Participants:
Series Code: DPM
Program Code: DPM000033A
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00:06 Now let's move into another subject.
00:10 How do we visit former members 00:14 or former Seventh-day Adventists? 00:18 Now, chances are very strong, 00:20 you know someone who used to attend the church. 00:25 And, you know, statistics tell us 00:27 that in the North American division, 00:29 we've got a membership of about 1 million. 00:32 But we are also told 00:34 there are about a million former members now 00:38 who no longer attend, 00:40 either they went to our schools 00:41 and are no longer a part of us 00:44 or they just stopped attending 00:46 or something has happened in their life. 00:48 Do you realize if we just reclaim 00:51 the ones we lost, 00:53 we could double the membership in attendance 00:55 of the North American division. 00:59 Here's what I'd like you to do. 01:00 I'd like you to hit pause on the video 01:02 and I want you to break up into your small groups. 01:04 And I want you just to take a minute or two 01:06 and answer this question. 01:09 How do you think 01:10 you should visit a former member? 01:12 What are some things you think you should say 01:15 and the things you shouldn't say? 01:17 I just want you to brainstorm this 01:19 before we actually go into the principles. 01:21 So take two or three minutes, 01:23 talk about this in groups of two or three or four 01:27 and then we'll come back together. 01:28 So go ahead and pause your video now. 01:32 Okay, now that you've talked into your groups, 01:34 you've had a chance to brainstorm this. 01:37 Now, let's go over some principles. 01:41 Chances are, 01:42 this is going to have to be a visit 01:44 where you just show up at the door. 01:47 Someone's going to have to organize 01:49 the visitation list. 01:50 You're going to have to get the church membership list 01:52 and find out who are former members 01:55 that are no longer attending. 01:57 And so, when you get that list, 01:59 probably it won't work to call on the phone. 02:03 Because what do you think will happen then? 02:05 Yeah, if they haven't been around 02:06 for a while, and you say, 02:08 "Hey, can I visit you today or Tuesday?" 02:09 There's always going to be an excuse. 02:12 So this is one, 02:13 you're just going to have to show up at the door 02:16 and let the Holy Spirit lead. 02:18 But there are some things that you can say, 02:21 you don't necessarily have to fly 02:23 by the seat of your pants. 02:25 So, let's pretend that we're visiting someone 02:27 by the name of Jim, 02:29 and he hasn't attended church, 02:30 let's say for four or five years. 02:34 So you go to the door, you knock on it, 02:36 you may say something like this. 02:38 Well, "Hi. Is this, Jim?" 02:40 Now, by the way, 02:42 why do you suppose you ask the question, 02:43 is this Jim? 02:45 Well, sure, you want to know 02:46 if you're talking to the right person, 02:48 because if they hadn't been to church for a while, 02:50 you know, people can change over time. 02:52 And even if you have a pictorial directory, 02:55 they may not look the way they did 02:57 when that picture was taken, who knows how many years ago? 03:01 So first, make sure 03:02 you're talking to the right person. 03:04 So back to the screen. 03:06 "Hi. Is this Jim? 03:08 Well, I'm David from the Adventist Church. 03:10 I just stopped by for a minute to visit with you. 03:14 Would that be okay?" 03:16 Now, do you notice what I said there? 03:19 I just stopped by for how long? 03:22 A minute. 03:24 That lets the person know 03:26 that I'm not planning to camp out there 03:29 for two or three hours. 03:30 I mean, this is an unannounced visit, 03:32 you need to respect people's time. 03:35 So we just let him know it'll be a short time. 03:37 And then I like to ask, would that be okay with you? 03:41 Because when they say okay, 03:43 I feel much more comfortable 03:46 and less nervous when I'm talking to them. 03:49 Because believe it or not, 03:50 pastors and evangelists get nervous too. 03:53 Now, what if they say it's not okay? 03:57 What if they're not friendly? 03:59 Then you just have to talk at the door. 04:02 And you might as well get to the point quickly, 04:04 don't beat around the bush here. 04:07 You might simply say, "Well, Jim, 04:08 I know you used to attend our church at one time, 04:11 I just wanted to stop by and invite you back." 04:15 Period. 04:17 Sweet, simple to the point. 04:19 Now, of course, that they've invited you 04:21 into the house, 04:22 you'll be able to talk about other things. 04:24 And that's where you can actually use FORT. 04:26 That comes in handy a lot, you know, family, occupation, 04:30 recreation, spiritual testimony. 04:33 But if you end up at the doorstep, 04:35 this may be all you get in and he may not be interested. 04:39 But I want to tell you something. 04:42 Even if all you get is 60 seconds at the doorstep, 04:46 I want you to know you have made a difference, 04:49 because I will guarantee you 04:51 that Jim will be thinking about that 60 second visit 04:55 and there is at least a seed 04:56 that is planted in his heart 04:58 that the Holy Spirit can work with. 05:00 You may not be able to see that seed but God can. 05:05 So it's not a failure if Jim says no, 05:08 and closes the door 05:10 and your visit is less than a minute, 05:12 God can still work 05:14 and God needs people 05:15 who are willing to make those visits. 05:19 Now, let's suppose you do get inside. 05:23 I want to share some principles with you 05:26 that's important for us to follow. 05:28 Because the truth is 05:30 visiting a former Adventist or a non-attending member, 05:35 it is a different kind of visit, 05:38 it's a unique visit. 05:40 And the principle, 05:41 some of the principles are a little different 05:42 than what you do in other settings. 05:45 So I want you to take note of some of these things. 05:48 First of all, you see 05:50 the picture of the guy on the screen there. 05:52 What do you notice about his facial language 05:54 and his facial expression and his body language? 05:58 Yeah, he doesn't seem too thrilled, does he? 06:01 You know, arms crossed, 06:03 not smiling, little smirk on his face. 06:06 It's possible that may happen. 06:08 Now understand, not every visit 06:10 to a non-attending member is like that. 06:12 Some are not bitter. 06:14 They've just let the things of life 06:15 overtake them 06:16 and they haven't been there for a while. 06:19 But if you do face a little negativity, 06:22 please remember these things. 06:24 Number one, 06:26 just let the bitterness come out. 06:28 When people have stopped attending church, 06:31 there is always a reason. 06:32 And probably 90% of the time 06:35 is because something happened in the church 06:38 that hurt their feelings 06:40 or that bothered them or disgusted them. 06:43 And so, they may have a little bit of negativity 06:45 inside of them. 06:47 They may have been holding this negativity in, 06:50 who knows for 10, 20 years 06:52 depending on how long it's been. 06:54 So you just need to listen kindly to their story. 06:57 Let them share why they stopped coming. 07:00 And even if they seem a little bit upset, 07:03 it is actually good medicine for them to get it out. 07:07 You know why? 07:08 Because it disarms them. 07:10 And once they get it out, 07:12 that is one less obstacle that keeps them 07:15 from coming back to church. 07:18 And understand, 07:19 it's got nothing to do with you personally. 