Learning The Art Of Conversational Evangelism Part 3

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Learning The Art Of Conversational Evangelism
(Part 3)
www.meeknessandtruth.org
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Conversational Evangelism Four types of
conversations we want to have with non-believers
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Four types of roles you need to play in your
friends life
Artist
Builder
Musician
Archeologist
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Hear what they are saying!HearIlluminateUncove
rBuild
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Illuminate The Discrepancies!
Hear Illuminate Uncover Build
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The Importance of Questions

• Questions that help clarify the meaning of
  certain unclear terms

• Questions that surface uncertainty and / or
  expose false belief systems or concepts

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AskAm I Asking Questions In A Way That
surfaces their uncertainty about their own
perspective, while at the same time minimizes
their defensiveness, and yet creates a curiosity
to want to hear more!
How do I know if I am asking the right kind of
questions in the right way?
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Jesus use of questions in Luke 2041-44 to
surface discrepancies in the beliefs of the
Jewish leaders!
Then Jesus said to them, How is it that they
say the Christ is the Son of David? David himself
declares in the Book of Psalms The Lord said to
my Lord Sit at my right hand until I make your
enemies a footstool for your feet. David calls
him Lord. How then can he be his son?
What was the scribes problem?
They didnt believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
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How To Ask Questions With the Three Goals in Mind

• Highway Video clip
• Who is Jesus Christ?
• www.highwayvideo.com

Notice the approach he uses
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Good Follow-up Questions
Is there any reason to consider Him further? Have
you ever thought about it? What have you come up
with? Do you think there is any reason to
decide? Do you think there is any reason to check
it out further? Does He mean anything to you? Do
you think there is any reason to decide? Do you
care?
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Uncovering Real Barriers
Hear Illuminate Uncover Build
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As an Archeologists Uncover Their Real Barriers
to the Gospel
Archeologist
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Uncover the Real Barriers
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Go Below The Surface
Proverbs 205 says, The purpose in a man's mind
is like deep water, but a man of understanding
will draw it out. Good apologetics requires
people of understanding who have the patience and
insight to not only deal with peoples stated
questions but to go below the surface and speak
to their true objections Rev. Dave Montoya,
Dealing With Both Minds and Hearts Answering the
Questions Behind the Questions, Unpublished
materials
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Uncovering Conversations

• From the Movie Uncle Buck

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Barriers Between Them and God
Overview It is not always easy to uncover the
real barriers! (Jer. 179)
The Goal To discover what is getting in the way
in someones spiritual journey.
How Keep five steps in mind!
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Is the Barrier Real?

• 1. Determine whether their issue is a
  legitimate question or concern or whether it is
  a smoke screen.

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A Formula for Clearing Away Smokescreens

• If I could answer your questions in a way
  that would make sense to you, would that help you
  to more seriously consider a belief in God and
  Christianity?
• What kind of evidence are you looking for?

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Why It Is Important To Ask This Question!

• I tried presenting him with some evidence to
  show him that the Bible is a reliable historical
  account. But finally, after about an hour of us
  talking and sharing views, he said even if you
  put all the evidence right in front of me, I
  still wont believe. I dont want to believe.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Why It Is Important To Ask This Question!
(Continue)

• In retrospect, I realize this student had been
  throwing up a smokescreen, and early in the
  conversation.
• I should have tried uncovering the real
  barriers by asking him something like If I could
  answer your questions....
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Moving Beyond the Smoke Screens in Singapore

• In a conversation I had with another taxi
  driver who is a professing Buddhist some weeks
  ago, he was dominating the whole time talking
  about how all religions are eventually the same.
  When I asked him what he had to do in order to be
  a Buddhist, he suddenly became quite subdued and
  confessed that he hardly did anything such as
  going to the temple or praying.
• I realized that many Singaporeans, like this
  taxi driver, only use the multi-religious
  situation in this country as a smoke screen. Most
  people are not as hardcore pluralist as they
  claimed to be. In applying the steps of
  Uncovering Conversations, I am learning to go
  beyond the smoke screens of people I talked to
  and find out what the real barrier to the gospel
  is.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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2. Uncover the Specific Emotional Baggage That
They are Carrying
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2. Uncover the Specific Emotional Baggage That
They are Carrying
Ask God for wisdom in discerning what the
real issues are that you need to address with
your pre-believing friends (Js. 15).
One of the biggest baggage issues for
Singaporeans to deal with is the perceived lack
of honor for elders and ancestors, if one trusted
in Christ.
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Handling Emotional Baggage

