PERSONAL EVANGELISM
(Part 5)
Memory Verse: “…if anyone competes as an athlete, he does
not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.” (2Tim.2:5).NIV.
LESSON
OBJECTIVES AND FOCUS
We shall be looking at what we are
encouraged to do, as well as what are warned to avoid, in personal evangelism.
LESSON OUTLINE 1: WHAT WE ARE ENCOURGED TO DO IN PERSONAL
EVANGELISM
From 2 Tim. 2:1-7 we can identify a number of actions Paul wanted
Timothy to undertake if he was to be an effective soul winner.
What are these
actions?
i.
Be strong in the grace that is in
Christ Jesus. v.1. Meaning
what?
ii.
Know the word of God. v.2. Why?
iii.
Teach it to others so that …?
v.2.
iv.
Endure hardship. v.3. Why did Timothy need to be told that? Phil.1:29.
v.
Be a good soldier. vs. 3&4. What, in Paul’s days, was the relationship
between a soldier and his commanding officer? (Think of the way the
anti-Taliban soldiers of Afghanistan were organized.)
vi.
Be disciplined. v.5. Why? (Think of athletes in the Olympic Games.)
vii.
Spend time thinking over God’s word. v.7. Why?
(James 1:22.)
All of the above have
implications in our personal evangelism. And in the spirit Paul wrote to
Timothy, we are to remember we are engaged in a “No retreat, no surrender”
operation. Therefore we need to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus
in the face of the enormous task before us.
LESSON OUTLINE 2: DANGERS TO AVOID IN PERSONAL
EVANGELISM
What are some of these?
i.
Who are we to advertise in personal
evangelism? Jn 3:30. What’s the danger here?
ii.
We are not to misuse/misquote the
Scriptures just to back up our ideas.
We are to use the word of God rightly, knowing it is God’s word we are to put
across and not our personal ideas and philosophies. Rom. 10:17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17.
iii.
Personal evangelism can quite often
open the door to arguments. What should we guard against here? How should we respond when the other party
is just “spoiling for a fight”? 2Tim. 2:23-26.
iv.
Do not be afraid to admit to what you
do not know. It requires humility and courage to say, “I don’t know”, but that
is often better than talking nonsense. Luke
18:14. Be clear on what you know. John
9:24-25.
v.
Strive to make it a discussion so you
can get some feedback. So you will need
to avoid monopolizing the conversation. If he comes up with a good answer,
commend it and build on that. Rom.
12:10.
vi.
Patience is called for in personal
evangelism. Therefore do not be in a hurry to produce quick (but shallow) decisions
for Christ by omitting or skipping over the essential elements of
salvation. Acts 3:19-20; 26:20.
vii.
Avoid imposing your salvation
experience on the one being evangelized. Rather let the person experience
his/her own salvation by the Lord. Lam.
3:22-23.
viii.
What should we do when apparent failure
stares us in the face? We are not to be discouraged. Our job is to plant the
seed, others may water it, but it is God Who grants the increase. I Cor.3: 6-8;Gal 6:9.
ix.
It follows from the last point that we
must not close the door on any one we witness to, or allow them to close the
door against the word of God. We are to act wisely, because our God is still at
work. He has not abandoned them. John
5:17.
x.
It is advisable that one evangelizes
people of the same sex, but where the lines have to be crossed, be sure it is
done in an environment and manner that avoids temptation and suspicion. I Cor.10:12; I Thess. 5:22.
SUMMARY
The Holy Spirit remains our best guide
in this matter of personal evangelism. We need His help in building up what we
should, and avoiding the pitfalls that have been brought to our attention
today.