Courageous Pastor

GUEST POST by Keith Seabourn of
http://www.seabourn.org/

The pastor was really courageous. After the evangelism class he taught, I chatted with him about how courageous he was. Evangelism and Giving are two subjects likely to make people uneasy. Many leaders avoid them or minimize the time.

Why?

I think that evangelism (and giving) dredges up guilt and shame. We know we should be more active in talking with others about Jesus. And we are ashamed to admit how little we proactively initiate with others.

I visited church with my son and daughter-in-love yesterday. That’s where I attended the pastor’s evangelism class. Training others in evangelism is what I’ve done all my adult life. It doesn’t make me an expert evangelism trainer, just an active participant in trying to help others experience the amazing privilege of seeing someone open the door of their lives to Jesus. Getting to see a new birth is a tremendous privilege.

I had several thoughts during the class. Here are some the things I’ve found helpful.

• Having the proper perspective: Success in evangelism is simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. This simple explanation frees me to be successful because the results are God’s.
• CoJourners is one of the best approaches to evangelism I’ve used in recent years. The focus is coming alongside others on the roadtrip called life. I’ve written about my experiences here and here.
• Sharing your personal story is an excellent way to share with others. The 5clicks.com site is very helpful in preparing your story in a compelling, winsome way.
• A friend of mine uses a very intentional approach to prepare to share with someone every day. Each morning, he takes a booklet or a New Testament or a Jesus Film DVD in his hand. He prays, “Lord, this belongs to someone else. Please lead me today to its new owner.” Then he goes out for his day eagerly expecting to find someone to give the booklet or DVD.
• Don’t be afraid of a question you can’t answer. I don’t hesitate to ask someone to play basketball because I’m afraid they might ask a question I can’t answer. And if I am asked a question, saying “I don’t really know a good answer right now. How about if I think about it and get something to you tomorrow?” Then go to search.ccci.org which searches across 2,000 websites in 50 languages for the best articles to questions like “How do I know if God really exists?” or “How can a good God allow all the evil and suffering in the world today?” Go to the search engine and type in one of these questions. See, good results that you can forward to your friend.

My son wrote about another misconception voiced yesterday.

It works! It takes courage. It takes overcoming all sorts of little whispers from the one who would have us keep silent. “He’s not interested.” “Don’t interrupt her now!” “You’ll only embarrass yourself.” I hear these and more every time I’m about to take the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.

As Nike made famous, just do it.

The Fumble

You were nervous. You shifted your weight from one leg to the other as you began to speak.

“Uh, fellows,” you started.

We turned and looked up at you.

“I, uh, I just wanted, uh, to invite . . .”

You were way out of your comfort zone. I had no idea what you might be about to say, but I knew that it had nothing to do with work.

“I just wanted to tell you that, uh, our church is having a service tonight and, uh . . .”

”What?” I couldn’t believe it. “He’s talking church? Out here? With us?”

“I wanted to invite any of you to come along.”

Silence. Screaming silence.

****

Have you been there?

You were uncomfortable and perhaps after your fumbling attempt you thought of what a mess you made of the whole situation. You re-think and analyze what you said and did. You apologize to God for your “failure” at witnessing. You are embarrassed for presenting “church” instead of Jesus.

Wait a minute! God is sovereign and is not hampered by our humanity. God used this man’s apparent failed attempt to invite construction workers to church. Max Lucado was laying pipe that summer and was with the workmen on their lunch break. Five years later, he remembered this man and gave his life over to Christ.

Your efforts may have seemed insignificant or even like they were wasted. God sees the bigger picture, however. You don’t know what God will do. Just be available to Him.

NOTE: The above excerpt is from Max Lucado’s testimony in Chapter Seven of In the Eye of the Storm. Read the entire story online on Google Books.. Search for “Thanks for the Bread” which will take you to the chapter heading.

