Participants:
Series Code: DPM
Program Code: DPM000035A
|
00:04 Well, welcome back to Living an Evangelistic Life.
00:08 Believe it or not, 00:09 we're ready to begin our last session together, 00:12 session number seven, 00:13 "Getting Decisions and Making Appeals." 00:17 Let's pray before we study 00:18 some of these principles together. 00:22 Heavenly Father, 00:23 Lord, as we study these principles 00:25 of how to help people to move forward 00:27 and to make decisions. 00:29 We pray, Lord, you enable us 00:31 to apply these to our life 00:33 to the people that you have called us 00:35 to work with, and influence. 00:37 Please enlighten our minds, 00:39 we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 00:43 Now, before we get into this session, 00:44 there's something that I need to explain. 00:47 Most of the other previous sessions 00:50 have been predicated on the fact 00:52 that you are trying to build a relationship with someone 00:55 because we have learned that friendship 00:57 is always the first step of soul winning. 01:00 And so we've been learning things 01:01 such as how to connect with someone, 01:04 how to initiate a spiritual conversation. 01:08 How to know when the door is open 01:09 and the door is closed. 01:11 How to give a Bible study. 01:12 Well, this is going to be a little bit different 01:14 in the sense 01:15 that this is going to be for people 01:17 who are at about a seven or eight on the scale. 01:20 Now you say what scale are you talking about? 01:22 Let's say there's a scale from 1 to 10. 01:25 One being a person who knows nothing about God, 01:29 nothing about the Bible. 01:30 They're nowhere near being baptized. 01:32 And someone that's at a 10 is at the point 01:35 where they are ready to make a decision. 01:37 They're almost in the baptismal tank. 01:39 The previous sessions have basically been for people 01:42 who are below a five. 01:45 We're just simply trying to plant seeds 01:47 and move them a little forward. 01:49 This session is for people who you've already worked with, 01:53 and they're somewhere around a seven, eight or nine, 01:56 and they're at a point where you think 01:58 they're ready to make some kind of decision 02:01 and at least move forward or take a step closer to Jesus. 02:05 So these principles would probably not apply 02:07 to someone who's that at a one 02:09 and just beginning the spiritual journey. 02:12 So let's talk about 02:13 getting decisions and making appeals. 02:16 Some people wonder, 02:17 do I have to be like a super spiritual person 02:20 to help people get decisions? 02:23 And the answer is no. 02:24 We sometimes think that 02:26 decision getting is only for a trained evangelist who 02:29 you know, knows how to sway people. 02:31 Or maybe a pastor 02:33 who's spent three or four years at the seminary. 02:35 But the truth is, 02:37 laypeople can just as easily get decisions 02:40 and help others to move forward. 02:42 Sometimes we forget 02:44 that the early Christian church 02:45 turned the world upside down, basically, through laypeople. 02:50 It was laypeople who were sharing 02:52 their Christian faith with others. 02:54 And even in the early Adventist Church. 02:57 There were very few pastors who were at a church 03:00 and they certainly didn't pastor 03:01 a particular church 03:03 where they were there every week. 03:04 Most Adventist churches were lucky 03:06 if they saw a pastor a once a quarter. 03:09 And so truly it was laypeople who took the Advent message 03:13 and the Three Angels Message 03:14 and began to spread it throughout North America 03:17 and eventually throughout the world. 03:20 So God truly wants to use laypeople. 03:22 He wants to use you to influence others, 03:25 to help them to make some decisions. 03:29 Now, basically, we need to know three things. 03:33 Number one, a little knowledge of human nature is helpful 03:36 to simply understand how the brain works 03:39 and the process people go through 03:41 when they actually make a decision. 03:43 The second thing is 03:45 having a Christ-like love for people, 03:48 that's even more important. 03:49 Because the truth is, 03:51 if we don't genuinely care for other people, 03:54 they're going to know that. 03:56 If they sense that I just think they're a number 03:59 and I just want to be able to say, 04:01 "Oh, I've baptize someone" or give a good report 04:03 during the personal ministries time 04:05 at my church, 04:06 they're going to sense that. 04:08 But they can also tell when we have a genuine love 04:12 and concern for them. 04:14 We can't make people just a number. 04:17 And then third, probably the most important, 04:20 the willingness to ask for a decision. 04:23 You say, "Well, Pastor, that's, you know, 04:25 kind of elementary, 04:26 you don't get a decision unless you ask." 04:28 But do you realize 04:30 how many people there are walking around, 04:32 sometimes right in church, 04:34 who are ready to make a decision 04:36 and no one's ever asked them. 04:39 I used to hear evangelists talk about 04:41 how they'd go to a church and they'd meet someone 04:43 and they were never asked to be baptized. 04:45 And I would think to myself, 04:47 "Oh, come on, they're just making that stuff up." 04:49 But I can honestly say that's true. 04:52 I remember when I worked Christian Record Services, 04:55 the church's ministry to the blind, 04:57 I got a chance to speak at a lot of different churches. 05:00 And I can remember being at a church in Colorado 05:03 as a guest speaker 05:05 and after the service was over, 05:07 I was sitting at a table during potluck 05:10 and talking to the man across the table from me. 05:13 Now I had assumed that he was already a member, 05:16 because he knew everything 05:17 that was going on in the church, 05:19 he knew everything the church believed. 05:21 But through the conversation what I realized 05:24 he had never actually joined the church 05:26 and been baptized. 05:28 I asked him if he would ever consider doing so. 05:32 And you know what his answer was? 05:33 He says, "Well, yes, I would." 05:35 And I asked him, 05:36 "Well, how come you haven't made that decision before?" 05:39 And I kid you not, you know, what he said to me? 05:42 "Nobody ever asked me." 05:46 I couldn't believe it. 05:48 I had to make sure to tell the head elder of the church 05:50 because you know, the pastor wasn't there, 05:52 that's why I was there speaking. 05:53 I said, "I made sure he understood." 05:55 This man was ready to make a decision 05:57 and I pray that they chose to follow up on that. 06:01 Now when we talk about making decisions, 06:04 we're not talking about just preaching. 06:07 We can help people make decisions in any context. 06:11 When we're visiting in their home, 06:13 maybe we're having a personal Bible study 06:14 with them, 06:16 maybe sitting at a church potluck. 06:18 It could even happen in recreation, 06:20 when we're having a social. 06:22 Maybe I'm at the church social 06:23 talking to one of the teenagers, 06:25 somehow we get in a conversation. 06:27 I could ask Jim, 06:28 "Hey, have you ever thought of being baptized?" 06:31 They can come at any moment. 