Poll on Witnessing and Sharing the Gospel...

In short
1. Pretty rarely, I've spoken once to my church regarding witnessing to Mormons last summer. That was an interesting experience, unfortunately the guys stayed Mormon but I hope God's Word brings them around some day. In the world around me I try to have conversations with friends, coworkers, or if I'm being a real oddball the random stranger, like homeless people on street corners. I'm fairly shy still though so it is not nearly as much as I would like, perhaps 1 encounter a month, and that might just be spiritual conversation, not necessarily the Gospel. I really wish I was more bold.

2. In maybe the past year I have shared perhaps 5 or 6 times, typically just 1 Corinthians 15, regarding faith in Jesus' death, burial, resurrection for our sins. Few have been very productive. I haven't knowingly lead anyone to Christ...yet. Always hoping, I wanna bear good fruit!

3. Well, my mom and dad know...and my sister, and probably a lot of people on Facebook given the sorts of things I post. Probably the few friends I see anymore, I have had some spiritual conversations/debates with friends regarding Christianity. The people at my church probably know through my mother, so that's a few. Other than that, probably most of my team at work could probably guess. I've had some deep spiritual conversations with some, I've shared the Gospel with a couple, others might know overhearing conversations. I also openly read my Bible nightly at work for what that's worth, I don't know what message that sends anymore. I'm only friends with maybe 3 or 4 families in our whole neighborhood so unfortunately not many of them know. I haven't conceived a good idea of how to meet neighbors yet. Don't really want to mimic the mormon/JW two-by-two door to door thing, I don't think most people like that, I'd like to get to know people more naturally. Then again that's not really working so well so maybe I do need to get more bold in some way to tell people about Jesus...but how???

 

Early in my Christian walk I shared with anyone who would listen. Listen they did..., then, they would simply walk away! (You see, so many pastors lay on the guilt trip that if you're not winning hundreds a week to the lord..., you're just not doin' right.)

I have come to realize however after many years that my daily life should reflect Jesus. You know, that special "glow" about me that's different than those still clinging to the world, their money, their ego, their self-worth, etc.

Below, the Daily Devotional I receive every day.

John 1:41 (NLT) Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).

People become known for many things. Noah is known as a righteous man in an evil age. David is known as the man after God’s own heart. Peter is known as the outspoken disciple. John is known as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Judas is known as the betrayer. Paul is known as a fearless proclaimer of the gospel. Andrew is known for bringing others to Jesus.

The first person Andrew brought to Jesus was his brother Peter. As soon as Peter joined the disciples, he became the spokesperson for the Twelve, while Andrew remained in the background. It was Peter, not Andrew, who rose to prominence as one of Jesus’ inner circle of three. We do not read of Andrew resenting Peter; it seems he was satisfied to bring others to Jesus and leave the results to Him.

It is not surprising that Andrew found the boy with the loaves and fishes and brought him to Jesus. Andrew brought Greeks to Jesus, even though they were despised by pious Jews. There is no record of Andrew ever preaching a sermon, performing a miracle, or writing a book of Scripture. He is remembered for those whom he brought to Jesus.

Andrew is a good role model for us. Our job is not to transform people into Christians nor to convict them of their sin. It is not our responsibility to make people do what they ought to do. Our task is to bring them to Jesus, and He will perform His divine work in their lives.

 

I'm an addictions counselor, an LAC, and I also do marriage and family counseling as an LMFC, mostly in conjunction with recovery. I have a contract with drug court and family court in three counties in two different states. As long as the counties are paying me, I have to limit what I can say. But when a client gets beyond the prescribed treatment, and wants to continue therapy on his/her own insurance or self-pay, I feel more than free to share the gospel.

True recovery is only possible through Jesus, He is the only one who can deliver someone addicted to anything -- alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, the Internet, video games, whatever -- from that addiction. Addiction is mostly about escaping pain, though obviously it is much more complicated than that. There are countless issues underlying an addiction, most of them behavioral in nature. I am educated in behavioral psychology and practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT).

These can be biblically supported. I cannot name another therapeutic approach that I can say that about. They afford me the opportunity to get at the behavior, which can always be described in one word: Sin. The answer to sin is Jesus Christ. In whatever way I can share that basic message, whether being paid by the state or by the client, I do so. I've led about three dozen men and women to Christ in helping them overcome their addictions, which, again, are always rooted in sin.

 

'
Do you mean a testimony by our behavior and actions? Or do you mean a testimony in the "I was born the son of poor black sharecroppers" sense?

I don't know. Probably most of them.

Don't know. I do a lot of open air preaching, so I guess quite a lot.

As for how many people I've led to the Lord, none. That's the Holy Spirit, not me. But I know what you mean. It's hard to say, since we don't believe in the sinners' prayer.

I'm sure you must be very proud.

 

I try to live the gospel everywhere I go as an imperfect man who is living and acting through the grace of God. This includes both words and actions. I get specifically asked about my faith on a regular basis because it always seems comes up in conversations when you invest yourself in other people.

I really have no idea. I don't consider someone being "led to the Lord" until I see fruit in their life after a certain time of maturity. A few years back, someone was trying to convince me that I wasn't witnessing properly because I wasn't using a system like Evsngelism Explosion or "The Way of the Master(sic)" and demanded to know how many people I had led to Christ. I was able to count a little over 40 people who are now serving in churches who have the appearance of bearing fruit. Every once-in-a-while I find out about someone that I had had a brief conversation with about Jesus years before who cited that conversation as a first step toward faith.

God often uses many people to bring people to faith and I think it is a major mistake to assume that the only one that God uses is the one who is present when a people finally decides to enter the kingdom.

Anyone who knows me beyond simply a functional work relationship probably knows.

 

A. All the time
B. Thousands.. I have led none to the Lord, but I do not know the results of my efforts as I leave that to God. Besides its NOT ME whom persuades the heart but God!
C. Most

Led thousands to Jesus in our day?? Tell me about this. I have found that once you preach on sin, God's judgment, Holiness, and such people run away as they love their sin, just as a hog loves the dirt! Trying to persuade a hog to leave his dirt is impossible apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. That said there are a multitude these days preaching an "easy-believism" gospel and many have boasted of their success rates.

 

Brother are you into Way of the Master?

 

Do you see why "I've led thousands to the Lord!" appears prideful?

 

The power to save souls is not in the life you live before people. It's in the Gospel. The Gospel is a message from the Bible. The Bible is a book of words.

People get saved when we effectively articulate the Gospel message of the Bible with words.

Lifestyle and loving people and living holy and feeding hungry people and caring for hurting people and visiting people in prison, etc... are all things we ought to do ANYWAY.

But we don't get to say that since we do those things we can leave the other thing undone.

Words. That's how the Gospel is communicated. You must open your mouth and articulate it.

Servant evangelism (helping the poor, starting after school tutoring programs etc...) is a wonderful means to increase the number of people who will give you a hearing as you communicate the message. But it cannot be used as a replacement.

MILLIONS have been saved by the message ALONE not knowing the person who shared it at all.

The power is in the message, not the "glow" of your life. The "glow" may open doors, but the message is where the power is.