TELLING THE GIFT OF GOD

by Dr. Hank Lindstrom 

I. WHY WITNESS? 

    A. God tells us to witness. (1 Thess 2:4; II Cor 5:19; I Cor. 1:17; II Tim 4:1,2)
    B. God leads us to witness. (Jer 20:9; I Cor 9:16; Acts 4:20)
    C. God's Word brings faith. (Rom 10:17; Eph 1:13; Psa 119:130; John 5:24)
    D. God receives glory when we witness. (John 15:8) E. God commands us to witness. (Mark 16:15)

 II. WHO SHOULD WITNESS? 

    A. Every Christian. (II Cor 4:13; John 17:18,19; Acts 1:18) 

III. HOW TO WITNESS 

    A. Clear message. (I Tim 1:3; Eph 2:8,9; Gal 1:6-9; Jude 3)
    B. Simple words. (II Cor 3:12; I Cor 14:8,9)
    C. Boldly. (Eph 6:19; I Thess 2:7-9)
    D. With Love. (II Cor 5:14; Eph 4:15; I Thess 2:7-9)
    E. Good Testimony. (Titus 2:7,11,12; 3:8,14; II Cor 6:3)
    F. Use the Bible and the right verses for the person's needs.
        (II Tim 2:15; Heb 4:12; Matt 13:23; Col 4:6; I Pet 3:15; Pro 22:17-21)
    G. Be faithful. (I Cor 4:2; I Tim 1:12; Jer 23:28; Eccl 11:4; Luke 16:10) 

IV. YOUR ARMOR 

    A. Study your Bible. (II Tim 2:15; 3:16,17; Prov 15:28)
    B. Pray for strength and wisdom. (Eph 6:10-19; James 1:5; Pro 2:6 Col 2:3)
    C. Meet with other Christians. (Heb 10:25; Rom 1:12; Phil 1:3-5; Acts 20:7)
    D. Rely on God the Holy Spirit. (Zech 4:6; I Cor 3:6,7; I Cor 2:13) 

V. HELPFUL HINTS 

    A. Memorize verses so you can watch their face as they read while you quote.
    B. Have Salvation verses marked in red. This catches their attention.
    C. Use illustrations with your verses. It helps them understand. Christ did this.
    D. Constantly emphasize that this is what God says in the Bible.
    E. Have two or three good opening phrases.
    F. Talk naturally. Don't preach or use ecclesiastical terms.
    G. Dress neatly. Be clean and smell clean. Look alive.
    H. Show respect. Be careful of how you speak of other religions.
    I. Ask questions to see if they understand it. You often need repetition.
    J. Offer Christian literature to the person. Be sure it is clear on salvation.
    K. Read and apply Dale Carnegie's book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. 

VI. A FEW DON'TS 

    A. Don't ever argue. This will drive the person away.
    B. Don't get off on side issues. Stay with the gospel. Answer objections briefly and get back to salvation.
    C. Don't ask him to join your church.
    D. Don't ask him for money.
    E. Don't be self-righteous or legalistic. Don't be self-condemnatory either.
    F. Don't ask him to change his life. He can't, and it would not help save him anyway.
    G. Don't embarrass him, especially in front of his friends.
    H. Don't preach your experience as necessary for salvation; but use your testimony as a way to witness without 'bite.' Second person pointed stories are often helpful.
    I. Don't try to close until you feel sure he understands the gospel and really sees it in the Bible. But when he does understand it, don't wait, ask him to trust Christ then.
    J. Don't leave him comfortable if he doesn't trust the Lord; but let the pressure come from the Word of God.
    K. Don't tell him that he is saved, even after he receives Christ as Saviour. Let him see it in the Bible,  so his assurance will come from the Word of God, not your word. 

VII. THIS IS A "MUST" 

    A. ALWAYS distinguish between GRACE AND WORKS. (See Rom 11:6.)
    B. NEVER MIX SALVATION AND SERVICE. (Gal 5:1-9) NEVER COMPROMISE ON THIS.
    C. NEVER MIX these TWO FOR SALVATION. (Gal 2:14; II Cor 11:13-15; Gal 3:3)
    D. POINT OUT THE CORRECT PLACE FOR WORKS, which is AFTER salvation, and for                     SERVICE. (See Eph 2:8,9.) 

VIII. POPULAR MISCONCEPTION OF THE DAY 

    A. Because of this unscriptural teaching, it is best not to use the word repent when you witness. If the other person brings up repentance, point out that the word in the language the Bible was written, Greek, is 'metanoeo' and means a change of mind.
    B. For salvation, a person must change his mind from any idea of religion he may have to save him, and accept God's way of salvation. He must trust Christ's payment for everything he has done wrong. He does not have to turn from sin, be sorry for sin, or be willing to turn from sin, for salvation.
    C. Any of this would have to do with Christian service, which can only come after salvation, and has nothing to do with salvation. Salvation is always a gift, not something we do ourselves. Salvation is receiving Christ as your Saviour.
    D. Any teaching that demands a change of conduct either toward God or man for salvation adds works or human effort to faith, and this contradicts all Scripture. Study the Book of Galatians to learn that it is an accursed message (Gal 1:8,9). 