• Invite them to share their story or concern
• Express sympathy or concern for the pain they
  have experienced
• Affirm Gods love and hope for that person
• If appropriate, express your sorrow for how
  another brother or sister in Christ treated that
  person
• Tell them that you will pray for them

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Determine Whats Below The Surface
3. Determine whether there is a question or
concern behind the question or issue raised.
Jesus was a mastered In getting below the
surface in His interaction with others.
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Jesus was a Mastered In Getting Below The Surface
In Mark 1218-27 notice how Jesus responds When
the Sadducees asks Jesus a hypothetical question
about who will be the wifes husband at the
resurrection, (since all seven brothers were at
one time married to her but all died but didnt
leave any children),
First, He pointed out that they dont know the
scriptures for in heaven they neither marry nor
are they given in marriage. But next he gets
underneath their question and surfaces their true
nature of their objection. What was their true
objection? Jesus knew that their real question or
concerned had to deal with the issue of the
resurrection of the dead.
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Jesus was a Mastered In Getting Below The Surface
Jesus response Now about the dead risinghave
you not read in the book of Moses, in the account
of the bush, how God said to him, I am the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the
living. You are badly mistaken. Mark 1226-27
(N.I.V.)
Jesus points to a passage in the Pentateuch
(which they did accept) Ex. 36 which supports
the position that there is a resurrection.
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Jesus was a Mastered In Getting Below The Surface
I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob. By using the present tense
verb (am) this implies that the patriarchs were
still alive and that God still had a relationship
with them as a covenant keeping God, even though
they died long ago.
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3. Determine whether there is a question or
concern behind the question or issue raised.

• Example
• How can you claim that there is only one way to
  God?

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How can you claim that there is only one way to
God?
What might be the belief behind the question?
They may believe that Christians are arrogant to
think that they have the truth and are therefore
better than others.
They may believe that Christians are not very
open to other faiths by being so exclusive.
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What would you say to them?
Answer (First build a bridge by finding Common
Ground)
I would agree with you that we certainly
shouldnt be arrogant about our beliefs or think
that we are some how better than others for
holding different beliefs.
I look at Christianity as one beggar telling
another beggar where to find bread.
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• How can you claim there is only one way to God?
• Help them deal honestly with the issue?
• Ask Is exclusiveness always a bad thing?

How many ways does it take to restore a broken
dating relationship for something we said or
did?

• Concept adapted from Dean Halverson,
• World Religions, p. 62

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How can you claim there is only one way to God?

• Dont we have to say in some way we are sorry
  for the things we said or did that hurt the other
  person?

Now if that is the way it is in our relationship
with other people, why would that be any
different in our relationship with God?
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How can you claim there is only one way to God?

• How do we deal with the exclusivity charge?

What would say to them?
Answer Build a bridge Remember that others may
see our exclusiveness as really arrogant!
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How can you claim there is only one way to God?

• Christianity is too exclusive!

Your Answer What about when we get married?
Dont we exclude every other person of the
opposite sex from our life but one?
Isnt this a good thing for us to do?
So the real issue is what are you including and
why, and what are you excluding and why!
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Speak to Their Heart Felt Issues
Discover 4. Determine their biggest barrier to
Christianity?
Family obligation or expectations
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Barriers to Belief in God and Christianity

• "One of my biggest barriers to belief in God
  or Christianity is that I am not brave enough to
  consider religious issues solely without
  considering the consequences of what other people
  think."
• International Student, U.T. Austin

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Common Barrier in Singapore (1 of 6)

• How can I choose Christ when my dead ancestors
  are separated from Him and could be separated
  from me?

Your Answer Are you absolutely sure they are
separated from Christ?
Your Answer If they know what you know about who
Jesus is what do you think they would advice you
to do?
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Common Barrier in Singapore (2 of 6)

• How can I choose Christ when my dead ancestors
  are separated from Him and could be separated
  from me?

Your Answer Did you know that scripture actually
speaks to this issue?
And he (the rich man) said, Then I beg you,
Father (Abraham), that you send him (Lazarus) to
my fathers housefor I have five brothersthat
he may warn them, lest they also come to this
place of torment. Luke 1627-28 N.A.S.B.
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Common Barrier in Singapore (6 of 6)

• Do you realize that your decision for Christ
  now could have an impact on future generations of
  family members?

Do you realize that you could be the key to other
current family members coming to Christ before it
is too late? (Heb. 927)
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Speak to Their Heart Felt Issues
Discover 4. Determine their biggest barrier to
Christianity?
Family obligation or expectations Some think
it is in appropriate to ask God for help when we
can work to be good ourselves
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Response

• The main principle you want the to grasp
• Help them understand that there is nothing wrong
  with expecting God to do something for us that we
  can never do for ourselves?