07:23 So don't let your own feelings be hurt. 07:25 You just happened to be 07:27 the representative of the church 07:28 that's there at that time, 07:30 and Jack or Jim or whoever it is, 07:32 they just need to get it out, so let them talk. 07:37 The fact that you listen will impress them 07:41 and help to make a connection with their heart. 07:44 So just let the bitterness come out. 07:47 Now, depending on what they share, 07:49 don't argue with them, 07:51 don't defend anyone. 07:53 Be willing to be the scapegoat. 07:55 You say, "Well, what do you mean, Pastor Dave?" 07:58 Well, sometimes when a non-attending member 08:01 shares the story of what happened 08:03 that caused them not to come. 08:06 It's quite possible 08:07 you're only hearing their version of the story. 08:10 And that version might be slanted, 08:12 just a wee little bit. 08:14 In fact, you may have been there 08:15 when it happened. 08:17 And you know, it's not happening in the way 08:19 that Bob is saying that it happened. 08:22 That is not the time to argue with them. 08:25 It's not the time to try to set them straight. 08:29 They may have talked about how, 08:31 you know, a Suzy Jones said this to her 08:34 and she never coming back, 08:35 you know, or Deacon Bob 08:38 just snubbed him one day at the door, 08:40 or the pastor said this from the pulpit 08:43 and they've got a problem with the pastor. 08:45 Don't worry about defending those people. 08:48 They may be your friends, 08:49 and they may be perfectly innocent, 08:52 but simply defending them is going to cause 08:56 the former member to be argumentative 08:58 and it's going to start building up a wall. 09:01 Let God take care of that. 09:04 In fact, I'm going to go ahead 09:06 and let you in on the heart of a pastor. 09:09 Chances are strong 09:11 that some of the people you visit 09:12 who are no longer attending 09:14 are going to have a problem with the pastor. 09:17 It's just part of being in leadership. 09:21 When you're visible, people have a problem with you, 09:24 whether it is right or not. 09:26 And when they say things about pastor said or did this, 09:30 just listen to them, okay? 09:33 The pastor is, he's a big boy, he'll be able to handle it, 09:36 let God work with the pastor, okay? 09:40 You don't have to feel that you have to defend us. 09:42 The point is, get this person back to church. 09:45 Let me tell you a story to illustrate this. 09:49 I remember when I was pastoring in Pennsylvania, 09:52 I'm not going to say where, 09:55 but I remember that in one of the churches 09:57 that was within my particular district, 10:01 I had gone there one Sabbath. 10:03 And, of course, having multiple churches, 10:04 I wasn't there every single Sabbath. 10:07 And I noticed there was one particular couple 10:10 who wasn't attending anymore, 10:12 they hadn't been there for a while. 10:14 And so, I asked one of the members, 10:15 I said, "Well, where is so and so?" 10:18 "Oh, they stopped coming to church." 10:20 "Really? Well, why?" 10:22 "Well, they're upset with someone." 10:25 "Who were they upset with?" 10:27 And you know what the answer was? 10:29 "You, they're upset with you, Pastor." 10:32 "Me? Well, what did I do?" 10:35 Because I had no idea. 10:37 And the story that came out of the person's mouth 10:40 just flabbergasted me. 10:43 The story was that one day me and my wife 10:46 were apparently at Sabbath School 10:48 at one of the events 10:50 and this person was up front sharing something 10:54 and they mispronounced the word 10:56 and I leaned over to my wife 10:58 and I made fun of the person up front. 11:02 Now, I can tell you that never happened. 11:04 And I'm trying to think in my mind 11:08 when in the world did this alleged crime occur 11:12 because I had no idea what they were talking about. 11:15 In fact to be honest, 11:16 I was little bit upset about it, 11:18 because I thought it was kind of childish. 11:19 And what really burned me, now I'm just being honest here. 11:23 What really burned me 11:25 is you know how many people in the church knew that story? 11:29 Everybody. 11:30 And I'm thinking to myself, 11:32 did we just throw Matthew 18 out the door 11:34 where you're supposed to go to your brother 11:35 if you have something against them? 11:37 So we're just skipping over that, 11:38 we're getting on the telephone, 11:40 telephones or the emails or whatever, 11:42 and we're just spreading this story 11:43 without ever talking to the person. 11:45 So I got it, me in my human nature, 11:47 I was upset. 11:48 And I didn't want to visit 11:50 because I felt this is just childish. 11:52 But the Holy Spirit got ahold of me. 11:55 And eventually I thought, well, 11:57 the Bible says if someone has odd against you, 11:59 I don't have to wait for them to take the initiative, 12:02 I need to take the initiative. 12:04 So I went and I visited. 12:06 I knocked on the door, 12:08 and I got a bit of a cool receptions, 12:11 they invited me in and so I shared, I said, 12:13 "Listen, 12:15 I understand that story going around 12:18 that I made fun of a word that she mispronounced." 12:21 I said, "You know, I'm sorry, I just, I don't remember that. 12:24 Could you refresh my memory? Are you sure that happened?" 12:27 And this person 12:28 absolutely insisted that it did. 12:31 Now, I knew that it didn't. 12:32 Now, it's possible 12:33 that I was sitting beside my wife, 12:35 and maybe her and I were discussing 12:38 something humorous. 12:39 And I may have smiled at the same time 12:41 this person mispronounced some word, 12:44 but the person insisted that I did it. 12:46 And so, I remember just simply saying, 12:48 "Well, you know, I don't remember that. 12:49 But if that happened, I just, I want you to know, 12:52 I'm truly sorry for the misunderstanding. 12:54 I would love to have you come back to church." 12:56 And you know what, that's all that it took. 13:00 And they came back to church. 13:02 Now, was it childish? 13:04 Yes, I still think it was. 13:07 But many times the reasons people share 13:09 as to why they're no longer attending, 13:11 they will seem childish, 13:13 because people's feelings have been hurt. 13:16 And we have to remember, 13:18 there have been times when you and I 13:20 have also done some childish things as well. 13:23 So we need to be willing to extend grace and mercy 13:26 to the person. 13:27 Okay? 13:28 The point is to reconnect them with Jesus and His Church. 13:33 The third principle says, 13:34 "Be willing to be the scapegoat." 13:36 In other words, apologize. 13:39 Whatever it was that happened that they're telling you about, 13:42 you may have had nothing to do with it. 13:44 You may say what, well, Joe, 13:45 I am so sorry that happened to you. 13:48 I know we're not perfect. 13:50 Would you please forgive us? We'd like to make it right. 13:54 Oh, that'll shock Joe, 13:55 because he's not expecting that apology. 13:59 But that's what he needs to hear. 14:02 And the Holy Spirit will begin to soften Joe's heart. 14:05 He just needed to know that someone understood him, 14:08 someone cared. 14:09 You see what, 14:11 why should I apologize for the church 14:12 that the church wasn't wrong? 14:14 Well, folks, let's be honest. 14:17 I don't know the Adventist church 14:18 to be in an infallible as we say, 14:21 I don't know any leader to be infallible. 14:24 Sometimes we do make mistakes. 14:26 Sometimes on board meetings, we make a decision. 14:29 And six months later, when we look back at things, 14:31 we may think to ourselves, you know, 14:33 we probably could have handled that a little bit better. 