Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Well how do I succeed as one who is reaching out to others with the message of Jesus? How do I get bible studies? How do I get contacts? These are excellent questions and we will start coming up with some answers in this session and for the next several sessions. Some of the answers and methods may not seem logical for the moment, but many who are involved in personal out-reach will tell you they are of great help.
In anything in life, if we are going to succeed, we have to prepare to succeed. Discipline is vital for success in any field of endeavor. Just so in our own personal outreach. One of the first things we need in outreach, is a realization of who we are. We are children of God Gal.3:26&27. We are strengthened by God's Spirit in our inner man. Eph.3:16. As a child of God with His influence in me, I can grow as I pray to the Great I Am. As a child of God, with His influence in me, I can grow as I read His Word. Someone has said, "when we pray we are talking to God, when we read the bible, that is God talking to me." Makes sense to me. So to succeed in our personal out reach, we need to prepare to succeed. Talk to God about it. Ask His advice, He wants people saved, thats why He sent Jesus. Isn't it reasonable that when God finds a person who wants to help save souls, that God would bless them mightily in this endeavor. I think so. I know of nothing more important in outreach than working to be prepared. Remember, it is work.
Another important principle in personal work, community evangelism, out reach, church growth, along with preparation, is "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care". I have always found it is easier to lead a person to the truth than to try and drive them to the truth. Do you like to be driven? Nobody else does either. We want to approach people with the honest desire of helping. There are those whose approach is to show people where all they are wrong and why. Do you accept much advice from people who approach you like this? I don't either. When, however, I meet someone, whom I have determined has my interest and well-being at heart, I'm prone to listen to that person. Probably, you are too. So the first thing I want to do after I have spent time preparing myself, is to let my prospective student know I care about them. If this is a long standing friend, they may very well know it. But it doesn't hurt to say, "You know ( name) I've known you for so long a time and you know that we are interested in each other, may I talk with you about something that is very important to both of us? Our souls, Jesus, God? You are showing genuine concern for this individual. You are showing you want to take your time and efffort to be of service to them. Your friend may very well say yes, or they may say no. If they say no, leave the conversation with this thought, if you ever want to talk about spiritual things, as your friend, I am available. When we are on a mission, inviting people to church and trying set up bible studies, my approach is this, I knock on the door having a bible tract in hand. I tell them I am with the local Church of Christ and we want to help people physically and spiritually. Do you know anyone who could use some help? It is on occasion that the person says yes I do. I want to talk with someone. I have a bible study. If I can, I study right then or I make an appointment convenient to them. If they say yes, "we need some help with groceries or something else, I do what I can. I, personally am limited to some money for some bread, eggs and milk or some diapers, so I go right then and get them and on my return I ask right then if I can pray with them. After that I immediately ask if we could study the bible together? It has been rare ( I can't remember one time) that as I help someone in this fashion that I have been turned down for a bible study. If they do turn me down, there's a good chance they will say something good about the Lord and the Church. If they say, I don't want to talk about it now or just plain no, I ask, : may I leave this tract with you? Never underestimate the power of a good tract. Remember, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Don
In anything in life, if we are going to succeed, we have to prepare to succeed. Discipline is vital for success in any field of endeavor. Just so in our own personal outreach. One of the first things we need in outreach, is a realization of who we are. We are children of God Gal.3:26&27. We are strengthened by God's Spirit in our inner man. Eph.3:16. As a child of God with His influence in me, I can grow as I pray to the Great I Am. As a child of God, with His influence in me, I can grow as I read His Word. Someone has said, "when we pray we are talking to God, when we read the bible, that is God talking to me." Makes sense to me. So to succeed in our personal out reach, we need to prepare to succeed. Talk to God about it. Ask His advice, He wants people saved, thats why He sent Jesus. Isn't it reasonable that when God finds a person who wants to help save souls, that God would bless them mightily in this endeavor. I think so. I know of nothing more important in outreach than working to be prepared. Remember, it is work.
Another important principle in personal work, community evangelism, out reach, church growth, along with preparation, is "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care". I have always found it is easier to lead a person to the truth than to try and drive them to the truth. Do you like to be driven? Nobody else does either. We want to approach people with the honest desire of helping. There are those whose approach is to show people where all they are wrong and why. Do you accept much advice from people who approach you like this? I don't either. When, however, I meet someone, whom I have determined has my interest and well-being at heart, I'm prone to listen to that person. Probably, you are too. So the first thing I want to do after I have spent time preparing myself, is to let my prospective student know I care about them. If this is a long standing friend, they may very well know it. But it doesn't hurt to say, "You know ( name) I've known you for so long a time and you know that we are interested in each other, may I talk with you about something that is very important to both of us? Our souls, Jesus, God? You are showing genuine concern for this individual. You are showing you want to take your time and efffort to be of service to them. Your friend may very well say yes, or they may say no. If they say no, leave the conversation with this thought, if you ever want to talk about spiritual things, as your friend, I am available. When we are on a mission, inviting people to church and trying set up bible studies, my approach is this, I knock on the door having a bible tract in hand. I tell them I am with the local Church of Christ and we want to help people physically and spiritually. Do you know anyone who could use some help? It is on occasion that the person says yes I do. I want to talk with someone. I have a bible study. If I can, I study right then or I make an appointment convenient to them. If they say yes, "we need some help with groceries or something else, I do what I can. I, personally am limited to some money for some bread, eggs and milk or some diapers, so I go right then and get them and on my return I ask right then if I can pray with them. After that I immediately ask if we could study the bible together? It has been rare ( I can't remember one time) that as I help someone in this fashion that I have been turned down for a bible study. If they do turn me down, there's a good chance they will say something good about the Lord and the Church. If they say, I don't want to talk about it now or just plain no, I ask, : may I leave this tract with you? Never underestimate the power of a good tract. Remember, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Don
# posted by Missions with Don&Rosemary @ 1:12 PM 
