Becoming a Contagious Christian

John 4.27-42

Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 2

Salvation Experience (vv.1-26) ..................................................................................................... 3

A. The divine initiative (vv.3-7)............................................................................................... 3
B. The womans conversion (vv.8-26) .................................................................................... 4
Ardor to Share our Faith to Others (vv.27-29, 39) ......................................................................... 5
A. Because of Gods unconditional love to her ...................................................................... 5
B. Because she share Christ according to her style .............................................................. 6
0. Invitational Approach ..................................................................................................... 7
Whats Your Evangelism Style? ................................................................................................... 8
1. Confrontational Approach.............................................................................................. 8
1. Intellectual Approach ...................................................................................................... 8
2. Testimonial Approach ..................................................................................................... 8
3. Interpersonal/Friendship Approach .............................................................................. 9
4. Service Approach ............................................................................................................. 9
Live with Authenticity (29,39) .......................................................................................................... 9
Talking to People Around Us (vv.28-30,39-41) ............................................................................. 11
***How People Come To Christ and Then Grow..................................................................... 11
What to do with people at each stage ......................................................................................... 12
Resistant Stage ......................................................................................................................... 12
Receptive Stage......................................................................................................................... 12
Seeker Stage .............................................................................................................................. 12
Consideration Stage ................................................................................................................. 12
Understanding Stage................................................................................................................ 12
Ready Stage .............................................................................................................................. 12
What to do after they have RECEIVED CHRIST? ................................................................. 12
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................... 13
Introduction

Evangelism sharing the good news of salvation reaching people for Christ Its one
of the most significant tasks in the church and one of the least
practiced/obeyed/followed.

Most of us believe in this, isnt it? I dont think Ive ever met someone who genuinely
believed in the Bible but didnt believe in evangelism When you/we embraced the truth
of Gods Word, its pretty difficult to discount its call to reach lost people. Its taught
throughout the Scripture, its on our mission statement, in our hymns, praise and worship
songs, statement of faith, emphasized in Christian literatures, encouraged in our pulpits
There is little ambiguity or doubt that evangelism is central to what were supposed to be
about.

The irony is that while many of us are in churches where it is preached, emphasized in
many cases, precious little is actually happening. Lets be honest: in most ministries very
few lost people are being reached for Christ.

In the 2003 survey of the Barna group, this is what they have discovered Overall,
slightly less than one out of every four adults who attend a Protestant (23%) are both
born again in their faith and have shared their faith in Jesus Christ with a non-Christian in
the past twelve months. In other churches 5%... In our church, gbc? I praise God that
probably around 30-40% share Christ but still majority may not be engaged in it..

Why arent we doing more about it? I believe that one of the greatest barriers to
Christians participating in personal evangelism is their misunderstanding of what it
entails/involves/requires. So many of us are fearful of this and view as an unnatural
activity. Probably, some are thinking that evangelism means knocking on doors
standing in the marketplaces to preach or standing in buses to procalim

Well, heres a great news that is both freeing and empowering: God knew what He was
doing when He made you. He custom-designed you with your unique combinations of
personality, temperament, talents and background, and He wants to use you to reach
others in a fashion that fits your design (Mark Mittelberg). In other words, God made us in
such a way that we can introduce people to Christ just by being yourself If you are
an intellectual type And we will study these styles for the next four weeks. But for this
morning, we will be looking at John 4 and see how we can become a contagious
Christian by looking at the example of the Samaritan woman.

Now, I have to mention that 4:126, the story of the Samaritan woman actually reinforces
Johns main theme that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God. The thrust of these verses
is not so much her conversion but that Jesus is Messiah (v. 26). While her conversion is
clearly implied, the apostles focus centers on Jesus declaration foretold in the Scriptures
(v. 25).

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 2

But for the purpose of our study/series we will be looking on how God mightily use her
after knowing Jesus in her own life that will serve us lessons on how we reach others for
Christ.

Thesis/idea - We are to be S.A.L.T. of the world if we are to be contagious Christian

just like the Samaritan woman. This means we need to have

Salvation Experience (vv.1-26)

For us to have the desire to reach people for Jesus determination to bring the lost
people to Him capability to make known Christ to others, it is a necessity that we
ourselves have a personal relationship with Christ.

This is the starting point where it all begins that we ourselves have experienced what
it means to be save. How can you share something which you dont have? Thus, we can
see here that

The woman came to know Christ in her own life.