14:36 None of us are perfect, 14:37 because we all have a human nature. 14:40 And chances are pretty strong, 14:42 the church probably wasn't right 14:43 in every single thing that it did in that situation. 14:47 So just apologize for the church and say, 14:50 "Joe, we'd really like to have you back." 14:53 It will strike a chord in his heart. 14:56 Ask forgiveness if necessary, it will do a world of good. 15:02 The point is not to prove 15:04 whether someone's right or wrong. 15:06 The point is connect them to Jesus, 15:09 reestablish them to His church. 15:13 Finally, don't betray confidence. 15:15 You say, "Well, what do you mean?" 15:17 Well, you know if, 15:19 if Margo talks about how so and so did this to her, 15:23 you know, and what Janelle did to her, 15:26 guess what you're not going to do? 15:28 You're not going to go back to church 15:30 and tell Janelle everything in that conversation. 15:32 What you talk about in that visit is confidential. 15:36 Don't betray confidence. 15:39 So really, 15:40 if you have a hard time with gossiping, 15:42 this is probably not a visit that you should make. 15:47 Don't argue over standards either. 15:49 You say, "Well, what do you mean by that?" 15:51 Now, I'm not downplaying standards, 15:53 they're important too. 15:55 But, friends, we all know there's a time and a place. 15:58 Suppose that you are visiting someone named Mary. 16:03 And Mary is a 30-year-old woman 16:06 who hasn't been to church in 10 years. 16:08 The reason she stopped coming is because when she was 20, 16:11 she came to church one Sabbath with her skirt too short 16:14 and one of the dear sisters 16:16 reamed her up one side and down the other. 16:18 And she hasn't been back to church since. 16:21 So now you're visiting Mary, she's telling you this story. 16:25 Would that be a good time for you 16:27 to do a study with her on the standards of the church? 16:31 Probably not. 16:32 I'm not saying those standards aren't important. 16:35 But again, there's a time and a place. 16:37 And if we do that, 16:38 all those memories 16:40 are going to be relived in her mind. 16:42 The point is, we want to reconnect with her, 16:45 we want to invite her back to Jesus. 16:49 Now, someone will say, 16:50 "Well, what if she comes back to church 16:51 in that same short skirt?" 16:54 Folks, let's be real. 16:55 If she went through that 10 years ago 16:57 and hasn't forgotten it, 16:58 what do you think the chances are 17:00 she's going to do that same thing again. 17:03 See friends, 17:04 we got to learn to accept people 17:06 and meet them where they are. 17:09 Maybe they're not where they're supposed to be. 17:11 Maybe they've got, still got some room to grow. 17:14 But criticizing and condemning 17:16 is not going to bring them closer to Jesus 17:19 and closer to coming back to the church. 17:22 Make a connection with them. 17:24 And as they get connected to Jesus, 17:27 the Holy Spirit will take care of some of the things 17:30 that may be on the outside. 17:32 You see, you and I try to take care of that first 17:35 before we've touched their heart, 17:37 and that doesn't work. 17:38 We need to connect with their heart, 17:40 bring them back 17:42 and let the Holy Spirit do the work 17:44 that you and I cannot do. 17:47 Lastly, don't overstay, 17:50 end your visit by inviting them to church 17:52 and having a special word of prayer. 17:55 And in your prayer, 17:56 just pray a blessing for their family. 17:59 Please don't preach in your prayer, 18:01 you know what preaching in prayer means, don't you? 18:03 You're trying to add a sermon. 18:04 In other words, don't pray a prayer like this. 18:07 Heavenly Father, thank You that I could visit Bob today. 18:10 Oh, Lord, please send Your Holy Spirit to help him 18:13 recognize the error of his ways 18:15 before it's too late 18:17 and he leads his whole family astray. 18:19 Be with him in Jesus' name. 18:22 That's not a prayer that you want to pray. 18:26 A simple prayer. 18:27 God, thank You, I could visit Bob today. 18:29 Just bless him. Lord, I know he loves you. 18:32 Be with him in the decisions he makes. 18:33 Send Your Spirit to his family. 18:35 Thank You for his friendship. 18:37 I pray in Jesus' name. 18:39 Amen. 18:40 You get the point? 18:42 If you feel like 18:43 you've got to criticize or condemn, 18:45 I'm just going to be honest, 18:47 find another ministry in the church, 18:49 this one isn't for you. 18:52 And really, to be honest, 18:53 I don't know any ministry in the church 18:55 where criticism and condemnation 18:57 is going to cause positive results. 19:01 The last thing I want to cover on visiting 19:03 this type of person is this. 19:05 Suppose you're in the home, 19:07 and now the conversation really does go deep, 19:10 and it turns spiritual and they become very open. 19:13 This may happen on the first visit, 19:15 you may have to go back three or four times 19:17 over a period of two or three years 19:18 before you get to this point. 19:20 But here are some questions you can ask. 19:23 So, Joe, how long has it been since you've been to church? 19:25 That'll tell you 19:27 whether it's six months or six years? 19:29 Do you still believe the Adventist way? 19:33 That helps you to know 19:34 is this a doctrinal issue or relational one? 19:37 Is it because they don't believe 19:38 the teachings anymore? 19:40 Or is it because something else happened 19:42 in the church that's relational? 19:44 And 90% of the time, it's going to be relational. 19:49 You can ask, this is an important one. 19:52 Well, John, 19:53 have you ever thought about coming back? 19:56 If that's the only question you get to ask 19:58 because if they haven't 20:00 they will know that you asked that. 20:03 And if they say, "Well, yes, I have." 20:06 And the next question you can ask is, 20:08 "Well, Bob, what is it that hinders you? 20:11 Is there anything I can help you with?" 20:14 And if they share with you what the obstacle is, 20:17 help them overcome that obstacle 20:19 as far as it's possible for you. 20:23 You may even want to pick them up 20:25 because the truth is, 20:26 if you've been away for a while, 20:28 it's really hard to take that first step back, 20:30 isn't it? 20:31 Especially if it's a small church, 20:33 you know, they don't want people 20:34 to recognize that. 20:36 So, you know, they walk in the church 20:37 and 20 people run up, 20:39 "Oh, look, Bob's back, Praise the Lord." 20:41 I know we want to be happy, 20:42 but the person may not quite want all that attention. 20:45 It's good if they can walk through the door with a friend. 20:49 You may even ask, 20:51 if they're not interested in coming back. 20:53 Well, Bob, what about your children? 20:56 How will your children grow up to know the Lord? 20:59 Now you can only ask that question 21:01 if you've made a good connection with them, 21:03 and you've got to ask it in the right tone of voice. 21:06 Now, all these questions come from Fordyce Detamore, 21:09 a very famous Adventist evangelist. 21:11 I would encourage you to read his book 21:12 Seeking His Lost Sheep, 21:15 because these are the questions 21:16 that can really get to the heart 21:18 and cause a person to think. 21:21 And so, if God has called you to this needed ministry, 21:23 you will be blessed 21:25 by seeing people come back to church 21:27 in whose homes you have been, 21:29 even if it was just standing on their doorstep. 21:35 Let's transition now to two more groups of people. 