By Aleena Denison
Without proper training and little preparation, yet filled with remarkable passion, the following individuals give testimony of how they attempted to spread the Gospel to those in their world.
• After the pastor's sermon one Sunday, I thought about how I needed to tell people about Jesus, so I went to the park and stopped the first child I saw, and it was perfect because he lived next to me. "Hey, little kid, do you want to hear about Jesus?" I anticipated that he'd say no, so I said, "If you let me tell you about Him I'll give you chocolate." Of course he agreed, but he wouldn't let me tell him until I'd given him the chocolate. As soon as I handed it over and started talking, he ran away. When I got home later that day, I found out from my mom that the boy was sick from the chocolate (he was allergic). He'd eaten it all before going home, knowing that his mom wouldn't let him have it, and by the time he arrived, he couldn't breathe well and had to be rushed to the hospital. He's still there, but the worst part is over and he's expected to recover. For anyone who thinks this is a good approach to evangelism, my mom said that it's not a good idea to bribe anyone into listening to you tell them about God. I think she's on to something there, and I also think you should make sure no one is allergic to chocolate before offering it!
• I was hangin' with my friends at lunch one day when I felt God speakin' in my head and telling me to tell the others about Him, so in order to get their attention (because they were crazy loud), I stood up on my chair and yelled, "You gotta love God!" All those punks stared at me with their mouths hangin' open, and one dude even started laughin' at me. Seemed like he was laughin' at God so, getting filled with the Holy Spirit, I jumped off my chair, grabbed my Bible and smashed him over the head with it. Then I quick opened it to John 3:16, took him by the hair and smeared his face right in the Bible, saying, "You'd better accept Jesus NOW, punk! If you don't wanna burn in hell you gotta love Jesus! He's the Bread of Life and you'd better believe or else you'll be burnt toast!" I got suspended for a week because the principle didn't believe that I was filled with the Holy Spirit.
• One day I decided to do some soul-winning, so I got all dressed for it (people should be able to tell I'm a soul-winner), grabbed my big Bible, and headed out. I found a perfect spot for evangelizing, so I waited there for someone to win. Eventually I saw a man come along, looking just like a sinner, so I stopped him with these words, "If you were to die tonight, do you know if you would spend eternity in heaven?"
I could tell that the man didn't want to talk about it so I kept going quickly, "Just as I thought, SINNER! If you don't turn you'll burn! If you aren't sanctified you'll be chicken fried, and if you aren't glorified, you'll be french fried! You need to get right or you're going to get left! You'd better know or to hell you'll go!"
Wanting him to get a taste of the sounds of hell, I began to screech and yell. "Do you have any idea what that is?" I asked, "It's the sound of those who didn't turn while on earth; they didn't believe so they're now in a place where they can't return; where they deserve to be, and where you'll be, too, if you don't repent, SINNER! Your soul is black and you need Jesus, pagan! Now what do you say?"
The man barely let me finish with my soul-winning speech before he answered, "Look, I'm a believer in Jesus Christ as the only way to God, and would have told you so if you'd have given me half a chance. By the way, don't we go to the same church?"
I returned home quickly after that, figuring I needed to re-think my soul-winning approach.
Colossians 4:6 says, "Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person." Passion is an important part of evangelism, but there must be a correct approach. In making the most of the time (see verse 5), it is crucial that we present the truth in love so that they will have a true picture of the loving God we serve. We can't force them to believe, but our presentation of the Gospel can play a large part in how receptive they are to hearing. Let this verse guide you into searching out how you should approach evangelism!
Aleena Denison has a heart for seeing the message of the Bible presented in a clear way,and is dedicated to sharing Jesus with the lost and helping believers see their responsibilities in evangelism, discipleship, and Bible study. For more information and free downloads, see http://www.goodseed.com
Source:www.isnare.com |
