4/14/2016

Conversations that Connect:

Gospel Bridge
Eastman Kodak filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy protection.
(CNN Money, January 19, 2012)

Even though Kodak invented

the core technology used in digital
cameras today, they were so focused on
traditional film that they failed to see that
the emerging trend towards digital would
ultimately consume the photo industry.
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/09/15/ooda-loop

What happened?

The Changing
Landscape
of Evangelism
Today!

The Bottom Line:

They did not see that the landscape was
changing?

4/14/2016

Understanding the Times We Live In!

If we understand the times

we live in we will repackage
our approach in evangelism

We need to be like the men of Issachar

and understand the times in which we live
and therefore know what we should do.
See I Chronicles 12:32

Key Perspective About

What we need
to remember
about doing
effective
evangelism
today

That our problems in

Evangelism are
not one of methodology
but one of MATURITY!

Therehasbeenanerosionoftruth!

Thatthegospelmaybesimplebutgetting
tothegospelmaynotalwaysbe
sosimpleintheworldweliveintoday!

4/14/2016

There is an
INTOLERANCE towards
those who claim to
know the truth!

For the time will come when men

will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will
gather around them a great number of
teachers to say what their itching ears
want to hear. They will turn their ears away
from the truth and turn aside to myths.
2 Timothy 4:3-4, NIV

We should not be surprised by this!

What is Pre-Evangelism?

Because getting to the

gospel is not so simple,
our job then is to help
CULTIVATE GOOD SOIL
in their lives of our nonbelieving friends so that
our seeds can be
more fruitful!
(Mark 4:8; Matt. 13:23).

Pre-evangelism is important because

people have many distortions!
Why do I say this?

If evangelism is planting seeds

of the Gospel, pre-evangelism
is tilling the soil of their mind
and heart helping them to be
more willing to hear the truth.

When they dont understand

the Word (Matthew 13:19)
19When

anyone hears the word of the

kingdom and does not understand it, the
evil one comes and snatches away what
has been sown
in his heart. This is what was sown
along the path. (ESV)

But why dont they understand?

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What keeps
nonbelievers from
cultivating good soil
in their lives?

They Have
a Distorted
Perspective

Distortions
about
themselves
God
the Father
Jesus Christ

Distortions

Distortions

About Themselves

About God the Father

They dont see

themselves as a sinner!
9The

heart is deceitful
above all things, and
desperately sick;
who can understand it?

They dont understand

Gods nature
Gods holiness
(Matthew 5:48; James 2:10)

(Jeremiah 17:9, ESV)

Students Question

Theological Truth:

Why cant God

just let me into
heaven?

We tend to overestimate
our own righteousness
and underestimate
Gods holiness.

4/14/2016

Could I put a little sewage

in your water?
If not do you see how
something can seem so
small but in reality still have
a huge impact?
So is it possible our sins
could cause a bigger
barrier between us and
God than we think?

Remember that the gospel

is offensive. But how
we communicate the gospel
should be done in the least
offensive way as possible!

What else do
we need to
remember
about doing
effective
evangelism
today?

Live wisely among those

who are not believers, and
make the most of every opportunity.
Let your conversation be gracious
and attractive so that you will have
the right response for everyone.
Colossians 4:5-6, NLT

Evangelismisaprocess(1Cor.3:6)

Everypersonison
aspiritualjourney.

Hehasalsoseteternityintheheartsofmen;yettheycannot
fathomwhatGodhasdonefromthebeginningtoend.
ECCLESIATES 3:11

4/14/2016

That God is already at

work in peoples lives.
And the Spirit said to Philip, Go up and join
the chariot. (Acts 8:29)

That success in
evangelism
is having a spiritual
conversation
with someone
that engages them
in such a way that
the next time they
see us, they would
want to continue
the conversation.
David Geisler

ThatPeoplepreferothers
towalkwiththem,instead
ofpreachatthem.

That Understanding
Worldviews Is Important!

Our worldview lens will

color our conclusion
Miracles
Are
Possible

Miracles
Are Not
Possible

4/14/2016

The Three Major Religious World Views

Judaism

Zen Buddhism

Christianity

Hinduism

Islam

New Age

God made all

God is all

Religious
Humanism

a major cause of
our current crisis
consists of
a worldview shift
from a Judeo-Christian
understanding of reality
to a post-Christian one.
J. P. Moreland, Love Your God
with All Your Mind, p.21

No God at all

If I am to help people who are

not interested in looking at Jesus
because they are quite happy with what
they believe, I must first set about
understanding what it is that they believe.

I must do everything I can

to understand their worldview.
Only then will I know what kinds
of questions to raise with them.

Nick Pollard, Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult, p. 47

Nick Pollard, Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult, p. 47

That in a world that no longer

believes in propositional truth,
we need to convert
our statements of belief
into questions, illustrations,
and stories.

I am not
the only one
who thinks this!