21:39 Now, these won't take quite as long. 21:42 Let's talk about just visiting regular church members. 21:45 Because again, the pastor 21:46 is not going to be able to do that 21:48 all that nor should he. 21:50 So let's suppose 21:51 that your church has developed a church visitation team, 21:55 and if it hasn't, they should. 21:57 It may involve elders, 21:58 it may involve deacons but you know what? 22:01 You don't have to be an elder or a deacon to visit, 22:03 that can be open to anyone 22:04 who has that calling upon their heart. 22:07 So you'll take the membership list 22:10 and divide it among the visitation team. 22:12 Now, this means the church needs to do what? 22:15 Keep good records. 22:18 That is so important. 22:19 You can't visit anyone 22:21 if you don't know where they live 22:22 or how to contact them. 22:24 That's a needed ministry. 22:26 Praise God for the clerks. Amen. 22:28 Now, on this one, 22:29 since they're regular church members, 22:31 probably you can call 22:33 and make an appointment if necessary. 22:36 And so, when you are visiting them 22:37 in their home, 22:39 these are some simple things to ask. 22:41 Now keep in mind, 22:42 these are not non attending members. 22:45 These are people who are coming fairly regularly 22:48 so you probably know them, okay? 22:50 But they need to be visited too. 22:52 So here are some questions. 22:54 You can go through FORT with them, F-O-R-T. 22:58 We've already been through that. 22:59 That starts conversation. 23:00 But when you get to the spiritual side 23:03 of the conversation, 23:04 here are some very good questions. 23:07 Number one, you're talking to an individual you might ask. 23:11 So how are things going 23:12 in your spiritual life right now? 23:15 And then just listen to what they say. 23:18 If you want to word it differently, 23:20 you might say, 23:21 how is your relationship with God right now? 23:25 Now, this person has a family, bring the family into it, 23:29 you might ask them, 23:31 Joe, what would you say is the greatest spiritual need 23:34 of your family right now? 23:37 And let Joe share. 23:39 And as Joe shares 23:41 whatever's on his heart and mind about himself 23:43 or his family, just listen. 23:48 Encourage them, be positive, 23:51 let them know that they have a friend. 23:55 At the very end, you can ask well, Joe, 23:58 how can I pray for you and your family right now. 24:02 Then gather the family together, 24:05 read a special Bible promise 24:07 and have a prayer of blessing for them. 24:10 Even if a family is not part of the church, 24:14 say you're visiting with, 24:15 you know, the wife 24:17 and she's a Seventh-day Adventist member, 24:18 but the rest of the family is not. 24:20 If it's possible, 24:22 if they're not in for the rest of the visit, 24:23 they should be but that's not always possible. 24:26 At the very least for the prayer of blessing 24:28 at the end, 24:29 it'd be nice to bring the family in 24:31 and let them hear 24:32 you pray a positive prayer for them. 24:34 It plants a seed in the heart. 24:37 And last but not least, 24:39 don't forget about the children. 24:41 If the children is there, 24:42 and the whole family's part of the church, 24:44 include the children in the visit. 24:46 Ask them how things are going for them, 24:48 ask them about their prayer requests. 24:50 And when you gather for the prayer, 24:52 you might even want to invite the children to pray 24:55 if they choose to. 24:56 But you should mention the names of the children 24:59 in the prayer. 25:00 Visitations programs for church members 25:03 and it is very, very needed. 25:06 Because in reality, 25:08 you want the pastor to be able to focus 25:10 on reaching the lost. 25:13 Now, church members have needs too, 25:15 that's why you need a church visitation team 25:19 to be able to meet them and pray with them. 25:21 And I'll guarantee you, if your church has that, 25:23 your church will grow 25:25 because people will want to be part of a church that cares. 25:29 If God has called you to be part of a visitation team 25:33 in your church, 25:34 I pray that you will answer that call. 25:36 And if your church doesn't has, well have one, 25:38 start one yourself, talk to your pastor, 25:41 bring it to your church board, 25:43 find people in your church 25:45 who just have the gift of visitation, 25:48 because I guarantee you 25:49 there is someone in every church 25:52 that has the natural gift 25:54 of being able to connect with people. 25:57 But one thing you need to make sure of, 25:59 you don't want people on the visitation team 26:01 who have a hobby horse to ride 26:03 and are just going there to push 26:05 their own certain set of doctrines. 26:07 This has to be someone 26:09 who is not centered on themselves, 26:11 but centered on the needs of meeting other people. 26:16 Lastly, let's talk about how to visit the sick. 26:21 Now, our time's just about up, 26:23 but I want you to take two minutes right now. 26:26 And I want you to divide back into your groups. 26:29 And I want you to talk 26:31 about how should we visit the sick. 26:33 What are some things we should say 26:35 and shouldn't say? 26:37 You might even share a story that you went through. 26:41 So just take about two or three minutes, 26:42 divide in your groups, then we'll come back together. 26:45 So you can go ahead and pause the video now. 26:48 I wish I could have heard everything that you said. 26:51 But let's go through a few principles. 26:54 For some of you, you may be thinking, 26:56 I don't need to have a class on this, 26:57 I know how to visit the sick. 27:00 It's true that for some people doing this sort of ministry 27:03 is a natural thing. 27:05 For others, you may have grown up 27:07 in a home where, you know, 27:08 people weren't touchy feely, 27:10 you know, they weren't hugging types of people and you, 27:13 you didn't readily share feelings from your heart. 27:16 And so, you actually have to learn 27:17 how to do this. 27:19 So let's go through some principles. 27:21 And for those of you who've already got this down, 27:24 just consider it a good review. 27:27 Number one, 27:29 the sick can be the most neglected people, 27:31 they need encouragement. 27:35 You know how many people there are in hospitals 27:38 or in nursing homes who never get a visit? 27:42 They are there all alone, because either family is gone, 27:46 or family lives far away. 27:49 Remember the story Jesus told? 27:51 If you've done it 27:53 to one of the least of these my brethren, 27:55 you've done it unto me. 27:58 You see real ministry doesn't simply consist 28:01 of only preaching from a pulpit. 28:04 Real ministry consists of going to where people are 28:07 and connecting with their heart, 28:09 because that's what Jesus did. 28:11 He did a lot more of personal ministry 28:14 than He did public preaching. 28:16 And even through the Spirit of Prophecy, 28:18 Ellen White has told us in the last days, 28:21 we need to do the same. 28:24 Now, what is your ministry for the sick? 28:26 Oh, well, it's our pastor, he visits everyone. 28:30 Well, folks, it's fine to the pastor 28:31 to visit the sick. 28:33 But God's called you to do that. 28:35 I remember as a pastor sometimes, 28:37 someone would call me and say so and so is in the hospital, 28:40 and I usually was the last one to find out. 28:42 You know, I go visit them 28:43 and I find out 28:45 I was the only one in the church 28:46 that visited them. 28:47 I mean, people 28:49 who've known the person for 30 years, 28:51 and they didn't visit 28:52 because we have this idea 28:54 that it's got to be the pastor that visits 28:56 and if the pastor visit, 28:58 that visit is more special and more important 29:00 than the others. 