How to preach the Gospel to unbelievers?

[Jesus_is_Saint]

Actually I has the heart to seek God, to understand the meaning of life.
Back in 1991, when I read a small booklet about Jesus and his crucifixion, I cried and immediately accepted Him as my Savior.
Thanks GOD.

 

[South Bound]

How to preach the Gospel to unbelievers?

I prefer the direct approach: Law to explain man's sinfulness and need for a savior and Gospel to explain God's remedy for man's sin

 

[John Davidson]

Google "Kirkbride Jesus"

It doesn't seem that "Kirkbride Jesus" is sharing the gospel in a spirit of love so I wouldn't recommend mimicking his methods. I'm not saying that you have to stand out in open air and scream the gospel. Although there may be nothing wrong with that as long as it is done in a proper loving manner. There were many open air preachers during the Great Awakening and they impacted the lives of thousands.

There are also many other opportunities to share the gospel besides open air preaching:

1. Sometimes I knock on doors and hand out tracts with information about the gospel and my church.

2. Sometimes I share the gospel with people I meet in the park when I go for my daily walks.

3. Every time I give money to the homeless or people in need I tell them about Jesus.

4. A group from my church goes to the local homeless shelter and feeds the homeless and share the gospel.

There are also many other opportunities to share the gospel in day to day life.

I was at the coffee shop the other day and a young man had a bible on the table next to him. I struck up a conversation with him and at the end we prayed. Quite a few people in the coffee shop witnessed us praying and this was a testimony in and of itself.

I didn't even mention all the daily opportunities that people have to share the gospel at work or school.

 

[Ken Behrens]

1. Sometimes I knock on doors and hand out tracts with information about the gospel and my church.

You remind me about the man who founded many of the churches in the Midwest during the dustbowl days. He had a collapsible church building that travelled on a flatbed truck, and knocked on doors in a new town all day each Tuesday to Friday, erected the church in the town park on Saturday, held Sunday service, and moved on, keeping in touch and eventually sending clergy to the ones that were established. My first wife and I knew him (and Beth) very well, as he offered us his ministry back in 1982. (We felt TV had replaced it.)

To his dying day he spent a full work day (for a man of 94 that was a half day during summer) knocking on doors. He averaged 2 salvations per 100 doors. So I figure that's about 3 a day, 15 a week, 750 a year for 70 years (he received is call at about age 25). That's the size of a medium sized city going to heaven with him.

He told us that during his whole ministry founding churches, he met exactly 0 other people doing a similar ministry.

Do you have any stats about your ministry?

Unfortunately, the web documentation of John Marshall Ruthven is under construction (there used to be a full page at his son's website,picture of the truck and all). All that's left is his wife's hundredth anniversary celebration.

Expand the video to see what is left of the web documentation, and see the note about the Lincoln Christian Fellowship Church, which is where we were attending to have met him.

 

[John Davidson]

You remind me about the man who founded many of the churches in the Midwest during the dustbowl days. He had a collapsible church building that travelled on a flatbed truck, and knocked on doors in a new town all day each Tuesday to Friday, erected the church in the town park on Saturday, held Sunday service, and moved on, keeping in touch and eventually sending clergy to the ones that were established. My first wife and I knew him (and Beth) very well, as he offered us his ministry back in 1982. (We felt TV had replaced it.)

To his dying day he spent a full work day (for a man of 94 that was a half day during summer) knocking on doors. He averaged 2 salvations per 100 doors. So I figure that's about 3 a day, 15 a week, 750 a year for 70 years (he received is call at about age 25). That's the size of a medium sized city going to heaven with him.

He told us that during his whole ministry founding churches, he met exactly 0 other people doing a similar ministry.

Do you have any stats about your ministry?

Unfortunately, the web documentation of John Marshall Ruthven is under construction (there used to be a full page at his son's website,picture of the truck and all). All that's left is his wife's hundredth anniversary celebration.

Expand the video to see what is left of the web documentation, and see the note about the Lincoln Christian Fellowship Church, which is where we were attending to have met him.

My ministry is very humble it's not near as glorious as your friends. I do what I can and hopefully the Lord causes the seeds I plant to grow.

Neat story about your friend though.

 

[Jesus_is_Saint]

If I never convert a non-christian to christian, am I a failed christian?
Will God rebuke me?

 

[Raggedyman]

It's simple, build a relationship with a person, allowing the fruit of the spirit to lead your life and actions. Be a loving caring christian
Be a friend, show them over time you are a real person, that they are special, go beyond seeing a person as a potential convert, make them a friend for life
Then slowly and with love for them, introduce your faith
Be loving, humble and gentle
God is relational, He wants us to be relational

 

[South Bound]

It's simple, build a relationship with a person, allowing the fruit of the spirit to lead your life and actions. Be a loving caring christian
Be a friend, show them over time you are a real person, that they are special, go beyond seeing a person as a potential convert, make them a friend for life
Then slowly and with love for them, introduce your faith
Be loving, humble and gentle
God is relational, He wants us to be relational

Two problems with this

First, it's Unbiblical.

