All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Ways to witness
Ok..so, I have a question about witnessing. My neighbor is a "comfrontational" type witnesser. She believes I am wrong in not being confrontational. I did have my husband visiting church with us, she decided that the Lord put it on her heart to try to get him saved in one evening...not only did he blow her off, but now he won't go anymore. She says..."well that's on him"..easy to say when it's someone elses husband your speaking of. I have to live with him and if he doesn't get saved he will leave me....our divorce paperwork is still in the court house just waiting to go before the judge.
My theory is that it seems pretty silly to spout scripture to a person who doesn't believe in the Bible as the truth. Shouldn't we first tell them our personal experiences with God? I've been studying and the blind man didn't know scripture...but he knew what Jesus had done for him, the Samaritan woman didn't know scripture, but she told what Jesus had said to her. Even Paul who basically wrote most of the scripture first had to tell the early christians of his own experience before they would listen to his teachings.
Surely each of us have at least one miracle to share. I mean...lol...I am the only person I know who a car wreck has saved my life. I was two years old choking on an apple, my mom didn't know heimlich and my grandfather was racing us to the hospital. I had turned blue and passed out and in a panic my mom called to God to spare her child....right then, my grandfather rearended the car in front of him and my mom inadvertently did the heimlich...I spit the apple out and started breathing again. When I was six I came within 1/4 of an inch of losing my eye..I have the scars from stitches right above and below my eye to show for it. At 16 I went to Hunduras on a mission trip...came back with strep of the eye. The Dr told my mom if I had come back one day later it would have drained to the brain and I would have died within a few days. The story of the birth of my twins is three days of being in the right place at the right time....had everything not gone haywire we would have been home on a Sunday and I would have had the seizure there instead of in the OR and the twins and I both would have died.
I have even had a vision of my own death...the only vision I ever had...and let me tell ya, that will shake a person up. I am convinced to this day that if I had driven that route home that night I would have died. I beleive God told me to go a different way by showing me what would have happened.
I mean, can none of us relate to people the miracles God has done for us?
I'm not saying scripture is not important......I'm just asking if maybe it doesn't need to be good mixture of both our stories and scripture.
Forgive if I sound rambly...I just got done with three hours of VBS
My theory is that it seems pretty silly to spout scripture to a person who doesn't believe in the Bible as the truth. Shouldn't we first tell them our personal experiences with God? I've been studying and the blind man didn't know scripture...but he knew what Jesus had done for him, the Samaritan woman didn't know scripture, but she told what Jesus had said to her. Even Paul who basically wrote most of the scripture first had to tell the early christians of his own experience before they would listen to his teachings.
Surely each of us have at least one miracle to share. I mean...lol...I am the only person I know who a car wreck has saved my life. I was two years old choking on an apple, my mom didn't know heimlich and my grandfather was racing us to the hospital. I had turned blue and passed out and in a panic my mom called to God to spare her child....right then, my grandfather rearended the car in front of him and my mom inadvertently did the heimlich...I spit the apple out and started breathing again. When I was six I came within 1/4 of an inch of losing my eye..I have the scars from stitches right above and below my eye to show for it. At 16 I went to Hunduras on a mission trip...came back with strep of the eye. The Dr told my mom if I had come back one day later it would have drained to the brain and I would have died within a few days. The story of the birth of my twins is three days of being in the right place at the right time....had everything not gone haywire we would have been home on a Sunday and I would have had the seizure there instead of in the OR and the twins and I both would have died.
I have even had a vision of my own death...the only vision I ever had...and let me tell ya, that will shake a person up. I am convinced to this day that if I had driven that route home that night I would have died. I beleive God told me to go a different way by showing me what would have happened.
I mean, can none of us relate to people the miracles God has done for us?
I'm not saying scripture is not important......I'm just asking if maybe it doesn't need to be good mixture of both our stories and scripture.
Forgive if I sound rambly...I just got done with three hours of VBS
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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Christelle,
One will not find salvation if they reject the Word of God. We must accept that the Word of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, Who brings enlightenment to the unbeliever's mind is sufficient for leading one to salvation. You may not start with the Word of God. You may need to build a relationship with the person in order to get their ear, but in the end, a good life will not lead the person to Christ. Eventually they will have to receive the Word and believe what it says.
Abraham told the rich man the following: LK 16:31 "He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Therefore, our testimony alone will not cause them to accept Jesus. It will catch their attention and may encorage and draw them, but ultimately it will be the Word of God and the Holy Spirit that makes the difference in the end.
We can use a lot of things or techniques to gain their attention or interest, but in the end it will all depend on the person (Rom. 10:9-13), God's Word (Rom. 10:17) and the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-11).
There is also a call for us to share the Word as well:
RO 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
I have a simple faith, it is by God's Word we know (1 John 5:13) that we have salvation and by His Spirit (John 16:8-11).
In your case the presenter is at fault, even if their intentions were good, the damage can be caused by agressive sharing. You will not strong arm anyone into the kingdom of God. We are to love them, pray for them, live right before them, and share Jesus with them.
Lastly, even when a person shares the gospel well, in love, the person still may reject. They may not be ready. Our responsibility is not to get peopel saved, but to share the gospel. The rest is between them and God.
There are number of good methods for sharing the gospel. I like two above the rest. My personl preferences is "Share Jesus Without Fear." Also good is "The Way of the Master."
(Christelle, the next comment is not directed at you, so that there is no misunderstanding here) I encourage everyone to trust in the power of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. In too many churches today we have people thinking that there needs to be something more for people to get saved. The Word of God is being set aside for methods, human philosophy and other things. You may use these things to get their attention, but it is always to lead them back the the Word of God. If we cannot trust in the Word of God we are already lost and without hope.
Standing on the Word of God alone,
LT
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Permalink Reply by christelle on
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LT, as far as the "next comment", you are right. It seems there are more and more churches today where you can sit through an entire sermon and never hear one scripture and no biblical reference.
That's kinda scary isn't it.
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