06:33 We just need to open our eyes, look for the opportunities 06:38 and know the principles and the questions to ask. 06:41 Now, when we talk about making decisions, 06:44 normally what comes to our mind is we think, 06:46 "Oh, being baptized 06:47 and becoming a Seventh Day Adventist." 06:50 Well, that's certainly an important decision. 06:51 But that's not the only decision 06:53 a person makes. 06:55 About any decision in life. 06:56 Maybe a decision to be ready for the second coming 06:59 of Christ, 07:01 maybe a decision to accept Jesus 07:02 as their Savior, 07:04 maybe a decision to start keeping 07:06 the Sabbath holy 07:07 or to stop smoking or to stop drinking. 07:10 There could be 100 decisions that a person could make. 07:13 So these principles apply to all of them. 07:17 Now, the first question we have to ask is, 07:21 "Why do we ask people for decisions anyway? 07:23 Why make appeals? 07:25 Won't people just make decisions 07:27 when they need to?" 07:29 And the answer is, no. 07:31 Human nature tends to procrastinate 07:35 and to delay. 07:36 One of the principles we need to understand is, 07:39 people don't just make decisions 07:41 out of the blue. 07:42 People don't normally wake up in the morning and say, 07:44 "You know, I think I should make a decision today. 07:47 I think I should take God seriously. 07:49 I think I should get baptized." 07:51 Now I understand, sometimes that does happen 07:54 because God works in mysterious ways. 07:57 But if we're honest, 07:58 we all know that the majority of the time, 08:01 it does not happen that way. 08:04 People need some gentle prompting. 08:07 And by making appeals 08:09 and gently asking for a decision, 08:11 it plants a seed in people's minds. 08:15 That's how God wants to use us. 08:18 We actually have an opportunity 08:20 to assist the Holy Spirit in the Gospel work. 08:24 Now, it's true that we can't do the work of the Holy Spirit. 08:28 We can't convict someone's heart 08:30 and make them make a decision. 08:33 But when you read about 08:35 how the Gospel commission is set up, 08:37 God did not designed for angels to do the work for us. 08:41 He did not even design for the Holy Spirit 08:43 to work alone. 08:45 The Holy Spirit uses people and that's you and I. 08:49 And so the Holy Spirit wants to use us to befriend people, 08:53 and sometimes to just ask the right question 08:57 to help prompt their hearts 08:59 and enable them to move a couple steps forward 09:02 and get closer to Jesus. 09:06 In fact, there's a lot of appeals 09:08 that are in the Bible. 09:09 Now we're not going to look all these up. 09:11 But you start in Exodus 32:26, 09:14 Moses and the Israelites. 09:16 When they had made that golden calf 09:19 and danced around it and worshipped it, 09:21 Moses came back down from the mountain. 09:23 And he was pretty ticked off with them. 09:25 When he finally ground it to powder, 09:27 threw it in the water and made them drink it, 09:29 I don't imagine that tasted very well, 09:31 but Moses made an appeal. 09:33 He actually stood... 09:35 he actually stood there and he said to the people, 09:37 "Whoever is on the Lord's side, come over and stand with me." 09:42 I mean, that's one of the first altar calls 09:44 that you read about in the Bible. 09:46 Moses implored the people to make a decision. 09:50 Years later, Joshua did the same thing. 09:53 He said, as for me... 09:54 Choose you this day whom you will serve. 09:57 But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 10:00 Joshua wanted them to choose. 10:03 And Jesus did the same thing. 10:05 You think of Matthew, the tax collector. 10:07 Jesus didn't just walk by and think to himself, 10:10 "Well, Matthew's heard what I preach. 10:12 If he wants to make a decision, he'll get up, 10:14 he'll get up on his own and follow me." 10:16 That's not what Jesus did. 10:19 Jesus actually made a personal appeal 10:21 to Matthew's heart, 10:23 and invited him to come and follow Him. 10:26 Jesus did the same with the rich young ruler, 10:29 but the rich young ruler chose not to follow him. 10:33 And then of course, 10:34 all throughout the New Testament, 10:36 you have Paul, 10:37 who is described as persuading people 10:40 to accept the gospel. 10:42 So there is a place for us to ask the right question, 10:46 and to help people move forward. 10:50 So now let's get to the practical part. 10:52 What are some things I can ask? 10:54 If I sense that someone is ready to make 10:56 some sort of spiritual decision in their life. 11:00 Baptism. 11:02 Starting to come to church. 11:04 Maybe they want to stop smoking. 11:06 Maybe they want to start returning tithe. 11:08 Maybe they need to make a choice about 11:10 getting out of a bad relationship. 11:13 It could be any choice. 11:15 What are some things I can ask 11:18 that will just prompt the working of the Holy Spirit 11:22 and plant a seed in their heart? 11:24 Let me share with you a phrase 11:26 that I hope that will be burned into your mind. 11:29 It's on your screen, it's this phrase that says, 11:33 "Have you ever considered..." 11:36 Now I want to share with you how this works. 11:38 But first I want to share where I learned it. 11:41 I can remember when I first became a pastor, 11:43 I was sitting in a training session 11:45 that was for those who were new in ministry, 11:48 and an experienced pastor was teaching us some things 11:51 and he was talking about how to work with church boards. 11:54 And he was telling a story 11:56 of how whenever he would go to a church board 11:58 with an idea that was his own, 12:01 it seemed that they would want to reject it. 12:03 For example, he came on one board meeting, 12:05 he said, "You know, this church really needs a copier 12:08 because I always got to go to Office Max or somewhere, 12:11 you know, and spend the church's money." 12:13 Well, since it was his idea, 12:14 and no one else had thought of it, 12:16 the church board really didn't like it. 12:18 So it was voted down. 12:20 Well, he learned after a while, 12:22 that he would just go up to people individually, 12:24 and start planting the seed. 12:26 And he would say to them, 12:29 "Have we ever considered having a copier in this church? 12:32 Wouldn't it be neat if we had our own 12:34 and we won't have to pay other people to do it?" 12:37 And after planting that seed in their mind, 12:39 you know, for a few months, he noticed, 12:42 people would come to the board meeting, 12:44 and the board members would say, 12:46 "You know, Pastor, 12:47 we ought to have a copier in this church, 12:49 it would make things much easier." 12:51 The difference was now it was their idea. 12:54 Now he used this in the context of a board meeting. 12:57 We can use this in the context of working with others. 13:01 So say, I'm speaking with Sarah. 13:04 And I sense that she's almost at the point 13:06 where she's going to take that step 13:07 to be baptized. 13:08 I can say something like this, 13:10 "Sarah, 13:12 have you ever considered being baptized 13:15 and taking that step?" 13:17 Now by saying something so simple, 13:20 I'm not manipulating her, I'm not pressuring her, 13:24 you're just asking a simple question. 