One of the interesting thing about this account is the fact that it was actually Jesus who
took the initiative to reveal Himself to the woman. Read vv.3-7

A. The divine initiative (vv.3-7)

The account exemplifies how Jesus took the first step to reach out to people. And He
meet people on their own turf/territory and even crossing barriers. Jesus knew what we
need to learn. Harvesters must get in the field. Fishermen go where the fish are. Someone
said, "Fishing in your bathtub might be terribly convenient, but its not highly effective."

(The wall of tiredness - Jesus was very tired but he was compelled, it was very urgent that
he go to Sychar, Samaria. Any person has to watch fatigue for being tired makes cowards
out of great people. Jesus got so tired, everything drained Him.)

Thats the difference between us expecting people to come to us, and going to them.
Jesus had 132 contacts with people in the gospels. Six were in the Temple, four in
the synagogues. All the others were out in life situations. One of the accusing
comments the religious leaders threw at Jesus, was He connected with people they
considered down-and-outers -- outcasts -- little people, rejects in their religious culture.

How does Jesus make the initial connection here? He begins by crossing barriers to
demonstrate her value.

First, Jesus crossed cultural barriers. Verse 4 says Jesus had to go through Samaria.
That statement is true geographically, but it wasnt true culturally. Samaria was straight
north if a traveler was headed to Galilee. But no self-respecting Jew would travel through
Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 3
Samaria. The proper Jew would cross over the Jordan, then go north, then back west to
get to his destination.

The Samaritans were a mixed race and they mixed worship of God with pagan rituals.
After Jews were deported to Assyria, the Assyrians repopulated areas with captives from
other countries to settle the territory and keep the peace. Those new peoples intermarried
with the few Jews left and formed the mixed race. So the Jews hated the Samaritans
because they werent pure and felt theyd betrayed their religious heritage. Jesus had to go
through Samaria, to keep divine appointments.

Second, Jesus crossed social barriers. Two odd things in the womans behavior: First,
there was a closer well to which she could have gone. Secondly, women would come to
get water early or late when it was cooler. This woman was probably forced to go further
and to go at mid-day to avoid contact with the proper women.

Think about her situation. Women had no power. She hadnt divorced one husband after
another and moved from one to the next and the next and the next. She didnt move from
man to man. She was discarded by one after another. Now, shes living with someone.
Hes not her husband. And thats not necessarily because she had no standards, but
because no one cared about her. With her reputation, no respectable Jewish man would
talk to her. No rabbi would ever engage a woman in spiritual conversation publicly. One
rabbi is quoted as having written, Better to burn the Law than give it to a woman.

Jesus ignored social and gender barriers because all that was meaningless compared to
Gods value of this woman. Her spiritual needs matter far more than her state. How often
do we quickly pre-judge people and peg their value before we will consider interacting with
them, especially about our message of Christ and their eternity?

Thirdly, Jesus also crossed religious barriers. The disciples were raised in a culture
greatly different than the Samaritan culture. They will be shocked out of their minds to
return from their shopping trip and find Jesus conversing with a woman of the Samaritans.

Everything Hes about conflicts with learned, practiced religious, cultural behavior. If you
follow Jesus into personal evangelism, He will likely bring you into conflict with evangelical
culture. .

But Hes not concerned about the disciples opinions of His actions. Hes consumed and
compassionate about self-destructing people. He forces His followers -- and us -- to take a
hard look at our cultural attitudes, especially self-righteous ones. He connected by
crossing barriers to put Himself in contact with the woman.

???

B. The womans conversion (vv.8-26)

After making the initial contact, from vv.10-15, Jesus talks about the fact that He can give
living water.

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 4

4:10 living water. The OT metaphor spoke of the knowledge of God and His grace
which provides cleansing, spiritual life, and the transforming power of the Holy
Spirit (cf. Is. 1:1618; 12:3; 44:3; Ezek. 36:2527). John applies these themes to Jesus
Christ as the living water which is symbolic of eternal life mediated by the Holy Spirit from
Him (cf. v. 14; 6:35; 7:3739). Jesus used the womans need for physical water to sustain
life in this arid region in order to serve as an object lesson for her need for spiritual
transformation.

Then from vv.16ff, Jesus showed that He knew her past life and therefore the need for
such salvation, and revealed Himself as the Messiah (v.26) which leads to her conversion.
And from this point, she become a contagious Christian but it all begins with her
salvation.

Beloved, God always takes the initiative to reach to us he always takes the first
step so that we become part of His family. Arent you glad with that?

