Essay, Research Paper
Lesson 1Why We Should Witness Witnessing is a very important tool in Christianity. It was commanded by Jesus for us to go out and make disciples. The need for people to hear the Good News is a matter of life and death. In Ecclesiastes 7:2 it says: Death is the destiny of every man; the living should take to his heart. Because of mans sinful nature, we are undeserving of His forgiveness, destined to death and eternal separation from God. But Christ does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Jesus last command to the Christians was to make disciples. This command was not intended for the eleven remaining disciples, or the apostles, or just the ones with the gift of evangelism. This command is the responsibility of every man and woman who professes faith in Christ. God wants us to witness because of the gift that one receives upon accepting Jesus Christ. God also wants us to witness because of the gifts you will receive. Witnessing gives you spiritual growth, leading you to study the Word, and to depend on Christ. Wouldn t it be great to share the greatest, most valuable thing you have in your life?Upon someone accepting Christ as their savior:· They become children of God.· Their bodies become temples of God.· All of their sins are forgiven.· They begin to feel the peace and love of God.· They receive God s direction and purpose for their lives.· They experience God s power to change their lives.· They have the assurance of eternal life.Study Galatians 1 and 2 to learn more about the reasons we should witness for God.Lesson 2Jesus Showing Us How to Witness Many Christians fail miserably when they try to introduce others to Christ because they just don t know how to go about it. Knowing how to share your knowledge of God often makes a difference in effective witnessing. Before you can introduce others to Christ, you should:· Know that you are a Christian yourself. · Understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life personally.· Learn how to present the gospel so simply, clearly, and convincingly that the one you are sharing the gospel with will be able to make an intelligent decision for Christ as a Savior and Lord. Study Galatians 3 and 4 to follow Christ s example of witnessing.Also study John Chapter 4 to observe Jesus witnessing in the most effective manner. After studying John 4 you should discover new approaches and techniques of witnessing.Lesson 3Personal Preparation before WitnessingPersonal preparation is the key to witnessing. Here are some steps to see in yourself if you are personally prepared.· You should evaluate yourself and decide whether or not you are a Christian. You should commit every aspect of your life to God. Do everything you do for the glory of God. · Next thing you should do is repent. You should make sure that there is no unconfessed sin in you life. If a sinful act or attitude is keeping you from fellowship with Him, He will not be able to live through you. · You should fill yourself with the Holy Spirit. Invite the Holy Spirit to take control of your life and enable you to live a holy, to make you a fruitful witness for Him.· The last step is to be prepared to communicate your knowledge and faith of Christ. Keeping God top priority in your life and Lord of your heart is the best preparation for professing your faith.Study Galatians 5 and 6 to learn how to take a spiritual inventory in preparation for witnessing.Lesson 4Witnessing With the Word of GodPeter, under the power of the Holy Spirit, had to address a crowd at Pentecost. Some of the same people that were at the crucifixion were there to listen to Peter. Peter had denied Christ in front of some of the same people that were there to hear him speak. Under these circumstances, Peter s only resources had to be God s Word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. After studying the lesson that is prepared for you, you will be able to see the power of the Word of God, and its results.
Study Ephesians 1 and 2 and memorize 1 Peter 3:15 to learn more about the power of the Holy Bible. Lesson 5Witnessing With Prayer If you want your loved ones, your friends, and others to come to believe in Jesus as their personal savior, you should pray for them. You should follow the example of the Lord, and also pray for those that will believe in Him through your message. Jesus prayed that the Holy Spirit would make a big difference in His disciple s lives so that they could pray for the non-believers that they would build a strong desire to know God. For us to lead people to Christ, we must first talk to God about men, then talk to men about God. If we follow this order we will get great results. Everything is a part of God s plan and will, so if we pray within accordance to God s plan and will, we can be assured that our prayer will be answered. Prayer is were that people are won to Christ.Study Ephesians 3 and 4 to learn more about the vitality of prayer to witnessing. Lesson 6Letting the Holy Spirit Lead You as a Witness Lord Jesus has promised that the Holy Spirit will be there to all whom join Him in working to fulfill the Great Commission. When you are talking about Jesus, you should expect God to use you. We are also assured that the same resurrection powers and presence today through the Holy Spirit. Being self-conscious and fearing what others have to say about you will ruin your witness. You should stand firm in your beliefs. You will find through temptations and other confrontations with evil, that the Bible and prayer is your weapon. In Hebrews 4-12 it says For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Study Ephesians 5 and 6 to understand and trust the Holy Spirit s leading as you witness.Lesson 7How to Give a Clear and Simple Explanation of the Gospel If you died today, do you know for sure that you will go to heaven? This is a question you might ask a non-believer to get them listening to what you have to say. Let them know how important that the Lord is to your own life. Tell them how it has changed you. Also let them know how important it is to share the gospel with others, and tell them why you are doing it. If you don t get the person to come before the Lord and ask forgiveness you have not failed. The person that you have shared your testimony with now has a seed planted in there mind. And that seed will grow and there will also be other seeds planted by other people sharing the gospel. Those seeds will eventually grow into a conviction that they are a sinner and need Jesus to direct them in the right path. When you share the gospel to them know that man is sinful and corrupt by nature. Man is separated from God, and cannot know and experience God s love and plan for his life. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). There is a great separation between God and us. Man can try to reach God through works, a good life, or philosophy but he fails. The only way to experience and know the love of God is through Jesus Christ. God sent his own son here on earth to die for our sins. This is a gift from God that we don t deserve, but he loves everyone. God wants to see everyone come to know Him. It is part of his plan. By grace you have been saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9). When we receive Jesus as our savior we are reborn. We are reborn spiritually and begin to feel the love and peace of God. Trusting Jesus to come into our lives to forgive our sins is through faith.