13:28 "Bob, have you ever considered..." 13:30 and then you fill in the blank. 13:32 "Susan, 13:33 have you ever considered just stepping out in faith 13:36 and just starting to return tithe, 13:38 and see if God will bless you?" 13:40 "Joe, have you ever considered to just ask God to help you 13:44 to stop smoking?" 13:47 "Margo, 13:48 have you ever considered joining the church 13:50 since you've been coming here for so long?" 13:53 So you say it with a smile on your face, 13:55 not in a pressuring way. 13:57 And by simply asking that question, 14:00 a seed is planted in their mind. 14:02 And even if they weren't thinking about it, 14:05 they will now that you've mentioned it. 14:08 I can't tell you how many times I've used that phrase, 14:12 "Have you ever considered..." 14:14 because really, 14:15 you're not telling them what to do. 14:17 You're inviting them to make a choice 14:18 for themselves. 14:20 Because one principle about human nature, 14:22 especially with Americans, 14:24 most people do not like to be told 14:27 what to do. 14:28 They want it to be something 14:30 that comes out of their own heart 14:31 that they decide for themselves. 14:33 So instead of saying to Joe, "Joe, you need to be baptized," 14:37 or "Joe, I want you to take this step of baptism," 14:40 You're just asking a question, you're making an invitation. 14:44 "Joe, have you ever considered taking that step?" 14:48 Another phrase that works just as well, 14:51 "I'd like to invite you to..." 14:54 whatever. 14:55 "Joe, I'd like to invite you to consider being baptized." 14:58 Yeah? 15:00 "Susan, I'd like to invite you 15:01 to just start returning tithe for two months, 15:04 and test God 15:05 and see if He doesn't open up the windows of heaven." 15:08 See, again, you're not telling them 15:10 what to do. 15:11 But you're giving a simple invitation. 15:15 And people will tend to respond to that 15:17 much better than pressure or coercion 15:20 or things like that. 15:21 So what are the two phrases? 15:23 "Have you ever considered..." 15:26 or "I'd like to invite you to..." 15:29 and then you fill in the blank for whatever the step 15:32 or whatever the decision would be. 15:35 Now, some other principles that are important is this. 15:38 Many years ago, Mark Finley taught that 15:41 expression deepens impression. 15:44 In other words, why do we ask people 15:47 to take a visible step of action 15:51 when they make a decision? 15:52 Why not just let them make the decision 15:54 inside the privacy of their own heart 15:56 and leave it there? 15:58 Because when you express your decision in an action, 16:02 it actually strengthens that decision. 16:06 See, decisions of the heart they need to be acted upon. 16:11 Let me give you some examples. 16:13 Let's take baptism. 16:15 When a person is baptized, what are they deciding? 16:18 What are they committing to? 16:21 They've decided that they want to follow Jesus 16:23 with all their heart. 16:24 They want to have their sins washed away. 16:26 Well, think about this. 16:28 Have they already made that decision 16:30 before they got in the baptismal tank? 16:33 Well, of course they have, 16:34 because the decision begins in the heart. 16:38 But yet Jesus gives us the instruction 16:41 that when we choose to follow Him, 16:43 we're to take the visible outward action step 16:47 of being publicly baptized 16:49 in front of friends or family or a church family, 16:53 because taking the step of action 16:55 is meant to strengthen 16:57 and reinforce the decision of the heart. 17:00 That's why we ask people to take steps. 17:03 Now, you could illustrate this in the secular world as well. 17:07 Now, how many of you are married? 17:09 I've been married thus far 19 years. 17:11 It would be 20 years later this year. 17:13 But when two people stand in a church 17:16 or a civil ceremony, wherever they may be, 17:19 and they're exchanging their vows 17:21 and committing to each other, 17:23 they are making the choice that they want to spend 17:25 the rest of their lives together. 17:27 But let me ask you something. 17:29 Did they make that decision before they got to the altar? 17:34 Well, of course they did. 17:35 Or they won't have a wedding to begin with. 17:38 But we ask them, the church and the state, ask them 17:42 to take a visible step of action to have a wedding 17:45 and stand before family and friends 17:46 to make that public commitment. 17:49 Because that step of action 17:51 is meant to strengthen the decision 17:53 they've already made in their heart 17:55 to spend their lives together. 17:57 And in reality, communion is the same way. 18:01 Communion represents accepting the body 18:03 and blood of Jesus all over again, 18:05 making a recommitment to Christ. 18:08 Now a person can make a recommitment 18:10 in the privacy of their own heart. 18:12 But yet the Bible gives us this ceremony of communion, 18:16 that we take an outward step of action 18:20 and it reinforces a choice that we've made in our hearts. 18:23 The invisible choice becomes visible 18:26 when we take that step. 18:29 And it happens in many places of the world. 18:31 Someone says, "Hey, I want to get out of debt. 18:33 I got to get rid of this credit card debt." 18:35 Well, they're making that decision in their heart. 18:38 But many times what do we ask them to do? 18:41 Cut up your credit cards and throw them away. 18:43 Because that step of action strengthens 18:46 what they've already decided. 18:50 That's what Jesus did with the woman 18:52 with the issue of blood. 18:54 You remember that story? 18:55 She had followed Jesus along in the streets 18:58 and when she finally got close enough to touch the hem 19:01 of His garment, 19:02 she was healed. 19:04 And she was simply ready 19:05 to go back to her home in private 19:07 and praise God. 19:09 But Jesus stopped her. 19:11 Because Jesus wanted her to take the step of action, 19:15 where she gave a public testimony 19:17 of what Christ had done for her. 19:20 And taking that step 19:22 not only strengthened the decision 19:24 she made in her heart, 19:26 but it became a witness and an influence to others. 19:30 See, whenever others see 19:32 someone taking that step of action 19:34 and making a decision, 19:36 it always influences their heart as well. 19:41 I remember being a pastor in Pennsylvania. 19:45 We were holding a set of evangelistic meetings 19:48 at the church. 19:49 And I remember one night 19:50 we handed out decision cards for baptism, 19:53 and people filled them out and turned them in. 19:57 And I remember as we looked over them, 19:59 here, Gladys had filled out a card 20:02 for baptism. 20:04 Now, Gladys was about 90 years old. 20:07 She had been a member of the church 20:09 for probably a gazillion years. 20:11 Everybody knew her. 20:12 And so when she marked for baptism, 20:15 it kind of startled me for a moment. 20:17 And I thought, "Well, you know, she is 90, maybe, 20:20 maybe she didn't understand what she was marking." 20:23 But you know, whenever someone hands 20:24 in a decision card, 20:26 no matter who it is, 20:27 we should never, ever skip over that. 20:31 I mean, that is a sacred trust. 