Week of February 7, 2016

PERSONAL EVANGELISM

The verses or passages below give instances where the praying for the lost takes on a "let's-be-ready-to-do-this" response.  It's one thing to pray for those who serve the Lord to keep serving the Lord.  It's another thing to recognize "those who serve" should include YOU and ME.  As you read each passage take time to look at the context and what it took for the Word to be shared with the lost.  It wasn't always a "jail house" experience like Paul in Philippi, it was also a natural conversation like Jesus had with Nicodemus.  (All passages quoted from the NKJV)

John 3:1-3 - "There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these things that You do unless God is with him.'  Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"

John 4:4, 7-10 - "But He needed to go through Samaria.  A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, 'Give Me a drink.'...Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, 'How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?'  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.'

Acts 8:26-30,34-35 - "Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, 'Arise and go toward the south...and he arose and went.  And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority...was returning and reading Isaiah...So Philip ran to Him, and heard him reading...So the eunuch answered Philip and said, 'I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or some other man?'  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him."

Acts 16:13-14 - "And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.  Now a certain woman Lydia heard us...The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul."

Acts 16:25-31 - "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God...suddenly, there was a great earthquake...and the keeper of the prison...drew his sword and was about to kill himself...But Paul called with a loud voice, 'Do yourself no harm'...then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas...and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'  So they said to him, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.'"

Now, these are just a few places in Scripture where personal evangelism was done.  Please note how natural it was for the conversations to be held.  Though there was certainly excitement in the jail, still there was a sense that the believers knew it was just the right time to share about the Lord.  And that is the point of this study: our conversations about Jesus don't have to be planned for like a "foray into the enemies' stronghold!"  We just need to be ready, 1 Peter 3:15, to just talk about Jesus with those whose hearts the Lord has opened.  Note that in the conversion of Lydia! 

Pray that you and I will stay alert and sensitive to the Spirit's leading when we, too, can simply talk about Jesus to those whose hearts are ready.