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Jehovah's Witnesses | |||||||||||||||||||
| Deuteronomy 18:20-22 |
I know he was trying to make me see the faults of my beliefs but the problem was in the way that he said them. None of his words made me want to seek the truth from the Bible. The only thing his words did to me was to make me not want to be like him or believe in his religion. Just like Jeff Owens, we have to be careful how we talk to people with different beliefs than those found in the Bible. Today, I would specifically like to talk about how we should speak to Jehovah's Witnesses when they come knocking on our door.
Imagine, you're sitting in front of the T.V. watching the Olympics and suddenly you hear a knock at your door. You answer the door and find that there are two ladies, one probably older than the other. They are both carrying handbags to carry their literature in. They tell you they are Jehovah's Witnesses and would like to talk to you about the Bible if you have the time. Instead of turning them away this time like you usually do, tell them, "Hey, I've been waiting for you folks to come. I have some questions I would like to have cleared up about what Jehovah's Witnesses believe."
1. ESTABLISH A FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP
There are three things to consider when talking to Jehovah Witnesses. The first is to establish a friendly rapport them. Don't be like Jeff Owens. Invite them into your house and make some tea.
2. ESTABLISH WHAT THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY OFFICIALLY BELIEVES.
The second is to establish what the Watchtower Society (or the organization) officially believes in, not necessarily what the individual believes in. You see, when I was Catholic, I believed in the churches teachings because that's what I had been taught. I trusted the organization and never questioned its authority. At that time in my life, I would have believed anything the church said. Well, the Jehovah's Witnesses do the same. But if someone would have clearly spelled out to me what the Catholic church believed in and then systematically, in a loving manner, showed me the teachings of the Bible in their proper context, I think my belief system would have started to crack in its foundations much earlier than it did.
3. EXPOSE THE CRACKS IN THEIR FOUNDATION.
And that's the third thing to remember in witnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses. Don't try to force him/her to convert to Christianity on the spot; gently, lovingly show the Jehovah's Witness the cracks in his foundation and let the Holy Spirit and the Word of God do the changing in His time.
For example, they claim that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not equal. They don't believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. They say the Holy Spirit is not a person but rather a force like fire or electricity. But for today, let's just look at one area.
One area where the Jehovah's Witnesses are weak is in the area of prophecy. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 clearly gives the requirements for prophecy. Let's look at that passage.
 Deuteronomy 18:20-22 |
"But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him." |
In the past the Watchtower Society has claimed it is the only true spokesman of God. They have prophesied the end of the world and the return of Christ in 1914, 1925 and 1975. Since these predictions have not come true, the Society regularly changes its position rationalizing what was said before. The Witnesses knocking at your door believe whatever the Society tells them.
Start off by saying something like this: "Today there are many religious groups that lead people away from true Christianity. These groups are usually called cults. Let's see if we can agree on certain characteristics of such groups." Then ask them these questions
4. SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK.
1. Do you think a person should look at the history and teachings of a religious group before deciding if it is the truth?
2. What if I joined one of these groups and later discovered they had changed their teachings or prophecies? Should I stay in it?
3. Both Deuteronomy 18:20-22 and Matthew 24:11, 23-27 warn us of false prophets. How do you identify a false prophet using these verses? The answer, of course, is if what they predict comes true.
4. Does your organization or leadership claim to be a prophet of God? (If they answer "no" then show them the April 1, 1972 issue of their magazine Watchtower which clearly says they are prophets.)
5. Has the organization made prophecies that haven't come true? What do you think about that?
So first, you establish a friendly relationship with them. Second, you establish what the organization believes and third you expose the cracks in the beliefs of the organization. Our goal is for God to work in their hearts. Lovingly help them see what the organization believes and show them where the cracks are.
To expose the cracks in the beliefs of the organization you must know what the organization believes. You must study their beliefs and do some homework so that you will be ready when they knock on your door.
Because of this, I have prepared some homework for you. Maybe this is the 1st time you've been given homework after a sermon. This homework is from the Jehovah's Witnesses homepage, www.watchtower.org. These are reasons why the Jehovah's Witnesses believe what they believe. I want you to prepare an answer to their beliefs. How would you respond if a Jehovah's Witness said this to you? The Jehovah's Witnesses who knock on your door will be ready for your Christian answers. Will you prepare yourself and be ready when the knock comes?
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by Denny Smith
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