Rich Young Ruler Lds Family Home Evening Lesson
Always exist prepare d to . . . enquire a question
James F. Borgwardt
Witnessing to strangers doesn't come up naturally for many Christians, myself included. But like annihilation else, it becomes easier with practice.
The essential elements for every Christian witness is God's constabulary and gospel. But how do we go from a cordial "Howdy" to the message of sin and grace? My favorite tool is a question.
Actually, there are three specific types of questions that aid move conversations in the direction I want. The first question turns the dialogue spiritual. The second helps to appraise and clarify the non-Christian'southward views. And the last draws us to our destination: to the cross of Christ.
All of them help keep the conversation cordial and non-threatening when they are used with people like Joe.
T he f irst q uestion
Joe saturday in the next seat on our flight to Chicago and struck up the conversation. His story of leading multiple successful business ventures in the metropolis matched his style and appearance. My story as a pastor didn't share much in mutual, except that I have a brother serving a congregation on the north side of Chicago. That was my segue to Question 1: "Do you take a church habitation?"
He didn't. It wasn't long before he shared his view of religions: "All of them teach basically the same thing. How tin Christians insist that they're the simply ones going to sky?"
T he s econd q uestion
Would you have given a quick answer? Jesus wouldn't. At least he didn't when the rich young man in Matthew 19 asked him a question near eternal life. Jesus responded instead with a question of his own. Answering a question with another question was common for Jesus. He oft extended conversations with questions and not answers.
This is another evangelism lesson we can learn from Jesus' dialogue in Matthew nineteen. When someone comes to you with a question virtually the Christian faith, don't ever be so quick with an respond. Effort a question instead.
"A human came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what skillful affair must I do to get eternal life?'
'Why practise you ask me about what is good?' Jesus replied" (Matthew 19:16,17).
Jesus fielded questions from a variety of people with a variety of motives. Some raised question to trap him. Others were hurting souls who approached him in desperate need. They pleaded for mercy from the only ane they believed could help them.
The rich, immature ruler fit neither of these extremes. His question was both serious and seriously misguided. He respected Jesus as a great teacher. He approached him with a 18-carat want to receive new insight into his godly living. He loved the police force of God and convinced himself that he had kept it. Yet he felt that he was missing something—something that would finally give him the peace with God that he craved. He figured that the renowned rabbi from Nazareth could prescribe the elusive, extraordinary work that needed to be done. He was ready to acquit it out and thereby earn the assurance that life everlasting was indeed his reward.
This immature man came to the right man for the incorrect reasons. And Jesus could accept told him as much. But a question was the more than effective tool.
The aforementioned is oftentimes true in our witnessing.
Granted, Jesus was far amend at this than nosotros could be. He knew the perfect response to a question long earlier it was asked. Not being God, we can't do that.
But questions do serve us well in these crucial conversations. They assist us assess the person and their state of affairs. They buy us time as we recall how to best lead this soul to the cross.
More than that, asking questions helps us in similar ways to how it helped Jesus in his ministry. Questions display that we're genuinely interested in the person with whom we're speaking. And questions lead that person to practice some of import self-reflection. They are a polite, non-confrontational tool to help the other person re-examine their assumptions.
When Jesus replied with "Why do yous ask me well-nigh what is good?" the man had to start earthworks into the assumptions that were buried beneath his question.
We desire people to do the same affair. This is where Question 2 comes in handy. It's the question, "What makes you say that?"*
In my chat with Joe, I responded to his merits that all religions basically teach the same thing with, "What makes you say that? In what way are they like?"
Similar the man in Matthew 19, Joe held the natural opinion that good works gain the reward of eternal life. He didn't understand grace. Outside of Christ, no i can.
The third question
At the time, I responded with a C. S. Lewis illustration of how the one discussion that separates Christianity from all other religions isgrace. And that opened into a law and gospel witness.
But thinking back on it, I could have asked Joe a third question that's get my favorite. Sometimes it's the only 1 needed. It'southward directly and polite at the aforementioned time. Question 3a is, "What you do believe about Jesus?"
Try information technology. And after asking the question, simply listen. The response could be a hundred dissimilar kinds of wrong, but fight the urge to correct the person. People appreciate that you don't want to argue. By listening you'll earn the right to speak. When they're done, enquire permission to do so with Question 3b, "May I share with you what I believe most Jesus?" Then share the skillful news of God'southward eternal love for all people in Jesus. And the Holy Spirit will bless it as he sees fit.
Someone may exist thinking,That'south all fine and skillful. But the campaigner Peter commanded a unlike approach: "E'er be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks y'all to give the reason for the promise that you take" (1 Peter 3:xv). He told us to be prepared to requite an answer, not a question.
Yes, nosotros need to be prepared to give answers too! Read 1 Peter chapter 3 in its entirety. People will ask u.s.a. about our eternal hope when they see us respond to evil with dear and grace. They'll want to know why. They'll cut right to the point. And so nosotros respond.
Paul, Silas, and the jailor (Acts xvi) lived out the exact scenario that Peter outlined. When the Philippian jailor fell trembling before them and asked a question of agony and hope, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" it was clear to the evangelists that this homo was in a far different—and far better—spot than the human being in Matthew 19. He was ready for the gospel.
So Paul and Silas replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you volition exist saved" (Acts 16:30,31).
God grant that we're all prepared with questions and answers pointing to Jesus.
James Borgwardt is pastor at Redeemer, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
This is the second article in a three-function series on evangelism lessons from the account of the rich immature human in Matthew chapter nineteen.
*Thanks to Christian apologist Gregory Koukl for these insights.
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Writer: James F. Borgwardt
Volume 105, Number 12
Issue: December 2018
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