Second, "introducing your faith" is not the Gospel.

Would you take the same approach if their house was on fire Would you build a relationship with them and "slowly" and "over time" knock on their door to wake them?

It's always interesting to me that people can start conversations with strangers about any topic, but when it comes to sharing the Gospel, some people say "Oh we have to spend time developing a friendship with them and hope that they don't die and go to Hell before we decide to be obedient and share the Gospel with them".

 

[Raggedyman]

Two problems with this

First, it's Unbiblical.

Second, "introducing your faith" is not the Gospel.

Would you take the same approach if their house was on fire Would you build a relationship with them and "slowly" and "over time" knock on their door to wake them?

It's always interesting to me that people can start conversations with strangers about any topic, but when it comes to sharing the Gospel, some people say "Oh we have to spend time developing a friendship with them and hope that they don't die and go to Hell before we decide to be obedient and share the Gospel with them".

Where is it unbiblical, I think you might be reading a different bible to me

 

[South Bound]

Where is it unbiblical

In the Gospels and in Acts where we see Jesus and the Disciples and Apostles preaching the Gospel without first developing a "relationship".

I think you might be reading a different bible to me

Clearly.

 

[Raggedyman]

In the Gospels and in Acts where we see Jesus and the Disciples and Apostles preaching the Gospel without first developing a "relationship".
Clearly.

In the bible somewhere, great reply

In acts and the gospels the disciples and Jesus preformed miracles, can you do miracles? Didn't think so...

Can you show me where in the bible somewhere that we as Christians are not to go into the world and love it, love people, feed the poor, minister to the sinner, help the sick

I wonder if you as a human being fully understand what love is and how to actually do love

Bible bashing does not work, it makes people hate us

Let's get over this bump before we work on introducing our faith instead of bible bashing people, forcing your opinion on others

 

[South Bound]

In the bible somewhere, great reply

Kind of dishonest of you to imply that's what I said, isn't it?

In acts and the gospels the disciples and Jesus preformed miracles, can you do miracles? Didn't think so...

Non-sequitur.

Can you show me where in the bible somewhere that we as Christians are not to go into the world and love it, love people, feed the poor, minister to the sinner, help the sick

Can you show us where in my posts I said anything like that?

I wonder if you as a human being fully understand what love is and how to actually do love

Ah ad homs.

Bible bashing does not work, it makes people hate us

Actually, Jesus says the world will hate us because they hate Him and that it's the preaching of the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.

Let's get over this bump before we work on introducing our faith instead of bible bashing people, forcing your opinion on others

Actually, the Gospel isn't "my opinion".

 

[Raggedyman]

Kind of dishonest of you to imply that's what I said, isn't it?



Non-sequitur.



Can you show us where in my posts I said anything like that?



Ah ad homs.



Actually, Jesus says the world will hate us because they hate Him and that it's the preaching of the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.



Actually, the Gospel isn't "my opinion".

So no answer to my questions, still.

It really makes me sad that you think walking up to a person in the street and bible bashing them is going to win them to Christ
It really makes me sad that you don't understand the Gospel message and why God gave us the responsibility to reach out into this world

Tell me South Bound, do you have a personal relationship with Jesus, did the person who introduced you to the Gospels preach at you then run along, never to be seen again, or did you have a relationship with them

and no, nothing I said was dishounest, you are vague and uncommitted, a couple of out of context biblical books, like they are relevant

Non sequitur, no, you are trying to compare 2000 year old actions in a Jewish society by no other man than God and His immediate friends, with modern western culture, really
How do you figure that, why not speak in Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew as well, more authentic, maybe wear robes and head scarves, preaching the gospel, we should only ever walk and ride donkeys, I won't go on, I think I have made my point
It's 2016

God bless you

Funny thing is, you and I don't have a relationship, me telling you this will cause you to dislike me, I will antagonize you with my words because you disagree
Now if we were close friends, you may be more open to my opinions

Simple really, isn't it?

 

[Ken Behrens]

If I never convert a non-christian to christian, am I a failed christian?
Will God rebuke me?

I have been told an unbeliever on average needs to be preached to 16 times before he converts. It's entirely possible that you will never be the 16th person, but always be the 1st, 2nd, third, or whatever person before the 16th. Yet, if you had not done your part, the 16th person who "got the unbeliever saved" would have only been the 15th, and thus would still be unsaved. So your part was essential to the conversion of that person. God makes the plans. Do what you think to do as you pray, and don't worry about it.

 

[Jenniferdiana]

With truth grace love mercy and power....