How to Invite Your Friends to Church John 1:35-46

Transcription

1 Editor s Note: We suggest that you consider using this message or a variation of it prior to or during the Connect>1 Evangelism Campaign in your church to prepare the hearts of your congregation. This sermon was written by Rev. Kevin Baker, pastor of Martha Road Baptist Church, Altus, Oklahoma How to Invite Your Friends to Church John 1:35-46 The following short narrative screams these words: relationships, relationships, relationships. Why does that matter? Effective evangelism is built on relationships. Here is what I read about a successful real estate agency in Salem, Oregon. This firm assigns 500 families to each agent. Agents are expected to contact each assigned family once per month for a year. The contact may be personal, a telephone call, or a letter. Their research indicates that it takes at least six contacts for people to remember who the agent is and the firm represented. During this time of building relationships, agents are encouraged not to go in the house. Furthermore, they are encouraged not to ask for a listing during this get acquainted time. After the initial year of regular contacts, the agent continues to communicate with the assigned families on a scheduled, systematic basis. Research reveals that if this pattern is followed consistently for a year and a half, the agent will secure 80 percent of the listings. What does this real estate firm know that we either do not know or overlook? First, people do not like to be confronted by strangers seeking entrance into their homes. Second, people are more inclined to do business with people they know over strangers. Third, it takes time and effort to build relationships where trust is extended. Finally, there is no substitute for time. Page 1 of 5

2 We are surrounded by people who are spiritually hungry. Although we cannot adopt 500 families, but we can extend our friendship to four or five individuals who we know do not know Jesus Christ. The earliest New Testament examples of this are Andrew and Phillip. These two men simply invited the people they knew to come to Jesus. This is what must happen in all evangelism methods, whether person-to-person or through small group Bible studies, Sunday School programs, worship services, visitation, church meetings, or special services. We just tell what and who we know. We all have networks of relationships in our lives: family, friends, neighbors, fellow employees, students, casual acquaintances, and others. Church growth specialists have pointed out that the greatest outreach occurs through these relationships. Surveys reveal that at least 80 percent of the unchurched who respond to an evangelistic invitation to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior were brought personally by someone else. Most Christians can point to a caring person who prayed for them before they came to know Christ. This message is about how you can build relationships with people for the purpose of reaching them for Christ. 1. Focus on the relationships you already have (v.41) You start where you are. You start with the relationships you already have. In this text who is Simon? Simon is Andrews s brother. How long had Simon know him? All of his life. How well did they know each other? Well, they were brothers. Andrew could have told hundreds of other people about what he just found out about Jesus, but he chose instead to share it with the closest person to him, his brother. Jesus said, Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest. (John 4:35, ESV) Believe me, there are people you already know who are seeking answers. Your mission field is right where you live, work, or go to school. I am not telling you to go start knocking on doors or approaching people in parking lots. I am saying start with the people you know the best. We are already in relationship with hundreds of people through our personal networks that s a good place to start! 2. Look for opportunities to talk to about Jesus (v.41) Page 2 of 5

3 It seems we feel comfortable talking to our friends about every topic except Jesus! We will talk sports, politics and even about sex, but when the opportunity to talk about Jesus comes up we clam up. The apostle Paul said, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes: to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16, ESV) Some might say, Well, pastor, I m not ashamed of Jesus. I mean I love him and everything, but I just don t feel comfortable talking about him in public, I don t want to offend anyone. But what did Jesus say about this issue? And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9, ESV) If you get a new car you will drive it around town so all your friends can see it. If you get a new house you will invite all your friends over to see it. When you start having kids, all you can do is talk about them. When you have grandkids, you talk about them at the drop of a hat. What is so hard about talking about Jesus? People who encounter him have things like this to say: My life was a mess, I met Jesus and now my life is turning around or My wife and I were thinking of getting a divorce and then we both placed our faith in Jesus Christ and we have a new kind of love for one another now, it s really helped our marriage, or I was fearful of death, but I realized through a relationship with Jesus, I could live forever with God in heaven. Another word for evangelism is good news. The angel told the shepherds at Jesus birth, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy (Luke 2: 10, ESV) Why not tell your friends some good news about what Jesus has done for you? The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "we have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). He found something he had been looking for. The whole nation was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. Jesus was the promised Savior and Andrew found Him. What did he do with this news? He told his brother. Dennis Nunn, founder of Every Believer a Witness Ministries, says that evangelism in its basic form is this: People who know about Page 3 of 5

4 Jesus telling people who do not know about Jesus how they can know about Jesus. Another definition of it is that it is one beggar telling another beggar where the food is at. In verse 45, we read, Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Phillip went and found his friend Nathanael and told that he had discovered the One of whom the Scriptures spoke. (Hold up the Bible) Here is the good news, the answer to every problem in life. You have a friend who has financial problems, - here s the answer. You have a friend with marital problems here s the answer. You have a friend with addiction problems here s the answer. You have a friend with a spiritual problem here s the answer. When we look for opportunities to talk to about Jesus, the truth is we do not have to look very far. 3. Invite them to come with you (v.42) There is power in a personal invitation. The advertising industry figured this out many years ago. Why do sports stars and movie stars get paid millions of dollars to promote a product in a commercial? They have credibility with the audience. When Michael Jordan says he wears a particular brand of underwear, people go to a store and buy that brand. When Larry the Cable Guy says he uses a particular brand for heartburn, lots and lots of people buy that brand. Why do so many commercials use this approach? It is because people frequently respond to an invitation from someone in whom they have confidence. Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, says that 82% of unchurched people who are invited to church are likely to come. Another study showed that 2/3 of those who responded said they were willing to receive information about local churches around them. Look at verse 42. He brought him to Jesus. Repeat that with me, And he brought him to Jesus. Doesn t that just bless your socks off? We can see what that looked like 2000 years ago. What would that look like today? Maybe we could meet someone after work, or in Page 4 of 5

5 their home. Maybe we could make an appointment with them and have lunch. Maybe we say, I go to church at Baptist Church; how about if I meet you there fifteen minutes early and we can sit together? Here is my hope for our church. I want us to becoming radically intentional about inviting our friends to church, to our connection groups, to events we have throughout the year and to Jesus. I want the thought of inviting someone to church to be as natural as eating and breathing. When Nathaniel skeptically questioned Philip in verse 46, how did he respond? Did he enter into a debate with Nathaniel? No, he simply said, Come and see. Come and see. Can you make a commitment to make those words your words and share those words with your friends this week? Page 5 of 5