TOPIC:“Witnessing - The Presentation of the Content”
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:Acts 1:1-8
“And you shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8)
As we come to this third message in a series of five on dynamic Christian witnessing, we are concerned with the presentation of the content. It is now our major aim to bring the sinner and the Savior together. This is what the Apostle Paul was writing about when he declared to the Corinthians: “God hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation” (II Corinthians 5:18).
What an amazing privilege this was to Paul to stand in the place of Christ and speak on behalf of Christ. To be given the honor of declaring to a lost humanity the message of God's love in Christ. To communicate to lost men everywhere the absolute necessity of being born twice. To become the tongue, the voice, the very mouth-piece of God, announcing the “good news” that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” (II Corinthians 5:19). He could have given this work to angels, but He gave it to you and me.
Before coming to grips with the actual procedure of how to witness for Christ, it would be good to realize that the contact has been planned by God and our conversation in that contact has been prepared by God. Our part is to make certain that prayer precedes, accompanies, and follows every contact that is made by us in reaching people for Christ.
I.
Consider, first of all, the APPROACH the soul winner may use. There are many different approaches which can be used in presenting the Gospel of Christ to people. Each one has its rightful place. If the soul winner is alert for opportunities in witnessing, they will have that spiritual sensitivity of being able to seek out lost souls that come across their path each day. Their approach for an entrance of the Gospel message may be planned along one of several different ways. Let me spend just a few minutes on each one of these.
The DIRECT Approach
This approach must be used with care and only when there is no time for a planned contact. It is a sudden abrupt approach to a person regarding his relationship to God. In this approach the soul winner goes straight to the matter at hand - the person's salvation. This shock approach under special circumstances may be used by the Holy Spirit to awaken a person to their need of Christ. There have been occasions when I have used this method of approach because the circumstances justified it. The kind of questions asked in this approach are: “Are you saved?” “Have you been born again?” Are you ready to meet God?”
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