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RELATIONAL EVANGELISM
Relational Evangelism is an adaptation of Friendship Evangelism,
a training resource originally developed by Church Army Australia PO Box 12 Hazelbrook, NSW, 2779 AUSTRALIA www.churcharmy.com.au This adaptation was completed in December, 2011, with permission from Church Army Australia by Bill Joukhadar Founding Director Cells-church Consultants International 25 Runaway Bay Avenue, Runaway Bay, QLD, 4216 AUSTRALIA joukhadar.cci@gmail.com
www.cells-church.com
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RELATIONAL EVANGELISM
Table of Contents
EXPLAINING RELATIONAL EVANGELISM ........................................................................... 4 WHY SHOULD WE EVANGELISE? ................................................................................................ 4 WHY DID THEY EVANGELISE? .................................................................................................... 4 WHY DONT WE GO?.................................................................................................................. 6 DOING EVANGELISM .................................................................................................................. 8 BECOMING USEFUL .................................................................................................................... 8 ITS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY..................................................................................................... 9 MOST OF THE PEOPLE DROWN ................................................................................................. 10 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................... 11 RELATIONAL EVANGELISM RESPONDS APPROPRIATELY ................................................. 12
PRESENCE, PROCLAMATION AND PERSUASION .............................................................................. 12 GUIDELINES FOR SHARING GODS LOVE ....................................................................................... 12 COMMUNICATING IN AND THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS..................................................................... 16 BUILDING BRIDGES OF FRIENDSHIP ............................................................................................. 16 BEING GOOD NEWS ............................................................................................................... 18 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................... 19
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Session
The aim of this book is to help you become more active and effective in helping your unchurched friends know, accept and follow Jesus Christ with their lives. In other words, help you to become an effective evangelist ... a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19).
How important is it for Christians to become effective evangelists? The following will help you to explore this question about both the importance and urgency of evangelism.
The enthusiasm to evangelise which marked the early Christians is one of the most remarkable things in the history of religions. Here were men and women of every rank and station in life, of every country in the known world, so convinced that they had discovered the riddle of the universe, so sure of the one true God whom they had come to know, that nothing must stand in the way of their passing on this good news to others... They did it by preaching and personal conversation, by formal discourse and informal testimony, by arguing in the synagogue and by chattering in the laundry. (Evangelism In The Early Church - Hodder, 1970.) What was the secret of such zeal? What motivated them to such tireless and unselfish evangelism? Its possible to glimpse something of their inner motivation and passion when you consider the following reasons:
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The average Christian feels little urgency about bringing other people to know, accept and follow Jesus Christ with their lives. In the early Christian church people would risk their lives to do so. Michael Green describes their attitude:
Expression of Love
It is also obvious that evangelistic ministry was a very real expression of the love for other people that had filled their hearts since they had received the Holy Spirit: We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too (1 Thessalonians 2:8).
A Terrible Alternative
Those first Christians simply thought that the Good News was too good to keep to themselves. This concern was touched with a definite sense of urgency, for they well knew that even in the message of hope that they proclaimed there was also expressed the danger of neglecting so great a salvation. For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12). This fear for the souls of those who did not believe in Christ was not merely a product of their own imagination, but had been placed in their hearts by the Lord Himself when He said: Go into the entire world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. Anyone who believes and is baptised will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned (Mark 16:15-16).
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While Paul, also blunt and direct, would say: Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? (Romans 10:13-14).
Daily devotion Belonging to a small group Exercising your gift/s in the life of your church Discipling others who are younger than you in their faith
Ill be rejected
One of the biggest reasons why people fail to share their faith is the fear of being rejected. And lets face it rejection by others can be a very real possibility whenever we begin to witness for Christ. Whenever we share our faith we should expect a certain amount of rejection. This will not serve to put us off but it will help deepen our commitment. Of course, whenever we face opposition or rejection as a result of our witness, we will feel a degree of fear. The question we must then ask ourselves is this: Who or what is going to rule my life fear or Jesus Christ?
