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One on One J. R. Bronger If you were expecting an article about basketball, you will be disappointed. This is about personal evangelism, one on one. It seems the "average" church member has the idea that evangelism is accomplished by pulpit preaching on Sunday or during gospel meetings. This is wrong! If we are to make an impact in the domain of Satan, we must become dedicated to personal evangelism — one-on-one teaching. "Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word," says Acts 8:4. If we could renew the dedication of the first-century Christians, we would once again witness some phenomenal growth. According to Acts 16:5, "So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily." Daily teaching results in daily conversions. Thirty years ago gospel meetings were unbelievably successful in reaching the lost with the gospel. Unbelievers would attend by the hundreds. It wasn’t unusual to have thirty or forty baptisms during a gospel meeting (usually lasting about three or four weeks). However, today non-Christians are becoming rarities at gospel meetings, and members do not even attend very well. Gospel meetings are considered successes if members from other churches of Christ attend. Therefore, committed Christians are going to have to pick up the slack with flourishing and effective one-on-one bible teaching. The unadulterated truth is that the church will grow in proportion to the teaching that is being done by its several members. "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully," says 2 Cor. 9:6. "I can’t teach," is the mantra sung by most who resist involvement in one-on-one teaching. These three words often express the truth. Many believers are inadequate in their abilities as teachers. God, however, does not intend for us to remain impotent. Teachers are made, not born! According to Heb. 5:12, "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food." One-on-one teaching is the lifeblood of Christianity, because Christianity is a taught religion. Jn. 6:45 says, "And they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me." I’m sure many have seen this from the Institute for American Church Growth. More than 10,000 people were polled with this question: "What was responsible for your coming to Christ and this church?" 3% — I had a special need. 3% — I just walked in. 6% — I like the minister. 1% — I visited there. 5% — I liked the Bible Classes. 0.5% — I attended a gospel meeting. 3% — I liked the programs. 79% — A friend or a relative invited me. These results should be disturbing to any Christian. Since teachers are made and not born, we can, therefore, take certain steps to ensure that we become teachers. Recall 1 Pet. 3:15, which says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." This gives us two essentials. 1. Sanctify the Lord in your heart. Maintain a godly/moral life. (Ezra 7:10; Rom. 2:21; 1 Ti. 4:12). 2. Be ready. These two simple words involve several areas of preparation:
Jesus said in Matt. 4:19, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." So, how about it? Let’s go fishing! |
