Which Witnessing Technique Do You Use?

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.  Here is this week’s question:Dear Dave and T. A., How do you guys go about witnessing to people?Do you have a method or technique?And if so, does it work the same for sharing the gospel with young people as well as elderly people?What about with family members?Whatever help you could give me would be much appreciated.

Tom:

I love a question like this.Here’s an individual who wants to get out and share the gospel.Not coerce people, not force people, not shove it down their throat, but just minister to people, present it in a way that he or she, I can remember man or woman, but this person wants to be able to present it in a way that people would be open to it.So how do you go about it Dave?

Dave:

It’s a tough question, not easy.Probably the most difficult with family members.You’ve probably talked to them before.They’ve had enough; they don’t want to hear any more.Well we are on the airplane yesterday.Sometimes the Lord makes things happen.I remember sitting next to a lady.She’s talking on her cell phone before the doors closed and I was impressed with her compassion, kindness, thoughtfulness, and I told her that.I said I’m really impressed with the way you have dealt with people that you are talking to on the phone.And that opened the conversation.I don’t remember exactly how it went step by step, but before long she is weeping and we’re praying together.The young man that I sat next to yesterday as we left Appleton on the plane-well, nothing seemed to be happening so I just said, You know I travel around the world and I’m really curious to see what people think.What do you think happens when you die?Well that’s a good way to open the conversation.And—

Tom:

A little startling for some.Especially if it comes out of no where.

Dave:

Right!But, well you know you, I’m a writer and I’m taking a poll, but you don’t have to be a writer.You can say well, I’m really interested.I asked a cab driver that once, and he said, “I don’t know, what do you think?”Well that gives you something to say.

Tom:

That was a question.I love people to ask me questions.

Dave:

Right.

Tom:

You know for too long I had answers where nobody had any questions.So now I pray each time, Lord provide an opportunity.Bring somebody along with a question and sometimes as you said, you have to sort of encourage that.And if you really love people, if you’re really sincere.It’s not just a matter of oh; I’m going give them what they need.I’m going to give them the truth.That maybe the reality of it, but if you go about it that way, it can be oppressive.

Dave:

No, nobody is as interesting as people.

Tom:

I don’t think so.

Dave:

And it’s very interesting to find out what people really think.And I was talking to a young man; I ask a young man going out of Bend that question.I shouldn’t say, he happened to be from a brewery.I wouldn’t say that Bend has a brewery, or where the brewery might be, but I noticed that he asked for beer when they came by to see what drinks you wanted.I think the guy must be hooked on something, but anyway you would think you’d have plenty of that in the brewery.But I asked him what he thought happened on death.Well you go to a good place.And I asked him why?Well, I haven’t done so bad, you know I think I’m okay.Actually before he said that, he said well my granddaddy was a preacher.So I guess that qualifies him to go to a good place.

Tom:

Whatever you can relate to.

Dave:

But when we get down to the facts of the matter like the well this man yesterday was a Catholic, but not a practicing Catholic.He’d been turned off by the Catholic Church.He wasn’t happy about it at all, but still he thought if your good deeds out weigh your bad— Well that’s what Muslims believe.

Tom:

Sure, that’s in almost every religion.Somehow, some way, it all comes down to that except biblical Christianity.

Dave:

I can explain that very simply.You get a ticket for speeding and you say to the judge, “I know judge, I was speeding yesterday, but I’ve driven within the law more times than I have exceeding it.Surely my good deeds will out weigh my bad.”The guy laughs when you say that.You can’t try that in a court here.You think God is going to go for that one?Furthermore as Paul says, if you turn over a new leaf and never broke the law again, you’re only doing what the law requires.You don’t get extra credit for that.Now what are we going to do about the fact you’ve already broken the law?So once having broken the law, you are a law breaker and James says, you just break one point of the law, you are guilty of everything and there is no way, Paul says that keeping the law in the future can make up for breaking the law in the past.So you know you can reason with people about that.Well then what are we going to do about this?Well God can’t be so hard on this trusting—well wait a minute, it’s a matter of justice.Is a judge just going to let you off?If you have broken the law, and the judge just decides to let you off, hasn’t he become a law breaker too?Isn’t he a partner in your law breaking?So you know God really has a problem.What’s he going to do?How is he going to forgive us?There’s only one way.It’s an infinite penalty.God’s going to have to pay the penalty himself, but that wouldn’t be just.He’s not one of us.So God becomes a man to pay the penalty in our place and if you accept it, it’s a gift.You can’t pay for a gift.If you try to pay for a gift, you’ve rejected the gift.You’ve insulted the giver.There’s some very basic things that are very simple.But—

Tom:

Dave, what you’ve just done is you’ve explained for some of our listeners what the gospel is about.What it is.And if you’re going to witness or share the gospel with somebody, you have to be able to explain it as simply as you can.So that they understand.A lot of people you don’t want to wow them with some kind of emotional or very experiential subjective kind of thing.Just the facts of what the gospel is.I mean at least you have to start there.

Dave:

Yes, I can quote a lot of verses or something, but maybe he doesn’t believe the Bible.So I find—God himself said, “Come now let us reason together.”I find that we can reason with people.And I find that most people find it interesting, fascinating, they’ve never thought about things like this.

Tom:

Most have never been taught even if they’ve had parochial school, Christian school, even there they’ve never had that kind of information, although they should have.

Dave:

This dear man yesterday—I think he was a pretty well off young man, had a good job and so forth, he said well, my wife plans, but I don’t plan much.I did make a will and I do have some retirement plans, but I haven’t thought far enough ahead for death.Well, he better start thinking about it.It’s not a pleasant topic, but he did make a will.Well then, what about when you leave this earth?