No Obvious Results
Weve been looking at some of the reasons why Christians fail to share their faith. We now come to the last of these which is discouragement due to no obvious results. Such a person says, I have tried to witness but it doesnt seem to accomplish anything. So what's the use? This attitude stems from the fact that one feels inwardly compelled to come up with results. Evangelism is not defined by a positive response on the part of those to whom we witness. God has called us to do two things: 1) Proclaim the Good News; and 2) Disciple (spiritually nurture) those who respond to Christ. The actual producing of results is always in Gods hands. The following text spells this out quite clearly, It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow (1 Corinthians 3:7). If our efforts do not yield results, it may be right, of course, to ask ourselves whether or not our approach is right or whether our evangelism is biblical. If we are sure that we are doing everything God expects of us then we should leave the matter with Him, and carry on
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witnessing whether we see results or not. Remember, too, that your witness may be just one of many important links in Gods chain.
Doing Evangelism
There is an old saying that goes different horses for different courses. This is obviously true in relation to the way in which each method of communicating the Gospel has helped different people more than others. For this reason it is important that we do not stereotype evangelism and see any one specific activity as the way to do evangelism. Regardless of which form of evangelism is employed it must be concerned with making disciples. This, as Leighton Ford describes, can happen in many different ways: We make disciples by telling the story of Jesus Christ. We make disciples by discovering and using the unique gifts God has given each of us. We make disciples by loving, by demonstrating the reality of what we talk about, by the way we relate to other Christians. We make disciples by living His Word, modelling in our lifestyle the reality of the Kingdom of God. By our words, our gifts, our love, our actions, we proclaim the Good News and invite men and women to respond to Jesus Christ, to accept Him as Saviour, to follow Him as Lord, to identify with His Body, the Church, to do all things He has commanded (Good News is for Sharing, Cook Publishing Co. 1977). Relational evangelism places the emphasis on natural sharing through relationships, in everyday situations. Rebecca Manley Pippert points out how easily people come to regard evangelism as a set program rather than a natural response to God-given opportunities in our daily life: I once asked a girl if she felt comfortable about evangelism, Oh yes! she responded, I do it twice a week. Somehow it sounded like taking multiple vitamins. Evangelism (to her) was just something you do out there and then get back to normal living. Evangelism involves taking people seriously, getting across to their island of concerns and needs, and then sharing Christ as Lord in the context of our natural living situations. (Out of the Salt Shaker - Evangelism as a Way of Life. IVP, 1979.) Effective evangelism requires: Preparation of the person involved An understanding of what we are called to communicate An awareness of how to communicate it, and, above all The development of a sensitivity to people and situations that will make our communication of the Gospel appropriate and effective.
Becoming Useful
If we are going to be of use to God in this work we have to become useful. This means developing attitudes, knowledge and skills in the things that need to happen if people we know are going to hear the Gospel in such a way that they can make an effective response. What then makes fruitful relational evangelism a reality? Ray Smith suggests the following things that have to be considered if we are to get anywhere: Associate with those who need Christ Befriend those who need Christ Create an interest with them in Christ
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Declare the Good News Encourage a response to Christ Follow-up the response
Any person wanting to succeed in evangelism needs to develop effectiveness in each of these areas. For this to happen there needs to be an awareness of the attitudes, knowledge and basic skills that can enable us to do each of these things well.
g) Finally, it is our responsibility to be guided by the Holy Spirit as we share Gods love with others. We should not program ourselves to say and do certain things in certain situations. Rather, we should continually seek Gods guidance about what to say and when to say it. Lets forget techniques and arguments that is not Gods way. If we are truly willing to share Christ with others and have prepared ourselves to do so, then God will guide us, gently but clearly, in what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.
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It would seem, then, that God has only three responsibilities, while we have four; yet consider the heavier weight of responsibility that He carries compared to what we shoulder. Note: Evangelistic ministry is successful if the person or persons concerned have really got the message that counts, if they really have had a genuine opportunity to say Yes or No to Jesus as Lord and they really do know how vitally important that decision is. Regardless of whether it is Yes or No or Not yet! we will have done our job and will be greeted by the Fathers approval well done, good and faithful servant.
