Tag: evangelism

Posted on

Watch One, Do One, Teach One

Do what is right

Watch one, Do One, Teach One. One of the things I have learned in life is that original ideas come about once every one hundred years. Almost every new and innovative idea is a remake of a previous idea. Ányos Jedlik invented the electric car in 1928. We take something other people have already thought of, add our spin, and call it new. The idea behind watch one, do one, teach one is not new. It is biblical in that Jesus used this process to mature His disciples.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin.

Watch One

Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus was the consummate teacher. Reading, listening, and praying are the signs of a lifelong Christian learner. Jesus spent much time teaching the disciples the wisdom He wanted them to use when He sent them into the world. It was not learning for the sake of learning. He did not want them to be great Tanakh scholars; He wanted them equipped for the work ahead of them.

Do One

Matthew 10:5-8, “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Then Jesus asked them to do. He sent them out into the world to mimic what they had learned. They returned to Him to get instruction and advice. Jesus wanted them fully prepared to advance His Kingdom once He was gone.

Teach One

Matthew 28:18-20: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'”

Then Jesus commanded them to teach others what they had learned. Jesus watched His teaching go viral through His disciples. The best and fastest way to expand your message is to engage others in spreading that message.

What About Us

“I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.” – Confucius

As of 2024, there are approximately 2.6 billion Christians worldwide. That is quite a multiplier; twelve have grown into 2.6 billion. I don’t think I am going to have that impact. But I believe I will have an impact if I follow Jesus’ formula. It doesn’t make a difference what plan God has for your life; this formula applies. Wherever your passion, gifting, resources, or experience leads you, be a constant learner, do what you have learned, and then teach others.

James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

The idea behind Watch One, Do One, Teach One is pragmatic. Requiring the learner to do before they are allowed to teach means that the learner must have experienced life lessons from the learning before passing the knowledge to others. Do not skip over this phase. Doing infuses credibility into the audience when teaching. The teaching goes from theoretical to real life. Many spend their lives learning and trying to pass it on as teaching when we have never lived it. That is the definition of a hypocrite. To have an impact, you must live what you teach.

Romans 2:20-24, “An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Posted on

Live Like Jesus: Share What You Have

Live like Jesus. You must first embody those principles within yourself to inspire others to believe and act in a certain way. The old saying, “Do as I say, not as I do,” often used by parents, suggests a disconnect between advice and action. It implies that their guidance should be followed even when they might not be perfect. However, this can come across as, “I don’t have to act right, but you do.”

Luke 6:46, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?"

Many non-Christians perceive Christians in one of two ways: either as people who believe the only actual sin is that of others or as people who think, “We are both sinners, but God has forgiven me, but not you.” Both perceptions reflect a hypocritical, self-absorbed form of Christianity that lacks inclusiveness.

Jesus Spent Time with Everyone

Jesus spent time with non-believers, demonstrating that we are all sinners, including His disciples. He was often criticized for the company He kept and for criticizing the religious leaders’ hypocrisy. Jesus connected with non-believers out of genuine care. He did not condemn them for their lifestyle; instead, He encouraged them, showing compassion and grace. He knew many would still not believe, but this did not change how He treated them.

1 John 2:6, "Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

People are drawn to Jesus because they understand who He is, not just what He said. His words explained His nature and His love drew people in. This attitude allowed Him to guide them towards living a life more like His. Jesus’ appeal was otherworldly, breaking the mold of traditional religiosity. He ended performance-based religion, offering salvation through faith instead of sacrifice.

Embrace Positive Action

Sin is not irrelevant, but behavior driven solely by compliance and acceptance is devoid of love. It is a performance-based mindset focusing on the negative. In contrast, behavior driven by a desire to be like Jesus and to treat others with compassion is grounded in the positive. The goal is not merely to avoid hell, which is the natural outcome for those who have not accepted Christ, but to live as Christ did.

Ephesians 5:1, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children."

Do you avoid sin to keep God happy or strive to be like Jesus? Is your focus on avoiding wrongdoing or on doing what is right? Christ’s sacrifice means we no longer need to perform sacrifices to please Him. He delights in those who aspire to live as He lived.

