Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Conversations for discipleship 7

This is the last post in the series of conversations to have with a young follower of Jesus. They are conversations that will bolster their faith, draw them to Jesus and then will equip them to go out into the world.


This conversation is about mission

As image bearers of God we are sent on a mission just like God. God is a sent and sending God. The Father sent the Son on a rescue mission for us, and the Father and Son send the Holy Spirit to help us and to glorify the Father and the Son.

The woman at the well in John 4:1-26 can't help but tell her friends, family, and neighbors about Jesus after meeting and talking to Him. In the same way, we get to share the good news about Jesus with everyone in hope that they too will give Him their sin and experience new life in Him.

"Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, `He told me all that I ever did."" (John 5:39) One of the very first things that will happen after someone becomes a Christian will be evangelism. Just like the woman at the well after someone encounters Jesus they will want to go back to his or her friends, telling them the good news about Jesus.

Therefore we should do whatever we can to help someone understand how to share the Gospel. If the person is a Christian, they know the Gospel already. However, many of us are afraid that we will not "do it right." The Samaritan woman was not theologically sophisticated, her message was simple—"He told me all that I ever did"—and people believed because of her testimony.

Successful evangelism is taking the initiative to share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to God.

task:
Share some examples of how you have shared your faith with friends and family.
Explain: Successful evangelism is taking the initiative to share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to God.

Questions to ask:

  • Do you have friends or family that don’t know Jesus yet?
  • What do you think it will look like to talk to them about what He has done in your life? 
  • What are some of your fears about sharing your faith?


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