Effective evangelism is anchored on these four truths.

The Cross

The cross of Christ is the medicine for the disease of sin exposed by the Law and gives people hope for an eternity with Christ  in heaven.  (You might want to read that again!)

No effective evangelism can be done if one does not talk about Jesus and what he accomplished on the cross.  When people are under conviction of the Holy Spirit it is time to talk about the Cross.  He took our sin and guilt.  He paid the penalty.  When he rose for the dead, he obtained the power to forgive you of your sin and cleanse your conscience.  You can now have peace with God, through Jesus.

In your conversation you may say,

• If you stand before God today, would you be innocent or guilty of his Law?
• Where do the guilty go?
• Does that concern you?
• What would you think if someone was willing to pay for the guilt of your sin and declare you innocent?

Anchor your conversations and preaching on the great truths of the Cross of Christ! This is what gives evangelism POWER.

jacob bock

Effective evangelism is anchored on these four truths.

God’s Law

Romans 2 says, “They show the proof of the Law written on their hearts, and their consciences affirm it. Their conflicting thoughts will accuse them, or even make a defense for them.”

Paul also says that the Law is GOOD, if we use it effectively.

The 10 commandments are one of the most useful tools we have in our tool box of evangelism.  Talking about the Law will bring swift conviction to people’s hearts.  Their conscience will rise up and accuse them and they will feel their guilt before God.  Before long, they will be looking for a medicine to cure their disease!

In a conversation with someone who thinks they are good enough to go to heaven you may ask:

• Do you know the 10 commandments?
• Have you obeyed them always?
• For example, have you always loved and obeyed God above all other things?

Any one of the 10 commandments works great to bring conviction to people’s heart.  When conviction comes, you know they are having an experience with the Holy Spirit.

If you want to be effective in evangelism, talk about God’s Law.

jacob bock

Effective evangelism is anchored on these four truths.

1. Eternity
2. God’s Law
3. The Cross
4. The power of the Spirit

AIM AT ETERNITY

Solomon said, “God has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds.”

God has written ETERNITY in the heart of everyone.  It is the sense that after death, there is something more.  People may not know what it is, but God has put that gnawing question in there for a reason.  Therefore, if we aim at eternity, we are very likely to have a great conversation about the Lord.

In a conversation you may say:

By starting a conversation with questions about eternity, it makes evangelism easier.  You have directed the conversation toward something that is in their heart.  By using questions you can guide the conversation to the other two truths: The Law and the Cross.

Talk about eternity.

jacob bock

Who has a better chance of getting into heaven:  A good person or a bad person?   A religious person or a prostitute?

Charles Spurgeon said, ”The best attraction is the gospel in its purity.

If you want to keep a crowd, HERALD THE GOOD NEWS:

• That if they will turn from their sin, God will turn from His anger.
• If they will turn to God in humility and trust, He will turn to them with forgiveness and eternal life.
• That He died so that we might have life.
• That He drank the cup of the wrath of God so we would not have to.
• He took the judgment for sin, so we don’t have to.
• He took God’s anger so we could receive His mercy.
• He tasted hell and death so we wouldn’t have to.
• He took our beating so we wouldn’t have to.
• He was wounded for our transgressions,
• He was bruised for our iniquities.
• He was whipped so we could be healed.
• That God that so loved the world, and is not willing for anyone to perish.

You cannot improve on the amazing story of the Gospel, nor is their any need to!  

jacob bock

One of the most discouraging aspects of open-air ministry is when you preach with all your heart and no one seems to be listening.

The crowd Jeremiah preached to was just like ours…

“Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘ Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’  (6:16-17)

Zechariah said of his crowd…

“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words, which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. (7:11)

Jesus said of his crowd…

“How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Lk 13:34)

So why don’t they listen?

• Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
• For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
• They don’t want anyone to rule over them.
• They want their will.  They don’t want anyone to tell them what to do.

So now that I have answered that question, I leave you with another.

What hope is there for our apathetic crowd and what can we do about it?

jacob bock