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Q2: Is there anything you dont understand? If you could ask the author or the Lord questions about this session, what would they be? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Q3: What is a personal application for your life (be specific)? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
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Session
his session looks at different ways in which people, in different life situations, need to be helped to discover the truth about Jesus and have a valid chance to say yes or no to Him.
3) Is it a situation in which neither proclamation nor persuasion would be relevant or fruitful? Is it a situation in which the Gospel needs to be lived and demonstrated before it can be effectively verbalised (presence)? The Gospel travels best between people via well established, sincere relationships. For this reason the long, hard (but worthwhile) job of building relationships is an integral part of effective evangelistic ministry. It is an aspect too often neglected.
a) We should consider the significance of external signs and symbols that might help us to connect with them in a friendly way. b) By showing a warm, personal interest in this person, we may be able to develop a conversation that will lead to a discussion about Christ. c) We may, of course, pray to be led to the prepared heart, in which case God will direct us to those people whom His Holy Spirit has already prepared to hear our message about Christ. d) We have an excellent opportunity to just listen to this person. e) We may love people all day long through our eyes, our smiles, and our spirits if we have prepared ourselves, through prayer, for Christs love to flow through us.
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f)
As appropriate, we should ask the person, May I pray for you. Then we should do it immediately, in his presence, using simple words. g) As we pray with this person, we should be sure to admit our own needs so that he may identify with us. h) We can take the opportunity to pray with him over the telephone, if that is appropriate.
Aspects of witnessing
Witnessing to others about Jesus Christ should be a natural expression of our love for them. There are three settings or categories for effective witnessing: The first is witnessing in passing. Most of us pass by many people each day. Usually we have the opportunity only to speak or nod to those we pass. Sometimes we can do more. In these situations, our lifestyle (the way we relate to others, and the way we affirm the worth of each person) will count more than anything we say. A bad encounter with others, even though brief or anonymous, can prevent the later possibility of helping them. It can even spoil the chances others have to communicate with them. The second could be called witnessing in person. Usually such an opportunity comes about because someone asks us to share our witness. Such opportunities depend entirely on the existence of an already established relationship. A person may say: How do you keep going in the midst of ...? How do you remain so cheerful when ...? or What can I do to ...?
We must look for the opportunity to share our faith, and we must be prepared to share simply, clearly, and to the point. When asked to share your faith, do your best to keep your responses brief leaving them ample room to ask more questions. The third setting in which we witness can be called witnessing in process (of conversion). It is a high privilege to walk with a person through an act of commitment to Jesus Christ and to help guide that person to assurance of forgiveness and on to a new life in Christ. This is not hard to do but most of us need help to learn how to do it.
We presently have deep relationships which link us with other people. We can walk across those bridges and share in their needs or witness our faith and expect to be heard. There are people all around us who are longing for a caring relationship. How better can we spend our time than in intentionally building a bridge of friendship with one or more of them? Let us contact that person deliberately and get to know that person for his or her own sake. Let us establish a relationship. Remember, many people live on little islands of loneliness because there are too few bridges of friendship over which to walk.