However, He did it not just for salvation, He saved us so that we too will fulfill our
mission of sharing Him to others. And this is exactly what she did! This leads us to the
second point

For us to be contagious Salvation Experience

Ardor to Share our Faith to Others (vv.27-29, 39)

The woman manifest such enthusiasm in bringing others to Christ. He did not
simply inform others about Jesus but she did it with zeal with passion

1) As she returns to the city to tell her wonderful experience, did you notice what she
forgot? She forgot her water jar. She was so excited thatDo you experience that?

2) Jesus had such an impact on the woman that she was so eager to share the news
among the townspeople whom she had previously avoided because of her reputation

When a person is truly evangelized they in turn become evangelist.

And, beloved, for us to be effective in bringing contagious we need to have such

zeal (e.g. Mr. Linao everyday who try to share, Ate Melona share in the taxi,
others who just keep on inviting people).

What made her so passionate?

A. Because of Gods unconditional love to her

Thats why she left behind the jug that had caused the sag in her shoulders. She left
behind the burden she brought. Suddenly the insignificance of her life was swallowed by

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 5

the significance of the moment. God is here! God has come! God cares for me! Thats
why she forgot the water jar. That is why she ran to the city. That is why she grabbed the
first person she saw and announced her discovery, I just talked to a man who knows
everything I ever did and He loves me anyway! This is what motivates her

Example of Paul his past life, his conversion, his response

2Co 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I
have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely,
and been exposed to death again and again.
2Co 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
2Co 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was

shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,

2Co 11:26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger

from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the
city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.
2Co 11:27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger

and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

What drives him to do such?

For Christs love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and
2Co 5:14

therefore all died.

Ro 12:1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Godthis is your spiritual act of worship.
And if there is something that will deeply motivate us to share Christ to others, it is the
motivation.

Beloved, if there is something that will deeply motivates us to share Christ with passion it
is the realization of His unconditional love to each one of us.

B. Because she share Christ according to her style

As she begins to put everything together, shes struck by the fact that Jesus knows
everything about her and is still willing to talk to her. She cant get over it. She is so startled
by this that she left her water jar by the well, ran back to her town and said to the people in
verse 29: Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?
This shows to us her style in evangelism Invitational Approach.

When she says, come, its really an imperative. Its a command that could be translated,
Come hither! The word, see literally means, to know. She compellingly invites
everyone to come and know Jesus. Actually, shes both excited and a bit reserved when
she says, This cant be the Christ, can it? She knows these people think of her as trash
so she asks them to check it out for themselves.

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 6

She doesnt want them to just hear about Jesus, she longs for them to actually
know Him as Forgiver and Leader. Its an invitation that few turn down as we see in
verse 30: They came out of the town and made their way toward Him.

She has been so impacted by Jesus that she cant help but invite others to come
and meet Him personally. Her desire is for them to experience the same grace and
forgiveness that has been given to her. Because of her reputation in town, she would not
have had much credibility. Normally, no one would listen to her. She witnesses the same
way that Philip did in John 1:46 when he said, Come and see. And, since its obvious that
shes met someone great, many accept her invitation.

Verse 39 reveals that many Samaritans believed in Christ because of the womans
testimony. Then, as they listened to Jesus for themselves many came to know Him
personally. Look at verse 42: We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we
have heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.

She made the invitation. She did it with enthusiasm and she was convincing. The
people responded to her request and came face-to-face with Jesus. Many of us can
do the same thing. We might not feel comfortable giving logical arguments for the
existence of God or maybe were hesitant to have lost people in our homes like Levi did,
but we can extend invitations. .

Some of you do this on a regular basis as you invite people to our worship service, bridge
events

A recent poll by George Barna shows that about 25% of adults would go to church
if a friend would just invite them. That means one in four of your friends would come if
you would ask them to come.

People who gravitate toward the invitational style exhibit some common qualities:

0. Invitational Approach

Samaritan woman. Upon realizing that Jesus is the Messiah, she invited her friends,
relatives to hear Jesus many become followers. Apply invite attend in the church,
small groups Barna 25% will come to church if someone invites them.

Hospitable
Persuasive
Enjoys meeting new people
Committed to things he/she believes in
Sees outreach events as unique opportunities

Some people, like the woman at the well, have a knack for getting people to go places with
them. Might you be one of them? Have you found that when theres an outreach event

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 7

going on your minivan is crowded? Maybe its time to trade it in on a maxivan so you can
maximize your evangelistic efforts!

Whats Your Evangelism Style?