20:33 We need to follow through no matter who it may be. 20:37 So we went to visit Gladys. 20:40 And we asked her 20:41 why she had checked for baptism. 20:43 And she told us her story. 20:45 She said she'd been blessed by the meetings. 20:48 And she just been thinking about things in her life 20:50 and choices she wished that she had made. 20:54 And she just felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit 20:57 that she wanted to be re-baptized 20:59 and recommit herself to Jesus. 21:02 Well, we certainly wanted to make that possible for her. 21:05 Problem was she lived in a nursing home 21:07 and she had some pretty serious back issues. 21:10 And there was no way 21:11 that she was going to be able to climb up and down 21:13 a baptismal tank, 21:15 or even be able to get into any body of water 21:18 and kind of be bent over backwards into the water. 21:21 So baptism was not physically possible. 21:24 But we wanted to give her an opportunity 21:27 to take that step of action. 21:30 So what we decided was that on the day 21:33 when some others were going to be baptized, 21:35 we would bring Gladys upfront, 21:37 and we would let her share her testimony. 21:39 And then we would lay hands on her 21:42 and just pray a special prayer of recommitment for her. 21:46 And let me tell you, 21:48 when that little old lady got up front, 21:50 and gave a very brief testimony, 21:53 that church listened to everything 21:56 that she had to say. 21:57 They listened to her five-minute testimony 22:00 probably more than any sermon I could have preached that day. 22:04 And so her being able to take that step of action 22:08 not only strengthened a decision in her heart, 22:11 but I know it influenced many others 22:13 who were watching that day. 22:16 That's why we ask people to make decisions. 22:20 Now a couple other principles to keep in mind, 22:23 these are obstacles to decision making. 22:27 One is information overload. 22:31 Too much information at one time 22:34 just overwhelms people. 22:35 It paralyzes them. 22:37 And it keeps them from making decisions. 22:40 I mean, you know how you feel. 22:42 If you've ever been at work first day on the job, 22:44 way too much information 22:46 during your first day of training. 22:48 Or you take some class in high school or college 22:51 and you're having a hard time understanding it. 22:53 And on the first day of class, 22:54 when you go through the syllabus 22:56 and everything you're expected to do, 22:57 you almost feel overwhelmed to the point 22:59 where you just want to quit 23:00 and find another class to go to. 23:03 It's the same in the spiritual life. 23:06 If you give people too much information 23:08 at one time, 23:09 they can't handle it. 23:11 So decisions should be made in increments. 23:15 Little decisions all along the way. 23:17 Or as some people would call it, 23:19 little baby steps. 23:21 So that when you get to the end of a Bible study 23:23 or whatever it may be, 23:25 you're not asking them to take one giant leap. 23:28 It's just another little step, 23:30 another decision they've been making all along. 23:34 So you want to ask for decisions. 23:36 One on accepting Christ the Savior. 23:39 Or being ready for the second coming of Jesus. 23:42 When you study the Sabbath, 23:43 ask them to make a decision on the Sabbath, 23:46 on baptism, on uniting with the remnant, 23:49 the point is little decisions along the way. 23:54 Now another obstacle to decision making 23:57 and this is going to seem kind of, "Duh, Pastor, I know that." 24:02 Giving no opportunity to respond 24:05 is an obstacle to decision making. 24:08 Now think about that for a second. 24:10 Whether it's preaching, or giving a Bible study, 24:15 or having a spiritual conversation 24:17 with someone. 24:18 If we're not inviting them to make some kind of decision 24:23 or to act on what they've heard, 24:26 that actually leads to a negative decision. 24:29 In psychological terms, 24:31 it's called programmed non response. 24:34 In other words, we're actually programming them 24:36 not to make a decision. 24:38 We're programming them 24:39 that they don't have to act on what they hear. 24:43 It conditions people to listen without responding. 24:47 So if I give no opportunities for decisions, 24:51 that person just gonna feel totally comfortable 24:53 where they are, 24:54 and they will never be, 24:56 you know, gently challenged to move forward with Jesus. 25:00 And when you think about it, 25:02 it pretty much lessens the importance 25:04 of what you're saying. 25:05 I mean, how important can it be 25:07 if you haven't asked the person to follow it? 25:12 And see, this has a lot to do with sermons too. 25:15 Now, if I were to break you up into small groups, 25:18 and I want to ask you, I want you to define for me, 25:22 what a sermon is. 25:25 What would you say? 25:27 Some would say, "Well, it's just... 25:29 it's presenting information." 25:31 Others would say, "Well, it's just a... 25:34 it's just teaching the Bible." 25:37 What's the difference between... 25:39 what should be the difference 25:41 between a sermon and a lecture? 25:45 See, a lecture is something you would expect in high school 25:48 or in a college class. 25:50 It's presenting information. It's all intellectual. 25:54 A sermon should be something that's persuasive 25:58 and asking people to respond to it in some way. 26:02 And as was written long ago. 26:04 I mean, Ellen White wrote that 26:06 every single sermon needs to have an appeal. 26:10 Now, it may not be an appeal to be baptized. 26:13 It may be a simple appeal to recommit our life to Jesus, 26:18 to keep our eyes on Jesus. 26:20 But every sermon, 26:22 if what we're saying has any importance to it, 26:24 we should be asking people to make decisions, 26:27 whether little decisions or large decisions, 26:30 give people a chance to respond. 26:34 And we've already learned that with Bible studies. 26:36 At the end of every lesson, 26:37 there's a heart question that people can respond to. 26:42 Because what you learn in the world of psychology, 26:45 when the heart is aroused, 26:47 and there's no outlet to respond, 26:49 that heart will begin to harden. 26:52 It happens in relationships. 26:55 It can happen in marriage. 26:57 It also happens in the spiritual realm. 27:00 Invite people to make decisions. 27:04 Then lastly, 27:06 another obstacle to decision making 27:08 is when there's lack of clarity or understanding. 27:11 In other words, the subject has to be clear to people. 27:14 Because people don't make decisions on things 27:17 they don't understand. 27:19 That... 27:20 Either right that one in our minds or in your notes, 27:23 people don't make decisions 27:25 about things they do not understand. 27:28 This is why we have to give people a chance 27:31 to ask questions, 27:33 we need to know if the subject is clear. 27:36 Once it is clear to them, 27:38 it opens the door where a decision can be made. 27:41 But if the subject is not clear, 27:43 they're not moving. 