Come and See Principles for Evangelism

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Come and SeePrinciples for Evangelism

• John 135-52

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The Greatest Fear

• Personal evangelism
• Sharing ones faith with another person
• After all
• I may not know what to say
• They might ask me a question I cannot answer
• I might fail
• I am not gifted in evangelism
• I am afraid
• Thats the pastors job, isnt it?

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The Most Neglected Discipline

• Christian Life Disciplines
• Bible reading
• Prayer
• Fellowship
• Witnessing

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The Most Neglected Discipline

• Jesus final words to the church were a
  commandment to spread the gospel to all the world
• Most Christians have never personally led another
  individual to Christ or shared their faith with
  an unbeliever
• I am afraid. I cannot think well on my feet.
• So, fear is no real excuse.
• I do not know what to say. I am afraid they will
  ask me a question I cannot answer. What do I say
  to someone?
• The simplest of all witnessing tools - come and
  see

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Every Person Is Different

• Andrew and John
• Trusted Christ through the faithful testimony of
  John the Baptist
• Peter and James
• Came to Christ because of the personal testimony
  of their brothers
• Philip and Nathaniel
• Jesus wins Philip personally
• Then Philip witnesses to Nathaniel

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Johns Testimony vv. 35-37

• Tell Them Who Jesus Is
• The Gospels first witness of who Jesus is
• The testimony of John the Baptist Jesus is
• The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the
  world v. 29 (gospel message!)
• The Pre-existent One
• The One who baptizes with fire
• The Son of God

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Johns Testimony vv. 35-37

• Help Them See Jesus
• John the Baptist defined his role as a forerunner
• He was one called to prepare the way for Jesus -
  a voice of preparation
• That is our role, in a sense, because Jesus is
  the One who changes peoples lives, we just
  prepare the way
• John simply wants others to see Jesus
• Especially those closest to him his own
  followers!
• The ultimate aim of a witness is to direct others
  to Jesus

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Come and See Evangelism vv. 37-40

• Following Jesus
• v. 37 - John accomplished his goal - and they
  followed Jesus
• A willingness to forsake all and follow Christ
  only - the idea of surrender
• v. 38 - Jesus turns and asks a penetrating
  question, What do you seek?
• Jesus first words in Johns Gospel
• Jesus wants to know
• What are you looking for?
• What do you seek in your life?

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What do you seek?

• A hidden answer in the question
• Jesus is the fulfillment of the true seeker!
• Everything that an individual seeks can be found
  in Christ!
• The world seeks for fulfillment and contentment
  in the wrong places
• Money, power, drugs, alcohol, sex
• Genuine and lasting satisfaction only comes in
  Jesus Christ
• What are you seeking this morning?
• Happiness? Contentment? Peace?
• Stability in a shaky marriage?
• Answers to lifes questions?
• Know that fulfillment is only found in Christ

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Seeking a Relationship vv. 38b-39

• Answering Jesus question with a question
• Rabbi where are you staying?
• Reveals their true desirethey seek to spend time
  with Jesus, to get to know Him better
• Jesus response? Come and see
• An open invitation to spend time getting to know
  Jesus
• An open invitation to every person on the earth!
• Come with me and you will see

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Call to Relationship with Jesus

• The Lamb of God calls us to a personal
  relationship with Himself
• A call to be one of His disciples
• A call to have your eyes opened to Gods Truth
• The disciples answered the call
• Their eyes were opened to the Truth
• Their lives were changed
• If you spend time with Jesus, you will not be the
  same

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Sharing the Good News vv. 40-52

• The First Thing to Do - vv. 40-41
• As a result of this time with Jesus, Andrew
  realizes that he must share his good news with
  his brother, Simon
• Immediately - first - he finds his brother to
  share with him the wonderful news We have found
  the Messiah
• Every time we see Andrew in Johns Gospel, he is
  bringing others to Jesus
• 141 brings his brother Simon
• 68 brings a lad with 5 loaves and 2 small
  fish to Jesus
• 1222 brings Greeks to Jesus in the Temple

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Sharing the Good News vv. 40-52