IX. POINTS TO COVER IN LEADING A PERSON TO THE LORD 

    A. The Bible is the Word of God. (Cover this only as necessary.)

1. It says so. (Example: Jer 30:1,2; See also Isa 48:3-8.) God gives more than abundant proof that the Bible is the Word of God. Because we are obstinate and hard to be convinced, God tells of future things before they happen and of things that we did not know! Read Isa 48:3-8 for yourself! "I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went  forth out of My mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.  Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest  thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest  them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them. Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb."
2. Prophecy always comes to pass. History proves the Bible. Examples: The life of Christ is foretold in the Old Testament.
   
   1. Christ born of a virgin. (Isa 7:14) 
   2. Christ to be God in flesh. (Isa 9:6) 
   3. Christ to be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) 
   4. Prophecy telling when Christ would die. (Dan 9:26) 
   5. Christ to die of crucifixion. (Psa 22:16) 6. Soldiers gamble for his garments. (Psa 22:18)
3. Prophecy always comes to pass. History proves the Bible. Examples: The history of the nation of Israel foretold. 
   1. Israel to be dispersed among the nations. (Ezekiel 36:19) 
   2. Israel to regather from among the nations. (Ezekiel 36:24,28) 
   3. Israel to have no King, no prince, no sacrifices, no priesthood between the two comings of Christ. (Hosea 3:4,5) 
4. Scientific facts long before human wisdom acknowledged them as so. 
   1. Earth is round. (Isa 40:22) 
   2. Earth is hung in space upon nothing. (Job 26:7) 
   3. Empty place in north in universe (Job 26:7), where heaven is (Isa 14:12-14). 
   4. Einstein's formula (Jer 10:12) - Matter created out of energy. 
   5. Stars are numberless. (Jer 33:22) 

    B. Everyone is a sinner, less perfect than God. (Romans 3:10; 3:23; Isaiah 64:6; Ecclesiastes 7:20) 

    C. Result and penalty of sin is death; separation from God in Hell. (Romans 6:23; II Thess 1:8,9;                 Rev 20:14) 

    D. Absolute perfection is required to have eternal life. Heaven is perfect. No sin can exist in the                 presence of God. (Revelation 21:27; Psalms 5:4; Habakkuk 1:13; II Peter 3:13) 

    E. You cannot earn perfection by what you do. (Eph 2:8,9; Rom 4:5; Titus 3:5; Gal 2:16) 

    F. Christ made a complete payment for all sin and offers His righteousness.
        (II Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9; I Peter 3:18; Isa 53:6, 10, 11; Col 2:14, Rom 4:6, 23-25) 

    G. When a person believes [TRUSTS] that Jesus was God in flesh who made the complete payment for his sin, he is saved. Eternal life is the gift of God through faith alone in Christ alone. (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; John 6:47; Acts 13:38,39; John 3:36; John 5:24; Galatians 3:22-26.) 

    H. Man can know he has eternal life now, because eternal life is eternal, and once you trust Christ as your Saviour, God Himself guarantees eternal life to you. (I John 5:13) 

    I. Eternal life can never be lost because God keeps us saved. A saved person never becomes unsaved. Jesus said, "I will in no wise cast out" anyone who has come to Him. Jesus also said, "I will lose none of those" that have come to Me. (John 6:37; John 6:39; I Peter 1:5 John 10:28 I John 5:13) 

    J. God corrects His disobedient children so that they will bear fruit. (Heb 12:6-11; I Cor 11:32; Luke         13:6-9) 

    K. No matter how poorly the Christian behaves, he is still saved [though chastised]. The disobedient Believer may be taken home to heaven early and will suffer the loss of rewards. (I Cor 3:11-15; I Cor 5:1,5; I Cor 11:30- 32) 

X. IMPORTANT FOR A CHRISTIAN TO KNOW  

    A. Every saved person has two natures as a result of two births. (John 1:12,13; John 3:6,7; I Cor 15:44-50)

    B. To be a happy Christian you must serve the Lord. You must discipline your life by feeding and exercising your new nature, to bear fruit. (Gal 5:16; I Pet 2:2; II Pet 3:18)

    C. Refer yourself to section IV.

    D. In physical life, and also in the Christian life, one does not go from being a baby to a mature adult Christian in one step. Maturity is a process of consistent effort and growth. Don't give up. (II Cor 4:1; Isa 40:28-31)