Using your style;

    I have been looking at evangelism from the viewpoint that everyone is different. We all have what may be known as a personality “style” that filters over into our witness for Christ. Some are Confrontational - like Peter in Acts 2:23-24 and 36. Some are Intellectual - like Paul in Athens as he related what he had to say to their culture; Acts 17:22. Others are Testimonial like the blind man in John 9 - he didn’t want to argue or try to explain what happened, he simply said; “I was blind, now I see!” Some are Interpersonal - like Matthew in Luke 5 - let’s look at this one; Jesus calls Matthew - “come follow me” and Matthew does. Then he throws a party and invites all his friends (who happen to be tax collectors.) This coincides closely with a person who is Invitational - like the woman at the well in John 4 who goes back to town and invites the people to “come and see”;  And finally, those who have a Servant style…They are the ones who “show up” at events like weddings and funerals, and do what needs to be done. No glory, no thanks, and no pat on the back or praise…they are just there when needed. While some of the styles may overlap - all should overlap with “invitational.” When dealing with people and witnessing, it is usually best to stick with your style…because that is your comfort zone.

    No matter what style or approach we may use, when people are convicted by the Holy Spirit they have two choices; they can become hostile and try to defend their sin…or they can surrender. However, we can’t just point out the problem…we also must have the answer!
    When it comes to evangelism and witnessing, what is the goal? (Salvation)  It’s not enough to just be nice and courteous and spend time with people, even with family, hoping that somehow our faith will “rub off”. It’s not enough to intellectually explain or debate the Bible, nor is it enough just to be bold and confront sin, we must look for ways to talk about Jesus and the gift of God’s grace, and invite a response. When we stand before the Lord, I would think we would rather be holding their hand than just wondering where they are? 
    Will they reject us or what we have to say? Maybe, but say it anyway!  It may not be what they want to hear, but someone has got to tell them. When the Apostle Paul spoke, there were usually three reactions; 1. They were mad. 2. They were curious, and wanted to know more. 3. They were convinced, and made a decision.  We will get the same three reactions from people.
    Now, let me explain the three different conversational methods; first, there is the Direct method. Typically a question or a statement. Do you ever think about spiritual things? On a scale of 1-10 where is your relationship with God? You seem to have a lot of opinions about (church or spiritual matters) what translation of Bible do you like best?
    Second is the Indirect method. This involves a transition from what’s being said or done into spiritual thinking. For instance: Situation where it is natural to comment on (nature) be it the weather, beautiful sights, or animals in the Zoo. Perhaps just sitting around talking about hobbies or talents and abilities. Or, your friend confides in you about a problem they are having.
    Third is the Invitational method. It’s an opportunity to get to know them. Whenever there is something special going on you invite them to come or, you can (extend) the invitation by doing something before or after. Remember this is a “no strings attached” relationship. If they say; “We don’t want to attend_____ but, we will meet you after”… It’s still an opportunity to get to know them better.
    These conversational methods can work with any style. However, if you feel like you have an ulterior motive, you do! But, what better motive could you have than to see your family, friends, and neighbors saved and transformed by the power of Jesus Christ! It’s called - “LOVE”
    There was a little lesson we all learned as children when crossing the street. Do you remember what it was? “Stop, Look, and Listen.” The same applies to conversations with our family and friends.

“What’s Your Style?”
Acts 28:17-31

    Let me repeat verse 31 – “Boldly and without hindrance he preached the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Apostle Paul was both a preacher and a teacher. I would say that was his evangelism style. I can sort of relate to Paul because I too am a preacher/teacher. I read a book years ago called “Becoming a Contagious Christian” and I think this is where much of what I will post in the next few days comes from. 

