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Taking the Initiative

Taking the Initiative

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Jesus was never satisfied with just news-weather-sports type relationships. His commitment to people was much deeper. He was always aware of needs – eternal needs. And as God’s Spirit works in each of our lives, these are the issues that will concern us also. Are we willing to take the initiative to meet these needs?

SPIRITUAL SHYNESS

Have you ever had an experience something like this? While you are talking with a friend, the subject of his personal needs comes up (or something else is said that could lead to an opportunity to talk about Christ), and you just stand there with your tongue tied in one big knot. You don’t know what to say. And isn’t this especially true with people you have known for a long time? You can talk about anything except …

BEING CASUAL BUT DEFINITE

In John 4 we have a vivid picture of how to take the initiative when sharing our faith. Jesus became a friend and He casually but definitely turned the attention of the Samaritan woman to her spiritual needs. At the same time Jesus was not heavy and preachy. We certainly do not need to be preachy with our friends either. We can relax. The Holy Spirit is at work in the lives of our friends and we are only His mouthpiece-His communicator. We are God’s messenger boy or girl, and as we witness in the power of the Spirit we can leave the results to God. When Jesus shared, He was casual but definite. He was relaxed and friendly, yet He had a purpose in His conversations . . . to help people know His Heavenly Father.

DUMP THE LINGO

Not only should we be casual but definite in our witness, we should also be clear in our communication. Do you use Christian lingo or God talk when you share? I have heard Christians enthusiastically try to explain spiritual truth to non-Christians by using terms and cliches such as, praise the Lord, saved, born again, God blesses you and a host of others that the non-Christian did not understand. These terms are meaningful to Christians, but are unclear to unbelievers. As good communicators we need to be fresh and creative in explaining spiritual truth. We can explain what it means to have a relationship with Christ. Then we can explain that this is what is meant by being born again. We need to translate Christian terms.

How would you freshly and creatively explain each of these terms to a non-Christian?

  • born again
  • God Blesses you
  • saved
  • sin
  • grace
  • inviting Christ into your life
  • receive Christ
  • the abundant life
  • fellowship

Talk about these and other terms with your friends.

REACTING OR RESPONDING

Relaxing and clearly communicating are important in our communication with others. But what happens if someone does not relax with us, and in fact reacts when we try to share our faith? Let’s look at our story in John 4. In verses 10-14, Jesus turns his conversation with the Samaritan woman from a request for water to an offer for living water-real satisfaction. He turned the conversation to spiritual issues. At first, the woman wanted to challenge Christ’s claim to have the answers to life (vv. 11, 12): “How can you know the truth? No one knows for sure.” This is not unusual. Some people may respond this way, even after we have established a friendship.

Has anyone ever said this to you? How would you answer in a way that would help someone rather than argue? There are three ways we could respond to someone who questions us as the Samaritan woman questioned Jesus.

  1. We could back off, retreat, and give up.
  2. We could react or argue, trying to impress people with what we know.
  3. We can respond positively.

Why do you think it is important not to argue with people when we share Christ? What do these Scripture verses tell us about attitudes as we witness? 2 Timothy 2:23-26; Galatians 5:25,26. Some people are unhappy and dissatisfied with life and they can be a little argumentative, as was the Samaritan woman. But it appears that she did not want Jesus to back off and leave her alone. People who challenge us seldom do. In fact, they are disappointed if we do retreat. “Well, I guess he’s not that convinced himself.” Jesus kept His focus on her real need, not her reactions, and it helped her trust Him.

ATTITUDES FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE

As we wrap up, here are some suggestions that will help you take the initiative:

  1. Pray specifically for opportunities to share Christ. One of the biggest reasons we don’t share our faith is because we are not spiritually or mentally prepared. We are not really thinking about or praying for our friends.
  2. Look for opportunities. If you have asked God for an opportunity to share then expect it. Your friend may ask a question, express a personal need, or give an opinion, hoping you will respond. Be on the alert. When your opportunity comes be casual but definite. In other words, relax. God is in control. But take the initiative. Take a step of faith. Care about your friend.
  3. Create opportunities. When people were not coming to Jesus, He went to them. This is the most important and exciting part of your ministry. Create opportunities by setting up a special time to eat. Or, invite a person to a meeting or Bible study where Christ will be discussed. Have your friend over for dinner. When creating opportunities, always be very honest as to why you would like to get together. Explain that you have discovered something that has really helped the spiritual dimension of your life and you think it would interest them also.
  4. Consider the immense importance of someone knowing Christ. Don’t take other people’s salvation lightly. God doesn’t. He made the greatest sacrifice of all time-on the cross. Ask God to give you a heart of compassion. Focus your attention on what really matters-eternal values. These Scripture verses will help: Matthew 9:36-39; Romans 10:13-15; 1 Timothy 2:1-4,2 Corinthians 4:16 – 5:10.
  5. Don’t be afraid of failure. It has been said, “He who never fails never does anything.”
  6. Teamwork. Try pairing up with a Christian friend to pray together for those with whom you want to share (Matthew 18:19). Create opportunities together-team evangelism (Luke 10:1).

