Not The Issue

Sin

If everyone in the world stopped sinning today, none

of them would be any closer to heaven! Sin is simply

not the issue; Christ is the issue. The objective in 

witnessing is not to get people to stop sinning-----

that would be a hopeless task; the emphasis is on the 

work of Christ as the Solution to sin.

Unlimited  Atonement

2 Cor. 5:14, 15,19;  1Tim. 2:6, 4:10;  Tit. 2:11;

Heb. 2:9;  2 Pet.  2:1;  1 John 2:2

Everyone who thus HOPES in Him purifies himself

as He is pure.

1 John 3:3

Barrier

Be Clear

No mater how good or religious a man might be, 

he does not have the ability to penetrate this Barrier.

If you are to clearly present salvation, you must

understand the mechanics of the removal of the

 Barrier. The work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Jesus Christ died for the sins of the entire world and

thereby redeemed mankind; He paid the penalty for 

sin; He made possible our new birth.---regeneration.

Pas. 34:22;  John 8:31-36  Gal.3:13;  Eph. 1:7

1Pet. 1:18-19

 

Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we HOPE

in you.

Ps. 33:22

A Barrier

Reconciliation

Is the removal of the antagonism between God and man,

the first work of God from which man benefits eternally.

Until Jesus Christ reconciled man to God, God and man

were separated by an impassable Barrier. The Barrier

consisted of sin, the penalty of sin the problem of physical

birth, the problem of the character of God, the relative

righteousness of man, and man's position in Adam, in

contrast to the eternal life and absolute righteousness

of God.

So that being justified by His grace we might become heirs
according to the HOPE of eternal life.
Titus 3:7

You Are An Ambassador

Believers in the Church Age

Are in His Royal Family and His ambassadors.

You have something really worthwhile to 

communicate to others. But how do you go

 about it? Your initial step is to learn Bible

doctrines pertinent to salvation. First of all,

there is the Doctrine of Reconciliation. 

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order

that you may know the HOPE to which He has called you.

Eph. 1:18

Our lessons are from

R.B.Thieme,Jr.

His book "Witnessing"

JOY

The HOPE of those who are right with God is

JOY

Prov.10:28

Get HOPE and Joy, get joy and get 

Strength.

Rex Rouis

Assurance

Witnessing

7. Confidence in witnessing comes from your own

assurance of eternal security.

8. The reward of witnessing is a part of your blessings

in time and in eternity.

The dynamics of witnessing by life and lips are

stated in (1 Thessalonians 1:4,5).

A better HOPE is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

Heb. 7:19

Dynamics

Witnessing

5. The dynamics of witnessing are determined by

your mental attitude and are related to your spiritual

growth or maturity.

6. The effectiveness of witnessing depends on the 

ministry of God the Holy Spirit.

 My HOPE still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here.

Jim Henson

A better HOPE is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

Heb. 7:19

To Be Accurate

Witnessing

3. Clarity of witnessing demands your accurate

understanding of the two deaths--spiritual and

physical---of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

4. The challenge of witnessing comes from the

Doctrine of Unlimited Atonement (1 John 2:2).

Christ died for all mankind!

What oxygen is to the lungs, such is HOPE 

to the meaning of life.

Emil Brunner

We do not lose heart. For our light and momentary

troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that 

far out weighs them all.

2 Cor. 4:16-17

There Are 8 ways--- For Effectiveness

Effective Witnessing

1. Witnessing is the responsibility of every believer.

There are two areas in which you may witness------

your life (2 Cor. 3:3; 6:3) and your lips (2 Cor. 5:14-21; 6:2).

2. Witnessing involves knowledge of Bible doctrines

pertinent to salvation, including Christology, Soteriology,

Reconciliation, the Judgment of Human Good and the 

Last Judgment.

Everything that is done in the world is done by HOPE

Martin Luther

The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to 

Him and are safe.

Prov. 18:10

Barrier Removed

Reconciliation

The sum total of all  that Christ did on the Cross in

removing the Barrier between God and sinful

man. God is propitiated; man is reconciled. 

Man ward side of the Cross.

HOPE is one of the ( Principal Springs) that keep mankind in motion.

Thomas Fuller

Set your HOPE fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ

is revealed.

1 Peter 1:13

His Plan

Soteriology

That branch of theology which concerns the 

Plan of God in salvation and the saving

work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Set your HOPE fully on the grace to be given you when

Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:13

Theology

Christology

That branch of theology which concerns the 

Person and work of Jesus Christ, particularly

as they were revealed in the Old Testament.

HOPE

has two beautiful daughters; Anger and Courage

Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see

that they do not remain as they are.

St Augustine

Divine Viewpoint

Dispensation

A period  of time expressing the divine viewpoint

of human history; the divine outline of history, or

the divine interpretation of human history, which

encompasses four general categories: Gentiles, Jews

Church,Christ.

He who has health has HOPE. And he who has HOPE,

has everything.

Proverb

Full of Knowlege

Millennium

The one thousand years of  human history, in which the

Lord Jesus Christ will reign and produce perfect

environment on earth.

 

Isaiah 11:9 predicts that "the earth shall be full of the

knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

 

 My great HOPE is to laugh as much as I cry:

to get my work done and try to love somebody

and have the courage to accept the love in return.

Maya Angelou

Literally

TRIBULATION

A period of seven literal years which completes the

Jewish Age. it follows the Rapture of the Church and

terminates with the Second Advent of Christ.

I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to

prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE

and a future.

Jer.29:11

For Believers

Rapture:

The resurrection of all dead believers of the Church Age;

at this time, they and all living believers are caught up to

meet Christ in the air to become the Bride of Christ.

(1 Thess. 4:14--17). 