    I will get into each one of the “styles” of evangelism as we go, but for today I will simply list them and explain each one briefly:

1.  Confrontational style. (Usually starts with a question - What you are doing….)

2.  Intellectual style.  (It is written…Well, the Bible says…)
3.  Testimonial style.  (Let me tell you my story…)
4.  Interpersonal style.  (I would like to get to know you…)
5.  Invitational style.  (Come and see…)
6.  Servant style.  (Let me do that…How can I help you…)

    Each one of us has one or more of these “styles” which usually coincide with our personality type. Not all of us are made to confront people on the street and lead them to Christ, nor are we made to speak or preach to crowds or congregations. We also need to realize that each style has its own weaknesses and faults. None are perfect and the only way. In fact, God may use all of them together through different people to bring one person into the Kingdom. However, with all that being said, we are all called to witness. We are all called to “go and tell” or “Show and Tell” as the Title of my third book says. (A shameless plug.)

    Every attempt at evangelism has three stories. #1. Their story. #2. Our story. And #3. His story.  While their story or their circumstance will always be different, our story and His story never changes. So, let’s talk first about our story;
    Our story has three components; the first part is “B.C” - Before Christ. What was our life like before we became Christian…before we were “Born again.” The second part of our story is “The Cross.” What is the story of our conversion? How did we find our way to and believe in, the Cross. Then the third part of our story is “A.C” - After Christ. What has God done in our life and what is He doing in our life? You see, our story is not a “one time – at church – whenever” experience; it is a continuing journey with Christ that never ends! We are “In It For Life.” (Another shameless plug.)
    His story has four parts; the first is God himself. Do you Believe there is a God? In order to come to Him, the Bible says we must first believe He exists. It’s what is called “getting the first button in the right buttonhole!” This part also includes talking about His character and His expectations.
    The second part of His story is about how we fall short of those expectations. It’s about sin which separates us from God. It’s also about the penalty for sin, which is the only expectation of the result of the path of a sinful life and lifestyle.
    The third part of His story is Christ – the Son of God – who died on the Cross. It’s the story of repentance and forgiveness and salvation. It’s all about God’s love that provided a way, and the only way, to receive His grace and the assurance of eternal life.
    The fourth part of His story is about the how we can become new. Salvation is a free gift offered to all who believe. However, you must receive it. You must repent and ask. And, you must believe that it is done!
Their story, your story, and His story…Which style do you use to tell the story?

“Above The Crowd”
Luke 19:1-10 and Mark 10:46-52   

    Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. This whole journey starts five chapters back in Luke chapter 12 - Jesus had just finished giving the Pharisees a piece of his mind…and chapter 12 begins with - “a crowd of many thousands had gathered”…13:22 says; “Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem”…14:25 tells us again that “large crowds were traveling with Jesus”…16:11 - “On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee” (This would be the road that led from the Jordan -through Jericho - on to Jerusalem.) In chapter 18:31 It says that “Jesus took the twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled”…but, they didn’t get it. As Jesus and the crowd approach Jericho, we have our scripture concerning the Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who receives his sight, and then, as they move on, the story of Zaccheus.

