Learned on an Evangelism course

1. Evangelism is a Perennial Challenge
2. Everybody said “Evangelism is tough”

Evangelism Topics

1. Showing the Gospel
   • We actually demonstrate the beauty of the Gospel through our lives
3. Telling the Gospel—a verbal proclamation
2. Today we want to learn
   How to have conversations with people
   (asking good questions)

Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out

“What if we spent less time giving people scripted evangelistic presentations and instead simply learned to introduce Jesus into the normal conversations we already have?”

Scott Hildreth

How Jesus Used Questions

1. A story in Mark 10
2. Explain what Jesus does here
3. Using Questions and Conversation Yourself

• Mark 10
  1. Jesus has a word for us today
  2. Watch how Jesus engages with this person

Mark 10

17. And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18. And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
19. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”
20. And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”

Mark 10

21. And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
22. Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

An unexpected reply from Jesus

17. …“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18. And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Jesus Asks Questions

1. This is not unusual.
   “I once did a study of how Jesus answered every question that was asked of him in all four gospels. Answering a question with a question was the norm. A clear, concise, direct answer was a rarity.”
2. “Why do you call me good?
   Jesus is getting at the man’s assumptions
   “Jesus was brilliant in the questions he asked. Questions can challenge what someone thinks without sounding aggressive or making them feel defensive.” —Becky Pippert
3. He answers by listing commandments to do with our relationship with each other

Mark 10

19. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”
    …
21. And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

What is Jesus doing here?

• Jesus is catering his presentation of the gospel to this man in particular.
• Jesus doesn’t have a generic gospel presentation that he gives to everyone.

Apologetics at the Cross
by Joshua Chatraw & Mark Allen

“When Jesus and the apostles proclaim the gospel throughout the New Testament, even though they consistently proclaim the essence of its message, they are flexible in which aspect of the message they bring to the forefront. Paul and Jesus both adjust their approach and emphasis, depending on the context. For this reason, they don’t sound exactly alike … His explanation to the rich young ruler of how to gain eternal life is quite different from his parable of the self-righteous Pharisee and the tax collector who went away justified before God…”

Jesus asks:

• What are you clinging to, rather than God?
• What do you love more than me?

Summary

When talking with someone about spiritual issues,
use questions and conversation
to try to get to the issues of that person’s heart.

How Jesus Used Questions

1. A story in Mark 10
2. Explain what Jesus does here
3. Using Questions and Conversation Yourself
   • Be genuinely curious, and do what you already know how to do: ask questions

10 Tips on Personal Evangelism
—Tyrell Haag

1. Let people around you know you are a Christian (in a natural, unforced way)
2. Ask friends about their faith – and just listen!
3. Listen to your friends’ problems – maybe offer to pray for them
4. Share your problems with others – testify to how your faith helps you
5. Give them a book to read
6. Share your story
7. Answer objections and questions
8. Invite them to a church event
9. Offer to read the Bible with them
10. Take them to an explore course

The order (1–10) is important

• We too often start with numbers 8–10, but need to start with 1–4 with most people.
• In fact, we may need to loop through 1–4 multiple times before getting to later steps.
• Not only is it more humble of us to begin with 1–4, but it is more loving.
• By being real with our friends (#1),

1. we show we trust them enough to be open with them.
2. By listening to their thoughts about faith (#2)
3. and to any problems they may be facing (#3)
4. we show we value them and are genuinely interested in what they have to say.

Four questions:

1. Who is God to you? (then listen)
2. What is your faith background?
3. What’s your experience with church?
4. In your opinion, what’s a real Christian?

Advice from Greg Koukl

1. “Instead of trying to get to the cross in every encounter, just aim to put a stone in someone’s shoe.
2. Try to give the person something to think about.
3. Be content to plant a seed that might later flourish under God’s sovereign care.” (Tactics)

When talking with someone about spiritual issues,
use questions and conversation to try to
get to the issues of
that person’s heart.