|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John 1-4 |
Johnny and his new bride moved to his island of Nurabandi. One day a lady went to find out why Johnny paid eight cows for his wife. As she talked to him a very beautiful woman entered the room, placed flowers on the table, smiled at Johnny and walked out. The visitor turned and asked Johnny, "She's not Sarita is she?" He smiled and said, "Yes, there's only one Sarita." The lady replied "I heard she was homely. How could she change?" "Do you ever think," he asked "what it means to a woman to know her husband has paid the lowest price for which she can be bought? And then later, when the women talk, they boast of what their husbands paid for them. One says three cows, another maybe five. How does the woman feel who was sold for one or two? This could not happen to my Sarita."
Then you just wanted to make your wife happy?" "I wanted Sarita to be happy, yes. But I wanted more than that. I wanted her to know who she really was. It is very important what she thinks about herself. In Kiniwata, Sarita believed she was worth nothing. Now she knows she is worth more than any other woman in the islands. I married Sarita because I loved her more than any other woman. I paid eight cows for her because I wanted an eight cow wife."
5. Show Them What They Can Become
Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter. Peter was a man of extremes. He said he was ready to die with Jesus (Matthew 26:33), then three times denied knowing Him (Matthew 26:69-74). And in John 1:42 Jesus says, "You are Simon, ... you shall be Cephas (Aramaic) or Peter (Greek), which means "a stone." Why does Jesus call shifting Peter a "rock?" Because his personality is solid like a rock? No. Jesus is saying, "From now on you are going to become like a rock." And every time Simon hears someone call him by his new nickname, "Hey, Peter" or "Hey, Rocky," he is reminded, "I have to be like a rock, solid and firm." Due to the impact of Jesus on his life Simon changed from being a double-minded and unstable man to becoming Peter, a rock-solid pillar of the early church.
When we look at people, we need to focus on what they can become when God gets a hold of their life. And not only should we recognize what God can do but we need to communicate this to them.
 John 1:42 |
"You are Simon ... you shall be called Cephas." |
In other words, "You have been unstable but you shall be like a rock."
6. Spend time With Them
Jesus started by spending a half a day with Andrew and John (John 1:39). This was 12 months before Jesus chose the 12 apostles. This small group of young men did a lot of traveling together in those early days. They went together to the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-2). And after that they went down to Capernaum to spend a few days with Jesus's mother and brothers (John 2:12). Then they traveled to the Passover in Jerusalem. John 3:22 says,
John 3:22 |
"After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea and there He was spending time with them." |
They also went together to Samaria where Jesus talked with the woman at the well (John 4:1-42). Then Jesus returned to Galilee, probably accompanied by the disciples. It becomes obvious that Jesus spent a lot of time with His disciples. The Lord literally lived with these 12 men for weeks on end. Never underestimate the value of a few hours in the car, for example, with a young man full of questions. As Robert Coleman said, "Never go anywhere alone. Always take someone with you."
7. Share Your Testimony
In John 4 Jesus told the woman at the well who He was and what He knew about her. She went back to her city and told them about Jesus and about what had happened to her.
John 4:39 |
"And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman, who testified, 'He told me all that I ever did'" (v. 39). |
Then verse 41 says, "And many more believed because of His own word;" It was the testimony of this woman that first drew those in her city to Jesus and then the words of Jesus Himself that convinced them follow Him.
A testimony is simple telling people what you have seen and heard God do in your life. We can follow the apostle Paul's example when he stood before Agrippa (Acts 26) and told him simply, logically, briefly and clearly; (1) his life before salvation, (2) how he met Christ, and (3) what his life was like after conversion. Read Paul's testimony in Acts 26 and mark these three divisions. Then write out your testimony using this same concise 3-point format.
8. Lead Them to Jesus
In John 4:42 those who heard the testimonies of the Samaritan woman and Jesus "said unto the woman,
John 4:42 |
'Now we believe, not because of your saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." |
The woman's testimony is only important because it leads the people of Sychar to Christ.
A healthy birth requires a healthy pregnancy. Planting and watering must come before harvesting. In evangelism we must earn the right to be heard. Floyd McClung said it well, "People don't care how much we know until they know how much we care." A good farmer knows when to plant and how much, when to water and how much and when to harvest. Our ultimate purpose is so that we will have many opportunities to lead people to Jesus. William Barclay said, "Jesus never wrote on paper; he left no printed book; instead He wrote His message upon men, and these were the apostles.
|
by Steve Nicholes
|
 |
|
LINKS TO . . . |