JESUS SHOWS HOW TO WITNESS

Witnessing Techniques

As we continue our study of "How to Witness" in our Bible Study lessons on Sunday morning, we will look at the illustration that Jesus gave to us.
Read John 4:1-42, the story that John shares about Jesus' conversation with the women from Samaria.

Please look at this story and then answer the questions in your resource book on pages 275 - 278.

POND AND FOUNTAIN IN LAKE FOREST SUBDIVISION

 On a hot day Jesus told a thirsty woman, "If you ask me I will give you Living Water."

Jesus had to start the conversation with the woman. In that culture women were not allowed to begin a conversation with a man. Also Jesus is a Jew and the woman is a Samaritan. The Jewish people did not talk with Samaritan people because they were half-breeds. Therefore in order for Jesus to speak to this woman and discuss with her the important information regarding her spiritual life, He had to break through several barriers.  This is is certainly true today as you and I speak with a person about their spiritual life and where they will spend eternity. We will need to break through some barriers to get the person to listen to the gospel message that we have a desire to    present to them in love.

How do we connect with people? This is our subject matter for Sunday. Please read in your resource book pages 436 - 444. In these pages you will see How to present the four spiritual laws.
As Pastor Charles spoke about in his sermon this past Sunday morning, we may need to apply the term he used "contextualize". Some people may be turned off or object to the term "laws" so we may want to use a term such as God's Four Spiritual "Principles".  People of today may relate and understand the term principles instead of laws.

From a witnessing pamphlet of Campus Crusade written by Dr. Bill Bright the following principles or laws are stated. 
These principles are:
1. God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
2. Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
3. Jesus Christ is God's only  provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.
4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.

Each of these principles are reinforced by specific scriptural references.  As you study this week become familiar with these Bible verses.  Also be aware of the people that you may have an opportunity to share God's love with them.

As is written: "God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 
"The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23b

THE CHRISTIAN AND WITNESSING

The Christian and Witnessing; bringing words of hope to the world around you.

 The title listed in this blog is our theme for our Bible study for the next six weeks for our women's class at First Baptist Church, Paducah, Kentucky. These lessons are listed in your resource book:
A Handbook for Christian Maturity by Dr. Bill Bright. The following titles are the lesson themes:

July 27: Why We Witness                                                 

Waterfall at Lake Forest Subdivision

August 3: Jesus Shows How to Witness


August 10: Qualifications for Witness

August 17: Witnessing and the Word of God

August 24: Witnessing and Prayer

August 31: Witnessing and the Holy Spirit

As I drive through my subdivision at Lake Forest, I see this beautiful waterfall each day. During these hot summer days, it is so refreshing to see and hear the sound of cool water as it spills down the waterfall into the pond below. It is a reminder to me that I have living water given to me by Jesus the Son of God. He commands me as a follower of His to share His living water with thirsty people in this world that I come in contact each day. In John 4:13 - 14, Jesus answers the woman of Samaria, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

In the next six weeks, we will examine our testimony and sharpen our skills in sharing what Jesus has done for us with those all around us. I invite you to come and join us in this study. 

Dr. Bill Bright list the following reasons why this is a very important study for followers of Jesus and why we should verbally witness:
1. People are lost without Christ and hungry for God
2. Jesus Christ is the only Savior
3. We have a commission and responsibility
4. Those who spread the gospel are blessed
5. The early church was active in witnessing
6. The Lord added new believers to the church 

Our memory verses for Sunday are: II Corinthians 5:14-15
"For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised." NET