FIRST STEPS (8)
    New Purpose - Sharing Your Faith

    ​On the Mississippi River in the United States of America there are several riverboats which take passengers for a cruise up the river.  The captain of one of the riverboats had a story to tell his passengers. "Do you see the captain of that boat?" he would ask, pointing to a certain riverboat. "Yes, I see him," would come the reply. "What's so special about him?" The captain would then tell the story of how his boat once collided with the other boat, and how he was thrown overboard. He was in grave danger of drowning, but the other captain dived into the water and rescued him, saving his life.
    ​"That's the man who saved my life," he would say. "Ever since that day I have wanted to point this man out to as many people as possible. I owe my life to this man."
     
    In a similar way when a person is saved from the eternal punishment of hell, by faith in Christ, he wants to point out to others the one who has saved him. It is only natural that Christians would want to tell others about Jesus and His salvation.
    When we share with others what Jesus has done in our lives we do two things:
    • We give glory to the Lord for His work of saving us.
    • We give others the opportunity to come to know God's love and salvation for themselves.
     
    The purpose of this study is to help you to share your faith in Christ with others, knowing that each and every person needs Jesus.
    Jesus wants us to be His witnesses. To be a witness involves three things:
    • A witness must have a firsthand knowledge of the facts.
    • A witness must be prepared to give evidence.
    • A witness must be prepared to pay the price for giving their testimony. (The word 'witness' is translated from the Greek word martus, from which we get the word 'martyr'!)
     
    The Facts.
    It is important to be able to share the basic facts of the gospel from the New Testament. The "Romans Plan" is a simple presentation of the gospel based on four verses from the book of Romans. All you need to do is remember the first verse, which is Romans 3:23. By the side of this verse in your Bible write the next verse, and so on, covering all four verses.
     
    The Romans Road.
    ​These are the basic facts of the gospel. Knowing these things equips you to be a witness for Jesus.
    The Evidence.
    As Christians we can give evidence for the gospel, because we know that He saves men and women from their sin, and gives them eternal life. How do we know? Because he has saved us! We have firsthand experience of His salvation. We can give our testimony, i.e. tell others what happened to us. In Study # 1 we saw that there are three parts to every testimony. What are they?
    ​As you learn to share your testimony you will have a powerful means of witnessing for Jesus. No one can dispute your own personal experience of salvation.
    The Devil does not like it when we give our testimony of salvation. For this reason he tries to stop us from sharing it. He does this by telling us that our lives are not very good, and therefore we have no right to talk about our Christian life. Remember, our testimony is not about what we have done for the Lord, but what He has done for us! That is why we will always have a testimony to share with others.
     
    When you get time, read what happened when Jesus met with a broken lady in John 4, and how her testimony caused her whole village to believe in Jesus.  They saw how this woman - a sinner, was now different, and this sparked in them a desire to know more. Many of them believed because of the woman’s testimony, but then they wanted to experience the presence of Jesus for themselves, so she took them to a place where they could meet Him.
     
    Important Note:  Whether someone says yes or no, do what the woman in the story did and invite them to come to a place where they can see for themselves.  Bring them to church or to some other meeting where Christians are gathering to worship God, and let God change their heart.
     
    The Price.
    Not every one we share the gospel with will be enthusiastic about receiving it. In fact, we are most likely to encounter some opposition from time to time This is another thing Satan will use to try to prevent
    us from witnessing.  
    ​
    According to Revelation 12:11, what three things are instrumental in overcoming the enemy?
    An easy way to share the Gospel:   You can use your 5 fingers to help remind you of the timeless and powerful message of Jesus, which you can share to lead others to Jesus.   (It’s based upon John 3:16, and Romans)
     
    Thumb:                  God loves me (and you)
    Pointer:                  I have sinned (and so have we all - Rom 3:23)
    Middle finger:        Jesus took my place and died on the cross (to pay for my sin and yours – Rom 5:8)
    Ring finger:           so that if I repent and believe on Jesus …
    Little finger:           I shall have everlasting life
     
    When you have finished sharing with them, ask them if they would like to receive Jesus as their Lord and saviour? If they say yes, lead them through a short prayer.  “I acknowledge my need for you God, and I believe you died for my sins. I confess those sins to you and receive you into my life as my Lord and Saviour. Amen”  
     
    Application
    Of those who get saved, the majority are brought to Christ by those who know them, eg. their relatives, neighbours, friends, work associates, etc.
    • Ask the Lord for definite opportunities to witness to these people.
    • Pray against the obstacles to their salvation.
    • Pray that others will also witness to them, confirming your testimony.
     
    Disciples Making Disciples
    Jesus’ final words to His disciples are found in Mat 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
     
    The call to make disciples has never ceased.  You are called to make to disciples.  Each one of us is called to make disciples.  This is the greatest and most rewarding mission that mankind has ever been given, yet it is not without it’s challenges.   Talk to your mentor about Life Transformation Groups, as a practical and powerful means to make disciples.  It involves 3 key things:  1. Reading God’s Word,   2. Accountability questions,   3. Praying for and reaching out to the lost.