Two major
characteristics
of postmodernism
are of particular
importance to us
in evangelism:
(1.) The emphasis
on questioning and
(2) the displacement
of prepositional truth
in favor of stories.
Nick Polard, Evangelism Made
Slightly Less Difficult, p. 70

4/14/2016

The Importance of Questions and Stories

If we are to be effective
within this postmodern culture,
then, our evangelism
must involve the appropriate use
of questions and stories.

Why is asking questions

so helpful today?
Apersoncanclosehisearstofactshedoesnotwant
tohear,butifapointedquestioncauseshimtoform
theanswerinhisownmind,hecannotescapethe
conclusionbecauseitsaconclusionthathe
reachedhimself.
DavidReed,JehovahsWitnessesAnsweredVersebyVerse,(GrandRapids:Baker,
1986)p.113

Nick Pollard, Evangelism Made

Slightly Less Difficult, p. 70

To Maximize Our Questions

Remember the Three Ds of

Conversational Evangelism?

Doubt
Defensiveness
Desire

To be effective we need learn

how to to add pre-evangelism
to our evangelism!

What else do
we need to
remember
about doing
effective
evangelism
today?

BuildingaBridgeUsingtheFivePlanks
1. FindCommonGroundwiththoseyou
aretryingtoreach.
2. Buildabridgefrompointofshared
beliefs(eventhosetheyarenotquite
awareofRom.1:20;2:1415)
* Astudentschangedperspective
after9/11.
EVANGELISM

4/14/2016

BuildingaBridgeUsingtheFivePlanks
Possibletransitionquestions:

Doythinkitispossibleweareputhereon
thisearthforsomekindofpurpose?
IfyouweretoaskourCreatoranyquestion,
whatdoyouthinkitwouldbe?
EVANGELISM

BuildingaBridgeUsingtheFivePlanks

BuildingaBridgeUsingtheFivePlanks

Possibletransitionquestions:
DoyouevergetthefeelingthatourCreator
meantforustoexperiencelifeinabetter
waythanweareexperiencingnow?
CanIexplaintoyoumoreclearlywhat
Christiansbelieveandhowthosebeliefs
providethekindofhopethatsomeare
lookingfor?
EVANGELISM

CanIsharewithyousomethingthat
helpstoexplainmybeliefsmoreclearly?
IfIcoulddemonstratetoyouthata
Creatorreallydidcreatetheworld,can
youtellmehowmanyofthesefive
planksyouwouldactuallyagreewith?
EVANGELISM

I am accountable
1st Plank

I cannot measure up
2nd Plank

The Five Planks

I am a sinner
3rd Plank

I need an outside
source for help
4th Plank

I am accountable
1st Plank

I need what only

Jesus can provide.
5th Plank

4/14/2016

Our Goal:

We are accountable

to our parents as children!

Help nonbelievers
surface the
truth that
we are
accountable to
our Creator in
some way.

We are accountable to our teachers as children

We are accountable to our boss!

We are accountable to our government!

We hope there is some kind of

accountability in the afterlife
for the crimes of people like
Adolf Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and ISIS.

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4/14/2016

Now If you and I were created and understand

the value of accountability, shouldnt we
expect to be accountable in some way to our
Creator as well?

Do you agree that

the greater our
offense the greater
the consequences
for our actions?

If however, he swings his spade and accidentally

injures a passing bird, he may have it on his mind
as he goes to sleep that night. Suppose,
however, that in swinging his spade he injures a
dog. The man would feel an obligation to stop
working and take the dog to the vet. But if in a
wild swing of his spade, he injures a passing
pedestrian, he may find himself in court.
Colin S. Smith, Keeping Christ Central in Preaching, in Telling the
Truth: Evangelizing Postmoderns, edit. D.A. Carson (Grand Rapids,
Zondervan, 2000), p. 119-120).

The measure of the seriousness of sin is

that it is an offense against Almighty God.
Colin S. Smith, Keeping Christ Central in Preaching, in Telling the
Truth: Evangelizing Postmoderns, edit. D.A. Carson (Grand Rapids,
Zondervan, 2000), p. 119-120).

Doyouthinkitispossiblethatwearemore
accountabletoourCreatorthanweevenrealize?

I cannot
measure up
2nd Plank

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4/14/2016

Our Goal:
Help the non-believer surface
the truth that our problem is
not just that we dont measure
up to Gods standards
according to the bible.
(Is. 64:6; Matt. 5:48; Js. 2:10)

PLANKTWO:Icannotmeasureup
For example It bothers me that I
am not a better
______________ to my
(children/brother/sister) or a
better __________ to my
(spouse/parents).

PLANKTWO:Icannotmeasureup
Illustration:
Suppose you have done something to hurt your
spouse, significant other, or good friend deeply.
How can you reconcile with them? Can you do
something very nice and sacrificial for their
parents that will bring about a restored
relationship? Obviously not.
So why would we think that by doing good
things for others that somehow that will help us
in our relationship with our Creator?