What Can You Give Away?

Reflect on what you hold dear. Does a need for Christ’s acceptance drive your life? Do you believe your behavior, church attendance, Bible study, mission trips, and memorized verses endear you to Christ? Do you judge others by their compliance?

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” – Jim Elliot.

When Jesus encountered someone struggling with their sin, He felt compassion. He understood their pain, anxiety, fear, and loneliness. Jesus cherished love, acceptance, and the desire for them to find rest. While it is easy to judge others, it is more challenging to understand and accept them into the body of Christ.

Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Not everyone will respond positively to your invitation, but that doesn’t mean they never will. Transformation is possible only through the redeeming power of Christ. Live like Jesus, and allow Him to work through you.

Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."
Posted on

The Extraordinary Joy of Picking up Rocks

Picking up rocks. I had lunch with a friend a couple of days ago, and he enlightened me about one aspect of Christianity I had taken for granted. It was picking up rocks. If you ever have the chance to visit rural Northeastern United States, you will notice that much of the acreage has stone walls around it. Some of these walls were miles long. I used to think it was an incredible job to collect all those stones to build a fence.

The Revelation

James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

Then I had lunch this last week with a good friend. Being raised in a farm community, I have always liked the analogy of plowing the field, planting the seed, nurturing the seedlings, and then harvesting. It produced a familiar image of preparing someone to hear the Gospel, introducing them to the Gospel, mentoring them through discovery, and then bringing them to Christ. The idea was that we don’t achieve this by ourselves. Sometimes we plow, sometimes we plant seeds, we should always be nurturing, and then, if God is willing, we see the harvest.

My friend said I forgot about picking up rocks. Once he said it, It was obvious. Before you can plow virgin soil, you have to remove the impediments. Those stone walls are not the result of fence building; they are the resting place of those who pick up rocks.

Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Back on the Farm

Clearing a field of rocks is a hard job. You must dig them up out of the ground, wrestle them into your arms, and carry them to the field’s border; the border could be a half mile or more. The laborers picking up rocks typically don’t get noticed if they do a good job. They get noticed when the plow hits a rock. Plowing behind a mule or ox is backbreaking work on a good day; it is miserable when the field is full of rocks. Very seldom does the person responsible for picking up rocks get mentioned in the positive light of “Wasn’t plowing easy today?” They get mentioned when someone wants to know who is the so-in-so responsible for all the rocks.

 Ephesians 4:31, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

I realized that most of my life is about picking up rocks. One of the most significant ways I can serve and be obedient is by removing obstacles in front of non-believers searching for Christ. How many times have we heard non-believers complain about the hypocrisy of Christians? How many times has a non-believer witnessed a self-proclaimed Christian acting poorly? These are the rocks we need to pick up. I do not always view everyday life as evangelism. Evangelism is a deliberate task of sharing the Gospel, usually in a “mission field.” The mission field could be your office or home; it is always someplace that is well-defined.

Back to Real Life

Many a professing Christian is a stumbling block because his worship is divided. On Sunday, he worships God; on weekdays, God has little or no place in his thoughts. — Dwight L. Moody

Picking up rocks is continuous evangelism exercised where you are in the moment. It is the consistency by which you live your life. Every time we encounter the temptation to set aside our commitment to Christ to vent about something that has just happened, we decide to either put a rock in someone’s field or pick one up. You can give a non-believer a reason not to believe or give them a reason to believe.

Philippians 2:14, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”

It sucks to have that responsibility all the time. The decision becomes even more challenging if you use secular criteria. My dad used to say, “Life isn’t fair; get over it.” Picking up rocks is hard work. You must be on point with every interaction. It is not letting your guard down; keeping Christ at the forefront of your decision-making. Let’s face it, it is impossible to be consistent, but we can try to do our best. Start to view evangelism as an action that starts when your feet hit the floor in the morning and doesn’t stop until you slide them under the sheets at night.