May the God of HOPE fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing

that you may abound in Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Rom. 15-13

Rapture

Church

Following the removal of the Church from this earth at the

Rapture (1Thess. 4:13-18), there will occur a seven-year

period known in the Bible as the "Great Tribulation" (Matt.

24:21; Rev. 7:14). once again, Jews will assume their role

as the Lord's witnesses, for this final period of the Jewish

Age completes the 490 years God promised Israel for 

evangelism. In those seven terrible years, the testimony of

angelic witnesses (Rev. 14:6, 7) and that of the resurrected

Moses and Elijah (Rev.11:3-12) will spread the Gospel

throughout the world. Grace always precedes judgment.

By R. B. Thieme JR

The wings of HOPE carry us soaring high above the

driving winds of life.

Ana Jacob

Did We For Get Evangelism

Personal Evangelism

Confusion about personal evangelism, we have missed a 

great opportunity to win souls to  Christ in our generation. 

America is not a Christian nation; our citizens are as desperately

in need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the heathen in darkest

Africa are! How can we hope to send out missionaries if we can

not witness effectively in our own backyard?

 Be strong and take heart all you who HOPE in the Lord

Ps. 31:24

In all things it is better to hope then to despair.

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

A New Agency

The Jews

Still "owe" God seven years of witnessing; yet so great were

Israel's failures that God set the nation aside temporarily in

favor of a new agency-------the church.

All individuals who have personally received Christ as Savior

during the Church Age (from the day of Pentecost, A.D. 33 until

the Rapture)---born-again believers from every nation on the face

of the earth. So if you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, you 

are a member of the Church universal; you are responsible to God

for the dissemination of the Gospel in your own nation.

"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, plans to

prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and

a future.

Jer.29:11

Custodian

Israel

Was made God's appointed custodian of divine truth

and was given the responsibility of evangelizing the

world (Rom. 3:1,2). Instead of carrying out their

assignment, the Israelite's came to regard salvation

as a Jewish monopoly and ultimately failed in their

mission. A particularly apostate period in their history

brought the Jews under severe divine discipline.

Israel's national rejection of their Messiah and the

subsequent death of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

We have this HOPE as an anchor for the Soul, firm and secure.

Heb. 6:19

Details Of Life

Passing Time

Mankind became increasingly preoccupied with the details

of life -- material possessions, friends, loved ones, pleasures and 

success; consequently, they turned a deaf ear to the Gospel. When

people reject the grace of God in salvation, and when believers 

neglect Bible doctrine, decadence and apostasy invariably take over.

This was the case at the time of the construction of the Tower of

Babel: the need for evangelism was forgotten, and man substituted

his own plans for those of God. (Gen.11:1-9).

Spring is coming!

Be joyful in Hope patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Ron.12:12

We Have Two Camps

Divided

It was not long before response and reaction to the Gospel divided the human race

in to two camps---believers and unbelievers. For example, Abel responded to the 

offer of salvation and believed in the Son of God; Cain reacted against the offer

and became the first to reject eternal life. (Gen.4:8), (Gen. 4:25,26).

God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope.

By Catherine Marshall

(I will be quoting  Blessings of hope)

Good News

Agencies Of Witnessing

The first declaration of the Gospel occurred in the Garden

of Eden after the Fall, with the Lord Himself as the

Evangelist and the first man and his wife as the recipients of

the good news of salvation (Gen. 3:15-21). After the regeneration

of Adam and Eve, the Gospel became their sacred trust, and witnessing

operated on what I call the "family plan." According to this system, the

first parents set the precedent for all future parents in that they evangelized

their own children.

By R.B. Thieme,Jr.

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he 

is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which He hath

promised to them that love Him.

James 1:12

 Dear God, this is a new day and I may face unexpected
temptations. Please help me to keep free from evil.
In Christ name I pray

Distorted

Personal Witnessing

Is frequently distorted into a merit system or is set aside entirely

in favor of mass evangelism. As a result, there prevails today a 

non biblical pattern: an evangelist is invited to some church to 

conduct a "revival," and members of  that church bring their friends

to hear him. If a few people are saved in this "revival," believers often

think that their personal  obligation to witness has been fulfilled.

"The Lord will bless His people with peace."

Psalm 29:11

Lord, help me to follow Your will with eagerness, knowing that to 

do so is the surest path to peace.

In Christ name I pray

Citizens

As Children

of God by faith in Christ Jesus , we were born again into a

 high and noble position; we are not only citizens of this country,

 but also "fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of

God" (Eph. 2:19).

"And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."

Exodus 33:14

Dear God, we know You do still speak to us. Help us to be still and know

what You are trying to tell us.

In Christ name I pray

We Are Commissioned

The Gospel

The Lord commissioned born-again believers to carry the Gospel

to the ends of the earth. The Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians

that they were to be ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20).

Ambassadorship exists in the spiritual as well as in the temporal

realm. Like earthly ambassadors, we did not appoint ourselves but

were appointed by our Savior to represent Him on earth as the King

of Kings and Lords of Lords while He is at the right hand of the Father.

"The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His ways."

Psalm 25:9

Dear Heavenly Father, when I have failed through my own lack of wisdom,

help me to rely on Your unfaltering love and power.

In Christ name I pray

Witnessing

Responsibility of Witnessing

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost (Spirit) is come

upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in

all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Who is responsible for the declaration of the Gospel--- the good news of 

salvation-- to the unbelieving world? Is the duty and privilege of witnessing

reserved solely for ministers, missionaries and evangelists?  Far from it!

Personal evangelism is the responsibility of  EVERY believer in the 

Lord Jesus Christ! 

"God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye...

may abound to every good work."

2 Corinthians 9:8

I place this day in Your care, O God, thanking You for the 

blessed assurance that Jesus is mine.

In Christ name I pray

We will be studying  the book "Witnessing" by R.B.Thieme Jr