29:02 We just got to wipe that false doctrine 29:04 out of our minds, 29:05 you know, that there is no special sense 29:07 that just comes from the pastor, 29:09 as though he is closer to heaven than anybody else. 29:13 God has called us to care for one another. 29:17 We all need to be involved in visiting. 29:21 So when you do, here's some of the points. 29:25 Your purpose is to give them encouragement, 29:28 they needed if they're in the hospital. 29:31 You want to bring a smile to their face. 29:34 Give them something to smile about. 29:37 Your visit will give them some strength 29:39 they need to recover. 29:41 Because if the person is depressed, 29:44 if the person is struggling, we already know 29:46 what affects the mind affects the body, 29:49 they need to be uplifted. 29:51 And then finally point them to Jesus. 29:55 That last point number four, 29:57 that's what makes your visit different 29:58 from any of the others because the truth is, 30:00 an atheist can do the first three. 30:03 An atheist can bring encouragement, 30:05 bring a smile to someone's face and give them strength. 30:08 But it's only you 30:10 who are going to point them to Jesus. 30:13 Amen. 30:14 So when you're there, these might be some questions. 30:17 So, Joe, what brought you here today? 30:19 Even if you already know, 30:21 just let Joe tell the story to make conversation. 30:24 What did the doctors told you? 30:26 Now, I like to ask that question simply 30:28 for this reason. 30:30 I want to know what Joe knows about his condition. 30:34 You know, because if his wife tells me, 30:35 "Oh, go please visit, we think he might have cancer." 30:38 And I go in and visit Joe and say, 30:40 "Hey, Joe, I hear that you may have cancer." 30:42 And nobody's told Joe that and he's like, 30:44 what, what, I have cancer. 30:47 So, ask the person what did the doctors said, 30:52 so that you don't end up sticking your foot 30:54 in your mouth. 30:56 But here's where it gets to the heart. 30:59 So how are you feeling about it, Joe? 31:02 This is where Joe can share his feelings. 31:04 Maybe he's got heart disease, maybe he's got a broken leg. 31:08 Let Joe share what's going on in his mind 31:10 and in his heart right now. 31:13 That's what Joe needs to share. 31:15 Ask him the hard questions, give him a chance to talk. 31:19 And then ask him, 31:20 is there anything I can do to help you? 31:23 Now don't stay long unless they request it. 31:26 And the truth is, 31:27 you don't have to be limited to those questions. 31:29 Sometimes people just want to talk about life. 31:31 They don't want to focus on their sickness 31:33 the entire time. 31:36 At the end of your visit, 31:37 whether it's 5 minutes or 20 minutes, 31:39 whatever it is, 31:40 you can end by reading a Bible promise, 31:43 find a good promise from Scripture, 31:46 which you'll probably want to look up ahead of time 31:47 because trust me, you get in there, 31:51 and they're surrounded by other family members 31:53 you don't know 31:54 and you start to get nervous and you forget things. 31:57 So look up your Bible promise ahead of time and ask Joe, 32:00 "Joe, would you mind if I read you a promise 32:03 and just had a word of prayer 32:04 that God will heal you and bless you?" 32:07 And I can assure you, 32:09 I've never had anybody in the hospital say, 32:11 "No, don't pray for my healing. 32:14 And don't pray for me to be blessed." 32:17 Never had that happen. 32:19 In fact, sometimes the people in the bed next to them 32:23 might want you to pray for them as well. 32:26 It actually would be a good idea for you 32:28 to offer that on your own 32:30 include their roommate in the prayer as well. 32:34 They will remember that. 32:37 Well, folks, that's the end of this particular session. 32:40 We have learned how to greet visitors to our church, 32:44 we have learned how to visit people 32:46 from evangelistic meetings, 32:49 we have learned how to visit former Seventh-day Adventists, 32:52 we've learned how to have a visitation program 32:54 in our church, 32:55 and we've learned how to visit the sick. 32:59 Friends, this is a ministry that Jesus Himself did. 33:02 And my prayer is that as you step out, 33:05 and begin to visit and connect with people, 33:08 that you would experience the joy of Jesus in your heart, 33:12 and know what it's like to make a positive difference 33:15 in someone's life. 33:17 Let's pray. 33:19 Heavenly Father, 33:21 it is our prayer to be missionaries for you. 33:25 Lord, so often we become so busy 33:27 with the mundane things of life 33:30 that we forget about the importance 33:31 of connecting with people. 33:34 We ask You, Heavenly Father, 33:35 just bring to each of our minds every person watching this, 33:39 bring us the name of one person, 33:42 whom You're calling us to be friends with. 33:45 And, Lord, if You're asking us to reach out 33:48 and be part of a visitation ministry, 33:50 help us to comprehend that conviction 33:54 and to go to work for you. 33:56 We pray in Jesus' name. 33:59 Amen. 34:05 Welcome to session four of Living an Evangelistic Life. 34:09 In this session, 34:10 we're going to be talking about how to find 34:13 and give a Bible study. 34:16 But before we do, let's have a word of prayer. 34:20 Heavenly Father, 34:21 we want to ask just now 34:23 that as we realize 34:25 there are so many people in this world 34:27 who are searching for truth 34:29 or desiring something better in their lives. 34:32 Lord, many of them live in our homes, 34:35 our neighborhoods, even our workplaces. 34:37 And we pray as we go through this session 34:39 that you might bring to our minds 34:41 the name of one person that You're wanting us 34:44 to have a Bible study with. 34:46 And we ask that You would help us 34:47 to understand these principles 34:49 and apply them to the opportunities 34:52 You bring our way. 34:53 We ask these things in Jesus' name. 34:56 Amen. 34:58 Before we start this session, 35:00 I need to share something with you 35:02 about what these principles are predicated upon. 35:06 These principles are not going to be talking 35:08 about how to have a Bible study 35:10 with someone that you've never met 35:12 in your life. 35:13 This is not going to be about walking down the street 35:16 and knocking cold turkey on the door 35:18 of someone that you don't know 35:20 or that you haven't developed a relationship with. 35:23 Now that's a fine ministry to have, 35:25 but that's not what this session is about. 35:28 This session has assumed 35:30 that you have been building a friendship with someone, 35:33 that this is someone that you know, 35:35 that you've cultivated a relationship with, 35:38 and that you have talked with about spiritual things 35:41 in the past. 35:43 And so now you're at the point 35:45 where you sense that maybe there's an open door 35:48 that they might be receptive 35:50 to starting a Bible study with you, 35:52 and you want to ask them the question. 35:55 So let's pick it up now. 35:57 Let's say if there's someone 35:58 that you've developed a friendship with 36:00 and you want to ask them if they're interested 36:02 in having a Bible study. 36:04 So the question is, what do I say? 36:06 Do I have to memorize some long spiel 36:10 or give them some sort of speech? 36:12 And the answer is no. 36:14 Just be yourself. 