27:44 I mean, that would be like if, 27:46 you know, I went to the opening day 27:47 of college classes 27:49 and we put all freshmen in one room 27:50 and we said to the freshmen, 27:52 "Before you leave this room, 27:53 you have to tell us whom you're going to marry 27:55 and what career you'll be working at 27:57 for the rest of your life." 28:00 Most college freshmen 28:01 would not be able to answer that. 28:03 I know I wouldn't have been able to as a college freshman. 28:05 Why? 28:07 Because there's a lack of clarity about that. 28:09 They don't yet have all the information 28:10 to answer that question. 28:12 So they can't move forward in that area. 28:15 It's the same way in the spiritual life. 28:19 Now let's get a little more practical. 28:23 Say there's someone you've been working with 28:26 and you sense that 28:27 they're close to making a decision. 28:30 But you'd like to learn 28:31 how to ask just a couple questions 28:33 to just make them think. 28:35 Here's some questions on the screen 28:37 that you could use. 28:39 You first of all might begin by just asking this," 28:41 Is everything that we talked about clear?" 28:45 I might ask, "Bob, well, what do you think you should do 28:48 about what you learned?" 28:50 Again, I'm not telling him, I'm asking. 28:52 Putting it in his ballpark, his ball court. 28:54 "What do you think you should do?" 28:57 You know, if they mentioned an obstacle, 28:59 you could lovingly say, 29:01 "Well, what's keeping you from doing it? 29:04 Why not do it now, Bob?" 29:06 And see, a lot of it has to do 29:08 with the way in which we asked the question, the attitude. 29:12 People have to sense we care for them. 29:14 Because there's a big difference 29:16 between saying, 29:17 "Well, what's keeping you from doing it?" 29:19 Then, 29:21 "What's keeping you from doing it? 29:23 Is it something I can help you with?" 29:26 There's a difference between saying, 29:27 "Well, why not do it now? 29:29 What are you waiting for?" 29:30 Than saying, "Joe, why not do it now? 29:34 Why delay?" 29:36 So there's a difference in body language, 29:38 there's a difference in tone. 29:40 And when people feel threatened, 29:42 they will back off 29:43 and they will not make decisions. 29:46 Another good one is this one. 29:48 Are you willing to move forward in this 29:51 and trust Jesus? 29:53 It just plants that seed there. 29:56 Now, here's a whole pattern that you can follow 29:58 and make helping a person make decisions. 30:01 "Is this clear to you?" 30:02 If they say, yes, you can go to the next one. 30:05 "Is there anything that stands in your way?" 30:07 Let's say, for example, 30:08 you're talking about or studying about the Sabbath. 30:11 "Joe, is this clear to you?" 30:13 If Joe says no, 30:15 you got to answer his questions, 30:16 or he cannot go on to number two 30:18 because he won't make that decision, 30:19 if it's not clear. 30:21 If Joe says yes, now I can ask him, 30:24 "Well, Joe, is there anything that stands in your way 30:26 from keeping God's Sabbath holy?" 30:29 And if he says, "Well, no, not really. 30:32 Just fear, I guess." 30:34 Number three, 30:36 "Would you like to tell Jesus 30:37 that you're willing to follow Him 30:39 and invite Him to have a prayer of commitment together 30:43 and pray for Him?" 30:44 "You know, Lord, I want to keep your Sabbath holy. 30:46 There are some obstacles I pray, Lord, 30:48 you will remove that." 30:50 Just praying a prayer like that is a little step of faith. 30:54 It is still a step of action 30:56 that will strengthen that decision in the heart. 30:59 So remember that pattern. Is it clear? 31:02 Is there anything that stands in your way? 31:04 Would you like to tell Jesus you're willing to follow Him? 31:08 If you just learn that pattern, 31:11 you can be so effective in working with people 31:13 and helping them to move forward 31:15 in their spiritual life. 31:17 And that truly, if you forget anything 31:20 that's in this session, 31:21 you just remember this last slide. 31:24 "To get decisions, you must ask for them." 31:28 Just be willing to ask. 31:30 See, God's been using imperfect people 31:33 for a long time. 31:34 You and I may say, 31:36 "Well, maybe I won't ask it the right way. 31:38 Or maybe I'll be nervous." 31:40 You probably will be nervous, and there's going to be time, 31:43 you don't ask it the right way. 31:44 It's happened to me many times. 31:47 But, you know, God is such a loving God. 31:49 He's been working with imperfect people 31:52 for a long time. 31:53 He doesn't expect us to do it perfectly 31:56 because most of us rarely do everything perfectly. 31:59 Just be willing to step out in faith, 32:01 be willing to take that risk. 32:04 Follow these principles, just ask in a loving way. 32:07 And when you ask, 32:09 you will see people making decisions 32:12 for the glory of God. 32:15 Now before we end the session, 32:18 I got to transition to one other thing. 32:21 We've mainly been talking about 32:22 how to make personal appeals that are one-on-one. 32:25 But for those of you who do public speaking, 32:28 and you tend to preach from the pulpit, 32:31 whether you're a pastor or a teacher 32:34 or a layperson who fills in on Sabbath mornings, 32:38 I want to take a few minutes to talk about public appeals, 32:42 making public appeals from the pulpit. 32:45 "Are they just for evangelistic meetings?" 32:49 Anytime you come to an evangelistic meeting, 32:51 you always see appeals, altar calls, 32:54 raising hands, decision cards. 32:57 So the question I would like to pose is, 33:00 "Who says they should only be for an evangelistic meeting? 33:03 Why can't we do that on Sabbath mornings regularly 33:07 during our worship services? 33:09 Because visitors come to church too. 33:11 Can you say, amen? 33:13 See, it creates an atmosphere of evangelism in the church, 33:17 and you're giving people a chance to respond. 33:20 You know, a lot of times 33:22 members need to respond to decisions 33:24 and appeals as well. 33:26 Decisions to recommit our life to Jesus. 33:29 Decisions to say, "Lord, I need to make better decisions 33:32 than what I put before my eyes." 33:35 I can know sometimes I've sat in churches, 33:38 and things were going on in my spiritual life, 33:40 and I've heard a sermon. 33:42 And there's been a few times I've thought, 33:44 "Boy, I hope he or she makes an appeal 33:46 because I feel like I need to raise my hand, 33:49 or I need to go forward for something. 33:50 I just, I need to take that step of action." 33:54 And there was no appeal. 33:56 And I was disappointed. 33:58 See, we got to get out of this thing 33:59 where we think churches a spectator sport, 34:02 and people just sit and watch one person perform, 34:06 fill themselves with information, 34:08 and that's it. 34:10 Church is about asking people 34:12 to respond to Jesus in some way. 34:15 And so when you make appeals even on Sabbath morning, 34:18 wherever you are, 34:19 it gives you interest to work with, 34:21 and it opens a door of opportunity 34:23 for the Holy Spirit to move in that congregation 34:27 and in that Sabbath worship service. 34:29 So let's talk about how do I make a public appeal? 