The Main Object of Life for C. S. Lewis

“I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.” C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Quotes from Tim Keller

We had the privilege of learning from Tim Keller, the pastor of Redeemer Church in Manhattan, as he taught from Luke 10 at a Campus Crusade conference this past July. Tim explained some key elements of the Gospel and how we should carefully communicate God’s message. He encouraged us to go out into the world as Good Messengers and to live in this world as Good Neighbors.

QUOTES:

“Justification means that the only Person in the universe, whose opinion counts, absolutely delights in you.”

“You never are called into a new relationship with God without being radically sent out into the world to live for others. Every Christian man and woman is a man and woman in mission”.

Learn more from Tim in a video interview where he gives insights on urban ministries and also on reaching the poor.

Eduardo’s Wife Is Dying

Finally, Eduardo was stepping out to his car. I had been gardening and hoped he would come outside. I ran to get the Magdalena DVD waiting by the front door and rushed across the street.

“This is for your wife,” I explained. “It is in Spanish.”

“Thank you,” he smiled weakly, the gold glistening on his teeth.

Eduardo accepted the DVD and I went on to tell him the movie was about Jesus and about the different women He healed. He thanked me and I concluded our brief conversation with, “We are praying for you.”

I wrote about our neighbors, Eduardo and Luz, before. They are Jehovah’s Witnesses and do not speak English very well. About two years ago, they accepted a “Jesus” DVD from me. (I only recently learned that JWs are not allowed to accept literature, so maybe a DVD or the Who Is He? Mini-CD are the best things to offer them.)

In just over a year, three families near us have faced the loss of a loved one. First, a seven-year-old granddaughter died from a car accident. Soon after that Eugene, a man in his fifties, died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Now, Luz is dying at home and has daily hospice visits. I have been unable to communicate with Eduardo and Luz, but I have noticed her housekeeper has a Christian radio station bumper sticker on her car. I hope she has explained the Gospel to them and will also pray that Luz will be able to watch the Magdalena DVD and accept God’s free gift of life eternal or that God will miraculously heal her for His glory and to lead many of her family and JW friends to Christ!

This is also a reminder to all of us that we may not have more time to share with the people in our lives.

More help for reaching Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Chuck Swindoll on Defending Our Faith

Chuck Swindoll is my “guest author” today on why we need to share our faith and how to prepare ourselves. The following is a quote from his newsletter:

“Balance is achieved in four areas. Number one: know where you stand. You cannot afford the luxury of being ignorant or ill-informed when it comes to biblical truth and faith. So educate yourself in the common areas that come under attack: the Bible, the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, and the means of salvation.”

Read the full article here.

Meeting Needs

Maybe handing a tract to someone is not your idea of loving the nonbeliever, but handing them a box of groceries would be your best expression of God’s love to them.

I ran across a number of different Christian websites today letting you know how you can volunteer your time and reach people for Christ. I am listing them specifically on the Sower’s Tools and Tips blog and will add to them when I find more.

REMINDER: I also highly recommend a very good article by Tim Chester in The Sower’s online newspaper. Tim encourages us to reach out to nonbelievers instead of expecting them to come to us.

The Sower and His Seed

I learned a lot from Joe Jack Dement. Since the excellent video on the Parable of The Sower, featured in the last post, is only on the web temporarily, I am posting some thoughts I gleaned from this 80-year-old wheat farmer. Jesus explains the seeds and the meaning behind the birds, the footpath, and the other parallels in His parable. Mr. Dement’s knowledge of wheat farming adds to our understanding of the parable.

WHEN and WHERE
Just as the farmer casts the seed away from him, we can drop a little word about Jesus, a Bible verse, or a Scriptural truth as we interact with people every day. For instance, one day last week, I ran errands to five different stores. What normally would be drudgery for me was a joy as I shared a little conversation and tracts with nine people! My perspective was sowing, not shopping, as I went about my work.

WHO
We do not choose who gets to hear God’s message. God wants everyone to hear. God promises His Word will be active in a person’s life, even if we don’t see it. The seed becomes a fruitful plant over time and under the right conditions.