Leighton Ford has this to say about bridge building: Jesus is often described as the great High Priest who opened the way to God. The Latin word for priest is pontifex which means bridge-maker. By dying, Jesus, the bridge builder, opened the way for us to come into Gods presence (1 Peter 3:18). Now, Jesus has sent us to be bridge builders as He was. Bridge builders have a genuine concern for people. Sometimes my biggest problem in witnessing is being so involved in my own affairs that I dont have time to think of others. Jesus was other-person centred, the man for others, and we are called to be so. If we see witnessing as going around looking for someone on whom we can dump spiritual truth, we will turn most people off. But if our concern for people is so genuine that sometimes we are not even aware of the transition to verbal witness, people will be drawn like a magnet. Jesus was a friend of sinners. He was criticised more often for not being separate than for anything else. He was constantly inviting others to share His daily life. When two of John the Baptists disciples asked, Rabbi, where are you staying?, He knew that what they really wanted to know was who He was, not where He spent the night. So He answered, Come and you will see. They spent the day with Him, and as they got a close view of how He lived, they became convinced that He really was the Messiah (John 1:37-41). He also constantly accepted invitations to share others lives. Think of His frequent visits to the home of Mary and Martha, and Lazarus, how often He accepted invitations to eat with Pharisees as well as publicans. Jesus didnt care if He was host or guest as long as He could build bridges. Does that concern for people, as they are, fill your life? This genuine, open love is the key to sharing.
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Q2: Is there anything you dont understand? If you could ask the author or the Lord questions about this session, what would they be? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Q3: What is a personal application for your life (be specific)? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
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Session
he aim of this session is to explore ways in which dialogue evangelism, done properly, can provide a means of communicating the gospel in such a way that people will really get the message, and be able to make a free response to its offer and challenges.
Defining Evangelism
The Lausanne Conference defined evangelism in these terms: To evangelise is to spread the Good News that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that as the reigning Lord He now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Spirit to all who repent and believe. Our Christian presence in the world is indispensable to evangelism, and so is that kind of dialogue whose purpose it is to listen sensitively in order to understand. But evangelism itself is the proclamation of the historical, biblical Christ as Saviour and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to Him personally and so be reconciled to God. In issuing the Gospel invitation we have no liberty to conceal the cost of discipleship. Jesus still calls all who follow Him to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and identify themselves with His new community. The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ, incorporation into His church and responsible service in the world.
However, it is possible to do these right things in a wrong way. Our Christian presence can become an unfair imposition on people. Our proclamation can become indoctrination instead of sharing and our persuasion can easily become sinful coercion. When this happens, what we do and the way we do it, will speak louder than what we say about the Gospel. Then it will be our fault, not theirs, if they reject it. How apt are Leighton Fords words in Good News is for sharing:
In communicating our faith, the challenge is to combine a sense of the absolute truth and the urgency of this Good News with a sense of dignity and the significance of other people. If this Gospel is true, we have an obligation to share it. We have no right to hold it to ourselves. But neither do we have any right to force anyone else to respond. Not everything that goes under the name of evangelism can get our stamp of approval. Some presentations of the Good News are anything but. The way we share our faith has to be judged by what the Bible teaches concerning the nature of the Gospel. If I try to get people into the Kingdom of God by arm twisting and
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brain washing, then I am repudiating the love of God. His love is relentless but never coercing. I am also denying what the Bible tells me about the nature of man. Man is made with responsible freedom allowed by God even to deny Him.
condemnation is love, which is to accept a person on the basis of their worth (which is declared by God, not us) and not their behaviour or advantage to us. By not condemning the woman, Jesus denied the message fed to her by satan that she had to prove herself to get accepted. Once she realised that God would treat her like Jesus did, she responded to Gods offer of eternal life.
Incarnational Evangelism
Joseph Aldrich contrasts confrontational-intrusional evangelism with the more biblical incarnational-relational approach to ministry. He describes the pattern that our Lord gives us in the following way: The Word became flesh. Jesus Christ became the visible expression of the invisible God. This was His strategy. He told His disciples, Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father (John 14:9). He was, as it were, a visual aid to reveal the nature of His Father. He didnt just talk about love; He loved and the sinners considered Him their friend. He didnt just preach on forgiveness; He forgave. And sinful, guilt-ridden people fell at His feet, forgiven and cleansed. He didnt just proclaim the necessity of justice and righteousness; He attacked the unrighteous institutions of His day. He didnt start a Bible institute and establish a chair of theology in His Fathers name; He invited m en to live with Him twenty-four hours a day. His strategy was to become flesh and live among them (Life-style Evangelism). Our evangelistic ministry must move beyond merely broadcasting a message to actively sharing in life. It must involve participation in the problems and pressures, and the fears and frustrations of humanity. An incarnational evangelism does not approach people with ready-made answers to lifes problems; rather it listens to the questions which people raise. We who would evangelise as our Lord did must experience a self emptying of anything that would separate us from the people with whom we would share the Gospel. Any expression of superiority, by which we condescend in relating to people, is a denial of the incarnational principle.