34:34 You've probably seen preachers do this on television 34:37 or in your own church all the time. 34:40 But I want to share with you four different types of appeals 34:43 that anybody can do. 34:46 Let's start with the first one. 34:48 On the screen, 34:50 you've probably seen this one multiple times. 34:53 Raising hands or Standing. 34:54 Now how many people actually saw that one? 34:57 Of course. 34:58 And this is a very general appeal. 35:00 It helps people become comfortable 35:02 with responding. 35:03 So if your church is kind of not used 35:06 to making appeals or decisions 35:09 and if I may be so blunt, 35:11 it is kind of just used to sitting there 35:12 like bumps on a log, 35:14 you may want to start with an easier one first. 35:17 This is a good appeal to start with an evangelistic meetings, 35:20 till people kind of get used to things, 35:22 and most people respond to this. 35:25 I mean, whenever the preacher says, 35:27 "You know, if you'd like to ask Jesus 35:28 to help you take your spiritual life 35:31 more seriously, 35:32 you want to ask Jesus to help you follow Him 35:34 with all your heart and all your soul, 35:36 would you raise your hand as we pray?" 35:38 How many people raise their hand? 35:40 Almost everybody. 35:41 You know, hands go up, 35:42 then those who don't raise their hands look around, 35:45 "Well, I don't want to seem like a pagan. 35:46 I better raised my hand up." 35:48 It gets people used to it. 35:50 You see, well, then everybody raises their hand. 35:52 Who do you know sincere. 35:54 God knows who's sincere. 35:57 God knows who is truly making a decision of the heart 36:01 and God knows who's going along with the crowd. 36:04 But that is a good way to start making appeals. 36:07 Something very easy, something very simple. 36:11 The second one is one that very rarely is used. 36:16 This is where you have a time of silent prayer in the pew. 36:20 So in other words, you're getting to the end 36:22 of your message. 36:23 And you want to invite the pianist 36:25 or organist or keyboardist whoever it is 36:28 to maybe just softly play for about one or two minutes. 36:31 And you invite the congregation to just, 36:33 you know, stay seated to bow their head 36:35 and silently talk to God about what they've heard, 36:39 you know, silently talk to God about any convictions 36:42 that perhaps His word has laid on their heart. 36:47 Now, again, this is more for private things, 36:49 you know, things that people 36:51 probably aren't going to come forward for 36:53 or raise their hand for, like maybe unforgiveness. 36:56 You know, if you're talking about 36:58 unforgiveness in a sermon. 37:00 You just try to make an altar call like this. 37:03 "Maybe today, you sense 37:05 that you have unforgiveness in your heart 37:07 and you've been holding a grudge for years. 37:09 And it's just been ruining your spiritual life 37:11 and separating you from God. 37:13 Today, you want to say, 37:14 'Lord, I want to let go of the grudges in my life.' 37:17 I invite you to come forward, come forward, 37:20 and we'll have a word of prayer for you." 37:22 You just try that once. 37:24 You're probably not going to get too many people 37:25 to come forward on that one. 37:27 That's more of a time of silent prayer 37:30 and the pew that's more of a private decision. 37:33 Unless of course, you're at a conference, 37:35 it's about unforgiveness 37:36 and everybody's in the same boat. 37:38 Or you try doing that 37:39 when you're talking about sexual purity. 37:42 You just try to make an altar call that says, 37:45 "Maybe today you're thinking, 37:47 'Lord, I've run around for most of my life 37:49 up to this point. 37:51 I've just been with so many people in my life 37:53 is far from pure. 37:55 Oh, Lord, from this day forward. 37:56 I want to be pure for you.' 37:58 Would you come forward as we have our closing song?" 38:01 Probably not gonna happen. 38:03 But you could ask for a time of silent prayer in the pew, 38:07 where it's private, 38:08 where it's between that individual and God. 38:12 The Holy Spirit will help you to judge, 38:13 you know, what kind of appeals it is you need to do? 38:16 And that may depend on your topic. 38:20 Now the one that I like 38:21 is the old fashioned one, altar call. 38:24 Now this one requires a major step of action 38:28 because you can't hide on this one. 38:30 I think what we're asking people to do, 38:33 they've got to get up out of their seat, 38:35 somehow get to the aisle 38:37 and come all the way forward, there is no hiding. 38:40 So when someone chooses to do that, 38:43 you know, that they are making a true 38:46 and honest decision. 38:47 I mean, something's going on in the heart. 38:50 And the wonderful thing about that is 38:52 because other people see it, 38:55 even though it might make that person nervous, 38:58 it makes an impression on those who are watching 39:02 because I'll guarantee you, 39:03 there's someone else in that congregation, 39:05 in that audience who's thinking, 39:07 they ought to get up and go forward. 39:09 And when they see someone else do it, 39:11 it encourages them to do the same. 39:15 I mean, that is a big step of action. 39:19 Now one of the temptations with that is as the speaker, 39:22 we tend to think, 39:24 "Oh, what if nobody comes forward, 39:26 then I'll look like a fool." 39:29 I have to admit, I thought of that. 39:32 And that happens to me. That happened to me. 39:35 But if we were brutally honest? 39:38 That's really just pride coming out. 39:40 Because I'm worried about how I look? 39:44 I'm worried about whether I look like 39:45 I know what I'm doing? 39:47 Whether I look like a successful preacher 39:49 or evangelist? 39:50 And whenever that pride takes over, 39:52 it's an obstacle for the Holy Spirit to work. 39:55 And trust me, I'm ashamed to say it, 39:59 but I can tell you from experience, 40:02 it feels a lot worse 40:06 to not have made a call when you know you should have, 40:10 then to make a call 40:12 and no one comes forward. 40:15 There have been some times when I have not made a call 40:18 because I was afraid people wouldn't come forward, 40:20 and I would look embarrassed. 40:23 And you find out later there was someone ready 40:26 to make a choice. 40:28 I can't tell you the feeling of just... 40:30 That just comes on your heart that heaviness. 40:33 And I've learned, 40:35 I'd rather make a call and have no one come forward, 40:38 then not make one 40:40 when there was someone ready to respond. 40:44 Then let me give you a little tip, 40:46 the way to get around if nobody comes forward 40:48 and sometimes that will happen. 40:50 Number one, 40:51 it's got nothing to do with you personally. 40:53 It's got nothing to do 40:54 with whether you think you know what you're doing? 40:57 It has everything to do with 40:59 whether that person is ready to surrender their hearts 41:02 to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. 41:04 So if no one comes forward, 41:06 you can quickly transition to something else, 41:08 and you might be able to say something like this, 41:11 say, that you have made a call about someone, 41:15 a call about being baptized, 41:17 and you've invited people to come forward. 