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

We have discovered that as we share our faith we should:

  • Take the initiative.
  • Be casual but definite.
  • Relax in the Spirit.
  • Be clear when we use biblical and Christian terms.
  • Do not argue.

MY ACTION

For sharing to become a way of life we need to be thinking and planning ahead, focusing our attention and concern on those around us who don’t know our Lord. The more we concern ourselves with the needs of others, the more natural it will be to share Christ.

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What they’re saying about Cru

Unbelievable! Several students just received Christ at an outreach. So now what? How do you respond to help a person who has just received Christ? “Follow-Up” is the answer!

What is Follow Up?

Imagine bringing your newborn baby home from the hospital. Suppose you set her in the crib and say, “Okay, Sweetie, milk is in the fridge, the bathroom is over there, and here’s the stereo if you want to hear some tunes.” Absurd! So why should we do the same to a brand new Christian, who is referred to as a “baby” in the Bible? No, it’s our responsibility to help cultivate the faith of that newborn believer.Follow-up is making sure a new Christian understands their new relationship with God.  They need to know the first steps in how to grow in their relationship with Christ and multiply their faith to others.  It is important to help them establish a habit of meeting with Christ daily and to help them live a new life of faith.

How to Start

So where do you start?

  1. Pray. Begin by praying for them (1 Thessalonians 1:2,3).  Remember that God is sovereign, which means that He has total authority in the making of His disciples (followers of Christ).
  2. Remember that God is in charge. Only God can produce growth, and He does that in many ways. The Bible talks about four ways of responding to God’s Word in Matthew 13:3-9, 14-20. Check it out! In the book of Acts, Paul spent special time with new believers, teaching and encouraging them (Acts 17-20). As a result they eventually influenced their entire region. We can help guide and encourage believers to grow, but the bottom line is that God’s the one in charge. What a relief.In 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, the Bible says, “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, causing the growth. So then neither the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth…For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
  3. Don’t Delay Follow-up! It is very important to begin follow-up ASAP! Beware: Satan will be attempting to discourage a student after he has received Christ. The student may have questions or doubts, so it’s good to be available to talk. Give him a call within 24-48 hours after he has received Christ and invite him to meet to talk about how his new faith is a part of everyday life. The Holy Spirit needs your availability to help lead this new believer. You will want to affirm his new relationship with Christ; set up a time to meet to talk further. You may be thinking, “But how do I start meeting with him.”? Suggest a time and place to meet (like Taco Bell, Burger King, in the school courtyard … wherever!) and let the student respond.Be flexible! Explain that you would like to share some things that will help him in his new relationship with Christ. Encourage him to bring several friends along. Meeting with a group of students who know each other is often the best method of follow-up. The students may feel more open to talk and share, and will make up a potential discipleship group for later.  Invite other students who have received Christ (through an outreach or one on one ) to join together as a group, especially if they know each other. If something happens and you can’t get together at the scheduled time, reschedule your appointment within 48 hours. Whatever you do, don’t leave that “baby” unattended!

The First Follow-Up Meeting

What do you talk about at your first follow-up meeting? The purpose of your first meeting is to build your relationship, to help these new Christians to understand the assurance of their salvation, and to help them begin to grasp God’s love for them.

  1. Personalize your time. When you get together to talk personalize your time by asking good questions.  In other words, don’t talk as much about yourself! Talk about things the students are interested in and things you may have in common, and be sure to listen! (See Turning the Conversation to Christ)
  2. Explain spiritual growth. Use your time together to explain spiritual growth (see below for topics). Show the students that there is much to learn and offer the opportunity to get together weekly, at least for the next four weeks. Asking for a short-term commitment won’t be as overwhelming to a new Christian as an open-ended “let’s meet” might be. After the first four weeks, challenge them to continue to meet for further growth together.
  3. Ask questions to gain understanding. If you are meeting with someone whom you’re not sure is a Christian, ask questions which will help you understand better where they are at spiritually, and be prepared to share the gospel with him if the student is open and willing to listen! For instance, “If you were to die tonight and see God, and he asked you, ‘Why should I let you into heaven?’ What would you answer?” If the person is not 100% sure they are going to heaven, take the time to share the gospel with them to clarify things with them. (Here is an example of a gospel presentation called Knowing God Personally – also found on the God Tools app).
  4. Remember that follow-up is a process. A couple of things to remember … every young Christian will need to continue to learn from the Scriptures. We need to start at the beginning and build. Don’t try to teach everything all at once! Follow-up is a process.

Important Truths for New Christians

Here are some of the most important truths a new Christian needs to know:

  • Assurance of salvation (Hebrews 13:5)
  • Knowledge of Jesus Christ (John 20:31, Romans 10:17)
  • Forgiveness and confession of sins (Romans 5:6-9, 1 John 1:9)
  • The ministry of the Holy Spirit in his life (John 14:25-26, Ephesians 5:18)
  • Understanding his new identity in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)

For free Bible studies you can download go to our Thrive Studies Follow up Bible Studies.. Taking care of a newborn is a lot of work! But if you have done your job well, by God’s grace your newborn friends will soon be walking, talking, and feeding themselves spiritually.  They will be on their way to becoming mature disciples of Christ!