Category: Evangelism

How to Reach those Steeped in Tradition

“Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods… answered Jeremiah, saying: ‘As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you!’” Jeremiah 44:15-16

After God declared through Jeremiah that He would punish the Jews who fled to Egypt for refuge instead of to God (44:1-14), those Jews defiantly declared, “We will not listen to you!” (44:16). These men listened to “their wives” who “had burned incense to other gods” in Egypt (44:15) instead of to God. Their idolatrous traditions kept them from hearing and seeing the truth of God’s Word.

How can we effectively reach people with the gospel who are deeply entrenched in religious traditions whose customs and practices keep them from hearing and interpreting the gospel in the way God intended?

1. Take them to the Lord in prayer because only the Holy Spirit can convict them of their sinfulness and their need to believe in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life (John 16:7-11). 
2. Express appreciation for their commitment to glorify God by following traditions. Although their traditions may be wrong or unnecessary, they may be very sincere about doing what they think is right. 
3. Encourage them to study the Bible for themselves, reading out of the text what it says in comparison to what they were taught about their traditions (cf. John 5:39). 
4. Ask the Lord to bring one or two people who were saved out of the same tradition who can effectively share their testimonies with them (cf. Acts 18:24-28). 
5. Build them up with the hope that God could use them to reach others from the same tradition. They do not have to abandon their loved ones, but they can return to them with the life-changing message of the gospel of grace (cf. John 1:40-51)! 

(Adapted from EvanTell’s 2014 The Evangelism Study Bible, p. 864).

How to Witness to those who do not Believe the Bible

I was recently asked the question, “How do you tell a person about Jesus if he/she does not believe in the Bible?”

A mentor of mine, Larry Moyer, has effectively witnessed to many non-Christians who did not believe the Bible. He taught me the following: 

I would recommend you start with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The truth about Jesus does not stand or fall with the Bible. It stands or falls with Jesus’ resurrection. Even if there was no Bible, every person on earth would still have to deal with the Person of Jesus Christ because of His empty tomb. So challenge the non-Christian by asking, “Has anyone disproved Jesus’ empty tomb?” The empty tomb is based upon well documented historical facts apart from the Bible. Challenge them to read former skeptics’ books containing evidence that persuaded them to believe in Jesus such as Josh McDowell’s “Evidence That Demands A Verdict,” or “The Resurrection Factor,” and Lee Strobel’s “The Case For Christ,” or “The Case For Easter.” No one has succeeded in proving that Jesus did not rise from the dead. If Jesus did rise from the dead (and He did), then they must deal with what Jesus said in the Bible. 

For example, many skeptics have a difficult time believing the supernatural events of the Old Testament such as the creation of the first man and woman, Noah and the worldwide flood, or Jonah and the great fish. Jesus taught that such events were historically true (Matthew 12:39-41; 19:4-5; 24:37-38; Mark 10:6-7; Luke 11:29-32; 17:26-27).  Have them start with the Gospel of John which is written to non-Christians to tell them how to get to heaven (John 20:31). When they eventually believe in Christ for everlasting life (John 3:15-16), His Holy Spirit will help them understand and apply the Bible to their life (John 14:26; 16:7-14; I John 2:20-21, 27).

Using Numbers in Evangelism

“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually.” Numbers 1:2

The purpose of counting every male 20 years old and above was to determine how many men were able to go to war for Israel when entering the Promised Land (1:3). This would help them determine the strategy to use against their enemies and could also provide encouragement for the people. But there is also a danger in keeping track of numbers. It can lead to pride such as when King David took a census for prideful reasons in 2 Samuel 24. 

It is not wrong to keep track of numbers in evangelism if it is done to bring God glory (I Cor. 10:31). God recorded the number of people saved early in the book of Acts to show His power and influence (Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:36; cf. 6:1, 7; 11:21; 16:5). This can still encourage believers today to develop a bigger vision for what God can do in and through them. Let us not forget that each number represents a person for whom Jesus died. Each person is important to God. Plus, keeping track of numbers can enable us to develop the proper strategy for discipling those new believers. In addition, it helps you measure the effectiveness of your ministry. 

It is also important to remember the dangers of keeping track of numbers in evangelism. If pride is your motivation, then you are inviting God’s discipline on your life (2 Samuel 24). Pride can lead us to exaggerate numbers to make ourselves look good to others. So, ask yourself, “Why am I keeping track of numbers?” If it is to impress others or feed an addiction, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Our identity is not based on how many people come to Christ. Our identity is found in Christ alone (Ephes. 1:6; Col. 2:10). Our value and acceptance before God are based upon Jesus Christ alone, not our works. His grace determines our worth, not the results of a ministry.

(Adapted from EvanTell’s 2014 Evangelism Study Bible, p. 1340.)