41:19 You know it's about a minute and no one's come forward. 41:22 Well, you could transition to something like this. 41:25 "I understand sometimes it's just so hard 41:28 to get up out of that seat 41:30 and there may be some people here today 41:32 you really want to come forward 41:34 but nervousness has just got the best of you. 41:38 Maybe right now if there's someone here 41:39 that's thinking I want to prepare for baptism 41:42 one day soon. 41:43 I'd like to give an opportunity to just slip up your hand 41:46 where you are. 41:47 You don't have to come forward, 41:49 just slip up your hand and by doing so you're saying, 41:51 'Lord, 41:52 I want to make the decision to be baptized. 41:54 I want that to happen one day.' 41:56 So you just raise your hand where you are." 41:59 And you can slip 42:00 into a different kind of call there. 42:02 Or you can have prayer. 42:03 And in the prayer, 42:05 you can ask people to raise their hands. 42:06 They may say something like this. 42:08 With every head bowed and every eye closed, 42:12 maybe there's someone here today 42:13 who wanted to come forward at this call, 42:15 but you just couldn't, 42:16 but you want the Lord to know 42:18 that you're thinking about being baptized. 42:21 I want to invite you to raise your hand right now. 42:23 Every head is bowed, every eye is closed, 42:25 my eyes are the only ones open. 42:28 Lord, you see every hand that's been raised, 42:30 bless them as they contemplate this decision, 42:32 fill them with Your Holy Spirit. 42:34 We pray in Jesus' name. 42:37 Amen. 42:38 See, you can easily transition to something else. 42:41 Now when you do make an altar call, 42:44 this is something that I do, 42:45 you don't have to do it, 42:47 it depends whatever you're comfortable with 42:49 but what I do is 42:50 I like to invite people to come forward 42:53 while we're singing the closing song. 42:55 So what everybody's standing I've already said in my appeal 42:59 if you'd like to answer this call 43:01 and recommit your life to Jesus, 43:03 I want to invite you to come forward 43:05 as we sing our closing song. 43:07 On that first verse you'll see me step down here 43:09 off the platform 43:11 and that'll be your cue to just come forward 43:13 stand with me before the altar. 43:15 You don't have to say or do anything 43:17 but by coming forward you're saying, 43:19 "Lord, I want my life to be recommitted to You." 43:23 So you've made that call 43:24 and now everybody's standing to sing the closing hymn. 43:27 So when people start singing the first verse, 43:30 you come down off the platform, 43:32 and you just stand there, and you hold your hymn book 43:35 or whatever you're singing out of, 43:36 and you sing. 43:37 And you just wait for people to come forward. 43:40 Now there's a reason that I do it that way, 43:41 and I'm going to tell you why. 43:43 Number one, if you're doing it during the closing song, 43:46 what is everybody in the congregation 43:48 already doing? 43:50 They are standing. 43:51 So that's half the battle right there 43:53 just to get up on your feet, 43:54 makes it easier for people to come forward. 43:57 The other reason, 43:58 and this is just because of my personality, 44:01 I don't want to have to think 44:03 of a hundred other things to say. 44:05 I like it when the music simply plays, 44:08 the Holy Spirit can work, 44:09 I can just stand there and sing with everybody else. 44:12 If I do an altar call without the closing song 44:16 that means I have to come down to the platform, 44:19 and I have to keep thinking of more and more things to say 44:22 for another minute 44:23 or two minutes or three minutes, 44:25 and it's like I have to think of different ways 44:27 to say the same thing. 44:28 To me, I don't want that pressure. 44:31 I'd rather make the appeal a couple times 44:33 at the end of the sermon, 44:35 then let the closing song be played 44:37 and give people a chance to come forward 44:40 and that may be a good way to start for you 44:42 because it just takes the pressure off 44:44 having to figure out what in the world 44:46 that you're going to say. 44:48 Finally, the fourth way is decision cards. 44:52 Now you've probably seen how that worked 44:54 and this is a major step of action 44:56 because people have to mark something on a card 44:59 and turn it in, 45:01 and it will give people a chance 45:03 who may not come forward in an altar call, 45:06 they can mark that card 45:08 in a little more of a private way 45:11 and the great thing is, 45:12 it gives you people to visit with. 45:15 Either after the service or later on during that week. 45:19 So if you have a card and there's no reason 45:21 you can't have cards and the pews 45:23 every Sabbath morning, 45:25 you have to make sure to go over the card 45:27 with the people. 45:29 So they understand what they're supposed to mark. 45:32 Now if you make your own decision cards, 45:35 they probably should have a progression like this. 45:38 The first line you're asking is it clear. 45:40 In other words, it's intellectual. 45:42 The second line is asking 45:44 for a half a step in the decision. 45:47 The third line is asking for the full commitment. 45:51 And the fourth line is asking to request material 45:54 or for a personal visit to ask a question. 45:58 You see, well, what would that look like? 46:00 Let's look at a Sabbath card. 46:02 You're going over this with the people, 46:04 the first line says, 46:05 "It is clear to me that the Seventh-day Sabbath 46:08 is an important Bible truth." 46:10 Gives them a chance to mark whether it's clear. 46:13 The second line says, 46:15 "I want to follow Jesus in my life." 46:17 Okay? 46:18 It's asking for half a step, 46:19 you're not asking them there to keep the Sabbath just yet, 46:22 you're asking for half a step. 46:24 The third line says, 46:25 "I choose to follow Jesus 46:27 by honoring His Seventh-day Sabbath." 46:31 That's asking for the full commitment. 46:33 And then number four, 46:35 "I have some questions, and I would like a visit." 46:38 It gives everyone a chance to mark something on that card 46:42 no matter where they are. 46:44 And by the way, they mark it, 46:46 you'll get an idea where they are. 46:48 Are they halfway there, are they all the way there, 46:53 or is this just a nice truth 46:54 that they have intellectually understood, 46:57 but they're not ready to act on it. 47:00 Decision cards are important 47:02 for revealing what may be going on 47:04 in someone's heart. 47:06 Now if you choose to get generic cards printed 47:10 and just put in your church pews 47:12 every single Sabbath, 47:13 cards that will work with any subject, 47:16 they might look something like this. 47:19 The first line, 47:21 "The subject we studied today is clear to me." 47:24 They can mark that if they want. 47:26 The second line, 47:28 "I'm choosing to follow Jesus in this matter." 47:31 You say, well, what matter? 47:32 Well, they've listened to the sermon, 47:33 they know what the matter is? 47:35 So that card applies to anything. 47:37 The third, 47:39 "I would like prayer concerning this matter. 