1 Peter 2:23, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

The process seems to give gratification in reverse. Harvesting is the best; it provides closure and a sense of accomplishment. Nurturing brings gratification as we watch people grow. Planting seeds is a yeoman’s work; the results are hard to see. Plowing is even more challenging work, and there is no guarantee that anyone will follow up with planting. Picking up rocks sometimes is just picking up rocks. It is trying to be the best version of yourself and hoping that someone notices.

But picking up rock is what we are called to do.

1 Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the non-believers that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
Posted on

Does God think I’m a fool?

Does God think I’m a fool? On the one hand, that question seems arrogant because being a fool is no small matter. Being called a fool is more than saying I’m uneducated or uninformed; it is saying I lack common sense. It is saying that more information would not save me from my folly. On the other hand, is it possible that God may think of me as a fool? How did I get here? A couple of weeks ago, I referenced a parable in Luke (Luke 12:13-21) to make a point concerning storing up treasures here on earth. I couldn’t get the parable out of my mind because it made several points that haunted me.

Setting the Stage

Let’s set the stage for this spiritual dilemma. I am on the far-right side of the bell-shaped curve of life expectancy. Up to this point, I have beat the odds of average life expectancy. On top of that, for the most part, I am still healthy. God has blessed me with provisions that are meeting my needs for now. But I know my needs will change; how much and how soon is a guess. All of us are in the same dilemma today. No matter what age we find ourselves, God is meeting our essential needs today, but life is subject to change. What that change will entail is different for all of us. God is meeting your essential needs today because you are reading this. Being able to read this online connotates a certain level of prosperity; you are above the basic level on the Maslow hierarchy of needs.

Luke 12:27-30, “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. The pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows you need them.”

Back to the rich guy.

For the sake of time, I will paraphrase the parable. If you choose, you can follow the link above and read it. Jesus spoke to a crowd of people, probably in Judea, about a year before His crucifixion. He told the story of a rich man that had a great harvest. The harvest was so big that the man didn’t have room to store it all. So he decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to have security in the coming years. Then, he could “Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”

God rebukes the rich man by saying, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” God says, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

On the surface, this seems relatively straightforward, do not rely on material possessions for your salvation and future security. But we live in a material world. All of us need a certain level of materialism to survive. I believe that God is not opposed to wealth. I say this because people of every social standing need to hear the Gospel and who is better equipped to spread the Good News than peers? No matter our status in life, each of us has a specific target market for spreading the Gospel. So, we need the entire spectrum of humanity to reach the entire spectrum of humanity.

Lessons from a Fool

Two key phrases clarify this passage for me. The first is at the beginning. Jesus starts the parable by saying, “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.” Notice that Jesus didn’t credit the rich man for the harvest. He credits the ground. The first key to foolishness is to whom you give credit. The rich man was a fool because he treated the abundant harvest as his. Just as all other things like knowledge, experience, and talent are gifts from God, so was the harvest. Everything the rich man had was not of his effort but through grace from God.

Luke 12:15, “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

The second key phrase is when the rich man explains what he will do with the harvest proceeds. He said, “Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” The harvest was of God and should be used for God. So the second key to foolishness is what do you do with what God provides? Whatever position you find yourself in, it is God’s providence that it should be used for God.

Back to my Dilemma

My dilemma is your dilemma. Years ago, when I was with the prison ministry, I talked with a man on death row. I asked him what it was like to know the specific time and place of his death. His answer surprised me. Again, I will paraphrase it; the state will not allow me to die before the court-appointed time. It would be seen as escaping justice. So I can plan my last days. But, on the other hand, you do not know if you will live long enough to cross the parking lot today.

We are all rich men. Our harvest is different for each of us. It is not what we have but how we use it that will determine if we are seen as fools. Does God think I am a fool? I should hope not, but the opportunity is there. If I do not give Him credit for the good in my life and I do not use that good for His kingdom, then I am.

My future is uncertain, but my path is clear. Just as the ground yielded an abundant harvest for the rich man, so will it yield the same for me.

Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”

Posted on

Sharing the Gospel at Christmas

Sharing the Gospel at Christmas

Sharing the Gospel at Christmas is at the top of the Christmas to-do list for most Christians. It is the ideal time both because of the season and the company. We celebrate Christmas with those we love. Many of those people need to hear the Gospel.

