19 Friendship Evangelism through Home Bible Class
Appendix I Friendship Evangelism Through Home Bible Classes In these days when so many are writing off the Christian message with hardly a look, does it follow that God is out of business and that Christians haven’t a chance to reach their friends and neighbors with the "Good News" about Jesus Christ? Obviously not. God is still calling out a people for his name! There are still hungry hearts around. What we need is to discover how we can be used to get the two together. We need not be dismayed by the situation, but we should be reexamining the basis of our efforts to reach those without Christ to see if we are using the means which God has made available.
One of these means is the home Bible class, or Bible discussion group. In Acts 10:1-48, God used the home of Cornelius, a Roman cen-turion, to introduce the gospel to the Gentiles. He is using this same approach today.
Here’s How It Works
(1) A right attitude about Christian separation is basic. We must be approachable and outgoing as our Lord Jesus was to the publicans and sinners. This means that we may have to change our minds (like Peter in Acts 10:1-48) about what is "unclean." Our Lord expects from us communication without contamination. But we cannot communicate the gospel without some contact with the non-Christian world.
(2) It proceeds on the basis of a missionary approach. We should consider ourselves missionaries to the twentieth century pagans. We must reach them where they are, in their culture pattern, using their language.
(3) We need unmixed motives, desiring to give them an opportunity to consider the claims of Christ upon their hearts and lives as we present him from the Scriptures. We are not presenting ourselves or our church; we are presenting Christ as Lord! (2 Corinthians 4:5) We are to teach the authoritative Word of God without personal dogmatism, giving ample opportunity for questions and discussion---speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
(4) The genius of this approach seems to be in the fact that many folks are willing to gather in the informal, relaxed atmosphere of a living room to discuss the Scriptures, and thus consider the gospel message. Many will find Christ to be the very One they need!
Here Are the Basic Elements
(1) A Christian couple who are willing to open their home and invite their friends in for such informal studies. A newly saved couple make ideal hosts, because of their many unexplored contacts and their earnest desire to share the wealth of their new found faith with their friends and neighbors. The following "Helpful Hints for Hosts and Hostesses" offer some further guidelines:
* Try to arrange everything to produce a friendly, informal at-mosphere for the class. Aim at making nonbelievers feel at home. Be sure to have ashtrays and matches available. Provide informal group seating.
* Avoid "churchy" expressions; be natural and casual in your attitude and actions.
* Remember people’s names and introduce them around. (Keeping a guest book and studying it between classes will help you learn their names.) * Have Bibles available for folks who don’t have them.
* Have Catholic versions available, preferably the Confraternity edition. Have a good concordance available for reference.
* Observe your guests as the lesson progresses and ask questions of the teacher concerning points which appear to be bothering them.
* Serve refreshments to provide a time of fellowship, but keep it simple.
* Expect that some inquirers will stay late to ask questions. Be prepared to let them stay. Don’t start turning out the lights!
* Use phone and personal calls to invite people to the class. Pray!
(2) A committed teacher who is willing to spend the necessary hours of study time to be able to expound the Word clearly. This man need not be a "pro," but must be a student. He should be willing to say "I don’t know" when necessary, then offer to search out the answer from the Scriptures. He must rely on the authority of the Word of God and be personally convinced of its integrity and trustworthiness. Further "Tips for Teachers" are suggested as follows:
* Present a positive Christianity. Give inquirers something to be-lieve. Keep away from negative attitudes as much as possible. Avoid "churchy" cliches and speech unintelligible to the non-Christian.
* Be informal; inject humor; help people to relax.
* Spend time on how to present the lesson as well as on what to present. Try novel approaches to gain interest and attention.
* Keep reading Christian literature. Stay current with the times through selected periodicals. Use illustrations that relate the Bible to life.
* Encourage discussion by the class at any time, but guide it so that it expounds the truth of the passage being considered.
* Keep flexible. Be willing to answer questions from nonbelievers at any time during the lesson, but be sure to arrive at a scriptural conclusion to the question.
* Make application of the truth to life!
* Allow the Lord to show his grace and love through you. Speak the truth in love.
* Point the lesson toward an open, intelligent consideration of the person and work of Jesus Christ in the gospel. Expect non-Christians to be deciding about where he fits in their life. Be sensitive to your opportunities to help them personally decide for him.
(3) Cooperating Christians who recognize the opportunity to bring the Christian message to their friends are needed to pray for the prospects, invite them to the class, personally witness, and encourage their guests to consider the claims of Christ. Constant education is necessary to prevent classes from becoming a cozy Christian gathering with a nice clean "antiseptic" atmosphere with no life-and-death character. The local church is the primary place for receiving Christian instruction, and these classes cannot be-come a substitute for church. If they do, they lose vitality and fail to fulfill God’s purpose as an evangelistic ministry. It seems that relatively few twentieth century Christians have grasped and used this basic New Testament method of evangelism which we see reflected in the pages of Scripture. The tendency today seems to be to bring people to church to find the Lord, whereas it seems clear that our Lord intended an outgoing ministry of reaching people where they are. See more under the following "Clues for Cooperating Christians":
* The primary purpose of the class is to share the "Good News" of the gospel with our friends and neighbors who have not yet trusted Christ, so invite them to attend with you.
* Be friendly and alert to the opportunity to help someone know the Lord. Remember, each of us is a walking portrayal of Christ in a life.
* Be careful not to offend by a negative approach, "downing" their religion, being critical or self-righteous.
* Let the visitors ask their questions first. If you ask one, be sure it is keyed to their interest and need.
* Don’t talk about your church. Do talk about your Lord. We are not interested in proselytizing for any church but the one in Ephesians 1:22-23.
* Pray for your own opportunities to witness at the class, for the teacher, for the prospects.
* During the lesson period, let the teacher do the teaching. Your opportunity to talk will come later, after the lesson time, in private conversations with the visitors.
* Be sensitive and yielded to the Spirit’s direction; sympathetic to the needs of the visitors, filled with the compassion of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14 --l5).
(4) The format we have found most usable is to teach through a book of the Bible in an expository manner, not verse by verse, but presenting the progress of thought of the book. Romans, John’s Gospel, and Hebrews seem to be the best books to use. The first eight chapters of Romans, presented in ten or twelve weeks, is a good way to start.
(5) A time of informal sociability after the class with the serving of refreshments is another helpful ingredient. This often results in little knots of people gathering together and discussing the lesson, or a time when the guests ask their questions of the one who brought them, and it provides a natural opportunity for a word of personal testimony. A Final Word of Caution This information is designed to help those who want to enter into the exciting and profitable home Bible class ministry. It reflects the observations and experience of several people over a period of years in a number of areas. However, it is by no means intended to represent all that could be said or the last word on the subject. You could be the one to discover more of what the Lord wants to do with this particular ministry-so keep your mind and heart open to him! The history of the church is still being written---in terms of human lives. And there is no substitute for allowing Christ himself to be Lord of his church. Our dependence is to be on him!