1. Confrontational Approach. Sharing the gospel directly to someone (e.g. Peter

direct, bold and was to the point. Later in Acts spokesperson; sharing to taxi driver,
busCCC, E.E.

Confident
Bold
Direct
Skips small talk, gets right to the point
Has strong opinions and convictions

Some people are just waitingas I wasfor a confrontational Christian wholl present the
truth of Christ and challenge them to do something about it. Could that Christian be you?

1. Intellectual Approach Paul, who logically explain biblical truths to more

educated people. In our age of pluralism/secularization, we need people who are inclined
to such.

Analytical
Logical
Inquisitive
Likes to debate ideas
More concerned with what people think than what they feel

Is the intellectual approach one that fits you? Are you an inquisitive type who enjoys
working with ideas and evidence? This is an important style, especially in these days of
increasing secularization. So many people need to hear the gospel not only declared, but
also defined and defended.

2. Testimonial Approach blind man (Jn. 9) when asked after being healed One
thing I do know I was blind but now I see Illus. MLM. We can share our salvation
experience or how God changed our lives. Many people need to hear similar story
need not dramatic.

Clear communicator
Good listener
Vulnerable about ups and downs of personal life
Overwhelmed by the account of how God reached them
Sees links between their own experience and others

Effective testimonies dont have to be dramatic. Dont exclude yourself from this
approach because you have an ordinary storyordinary stories relate well to the ordinary
people in your neighborhood and workplace.

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 8

3. Interpersonal/Friendship Approach Matthew. After accepting Jesus call,
Matthew decided to do whatever he could to bring his friends (see Lk. 5.29- banquet,
spend time and ate with them). Those who have such style tend to be warm, others-
centered individuals who enjoy deep levels of communication use it. Illus. Howard
Hendricks play marbles.

Conversational
Compassionate
Sensitive
Friendship-oriented
Focuses on people and their needs

Do you enjoy having people into your home, sharing a meal, and spending time in
conversation? Many people will never be reached until someone takes the time to build
that kind of closeness with them. More than 80% by friendship evangelism

4. Service Approach Dorcas (see Acts 9.36) always doing good and helping the
poor. Quiet type though often takes longer.

Patient
Others-centered
Sees needs and finds joy in meeting them
Shows love through action more than words
Attaches value to even menial tasks

You might feel youre not a very contagious Christian. All you know how to do, after all, is
make soup or fix cars. But God can use those thingsand so many others like themto
draw people to Himself.

Live with Authenticity (29,39)

As she invites her town mates to know Christ, notice her selling point
Jn 4:29 Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the womans
Jn 4:39

testimony, He told me everything I ever did.

We can see here her honesty/truthfulness after having an encounter with Christ. She is
authentic/real as far as her life is concerned

(We are talking about those who demonstrate integrity of faith even when you dont know you are
being watched. They are authentic about the struggles that are present in their life. They observe a high
level of honesty, what we would call being "real".)

Do you know what seekers need to see in you/us more than pasted-on smiles and
religious slogans? They need to see you grapple with fear and sadness and anger and

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 9

jealousy and loss. They need to hear you talk openly about your struggles with issues of
purity. They need to watch you work out your faith without discounting the everyday
realities of life.

I heard recently of a business owner who, as a seeker, had employed scores of Christians
in his company. He watched them like a hawk. "You know, I was naturally drawn to God by
observing Christian workers who were conscientious and kind and thorough and
aggressive on the job," he said. "But Ill tell you what really impressed me. One day a guy
who I knew to be a fresh convert asked if he could see me after work. I agreed to meet
with him, but later in the day I started to worry that this young religious zealot might be
coming to try to convert me, too." .

"I was surprised when he came in my office with his head hanging low and said to me, Sir,
Ill only take a few minutes, but Im here to ask your forgiveness. Over the years Ive
worked for you Ive done what a lot of other employees do, like borrowing a few company
products here and there. And Ive taken some extra supplies; Ive abused telephone
privileges; and Ive cheated the time clock now and then.
"But I became a Christian a few months ago and its real - not the smoke and mirror stuff.
In gratitude for what Christ has done for me and in obedience to Him, I want to make
amends to you and the company for the wrongs Ive done. So could we figure out a way to
do that? If you have to fire me for what Ive done, Ill understand. I deserve it. Or, if you
want to dock my pay, dock it whatever figure you think is appropriate. If you want to give
me some extra work to do on my own time, that would be okay, too, I just want to make
things right with God and between us."
Well they worked things out. And the business owner said that this conversation made a
deeper spiritual impact on him than anything else ever had. It was the single most
impressive demonstration of true Christianity he had ever witnessed.