has been successfully done (in the Anzea tract How to Know God). Note that points 1 to 3 really constitute pre-evangelism. They are essential foundations that need to be laid before the Gospel itself can be effectively proclaimed. To quote the author of the tract: "The first three sections are a summary of basic concepts needed to be understood before anyone can effectively proclaim the Gospel. If you experience problems with any one of these points, then stop and talk it out. Until that issue is resolved, it is unlikely the person will come to a true faith in Jesus Christ.
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f)
None of these counterfeit gods do not satisfy, or replace knowing God for oneself and serving Him. Mankind is proud: Many people are so proud of their own achievements that they think God doesn't matter. Others think that to be a Christian we must live a good life. But God cannot accept a person who is rebelling against Him or ignoring Him, however good that person thinks he/she is! To receive Gods forgiveness, man must change his attitude to God and God's right to rule him.
"No one has ever seen God. But His only Son, who is Himself God, is near to the Fathers heart; He has told us about Him (John 1:18).
genuinely sorry for all our wrong actions toward others, asking God to forgive us. This radical change of attitude is called repentance. We must trust in Jesus Christ and in what He has done for us. We must make this real in our own lives by saying, Jesus died for me; Jesus rose again from the dead to bring me new life. This is what is meant by believing in Jesus (John 3:16). We must acknowledge a new Master, Jesus Christ. We must surrender to Him as Lord of our lives, and be responsible to Him. Instead of letting our wills rule our lives (being self-centred), we must let Christ rule our lives (be Christ-centred). This is what is meant by obeying Jesus (Matthew 28:20).
c) Are you ready to take these three steps (above)? If not, keep thinking about these things. In the meantime, heres a promise to encourage you God says in Jeremiah 29:13 "If you look for Me in earnest, you will find Me when you seek Me. I will be found by you. If, however, you are ready to take these three steps, why not pray to God right now? You may like to pray the following prayer: Dear God, I know I am not worthy to be called a child of God. I don't deserve Your gift of eternal life. I am guilty of rebelling against You and ignoring You. I need Your forgiveness. I want to turn from living my life according to my will. I believe that Jesus died for me and rose again to give me new life. I now acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Lord and Master of my life. Make me a member of Your family. Please help me to love and serve You always. Amen.
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Q2: Is there anything you dont understand? If you could ask the author or the Lord questions about this session, what would they be? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Q3: What is a personal application for your life (be specific)? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
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Session
he aim of this session is to further consider the truths that form the basis of the Gospel so that you can understand them yourself and be aware of ways to communicate them effectively to unchurched friends.
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___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains in him. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Romans 8:1 - "Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
Mans Dilemma
Man has erected a barrier that effectively separates him from God, from eternal life, and from the power to live effectively now either with himself or with others. This wall is so impenetrable that all the religions, philosophies, idealism, good works and ingenuity of men cannot pull it down. Man fails, ironically, because of the barrier.
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G O D
Slavery to satan
G O D
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34). .... the world is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19). You are slaves to the one you obey (Romans 6:16). The God of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4). He that does what is sinful is of the devil (1 John 3:8).
Slavery to satan
G O D
Spiritual death
Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12). ... the soul who sins is the one who will die (Ezekiel l8:4). ... the wages of sin is death (Romans 3:23).