• Andrew models the response of a believer to being
  with Jesus - bring others to Jesus
• Brotherhood of St. Andrew
• Andrew was faithful to fulfill his calling
• The biggest need at The Lighthouse?
• We need some Andrews - People who will be
  committed to bringing others to Jesus
• Some older Andrews
• Some young Andrews
• Some teen Andrews
• Some mom and dad Andrews
• Some Sunday School teacher Andrews

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Let Jesus Change Themv. 42

• Andrew knew what to do
• Just get him to Jesus - Come and see
• He pointed his brother to the one who could
  change him
• No fancy evangelism methods
• No memorizing lots of Scripture so you never make
  a mistake
• Just getting them to come and see Jesus
• Jesus takes one look at Peter and sees more
• You are now Simon, but you will become Peter
• Jesus sees us for what we can be in Him
• Allow Jesus to make the transformation
• We cannot change people, but Jesus can

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Jesus Came to Seek Them Out vv. 43-44

• Come and see evangelism continues
• The next day - 3rd time - evangelism creates a
  chain reaction
• Jesus seeks out Philip, a friend of Peter
  Andrew, and Jesus says to him, Follow me
• Jesus came to seek and save the lost Luke 1910
• He seeks out Philip, calls him, and Philip
  follows
• Philips immediate response
• He finds Nathaniel and testifies, We have found
  him, the one about whom Moses and the prophets
  spokeJesus of Nazareth

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Dealing with Skeptics vv. 45-52

• Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?
• Nathaniel has some prejudice issues
• He does not respond in immediate faith
• So what does Philip do?
• Give in? Shy away? Throw in the towel? Absolutely
  not!
• He does the only thing he knows to dohe says,
  Come and see
• I dont have all the answers, but come and see

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Jesus Is In Control

• Behold the Israelite in whom is no guile
• I know you Nathaniel for who you are
• Nathaniel seems taken back, How do you know me?
• And Jesus draws him in, I saw you before you
  even came. You were sitting under the fig tree
• Jesus is saying, Nathaniel, I know who you are.
  I know everything there is to know about you. I
  know what you think and where you go and what you
  do. Nathaniel, I know you. And I want you to
  follow me.

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Jesus Is In Control

• Nathaniel responds by placing his faith in Jesus
• I am glad you believed, but you believed because
  I gave you a sign. You are going to see greater
  signs than these. As a matter of fact, I am the
  One in whom God is revealed
• Jacobs ladder points to the reality that Jesus
  is the link between heaven and earth
• Jesus is the means by which God is brought down
  to earth

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Basic Principles of Evangelism

• Recognize a Prospect
• Think about them right now
• Point them to Jesus
• It is all about Jesus
• Tell them why
• Jesus changes lives

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Basic Principles of Evangelism

• Recognize a Prospect
• If you are a believer, you have a prospect
• For John the Baptist, it was his disciples
• For Andrew, it was his brother
• For Philip, it was Nathaniel
• Who is it for you?
• Think about them right now
• Who God is placing on your heart right now?

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Point Them to Jesus

• Your words are simple, come and see
• John the Baptist did it Behold the Lamb of God
• Andrew did it We have found the Messiah
• Philip did it We have found Him of whom Moses
  and the prophets wrote
• And you can do it - Point them to Jesus - Tell
  them who He is
• Programs are useful, but they do not change lives
• Little boy attending Sunday School for the first
  time
• Who was your teacher?
• I dont know but she must have been Jesus
  grandmother. She did not talk about anyone else!

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Tell Them Why

• Why is it important?
• It is important because Jesus is the Way, Truth,
  and the Life
• No one comes to the Father except through Jesus
  Christ
• It is important to point people to Jesus because
  there is no hope of eternal life outside of Him
• Another reason - because Jesus changes lives
• When Jesus changes your life, you want to tell
  others

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Come and SeeVery Simple Evangelism

• Recognize a Prospect
• Point them to Jesus
• Tell them why - Jesus changes lives
• We need some Andrews and Philips
• By Gods grace, I will bring one person to
  Jesus
• Edward Kimbrall, a SS teacher
• Led DL Moody to Christ in the back of a shoe
  store
• A Salvation Army worker
• On a curb in Chicago - led Billy Sunday to Christ
• Deacon on a low attendance snowy night
• Taught a lesson led to the surrender of CH
  Spurgeon to Christ

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