Be gentle and respectful!
I Peter 3:15
"...But in your hearts set apart Christ
as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you
to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness
and respect..."
Patient Waiting For The Young Plant To Grow!
Mark 4:26-29
He also said, "This is what the kingdom
of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether
he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know
how. All by itself the soil produces grain-- first the stalk, then the
head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he
puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."
¨ The Way The Plant Grows
1. Seed Scattered
2. Seed Sprouts and grows (The farmer doesn’t know how)
The process continues night and day (unseen!)
3. Soil produces the grain Stalk Head Full kernel in the head
4. Harvesting
God is doing it and it takes time!!!!
¨ Waiting - The Hardest Part!!
1. Continue praying!
2. Continue the relationship even if nothing is happening!!
3. Witnessing opportunities may be fewer and less frequent but usually
more powerful and straight forward.
4. There may be times when the person you are witnessing to pulls
back - Be a friend! Don’t pull away!
5. Make sure your message is clear!
6. Be gentle and respectful!
I Peter 3:15
"...But in your hearts set apart Christ
as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you
to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness
and respect..."
God makes the seed grow!
Picking The Ripe Crop
John 4:34-38
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will
of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months
more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the
fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages,
even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the
reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps'
is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done
the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
¨ Finishing His Work
1. Harvest is ready!
2. Others have done the hard work
3. Reapers harvest an eternal crop!
¨ Picking the ripened crop
1. Pray
2. Continue the relationship - you will KNOW when it’s time to reap!
3. The person will often ask for your help to receive Jesus.
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Make sure you know how!
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Don’t choke at this point and soft peddle here!
4. Make sure your message is clear!
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This is the point when inviting them to an evangelistic event, concert,
crusade, etc., is a good idea.
5. Be firm but do not hesitate!
6. Be gentle and respectful!
I Peter 3:15
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as
Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to
give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness
and respect..."
Spiritual birth actually takes place.
· God may bring you into a person’s life at any one of these
four stages.
· God may have you working at different stages in different
people’s lives. |