Gods Action
Man, cut off from God, spoilt by sin, helpless under the influence of a force hostile to God, spiritually dead, and unable to do anything about his plight, is in a hopeless mess. What can God do about it? He cannot ignore it because His nature is love. By nature, the Creator longs for fellowship with the creatures He made for a special relationship with Himself. Yet He is also by nature holy, just and righteous. He cannot "pretend" things are all
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right. He can only offer mankind a "new start" on a just basis. His justice must be satisfied by an act that makes it right and just for mankind to once more relate to Him. The debt owing by mankind has to be paid, and the spiritual slaves redeemed or bought back. Only then can God relate again to man and, by that relationship, restore his spiritual life, lifting him up again from the level of his lower nature (the flesh) to an existence on the spiritual level with eternal life. The Gospel tells us the amazing way God does this. God became man. He lived life as a man a new Adam but this time an Adam who did not rebel, and did not lose His spiritual life and who did not fall short of the glory of God. Now humanity can offer the offering of perfect obedience, in Christ. Humanity can now pay the debt, in Christ. Humanity can break the hold of sin and satan, in Christ. Humanity can die and live again, in Christ. As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). Jesus was without sin and made a point of staying that way. He was therefore our second start. His whole life was pleasing to God. In that perfect human life and that suffering death on the cross He offered a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, for the sins of the whole world. The Bible uses four descriptive words to picture the way Christ's death breaks down the wall of separation between God and man (propitiation, redemption, substitutionary death, and reconciliation).
Propitiation
God offers propitiation (appeasement). God's wrath against man's sin is real, but so too is His solution His Son's propitiatory death on the cross.
Debt of sin
Propitiation
Slavery to satan
G O D
Spiritual death
This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice (propitiation) for us (1 John 4:10).
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Redemption
God brings about redemption. The price is paid! The debt is cancelled and satan is publicly shown to have no just hold over man.
Propitiation
G O D
When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full right of sons (Galatians 4: 4,5). For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men (1 Timothy 2: 5, 6).
Substitutionary death
God provides a substitute for man. Man in Christ dies as he must die. But man in Christ rises again. Death is no longer permanent.
G O D
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds we are healed (1 Peter 2: 24).
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Reconciliation
God brings about reconciliation between man and God. Those who have died with Him will live with Him and reign with Him. In union with the Son, we share in His perfect union with the Father. We are home again and all the benefits of that intended relationship are open to us as we choose to take them up. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1: 21, 22).
Wonderful Implications
These are the wonderful implications of Christs propitiation on our behalf, His act of redemption, His substitutionary death, and reconciliation, of man and God in Christ:
Justification
Man, in the person of Christ, has pleased God (offered a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice). Therefore all who are in union with Christ share equally in His achievement. While our performance falls short, His perfect performance is credited to us and God declares us righteous. To put it another way, when God looks at the person in Christ He sees us as if we are His Son. He sees us as if we had done what Christ has done and relates to us accordingly from the moment we, by faith, accept that grace. We have peace with God through our justification (Romans 5:1). Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). He was delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25). so that having been justified by grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7).
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A New Position
Christs self-offering (propitiation) provides our justification; His work of redemption provides forgiveness and sets us free free to grow into His likeness; His substitutionary death opens for us the opportunity of a new birth to life eternal; the reconciliation He brings about between God and ourselves places us in an incredible New Position here and now. Many people who have accepted Christ as their Saviour lack any real assurance of salvation and a real sense of being accepted as they are by a loving Heavenly Father. Many have never grasped the Good News that we have peace through our justification. Gods attitude to us is not based on our performance. It is based on Christs performance which was adequate for all time, for all of us. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 2:17). So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir (Galatians 4:7).
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Q2: Is there anything you dont understand? If you could ask the author or the Lord questions about this session, what would they be? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Q3: What is a personal application for your life (be specific)? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
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Session
he aim of this session is to share and discuss our attempts to relate the Gospel to normal life situations and to learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of this type of ministry.