36:16 Keep it short, simple and to the point, 36:19 you might say something like this. 36:22 Joe, have you ever had someone study the Bible with you 36:25 and explain things? 36:27 I know of some really good Bible lessons, 36:30 would you like to study them together? 36:33 Now that's very simple. 36:35 There's nothing manipulative about that whatsoever. 36:39 You're just simply inviting Joe, 36:41 that if he's never had a Bible study with someone, 36:44 that could explain things, 36:45 and you know, some really good lessons, 36:48 you're asking him if he's interested 36:50 in studying with you. 36:52 Now, there is only one of two answers 36:54 that Joe can give and what's that? 36:57 It's either yes or it's no. 37:00 Now, Joe happens to say no, 37:02 that doesn't mean 37:04 you're a bad missionary for Jesus. 37:06 When someone says no to us, 37:08 we're tempted to put our tail between our legs 37:11 and to say, well, I will never do this again. 37:14 But folks, you have to realize it's going to happen. 37:18 There's times when people will say no to us. 37:22 It's happened to me, 37:24 it's happened to many other church members. 37:26 And quite frankly, it's happened to Jesus. 37:30 Not everyone said yes to Jesus. 37:32 Remember the story of the rich young ruler 37:35 and Jesus told him to go sell all his possessions, 37:39 give to the poor, 37:41 and then come and be My disciple. 37:43 And the rich young ruler 37:45 was not ready to make that decision. 37:47 And he said no to Jesus. 37:50 So if someone says no, 37:51 it doesn't mean that you did anything wrong. 37:53 It's just not the right time. 37:56 But understand, no doesn't mean no forever, 38:00 at least in the case of a Bible study. 38:03 When someone says no today, just keep praying for them, 38:06 keep developing a relationship with them. 38:09 Because in the future, 38:11 something may happen in their lives 38:14 to make them more open to spiritual things. 38:17 There could be a tragedy in their life, 38:19 could be a death in the family, 38:21 it could be just different circumstances 38:24 that cause them to think of eternal things. 38:27 So continue to cultivate the relationship. 38:30 And you can ask them this question 38:32 again down the road, 38:33 whether it's a few weeks or a few months 38:35 or maybe even a few years. 38:37 You might simply say, well, Joe, 38:39 I understand 38:40 but if you ever change your mind, 38:42 the door is always open 38:43 and I'd be happy to study the Bible with you. 38:47 Now, if Joe says yes, then what do you do? 38:51 Well, inside your heart, you're going to be rejoicing. 38:55 But then right away, 38:56 you want to set a time to start that Bible study. 39:00 Don't say, oh, well, Joe, 39:01 I'll get back to you in a few days. 39:03 Right then and there set a time for the first study, 39:06 whether it's Tuesday at 7 o'clock 39:08 or a Monday morning at 9 o'clock, 39:11 if it's possible, 39:12 set a time for the first study right then, 39:15 don't give the person a few days, 39:17 they may change their mind, set it right away. 39:22 Now, 39:23 if you sense that they want to have 39:25 a Bible study, 39:27 but they're hesitating because they don't want you 39:29 to come to their home, you have some options. 39:33 Now, why do you think 39:34 someone may not want you to come to their home 39:38 for a Bible study? 39:40 There's a lot of reasons. 39:42 Perhaps their house is dirty or not very clean, 39:45 and they might be a little bit embarrassed. 39:47 They may have some unruly kids or some family issues 39:51 that maybe they don't want you to see. 39:53 Or it's possible they may have a spouse 39:56 who is against religious things. 39:59 Maybe there's a problem with alcohol 40:01 or any number of things. 40:03 If that's the case, 40:04 there are other things you can do. 40:07 Number one, you can invite them 40:08 to come to your house for the Bible study. 40:11 You could do it at your church, if they're open to that. 40:15 You could even do it at a restaurant 40:17 while you're eating a meal. 40:19 I remember once seen two people 40:21 doing a Bible study on a picnic bench in a park. 40:24 I was just walking along on a beautiful day, 40:26 I saw two people reading together. 40:29 And I have to admit, I got a little bit nosy. 40:31 And so, I kind of walked over to see what they're doing. 40:34 They were studying the Bible together. 40:37 Nothing says it has to be in that person's house. 40:42 Now it's ideal if you can do it in their house, 40:45 because they are comfortable there 40:47 for the most part, 40:48 but also, 40:49 if there are unbelieving family members, 40:52 many times 40:53 they may not sit in on the Bible study, 40:55 but they're listening to everything that is said, 40:58 plus, it gives you an opportunity 41:00 to develop a friendship with other family members. 41:05 Now, let's go through some other principles here. 41:08 Once someone has said yes, 41:10 I would love to study the Bible with you, 41:12 and you set a time. 41:14 Now, you've got to find some really good Bible lessons. 41:18 And there are a lot of choices. 41:21 I can't even begin to list them on the screen for you. 41:25 You could go to the Adventist book center, 41:27 or actually you could go online to the adventistbookcenter.com 41:32 and you can see a whole array 41:33 of different kinds of lessons. 41:35 Now I have listed on the screen some that I know about. 41:39 There is the Search for Certainty, 41:41 those are the ones that I like, 41:43 they are from It Is Written. 41:44 There are the Storacle Prophecy lessons, 41:47 they are from Amazing Facts. 41:49 There's the Discover lessons from Voice of Prophecy. 41:52 There's the Stay Alive with Jesus. 41:54 And then there is Lift Him Up. 41:57 That is a series of lessons by Karen Lewis 42:01 that you can actually either buy in the book center, 42:04 or you can go to liftingJesusup.net 42:09 and you can download them for free and print them. 42:12 Now, of course, 42:13 they won't be fancy and colorful 42:15 like the published lessons, 42:16 they'll just be printed off in black and white, 42:19 but they are free. 42:21 The point is to find a set of lessons 42:23 that you're comfortable with, 42:25 or more important that the other person 42:27 is comfortable with. 42:29 Now, for me personally, 42:31 I like the question and answer format, 42:34 where there's a question, 42:36 then it gives the Bible verse where you find the answer, 42:39 and then they have to write out the answer in their own words. 42:43 I don't prefer for them to just copy the verse 42:46 because you can do that mindlessly 42:49 without really thinking 42:50 about the lessons that are in it. 42:52 So I prefer the question and answer format, 42:55 but you can use whatever lessons 42:58 is most comfortable for you. 43:02 Now, once you find yourself sitting down at the table, 43:05 having a one on one Bible study with someone, 43:09 let's go over some important principles 43:12 that we need to remember. 43:14 Principle number one, follow the sequence. 43:19 Now, what do we mean by that? 43:21 You need to go in the order of the lessons 43:24 as far as possible. 43:27 There's a reason the topics are in a certain order, 43:30 they are like a link in a chain. 43:33 There are some subjects that you can't understand 43:37 until you cover other topics first. 43:40 I mean, for example, 43:42 why would you do lesson 10 43:44 before you've studied the first nine lessons, 43:47 because what's in the first nine lessons 43:50 is what prepares you for what's in lesson 10. 