Questions we can ask

• Dont some Chinese believe that we can do some
  things for our dead ancestors (like offering Hell
  Money) that they can not do for themselves.
• Is it possible that there may be times when you
  try very hard to be 100 good but find you still
  fall short?
• Is it possible that there may be times when there
  are some things you cant do for yourselves, and
  that is why people go to the temple to pray?

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Response

• Help them understand that there is nothing wrong
  with expecting God to do something for us that we
  can never do for ourselves?

Questions we can ask

• So is it not possible that Jesus may have to do
  some things for us because we can not do them for
  ourselves?

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Further Response
Remember the question or issue you want him or
her to wrestle with
Can God arbitrarily decide to forgive us of our
sins and therefore ignore His standard of
Justice?
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Water analogy
Suppose you were drinking some water out of a
paper cup. Would it be acceptable for me to 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?
Concept adapted from Glenn McGorty (Mirror
Model)
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Wedding Dress Analogy
Picture a young women getting out of the car in
her beautiful white wedding dress. Then imagine
another car pulling up right next to her and a
man with grease all over him getting out. As he
gets out and passes by her, he smears grease all
over her beautiful white wedding dress.
Now, do you think that wedding dress is going to
acceptable to her?
Of course not, because the dress has to be
spotless!
Concept adapted from Glenn McGorty (Mirror
Model)
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Wedding Dress Analogy
Now if you and I have a standard of right and
wrong and we dont live up to it, can you imagine
that Gods standard might be a little higher than
our own?
Concept adapted from Glenn McGorty (Mirror
Model)
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Speak to Their Heart Felt Issues
Discover 4. Determine their biggest barrier to
Christianity?
Family obligation or expectations Some think
it is in appropriate to ask God for help when we
can work to be good ourselves Thinking
Christianity is too Western
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Barriers to Christianity In Singapore

• One of the barriers that people, especially the
  older generation, have towards Christianity is
  the perception that it is a foreign and Western
  religion. There are fears that the convert
  becomes ang moh-nised and loses his cultural
  identity.
• Therefore I must show that being a Christian not
  only means I dont become less filial and loving
  to my parents, it actually encourages me to honor
  my parents (one of the ten commandments, and the
  only one with an attached blessing). What would
  motivate these people to embrace the gospel?
  Seeing Christianity lived out as a Chinese son or
  daughter.
• Former student at East Asia School of Theology

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Speak to Their Heart Felt Issues
Discover 4. Determine their biggest barrier to
Christianity?
Family obligation or expectations Some think
it is in appropriate to ask God for help when we
can work to be good ourselves Thinking
Christianity is too Western Being fearful of
spirits

• Be mindful of the Devils
• schemes (2 Cor. 211)

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking
for someone to devour. (1 Pet. 58) N.I.V.
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Being fearful of spirits
Be mindful of the Devils Schemes (2 Cor. 211
His scheme is to make us fear the lesser spirits
rather than the God of Heaven who created all of
us including the spirits
A Biblical Perspective
Why do the nations say, where is their God? Our
God is in heaven he does whatever pleases him.
But their idols are silver and gold, made by the
hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see they have ears, but
cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell, feet,
but they cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound
with their throats. Those who make them will be
like them, and so will all who trust in them.
Ps. 1152-8
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Being fearful of spirits
What should we remember!

• We should only fear God

I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of
those who kill the body and after that can do no
more. But I will show you whom you should fear
Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has
power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you,
fear him. Luke 124-5
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Speak to Their Heart Felt Issues
Discover 5. What would motivate them to get
answers in these areas?
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Uncovering Barriers (Review)

• 1. Determine whether their issue is a legitimate
  concern, or whether it is a smoke screen.
• Uncover the specific emotional baggage that they
  are carrying.
• Determine whether there is a question or concern
  behind the question or issue raised.
• 4. Find out what their biggest barrier to
  Christianity is.
• 5. Find out what would motivate them to get
  answers in these areas.

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Build a Bridge to the Truth
Hear Illuminate Uncover Build
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Application Exercise

• This next week I will
• 1. Continue to ask God for an opportunity for ask
  clarifying questions in my witness to others.
• Ask, what do you mean by? (Example Son of God)
• Look for ways to ask thought provoking questions
  to my pre-believing friends to get them to think
  more deeply about their beliefs.
• Ask God for wisdom to discern (in your
  conversations with your friends and family
  members) what might be the real barrier that is
  keeping them from trusting Christ.

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Conversational Evangelism Four types of
conversations we want to have with non-believers
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Four types of roles you need to play in your
friends life
Artist
Builder
Musician
Archeologist