Presentation

Sharing the Gospel at Christmas can be daunting when celebrating with non-believing relatives and friends. Conventional Christian wisdom says we start with God as the creator of all things; we then talk about the garden, man’s fall, and Christ’s salvation. This is a complicated conversation to glide into between courses at the table. But Christmas seems to be the perfect time for this.

Romans 10:14-15, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them, and how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Alternatively, we could grab everyone’s attention by telling the story of Christmas. We can start with Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, then end with our reconciliation. Again, this might be a bit awkward to an audience that didn’t come for a performance. So how do we use this opportunity to spread the good word?

Philippians 2:7, “rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

There might be a more straightforward approach. But first, we need to recognize the players. The author of the story is God. He chooses the people for salvation (Thessalonians 1:4). The author of our salvation is Christ. He is the only one who can save (Thessalonians 1:10). There is our role; we communicate the Gospel through our words and actions (Thessalonians 1:5). There is the Holy Spirit that empowers us; it gives us the gift of effective communication (Thessalonians 1:5). And finally, there is the person you are talking to; they must be open to the message and respond to it (Thessalonians 1:6).

Matthew 20:16, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

This model is repeated throughout the Bible, not just with Paul and Thessalonians; Philip evangelized with the Ethiopian is another example. We must remember our role in evangelism; communicate the Gospel through words and actions. We cannot and should not try to orchestrate the roles of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, or others. This is the first rule to having a great Christmas with family and friends. We must accept our role versus God’s and be willing to do our part when called upon.

Adaptation

Not everyone is the same. We all have our go-to personality. Some are cognitive thinkers who want facts, evidence, and discussion. Others are Intuitive thinkers who need emotions and feelings. Then there is the concrete-relational thinker who needs practical application. Based on what personality testing you have been trained on, there are even more subdivisions of personality traits. The point is that one size does not fit all. The path to salvation has many turns and twists. This is where we have to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us. This is where I involve everyday evangelism, adapting our story to fit the needs of the person I am talking with to demonstrate Christ’s story of salvation.

I know the experiences of my life better than I know the Gospel. No one can defend the facts of my life better than I. I am an undisputed authority on how God changed me.

Realization

Because I was raised in a farming community, I like the visual that the agricultural parable provides. First, there is preparing the ground; then there is planting, followed by nurturing, and finally, the harvest. Evangelism involves in all four phases. God attracts people to Himself by preparing their hearts. We may be part of this process through the way we both model salvation and communicate it. But the ground is still barren. Next, the seed of the Gospel is planted. It may take some time before it starts to germinate. The Lodgepole Pine uses fire to germinate. That is the reasons forests come back after a great fire. Some people are this way. It takes a great fire in their life to germinate the seed of the Gospel.

Matthew 17:3-8, “Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places where they did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no roots. Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still, other seeds fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”

Then comes nurturing the word. The word has taken hold, but what type of soil? Part of our evangelistic ministry is to nurture the seeds planted by others. Do we model the Gospel? Christmas can be chaotic, noisy, disappointing, exciting, and crazy good all at the same time. This confluence can and will create opportunity. What we say and do under stress is one of the most significant tests of our faith. It is also one of the best evangelistic tools.   This is a time to nurture the non-believer, showing them the way.

Titus 1:9, “Their belief in the truth that they have been taught must be strong and steadfast so that they will be able to teach it to others and show those who disagree with them where they are wrong.”

Harvest

The harvest. Who does not love the harvest? It is a time of celebration and renewal. Very few of us truly get to see a harvest. We spend far more time working the field than harvesting. If you are privileged to be involved in the harvest, remember that someone else did a lot of the hard work.

If I could give one piece of advice regarding sharing the Gospel at Christmas, enjoy yourself. Let God do His magic through you. Understand that you are not the savior of their soul. God owns the process you are part of. He has been gracious enough to include you in His plan for another. You can’t screw it up because it isn’t your plan.

Do your part but let God do the heavy lifting.

Luke 1:37, “For every promise from God shall surely come true.”

Purpose Driven Life Proudly powered by WordPress