43:54 I remember when I was in high school, 43:56 I did home school for ninth grade for one year. 43:59 And that's when I was introduced to algebra, 44:02 I have to tell you, I hated algebra. 44:07 It did not make any sense to me, 44:09 you know, X over B and C squared 44:11 and all these things, 44:13 I thought, what in the world am I going to use this 44:15 in the real world. 44:16 Like I'm going to go down the interstate, 44:17 it's going to say that I can only go 44:19 A over B miles per hour. 44:21 The point is, it causes your mind to process 44:24 and think things through, you develop cognitive skills. 44:28 But see, you can't understand algebra 44:32 unless you know 44:33 your multiplication and division tables first, 44:35 it wouldn't make sense. 44:37 It's the same way when studying Bible lessons. 44:40 Why would you talk about the Sabbath 44:42 before you've studied the importance of God's law? 44:46 And why would you talk 44:47 about the importance of God's law 44:49 before you've done the lesson 44:51 on how to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior? 44:55 And why would you do a lesson about hell 44:57 before you understand what happens when you die? 45:00 See, all these things are in the order for a reason, 45:03 follow the sequence. 45:06 Now I remember one time in ministry, 45:08 well, more than one time, 45:09 I made a mistake 45:11 and I didn't follow this principle 45:13 and I paid for it. 45:15 Whenever I was pastoring, a church in Pennsylvania, 45:18 and there was a lady who was very interested 45:21 in our evangelistic meetings, 45:22 but she didn't make all of them. 45:24 And so, I was giving her some video Bible studies. 45:27 And so, I would give her one to look at, 45:29 she'd bring it back and I'd give her the next. 45:32 Well, for some reason, 45:34 she was interested 45:36 in knowing all about the seven last plagues, 45:39 and she wanted me to give her that lesson ahead of time. 45:42 Well, that was lesson number 19. 45:45 So I gave her lesson number 19 45:49 before she had finished the first 18. 45:52 And what I didn't realize 45:54 is lesson number 19 brought up some topics 45:58 she wasn't ready to handle. 46:00 They were topics 46:02 that she needed to understand by doing the first 18 lessons, 46:06 she wasn't prepared for it. 46:07 And as a result, we lost her. 46:10 And she didn't come back to church anymore. 46:14 So when it's all possible, follow the sequence. 46:18 Now, if there is someone who just really has a question 46:21 about something, you know, for example, 46:23 many times there will be a person 46:25 who says, 46:26 you know, I really want to know what happens when you die 46:30 because I have a grandfather or a grandma that I lost, 46:33 I got to know. 46:35 And they're tempted they want to skip ahead. 46:37 If at all possible, help them to be patient, 46:40 you might say something like this, 46:43 "Well, Joe, I understand 46:45 that's a very important question. 46:47 And we have a whole lesson coming up in the future 46:49 that's going to deal with that. 46:51 But you see, 46:52 in order to understand that lesson, 46:54 we have to study some other lessons first, 46:57 but I can assure you, 46:59 we're not going to skip your question." 47:01 Usually that will satisfy them. 47:04 If it doesn't, 47:06 then you may need to find 47:08 just a little booklet to give to them 47:10 or just give them a little summary 47:12 without all the information 47:14 because it's better to go out of sequence 47:17 than to lose 47:18 the whole Bible study all together. 47:20 But whenever possible, follow the sequence 47:24 because there is a purpose to it. 47:26 By the way, 47:28 one of the other things I forgot to mention 47:30 is you can also do video Bible studies, 47:33 and I'm going to talk about that 47:34 in just a few minutes. 47:36 Principle number two, do one lesson at a time. 47:42 You know why that is? 47:44 There is something 47:45 that's called information overload. 47:48 If you give people too much information at once, 47:52 they can't handle what you might say 47:54 that it blows a gasket, it's too much. 47:57 For example, 47:58 let's say there's a little outlet up here 48:00 on the platform. 48:01 If I were to try to get all these multi extensions 48:05 and plug about 20 different plugs 48:08 in that socket, 48:09 what would eventually happen? 48:11 It would blow because it couldn't handle it. 48:14 That's how the human mind tends to work. 48:18 If you give it too much information, 48:21 it's going to immobilize it, it can't deal with it. 48:25 So it's best to do one lesson at a time, 48:28 so the person has the opportunity 48:30 to process it, 48:31 and to be able to think about it. 48:33 Now at most, you might be able to get away 48:35 with two lessons at a time or perhaps two lessons a week. 48:39 But I would never go more than that 48:41 unless that person has already been studied with. 48:44 So normally one lesson at a time 48:47 so they can process it and think it through. 48:51 Now, principle number three says, 48:54 have the person do the lesson ahead of time. 48:58 In other words, 49:00 the only time they're doing the lesson 49:02 should not be when you are right there 49:04 physically with them. 49:06 What should happen 49:07 is you will give them the lesson 49:09 for the next week. 49:11 And you will invite them through the week 49:13 to do the lesson and look up the texts. 49:16 Then when you get together next week, 49:18 they would have already done the lesson, 49:21 processed the information 49:23 and they know what their questions are. 49:25 And then you may not have to cover 49:27 every single question that's on that lesson booklet. 49:31 The reason that's important is this, 49:36 by them doing the lesson ahead of time, 49:39 they are interacting with God's Word for themselves. 49:44 I mean, there is power in this Word, 49:47 and the Word is being implanted in their hearts 49:49 and in their minds, 49:51 and it gives a Holy Spirit 49:52 the chance to work with them during the week. 49:56 If the only time they open up their Bible 49:59 is when they are physically with you 50:01 doing a Bible study, 50:03 then they're not learning 50:04 how to have a daily devotional life. 50:07 They're not learning how to interact with God's Word 50:09 for themselves. 50:11 And then when the whole series of Bible lessons are over, 50:14 they'll probably stop with studying the Bible. 50:17 You want them to continue on. 50:20 So in other words, 50:21 when you show up 50:22 and you're doing lesson number three, 50:24 when you're done studying lesson number three, 50:26 before you leave, 50:28 what are you going to give them? 50:30 You're going to give them lesson number four. 50:32 During the week, they do lesson number four, 50:35 and the next week, you come back 50:37 and you study lesson four with them, 50:39 but they've already done it. 50:42 That's one of the best ways to do a Bible study, 50:45 they're interacting with God's Word 50:46 on their own and also with you. 50:50 Does that make sense? 50:52 Well, let's go to the next principle. 50:54 Usually what I like to do 50:56 and you don't have to do it my way 50:57 because we all have different personalities. 51:01 I like to read the question on the lesson sheet. 51:05 Have the person read the Bible text 51:08 and then share their answer. 51:10 And with each question, then you can alternate it, 51:13 you know, then they can read the question 51:16 and then you can look up the text 51:17 and they can share their answer. 