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Created on: 10 Jan 2015 Language: English |
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Evangelism Is... Learning to Listen, Part 5 (The Soul-Winning Motivator #88) (-0.00MB; download) -- Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is John 12:32 which reads: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."
Allow me to share with you some important insights regarding this Scripture from David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible:
The verb used for lifted up (the ancient Greek word hypsothenai (hyp-so-the-nai)) has a deliberate double meaning. It means both a literal elevation (as in being raised up on a cross) and exaltation (being raised in rank or honor).
We don’t “lift up” Jesus with our praises in the sense He means here. He was lifted up on the cross, and we proclaim that fact to the world. We lift Jesus up by preaching Christ.
Our soul winning quote today is from Paul Little. He said: "The Holy Spirit can’t save saints or seats. If we don’t know any non-Christians, how can we introduce them to the Savior?"
Our soul winning devotional is part 71 of our series titled "What Evangelism Is" from Dave Earley and David Wheeler.
Evangelism Is...Learning to Listen (Part 5)
The woman at the well did not have to be honest when she responded to Jesus' questions. After all, at that time in their conversation, she did not know she was speaking with the Messiah. So what made the woman trust Christ? It was the fact that He listened and rewarded her honesty by revealing His deity.
Jesus accepted the woman regardless of her shady past. As a result, His nonjudgmental conversation about sin, grace, and everlasting life gave the woman a new kind of confidence. She responded by going into town and boldly proclaimin, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"
Jesus is the ultimate example of effective evangelism. His bold actions and ability to listen and engage in relationship with the woman at the well give us the challenge to do the same. Had Jesus ignored her because she was living in sin with her male companion or because she had lived a life full of sin prior to their meeting, He would not have had the opportunity to bring the others into relationship with Him as well. Jesus knew the woman's lifestyle, and He went straight to her heart. He did not sit as a male Jew worthy of respect; instead He sat with her and spoke to her as a person in need of a friend and Savior. Jesus did not dominate the conversation; He did not confuse her with big words or judge her for past mistakes. He also did not shame her into accepting His living water. He simply listened to her heart and responded to her greatest need...salvation!
In our next broadcast, we will look at why evangelism is...Empathy with Action. Selected by: Daniel Whyte III [ stations ], Sat, 10 Jan 2015 10:13:58 UTC
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