According to Mr. Dement, birds gather around the farmer, waiting for the seed sown on the path. Pray for the people who are not open to God’s Word to retain even a little bit of what you have sown. You do not need to fear that “the enemy” knows you are sowing. Pray for those who need to hear what you have to share with them. They are really the ones under attack!

Shallow soil means the plant will have no resistance and will dry up and die before maturity. To grow in Christ, people need to grow in their knowledge of the Word. As much as you possibly can, help this person get into the Word and into fellowship with believers. Even so, they may still have trouble when their faith hits the bedrock in their soul, so again, prayer is needed.

The seed growing in a weedy area was competing with a huge weed and did not yield fruit. Many people, rich or poor, are worried about their things and other financial concerns. When I share my faith I may even find that the Christians that I meet have not dealt with the weeds in their life and bear very little fruit for God. I suspect a lot of Americans are in the weedy category. Perhaps God will use the current economic woes to bring more people to follow him wholly.

I was very fascinated with the seed planted in good soil. One seed resulted in twelve plants, each with its own head of seed. I could not help but think of Jesus’s twelve disciples with their disciples. Farmer Dement said that 85% is a good, and a typical, yield. What if EACH Christian could leave a legacy of 85 mature Christians who are also telling others about Christ?

WHAT, HOW, and WHY
I named this blog The Sower because I envision that my Christian readers will be encouraged to speak about Christ frequently and everywhere. Thank you for visiting and please come back for more stories and answers to your questions to help you share your faith.

The Christian’s Secret of . . . Service

I am reading an abridged version of Hanna Whitall Smith’s The Christian Secret of a Happy Life. Her advice in her chapter, “Service”, is very encouraging.

If you think you have to meet every need and help in every ministry opportunity, or you are unsure about what directions to take in ministry, she advises:

“The life of trust also delivers us by reminding us no individual is responsible for all the work in the world, only for a small share. I may have five, or two, or only one talent. I am to do that which I am called to do, nothing more.

“A young Christian, sent to speak a message to one soul she met on a walk, supposed she must speak to everyone she met while walking, a perpetual obligation and an impossible task. A friend told her to put herself under the Lord’s guidance and trust Him to point out each particular person to whom He would have her speak. He assured her He never puts forth His sheep without going before them… This freed her from bondage, and she was able to do much blessed work for her Master without worry or care.”

If you trust God to use you in others’ lives, but you find yourself taking credit for the ministry God does through you, or you blame yourself for mistakes, such as not speaking up, or saying the “wrong thing” when witnessing, Mrs. Smith assures us that the work is God’s, not ours:

“Years ago, I ran across this sentence in an old book: ‘Never indulge, at the close of an action, in . . . self-congratulation or self-despair. Forget the things that are behind, the moment they are past, leaving them with God.’ To sum it all up, put your work into the Lord’s hands and leave it there. Even in the midst of a life of ceaseless activity, you shall ‘find rest to your soul’ and be an ‘instrument of righteousness.’”

A Small Act of Kindness

Mark had just helped Bill pick up the books, sweaters, and other items he had just dropped. They were walking home from school and Mark continued to walk with Bill and they ended up spending the afternoon getting to know each other. Mark continued on home.

They saw each other around school after that and went on to attend the same high school, where they saw each other occasionally.

Just before graduation, Bill reminded Mark of the day they met.

“Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” he asked. “I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. . . I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent time together talking and laughing, it turned things around for me. You see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more; you saved my life.”

This true story comes from Randy Alcorn’s In Light of Eternity, pages 121 and 122. Randy goes on to encourage his readers that God is watching and will reward us in Heaven for being faithful to Him. (To me, it would be reward enough to know that I had helped prevent a suicide!) We will probably be amazed in Heaven when we find out that some of the small things we did for others ended up helping them in a significant way.

I also highly recommend this book to clear up misconceptions people may have about what the Bible teaches about eternal life. If you aren’t excited about going to Heaven, this little book is for you! You may even find you will be more eager to share your faith with others so they can enjoy eternity with God, too!