51:20 And then after you've done that for the questions 51:22 after say like question one, 51:24 you can make some comments if you like. 51:27 Now, this is the part that scares people, 51:29 because they think, well, 51:30 I don't know what to say or what comments would I make? 51:34 Well, the wonderful thing about Bible lessons today 51:37 is usually after every question, 51:39 there is usually a paragraph that makes comments for you. 51:43 So at the very least, 51:45 you can simply summarize what the paragraph says. 51:49 But you know what's even better, 51:52 is when you can share personal testimony. 51:55 You see, 51:57 when you are ordering some lessons 51:59 to do with someone, 52:01 how many sets are you going to order? 52:04 You're going to order two, 52:06 one for them and one for who else? 52:10 One for you. 52:12 And so, while Joe is studying his lesson 52:15 and looking up the verses during the week, 52:17 what are you doing? 52:19 You're doing the same lesson, you're writing out the answers. 52:23 And so that gives you an opportunity 52:25 to write down any comments 52:27 that you might want to share with Joe. 52:29 And you can write them 52:31 on the side of your lesson paper, 52:33 and you're basically making notes. 52:35 So when you sit down with Joe the next week to do the lesson, 52:39 you're not having to memorize all this stuff, 52:41 your notes are right in front of you. 52:44 I mean, maybe you're going to do 52:46 a Bible lesson on stewardship and tithing. 52:49 And one of the questions reminds you of a time 52:51 in your life 52:53 when God blessed you concerning time, 52:56 and you may want to make a little note to say 52:58 I want to share such and such story with Joe, 53:01 and then you can share a personal testimony. 53:04 See when you do it that way, 53:06 and you're doing the lesson as well, 53:08 it's not nearly as intimidating as we sometimes think. 53:13 Now, another principle 53:15 that is extremely important is this. 53:19 Make sure they understand the topic 53:22 before going to the next lesson. 53:26 Now, I want to say something I really want this to sink in. 53:30 People don't make decisions 53:33 on things they don't understand. 53:37 Did you catch that? 53:38 I'm going to say it again. 53:40 People don't make decisions 53:43 about things that they don't understand. 53:47 If there is something about that lesson or topic 53:50 that doesn't make sense to them, 53:52 they're not going to move forward and make a decision. 53:55 For example, 53:57 if there is something about the Sabbath 53:59 that they just aren't quite grasping 54:01 or understanding, 54:02 they're not going to make a decision 54:04 to keep the Sabbath holy 54:06 and make it a part of their life. 54:08 The questions have to be cleared up 54:10 in their minds. 54:12 And this is true in the secular world. 54:15 I mean, when you're buying a new car, 54:17 and you're sitting there 54:18 and you're looking at the contract, 54:20 and you're about to sign this notes payable, 54:23 if you don't understand what that contract is saying, 54:27 and you don't understand what you're committing to, 54:29 are you going to sign that contract? 54:31 Of course not. 54:33 Because even in the real world, 54:34 we don't make decisions 54:36 about things that we don't understand. 54:40 Any more than a freshman in college 54:43 might be able to decide 54:44 what their major is going to be, 54:45 it may take them some time. 54:48 So we have to let people ask questions, 54:53 let them clear things up. 54:55 And I'm going to talk about answering questions 54:57 in just a minute. 54:59 The other principle is ask for little decisions 55:01 along the way. 55:03 They say, "What do you mean by that?" 55:05 Don't wait until the end of 25 or 26 lessons 55:10 and ask them to accept the whole package all at once. 55:14 That's too much to handle at one time. 55:17 I mean, let's think about it for a second. 55:19 If we wait to the end of say, lesson 26. 55:23 And we're going to ask Joe, and we're going to say, Joe, 55:25 are you willing to accept 55:26 the Bible as the holy inspired word of God 55:28 and we need to obey it? 55:30 Are you willing to accept that when Jesus comes, 55:32 it's literal, it's audible, it's visible 55:34 and there is no such thing as a secret rapture? 55:36 Are you willing to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord 55:39 and your personal Savior? 55:40 Do you believe that He's your high priest 55:41 in a heavenly sanctuary? 55:43 Joe, are you able to let God write His law in your heart? 55:46 Joe, are you willing to accept the Sabbath 55:48 and make those changes in your life 55:49 and change your job if necessary? 55:51 Joe, do you realize that when someone dies, 55:53 they don't go to heaven they just rest in the grave? 55:55 Joe, do you realize 55:57 that hell doesn't burn forever but it comes to an end? 55:59 Joe, are you ready to be baptized? 56:01 Are you ready to take unclean foods 56:03 and smoking and tobacco and drugs out of your life? 56:06 And Joe, are you ready to accept 56:08 that the Seventh-day Adventist churches, 56:09 the remnant church of Bible prophecy 56:11 become part of it 56:12 and realize that we need to honor 56:13 the Spirit of Prophecy? 56:15 Joe, are you ready to become part of the church? 56:17 I mean, really, 56:19 if we give them all that at once, 56:22 they are not likely to make a decision. 56:24 Little decisions, 56:26 little baby steps along the way. 56:29 The neat thing with most Bible lessons 56:31 is they have application questions 56:34 at the end. 56:35 For example, 56:37 someone just does the lesson on the Second Coming, 56:41 we might ask them, 56:42 "Well, Joe, 56:44 would you like to pray a prayer and ask God to help you 56:47 to be ready for Christ soon return?" 56:50 You're asking Joe to make a decision. 56:52 It's a little decision. 56:54 Now, I don't mean little 56:55 in that it's unimportant or insignificant, 56:58 but it's not the whole package. 56:59 You're asking him to take a little step one at a time. 57:03 When you do the lesson 57:04 on accepting Jesus as your Savior, 57:07 you may invite Joe, 57:08 "Joe, would you like to pray 57:10 and ask Christ to come into your life?" 57:12 It's a little decision. 57:14 When you do the lesson on the law, 57:16 you may say, "Well, Joe, 57:18 would you like to have a word of prayer 57:19 and let's ask God 57:20 to write His law on our hearts." 57:23 When you do the lesson on the Sabbath, 57:25 you may ask Joe and invite him to just come to church with you 57:28 one Sabbath just to experience the Sabbath blessing. 57:32 You're not asking him to quit his job, 57:33 you're not asking him to do a bunch of changes. 57:35 Just a little decision, 57:37 inviting him to take one small step forward. 57:41 And then when you get to the end of the lessons, 57:44 you're simply asking for one more small step. 57:47 They need to be making smaller decisions 57:50 all along the way. 57:53 And a good set of lessons 57:55 will have decision questions in the end, 57:57 at the end of each page or at the end of each lesson. 58:00 And so, you want to be sure to look 58:02 for those kinds of lessons. 58:05 If you would like more information 58:06 about our ministry, 58:08 visit our websites at davidklinedinst.org 58:13 or discoverbibleprophecy.org. 58:17 If you'd like to make a donation 58:18 to keep these sermons on the air, 58:20 you can contact us 58:22 at Discover Prophecy Ministries, 58:24 PO Box 850, Columbia, Maryland 21044. |
Revised 2020-05-29