Turning to God
What happens in a person's life when he or she responds to the Good News? A study of each New Testament instance of both individuals and groups responding to the Gospel shows three distinct facts: 1. They were men and women who had changed their minds about their old way of life and were willing to turn their backs on an inadequate past. They called this change of mind repentance. 2. They were men and women who (because of their change of mind), had changed their direction to a new one of trust and loyalty to Christ, who had begun to reign in their lives as King. They called this radical change of direction Conversion and the trust and loyalty, faith. 3. They were men and women who realised that such a changed position in life gave them a greater responsibility and a better sense of values to live by. And with God's help, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, they endeavoured to live up to that higher standard so that they might more effectively be His agents and instruments in the world. They called this active obedience and vulnerable availability discipleship.
Baptism
It is very noticeable in the New Testament that in every example of such a change of heart, leading to a new direction and a new trust and loyalty in Christ, there was always the seeking and receiving of the sacrament of Baptism. They believed that in this act God affirmed the new relationship they so much desired and brought them into a new covenant relationship with Himself. That act of commitment with the covenant sign of baptism declared their participation in the essential blessings of the Gospel: cleansing from sin, union with Christ, dying to the old life, rising to the new life, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and incorporation into the Body of Christ (the universal Church).
Sudden or Gradual?
While it is right to teach that turning to God should be a very definite act, it is wrong to confuse definiteness with suddenness. For an experience to be definite it does not need to be sudden or emotional. It can be sudden (and for some it is emotional), but more likely it
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will be the gradual work of God leading a person to see His great love as seen in Jesus Christ and, as a result, progressively surrender to His Lordship. But at some point in his turning about, a person must become aware that he is facing in a new direction and, because of that new direction, is able to go forward in a new direction.
Who Cares?
John Mallison, in Caring for People, clearly affirms the responsibility of the evangelist to see that effective follow-up is provided. However, he also stresses that this should not happen in isolation from the community life of the Church. Mallison says The new birth is the first step to a new life. As Paul puts it: If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation (I Corinthians 5:17), and if any person is brought into a new and mystical relationship with Jesus Christ, life begins again, life takes a new direction. Conversion should result in a changed life. The nurture of this new life is the solemn responsibility of the Christian carer. It is important to note that, consistent with the overall emphasis of the New Testament, Paul sees the growth of new life taking place within the framework of the Community of Faith. Christian growth, while having an individual dimension, needs the corporate support, protection, care and facilitation of the Body of Christ. The babe in Christ is born into the Christian family. The new Christian does not have to go it alone. Unfortunately, the Church has not always faithfully undertaken its nurturing of new disciples. Much evangelism has been criticised because those who have responded have slipped away. The critics have not seen that more often than not the fault lay not so much with the message and methods of the evangelist or the witnesses, but in the lack of adequate, if any, follow-up by the local church. Human babies, unlike most animals, need a family to survive. The same is true in the spiritual realm. The care of new spiritual life requires great sensitivity, patience and skill. The Church needs to spend more time in training people for spiritual obstetric ministries equipping people for spiritual baby health care only then will there be less spiritual infant mortality.
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g) h) i) j) k)
l)
Scripture be fulfilled which says: He who believes in Me out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). In the passage that follows, Jesus emphasises the relationship between abiding in Him and bearing much fruit "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full (John 15:1-11).
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1. Help the new believer receive assurance of salvation and acceptance with God. 2. Help the new believer develop a disciplined and consistent devotional life. 3. Help the new believer to find stability in and through an understanding of basic biblical principles. 4. Help the new believer become integrated into the life of the local church, by both giving and receiving ministry, drawing on grace through Word and Sacrament, belonging to a small group, and participating in corporate worship. 5. Help the new believer develop Christ-likeness in their daily walk. 6. Help the new believer to discern his own ministry gifts and begin to serve in the church, and in particular, to learn to share his faith with others. 7. Help this person to become independent of the person responsible for discipling them and in-turn making themselves available to assist in the discipling of other new believers. 8. Prayerfully support the newly discipled person as they accept responsibilities, both in their small group and the wider church and by active discipleship in the world.
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Q2: Is there anything you dont understand? If you could ask the author or the Lord questions about this session, what would they be? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Q3: What is a personal application for your life (be specific)? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
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