What was it that made this new believer so contagious? Was it a clever new gospel
presentation? Was it a well-rehearsed testimony? Obviously not. It was merely a genuine
and humble admission of wrongdoing along with a willingness to make it right. It was
Christianity with authenticity. .

Perhaps theres something you should confess at work, in your home, or in your
neighborhood. Or there could be an area of your life that you know isnt right, but youre
still trying to cover it up in the hope that nobody will find out. Maybe now Gods Spirit is
prompting you to go to somebody and say, "Because I mean business about my
relationship with God and I want to be right before Him and with you, I need to apologize."

Can I give you an inside scoop? People who are investigating Christianity dont expect
perfection from Christians. Theyre too street smart for that! What they do hope to find is
someone with the courage to confess their blunders and make things right. They want to
see humility and repentance, and maybe even restitution.

Inauthenticity among the ranks of those claiming to be Christians can become an

almost insurmountable barrier to belief. (Bill Hybels)

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 10

Talking to People Around Us (vv.28-30,39-41)
Simply stated, we see her talking to people and inviting people to see for themselves if He
is the Messiah. She did not keep it to herself

If we are to be contagious then we need to make contact with seekers/non

believers and talk to them about Christ as opportunity allows

We need to speak.

St. Francis of Assisi Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.

True: but not the whole truth. It wont do to say I just let my actions speak for themselves.
That may create thirst, but you still need to tell them where the water is.

Weve all come to Christ because someone told us about him invited us
Col 4:5
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
Col 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may
know how to answer everyone.

***How People Come To Christ and Then Grow

How People Come to Christ and Then Grow

-6 Self-satisfied, skeptical, resistant, or spiritually apathetic (Resistant Stage)

-5 Becomes aware of an unmet need or spiritual void in life (Receptive Stage)
-4 Begins looking for answers to questions or solutions to problems (Seeker
Stage)
-3 Considers the differences between themselves and believers (Consideration
Stage)
-2 Learns why and how to become a Christian (Understanding Stage)
-1 Ready to believe and receive Christ (Ready Stage). The fruit is ripe

Ground Zero: NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

+1 Baptized and connected to a church family (Membership Church 101)

+2 Practicing the habits necessary for spiritual growth (Maturity Church 201)
+3 Using God-given talents (SHAPE) to serve others (Ministry Church 301)
+4 Sharing the Good News with non-believers (Mission Church 401)
+5 Living out ones Life Purpose to the Glory of God (Magnification Class 501)

So evangelism isand effective evangelism relies on assessing how

receptive a person is and then helping them take the next step.
Every stage requires a different response from me.

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 11

What to do with people at each stage

Resistant Stage

1. Pray for them

2. Build a relationship through love and service
3. Do something fun together

Receptive Stage

1. Offer to help in a practical way.

2. Share testimony about the same need.
3. Tell them that you are praying for them.
4. Ask open-ended question Tell me about the spiritual side of your life
5. Assess if they are ready to skip to stage 2 or 1.

Seeker Stage

1. Invite them to our services

2. Invite them to a seeker group
3. Give them tapes or reading materials
4. Open a dialog on spiritual issue How can I help you

Consideration Stage

1. Introduce them to other Christians.

2. Invite them to a small group.
3. Discuss the different ways believers respond to life.

Understanding Stage

1. Explain Gods plan of Salvation !

2. Explain how you made your decision for Christ.
3. Help them see the benefits, implication and cost of following Christ.

Ready Stage

1. Offer to lead them in a prayer of commitment

What to do after they have RECEIVED CHRIST?

1. Take them to church 101
2. Encourage and attend their baptism

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 12

 3. Get them into a new believers small group.

What was the outcome of Jesus conversation with the Samaritan woman. A mini-revival in
this village in Samaria.
Jn 4:39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the womans
testimony, He told me everything I ever did.
Jn 4:40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he

stayed two days.

Jn 4:41 And because of his words many more became believers.