    There are some interesting insights found in certain words in this story. For instance, notice that it says that Zaccheus “wanted to see who Jesus was.” Zaccheus was a “seeker”…someone who is not looking for a church, not really looking for salvation, considers himself far from “religious” but, he’s curious as to this man Jesus that everyone is talking about and making such a fuss over!
    Because of the large crowd and the fact that Zaccheus was a “wee little man”… the people were blocking his view. Zaccheus climbed up in a Sycamore tree and became a man above the crowd. He had the best seat in the house. He had a bird’s eye view. You see, sometimes we need to climb a little higher if we really want to see Jesus…(hello) The higher you go, the better you can see him. There are times when the crowd is blocking our view, and people will distract us, obstruct us, occupy us, and hinder us from seeing Christ!  The best view is from higher ground.
    Not only did Zaccheus get to see Jesus, but he had Jesus go home with him. That’s what the church is all about. It’s about getting people to see Jesus; to see His power, His love, His glory, His sacrifice, to see the reason so many people follow Him, and then to see them take Jesus home with them!
    In this story, we find out a few things about Zaccheus; first we know that he is an I.R.S. agent; a tax collector. Public sentiment towards tax collectors in that day was not good. In the Gospels we are told several times that the people and the Pharisees complained about Jesus eating and socializing with “tax collectors and sinners” as if there were “sinners” and then a special class of sinners called “tax collectors!” To these people tax collectors were traitors!  We find out a little later in the story that he is also a thief and an extortionist, which of course is why it says he was wealthy.
    We also know that Zaccheus was short. “Zaccheus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.” All in all, if you will excuse the pun, Zaccheus just didn’t measure up!
    Zaccheus was curious about this man Jesus. I’m sure he had heard - maybe even from Matthew who was also a tax collector - about this Jesus who healed the lame, and caused the blind to see, and even raised the dead!  He heard about this Jesus who doesn’t care what you look like, what you do for a living, or how sinful your past may have been…or is…He offers forgiveness and healing, and even more than that, he befriends tax collectors!
    Most of us have been to a parade, and unless you get there early, the crowds line the streets and you have a hard time seeing what’s going on. This is especially true of children, who are too small to see over the crowd. And, so what you see sometimes, is fathers with their children up on their shoulders in order to give them a better view. Now, Zaccheus couldn’t climb up on anyone’s shoulders, so he thinks of the next best thing; the Sycamore tree. Now, imagine, here is a grown man, a government official, doing a very undignified and childlike thing; he starts climbing up in the tree.
    Then, along comes Jesus. Just before he enters Jericho, there is a blind beggar named Bartimaeus sitting by the roadside. He heals his blindness and Bartimaeus follows Jesus into Jericho. The people are all around Jesus, calling out his name, trying to get his attention, touching his clothes…and Jesus suddenly stops at the base of the tree, looks up…(and of course, when someone looks up what happens?  Everyone else looks up!) …And there is Zacch! I can imagine a sudden hush comes over the crowd…and Jesus says; Zacchaeus! Come down! I must stay at your house tonight!”
    While it simply says that he came down out of the tree, I think about this time, Zacch was probably about as red as a tomato and having a few heart palpitations! He probably couldn’t believe that Jesus knew who he was and called him by name…but, Jesus not only knew his name, he knew his need!  By the way, he also knew the attitude of the other people in the crowd, who began to mutter and mumble and gossip…(verse 7)
    This was probably the first time in a long time - if ever - that anyone wanted to eat or stay at Zacch’s house. And, in the presence of Jesus, he is suddenly struck by the poverty of his soul and the shabbiness of his selfish and self-centered life, and he confesses his sins and vows to repent of his ways. What a wonderful, true to life, story of a close encounter of the divine kind!
    Was Zaccheus changed at all by this close encounter?  Well, we are told that he is now “giving” instead of “taking”…(“Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor”) Do you know that people of the world are “takers” and not givers? And, even when they do give, it’s because they stand to gain something from it? 
    And, then he vows restitution for his stealing, greedy, life.  But, I would venture to say that even more changed in Zacch’s life than that. I think his self-worth or self-esteem changed drastically; obviously his family relationships as well as other relationships changed; and I’m sure his whole outlook on life changed.
    Zaccheus, like so many others, was a man on a trapeze. Hanging on that trapeze was his security, it was his habit, his pattern for life. This one bar, this one way of doing things, “loving things and using people.” Then God swings another trapeze in his direction…and now he was faced with a dilemma; Should he relinquish the past and reach for the new bar? Should he give up his lifestyle and unbelief, his success and wealth, his position of power and security, in order to grab this new bar?  In order to do so, he would have to let go of the old one! He would have to start “loving people and using things! Zaccheus makes the right decision, and Jesus says; “Today, salvation has come to this house!” “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost”…was Jesus’ purpose statement!
    Let me close with a contrast between Bartimaeus and Zaccheus; One was sitting by the wayside, the other in a tree; One was rich, the other poor; One needed physical healing, the other spiritual and emotional healing; both gained eternal life; One had to get up to be saved, the other had to get down; The truth is that Jesus comes to seek and to save people in both extremes and everyone in between. Everything Zaccheus had heard about Jesus was true! …And, I’m sure he was glad that he climbed above the crowd.
The question today is, can you see him from where you are?