Our own
experience
teaches us also
that at times
we cant even
measure up
to our own
standards.

PLANKTWO:Icannotmeasureup
Now many of us feel this sense of
alienation because of this separation
from our Creator, but some of us may
try to bring about greater reconciliation
by doing good things to make up for
our short comings.
The problem is that no matter how
much good we doit is still not going
to make a difference. Let me explain
what I mean by this by giving an
illustration.

Now if you and I have

a standard of what is
right and wrong and
we dont live up to it,
can you imagine that
Gods standard might
be higher than our own?

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4/14/2016

PLANKTHREE:Iamasinner
Our Goal:

I am a sinner

Help non-believers
surface the truth that
we are sinners (Rom.
3:23)

3rd Plank

We know that people like

Mother Teresa and
Gandhi did some
good things in their life.

But Ill be honest with

youits not just the
evil in other people
that bothers me.
The evil in my own life
bothers me as well!
In fact, you dont have
to look in the Bible
to see what God
says about me.
Just ask my wife!

But we also know others that

did some really evil things

PLANKTHREE:Iamasinner
Ive noticed its easy in my own life
to minimize the consequences for
my poor choices.
The fact is I dont see sin the way
God sees it.

Dr. David Geisler

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4/14/2016

Sewage, Wedding Dress

Water and Sewage:

If I place 3 glasses of clean water in front
of you; in the 1st one put one drop of raw
sewage, in the 2nd one I put 2 drops of
raw sewage, and in the 3rd one I put 3,
which one do you think you would drink?

PLANKTHREE:Iamasinner
Have you ever done something
that you hope no one will ever
find out about?

Do you see how something can seem

so small but in reality still have a huge
impact?

Would you agree that our sins could

cause a bigger barrier than we think?

PLANKTHREE:Iamasinner
The Bible teaches that our
rebellion against God has
caused a separation between
God and us. (Rom. 6:23)

PLANKTHREE:Iamasinner
Now if our sins have to be judged, and we
are not capable of changing our situation,
what can we do?
Answer: We need to turn to an outside
source.
(This then allows us to look for another
way other than our own effort)

We have all become

like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds
are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities,
like the wind, take us away.
Isaiah 64:6, ESV

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4/14/2016

I need an outside
source for help
4th Plank

Our Goal:
To help non-believers
surface the truth
that we need an
outside source for
help to deal with the
sin in our own life.

Would you agree that a dirty thing

cannot clean itself?

When you clean

a dirty table, do you use
a dirty or a clean cloth?

Did you know that Jesus

was the only person in
history who claimed to
forgive sins and at the
same time lived a sinless
life Himself?

Would you agree that the only person

who can clean away our sins must
be perfectly clean himself?

For I do not do the

good I want, but the
evil I do not want
is what I keep doing.
Romans 7:19, ESV

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4/14/2016

Wretched man that I am!

Who will deliver me
from this body of death?

Romans 7:24, ESV

I need what only

Jesus Christ can
provide
5th Plank

Christs Unique Life

Our Goal:
To help non-believers
surface the truth that
there is no one like Jesus.
(Jn.14:6;Acts4:12;1Tim.2:5;Rom.8:11)

Christs Unique Life

Buddha claimed to point to the way,

Mohammed claimed to be a prophet
of God, but Jesus Christ is
the only major religious leader
that ever claimed to be God,
who fulfilled prophecy,
lived a sinless life, and then died on
the cross and rose from the dead.
Dr. David Geisler

Not only was Jesus unique in living a

sinless life, he also gave evidence that
he had power over death. Do you know
how he did this?
Answer: By rising from the dead!

Christs Unique Life

Do you know any other person in

history who died, and came back to
life and gave sufficient evidence as
to what is on the other side?
Do you know why it is so important
for Christians that Jesus actually
rose from the dead? (Rom. 8:11)

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4/14/2016

Christs Unique Life

Answer:
Because that same power that rose
Jesus from dead is available to me
to live a transformed life!
Because of Jesus power in my life,
I can be a better ______________
to my (children/brother/sister) and
a better ______________ to my
spouse, (parents).

So when God forgives who

pays the cost?
Did God pay the cost for us
for the forgiveness of our
sins?
How did God pay the cost?
Can I suggest to you that
Jesus paid the cost for the
forgiveness of your sins.
Invite them to take a step of
faith and trust in Christ!

If I have a huge debt

which I am unable to
pay and my creditor
says dont pay it. Ill
give up my claimI
forgive your debt. I got
it for free, but was it
free for my creditor?
Would you agree that
the one who forgives
pays the cost?

I am accountable
1st Plank

I cannot measure up
2nd Plank

I am a sinner
3rd Plank

I need an outside
source for help
4th Plank

I need what only

Jesus can provide.
5th Plank

Conversations that Connect:

Gospel Bridge

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