How did it all happen that a woman of ill repute became an instrument of revival? She had

Salvation Experience
Ardor to share her faith to others
Live with authenticity
Talk to people around her

Conclusion

Conclusion:

Recently, I saw a letter written by a relatively new Christian to the person whose life had
influenced hers so greatly. She actually lists about a dozen qualities she found contagious
in the life of this older Christian. Listen to some of what she wrote:
You know when we met; I began to discover a new vulnerability, a warmth, and a lack of
pretense that impressed me. I saw in you a thriving spirit - no signs of internal stagnation
anywhere. I could tell you were a growing person and I liked that. I saw you had strong
self-esteem, not based on the fluff of self-help books, but on something a whole lot deeper.
I saw that you lived by convictions and priorities and not just by convenience, selfish
pleasure, and financial gain. And I had never met anyone like that before.
I felt a depth of love and concern as you listened to me and didnt judge me. You tried to
understand me, you sympathized and you celebrated with me, you demonstrated kindness
and generosity - and not just to me, but to other people, as well.
And you stood for something. You were willing to go against the grain of society and follow
what you believed to be true, no matter what people said, and no matter how much it cost
you. And for those reasons and a whole host of others, I found myself really wanting what
you had. Now that Ive become a Christian, I wanted to write to tell you Im grateful beyond
words for how you lived out your Christian life in front of me.

Basically, she was saying, "Thanks for being a Contagious Christian." Reading a letter like
that motivates me to live as a contagious Christian too. How about you? Ill bet you want
your life to count for a whole lot more than trinkets and toys and zeros on a paycheck, too.

Be A S.A.L.T. of the Earth !

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 13

49 Million Born Again Adults Shared Their Faith in Jesus in the Past Year

July 28, 2003

Overall, slightly less than one out of every four adults who attend a Protestant or Catholic
church (23%) are both born again in their faith and have shared their faith in Jesus Christ
with a non-Christian in the past twelve months.

January 31, 2005

One of the key findings of the research was that a slight majority of born again adults
55% claimed to have shared their faith in Christ with a non-Christian during the prior 12
months. That figure has remained relatively constant during the past decade.

The Barna survey explored nine specific approaches to sharing faith in Christ with non-
believers. The most prolific method was to offer to pray with a non-Christian who was
in need of encouragement or support. Eight out of ten Christians (78%) said they had
done so in the past year. Nearly as common was an approach widely known as
lifestyle evangelism, which was described in the survey as living in ways that
would impress non-Christians and cause them to raise questions about that lifestyle. Three
out of every four born again adults (74%) tried this means of outreach.

Another popular approach was to start a discussion with a non-Christian in which you
intentionally asked what they believe concerning a particular moral or spiritual matter, and
continued to ask questions about their views without telling them they are wrong, but
continuing to nicely challenge them to explain their thinking and its implications.
Known as Socratic evangelism because of its dialogical nature, seven out of ten
believers (69%) said they had engaged in this approach.

About half of all believers utilized each of three alternative means of outreach. Among
them was a form of moral confrontation (i.e., to tell a non-Christian a specific behavior
was inappropriate and then describe the biblical basis for your view and an alternative
approach). This moral confrontation approach had been used by 50% of born again
adults during the prior year. The other means were event-oriented strategies: bringing a
non-Christian friend to a church service (49%) or bringing them to an outreach event
(45%).

The least widely used methods were giving evangelistic literature to people (undertaken by
35%); sending evangelistic letters or e-mails to non-Christian acquaintances (21%); and
preaching on the street or in other public places (11%).

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 14

Chuck Swindoll tells a story about some animals who decided they should do something
about the problems in the world. So they organized a school. They adopted a strenuous
curriculum of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administrate,
each of the animals had to take all the subjects.

The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, he was better than his instructor. But he
made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was so slow
he had to drop swimming and stay after school to run around the track. This caused his
webbed feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was
quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that -- except the duck.

The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his
leg muscles because he had to stay after school to work on his swimming. The squirrel
was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because
his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. The eagle
was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing
classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to
get there...

The obvious moral of the story is a simple one -- each creature has its own set of
capabilities in which it will naturally excel -- unless it is expected or forced to fill a mold that
doesnt fit. When that happens, discouragement, and guilt can lead to mediocrity and
defeat. What is true of creatures in the forest is true of believers in the church. God has not
made us all the same. He never intended to. He planned and designed our differences, our
unique capabilities, and our evangelistic styles.

Each of these six Bible characters Peter, Paul, the Blind Man, Matthew, the Samaritan
Woman, and Dorcas all met Jesus and had their lives radically transformed by Him. And
then God used their personalities to impact others. Friends, the fields are ready, and
theres a lot to do. Lets figure out what weve been designed to do and then be as quick as
a gazelle to tell others about Christ.

Becoming A Contagious Christian John 4 15