47:42 Or there are some obstacles in my life 47:44 I'd like to talk to someone." 47:46 And of course, every card ought to have a line 47:48 for baptism. 47:49 That way when you're preaching, whoever is preaching 47:52 even if you didn't think you were gonna do an altar call 47:54 or some kind of decision-making device, 47:57 if the spirit prompts you, 47:58 you already know you've got cards in the pews 48:01 that are there every single week. 48:05 Now the final few things I'd like to go over 48:07 have to do with the language of the appeal. 48:11 If when you're preaching, 48:13 if there is any part of your sermon 48:15 that you're gonna write out word for word, 48:17 it should be two parts. 48:19 Do you know what they are? 48:21 The introduction and the appeal. 48:24 I hate writing sermons out word for word. 48:27 Now sometimes I force myself to do it 48:29 because I can memorize it better 48:31 but if there's any part of the sermon 48:32 that I want to write out word for word, 48:34 it's going to be whatever the opening story 48:37 or introduction is 48:39 and that's because studies have shown 48:42 within the first five minutes of a sermon 48:45 probably the first three or four minutes, 48:47 people have already decided 48:49 whether they want to hear the rest of it? 48:52 That's the first impression, 48:53 it's made in the first three minutes. 48:55 So you got to know it well. 48:58 The last part is the appeal. 49:00 Write your appeal out word for word 49:03 because when you get to the end 49:04 that's the most important part of the sermon, 49:07 you want to make sure 49:08 that you know what you're asking for. 49:10 Now I'm not saying you write it out 49:12 because you're gonna stand 49:13 and you're just gonna look down and read it word for word. 49:15 It's just so that in your mind 49:17 you have a clear idea of the decision 49:19 you are gonna be asking for. 49:21 So be specific in your appeal. 49:25 Be positive, not negative or belittling. 49:28 There's a principle Mark Finley talks about called Mini Max. 49:33 Where you minimize the negatives, 49:37 you maximize the blessings. 49:39 In other words, 49:41 say you're making an appeal 49:44 for people to surrender 49:45 the financial side of their lives 49:47 and start returning tithe. 49:49 A negative appeal would sound something like this. 49:54 Maybe today you sense 49:55 that you want to start returning tithe to Lord, 49:58 and you've sensed in your heart and you're saying, 50:00 "Lord, I no longer want to be selfish 50:02 and hoard my money to myself, 50:04 I don't want to be filled with pride 50:06 for this money that I have. 50:07 So, Lord, I'm coming forward asking You 50:09 to remove this pride from my heart 50:11 that I might start returning tithe." 50:14 You see what's going on there? 50:16 You're appealing based on the negative, 50:19 you want to appeal based on the positive. 50:22 So you may say something like this. 50:25 "If today the Holy Spirit is spoken to your heart 50:29 and today that you would like to say, 50:30 'Lord, I recognize 50:32 You are the owner of all things, 50:34 I want to be a good steward for You. 50:37 And so, Lord, today I surrender the financial part 50:39 of my life to You. 50:41 And, Lord, I ask you to just open up the windows of heaven 50:44 that I may receive the blessings 50:46 You seek to give me. 50:47 I trust You with my life Lord, 50:50 and I trust You even with my finances.' 50:52 If that's the desire of your heart, 50:54 would you raise your hand? 50:56 Or would you come forward as we sing our closing song?" 50:59 Do you see the difference between those two appeals? 51:02 One focuses on the negative, 51:04 one is appealing to the positive. 51:08 Make sure they understand what you're asking them to do? 51:11 Do you want them to raise their hands? 51:13 Are you asking them to come forward 51:15 if so when are you asking them to come forward? 51:18 Are they supposed to go 51:19 to a certain side of the church? 51:20 Are they supposed to sit down in the front pew? 51:22 You've got to be specific because I've been in Churches 51:27 where sermons and appeals are made, 51:30 and I'm not sure what the person is asking for. 51:32 And if people aren't sure, they're not going to respond. 51:37 And finally, 51:39 you'll probably have to repeat the appeal a few times. 51:42 Now I don't mean 10 times. 51:44 You know, sometimes you see preachers on television, 51:47 they appeal for 30 minutes till somebody comes forward. 51:50 Well, you can let God guide you with that, 51:53 that's not usually what I do, 51:54 but you may have to repeat the appeal 51:56 two or three times in different ways 51:58 as the Holy Spirit is speaking to a person's heart. 52:02 If you will follow them, 52:05 God will use your appeal whether it's one-on-one 52:09 or whether it's on preaching in the pulpit, 52:11 and you will see people make decisions 52:13 for Jesus. 52:15 So I'd like to end with this last slide. 52:20 Remember the main point, 52:23 to get decisions, 52:25 you must ask for them. 52:29 Allow God to guide you. 52:31 Allow God to use you. 52:34 And one day in the kingdom of heaven, 52:36 you will have the blessings of seeing people there 52:39 and as they recount their stories 52:41 of how they came to Jesus and His truth, 52:44 you will be a part of that story 52:47 and people may remember. 52:49 You remember the question you asked me? 52:52 You remember the words that you spoke to me? 52:55 You helped me make that decision. 52:57 You helped me get over that hump. 53:00 You helped me realize 53:02 that it was important to step forward 53:04 and to give it all to Jesus. 53:07 To get decisions, 53:09 you must ask for them. 53:11 May God give us opportunity, 53:13 and may God bless you 53:15 with asking for decisions from people 53:17 who are ready to move forward. 53:20 Would you pray with me? 53:23 Heavenly Father, 53:25 no doubt You've brought people across our lines, 53:29 people that You're wanting us to work with. 53:33 And so, Lord, tonight we again ask 53:34 that You would impress the name of that person upon our mind 53:38 and when the opportunity comes to ask the right question, 53:42 and when the opportunity comes to appeal to their hearts, 53:46 we pray that you would not only give us 53:47 the words to say 53:50 but give us the right body language, 53:52 give us the right attitude, 53:54 help people to see the love of Jesus in our heart. 53:57 Lord, give us the opportunity to make a difference 54:00 in someone else's life. 54:01 Help us, Lord, to get decisions for You. 54:05 We pray in Jesus' name. 54:08 Amen. 54:09 Hi, this is David Klinedinst. 54:12 I hope you've been blessed by the presentation today. 54:15 If you would like more information 54:17 about our ministry 54:18 or about our other seminars and presentations, 54:22 visit our websites at DavidKlinedinst.org 54:27 Or DiscoverBibleProphecy.org. 54:31 If you'd like to make a donation 54:32 to keep these sermons on the air, 54:34 you can contact us at Discover Prophecy Ministries 54:38 PO Box 850 Columbia, Maryland 54:44 or call toll-free 54:46 at 855-774-HOPE. |
Revised 2020-05-29