Conversational Evangelism Hearing By Dr David Geisler www

Conversational Evangelism: Hearing By Dr David Geisler www. meeknessandtruth. org

“Pre-evangelism” is the emphasis of Conversational Evangelism. “… other seeds fell into the good soil and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. ” (Mark 4: 8)

The Need For Pre-Evangelism “As a Campus Crusade Staff, I am trained in using the 4 SL and some apologetics skills, but I have problems trying to integrate them during evangelism. When people indicate that they were not interested, I could only ask them for the reason and then invite them for an evangelistic bible study or share my personal testimony. This (pre-evangelism) model helps me to go further by asking questions, identifying the barrier, and finding common ground in my conversations with non-believers. ” - Former student at East Asia School of Theology

The Need For Pre-Evangelism Story of former student’s experience in evangelism that highlights the need for preevangelism. Campus Crusade Staff member at former student at East Asia School of Theology

No One Size Fits All Approach Not all pre-believers are at the same place. Hostile Skeptical Seekers Trust in Christ

What is different about this approach? • You don’t need to know much apologetic information to engage successfully in using the methodology of Conversational Evangelism. • It attempts to keep in balance both cognitive and non-cognitive elements to evangelism. • It provides a methodology for doing pre-evangelism that is transferable and easily taught to others.

Ingredients to This Model 1. Active Listening 2. Positive deconstructionism* (tearing down) * This concept was developed by Nick Polard, Evangelism Made Slightly less difficult, p. 44

Ingredients to this Model Positive deconstructionism (Tearing down) Nick Pollard’s definition “The process of positive deconstructionism recognizes and affirms the elements of truth to which individuals already hold, but it also helps them discover for themselves the inadequacies of the underlying worldviews they have absorbed. The aim is to awaken a heart response that says, “I am not so sure that what I believe is right after all. I want to find out more about Jesus. ” Nick Pollard, Evangelism Made Slightly Less Difficult, p. 44

Ingredients to This Model 1. + 2. + 3. + 4. + 5. + 6. + 7. Active Listening Positive deconstructionism* (tearing down) A questioning approach that allows others to surface the truth for themselves A method for removing the burden of proof from us to them (Boomerang Principle*) A method to determine the real barriers to the Gospel A strategy for finding common ground A strategy for building a bridge to the Gospel (both intellectual and heart bridges) ____________________ = The Conversational Evangelism Method *Concept developed by Nick Pollard, Evangelism Made Slightly less difficult, p. 44

Conversational Evangelism in Action… The Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all means, I may save some. ” I Cor. 9: 22 We too should do what ever it takes, remove what ever obstacle, whether it be intellectual, emotion, or spiritual, to help others take steps to the cross.

Learning the Mechanics of Doing Evangelism It can seem as difficult and mechanical as learning how to drive a clutch for the first time!

The Vital Role Of The Holy Spirit In Evangelism

Remember we are just the instrument! “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ” 1 Corinthians 1: 27 b (NIV)

What do we want to trust the Holy Spirit to do? To empower us to speak in a way that makes a difference. (Acts 14: 1) To empower us to live godly lives. (Philippians 1: 14)

This approach is not a substitute for a caring sensitive approach of loving people in the context of a Christian Community.

Conversational Evangelism Four types of conversations we want to have with non-believers

Four types of roles you need to play in your friend’s life Artist Musician Builder Archeologist

Hear what they are saying! Hear Illuminate Uncover Build

Learn how to be a better listener James 1: 19 -20 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

Really hear what people are saying to us!

Hear the Sour Notes People are Singing to us!

Musician As a musician, you need to listen, and you need to train yourself to hear what people Artist are saying to you! Builder Archeologist

Our Purpose… By listening to the sour notes we may be able to “detect” some of the uncertainty in their beliefs which may give us an opportunity to help them to think more clearly about what they believe and why.

Dr. Norman Geisler

Not All Religious Viewpoints Can Be Right! “Either Jesus is the Only “Way The Truth and the Life…” (Jn. 14: 6) or He is not the Only Way the Truth and the Life

Jesus’ Approach in Matt: 19: 16 -22 “Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life? Why do you ask me about what is good? ’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments. ’ ‘Which ones? ’ the man inquired. Jesus replied, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, ’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself. ’ ‘All of these I have kept, ’ the young man said. ‘What do I still lack? ’

Jesus’ Approach in Matt: 19: 16 -22 ‘Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then come, follow me. ’ ‘When the young man heard this he went away sad, because he had great wealth. ’”

Inconsistent Beliefs What were the two inconsistencies that Jesus wanted the rich young ruler to see? A. I am a good person, I keep all of the commandments. B. I care about financial wealth more than following Jesus.

Sour notes in Acts 17 Example: Idols in Acts 17: 22 -30 What are the two contradictory beliefs? “For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring. ’ Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver, an image formed by the art and thought of man. ” (Acts 17: 28 -29 NASB) A. You created these wooden gods B. These wooden gods created you.

Types of Sour Notes You Might Hear Types of inconsistencies you might hear: Belief vs. Heart Longing (Eccl. 3: 11) Belief vs. Behavior (Galatians 2: 14 -16) Belief vs. Belief (Acts 17: 22 -30) Illogical Belief (2 Cor. 1: 18)

Belief vs. Heart Longing 1. The inconsistency can be between their worldview perspective and their heart longing. * People may believe one thing but their heart may long for something else

Belief vs. Heart Longing "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus. " Blaise Pascal (French mathematician, philosopher, and physicist)

Belief vs. Heart Longing 1. The inconsistency can be between their worldview perspective and their heart longing. * Many world religions contain views which are inconsistent with the longings of people’s hearts.

Belief vs Heart Longing (Hinduism) • Some Hindus believe in only an impersonal god • Yet a Hindu desires to know God in a deeper more personal way

Belief vs. Heart Longing “Union with the impersonal force won’t ever satisfy our human ache for intimacy—to know and to be known. ” Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods, p. 78

Belief vs. Heart Longing (Buddhism) In Buddhism the goal is to achieve a state of Nirvana which is an abstract nothingness. However this means I must lose myself (personhood) But not only is losing myself not fulfilling, but the way to get to Nirvana can only be accomplished through a heavy burden of living according to rules and regulations that are never completely attainable.

Belief vs Heart Longing (Chinese) • I believe in materialism • I want to be remembered after I died or at least die with a good reputation.

Belief vs. Heart Longing The teachings of Islam betrays the heart cry to have an intimacy with God. “In Islam, the distance between God and humanity is so vast that even those most devoted to Allah never get close to him…. Repetition (of rituals) and submission take the place of a warm relationship. ” Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods, p. 78 -79

Belief vs. Heart Longing (Postmodern culture) * In a postmodern culture there is a desperate need today for young people to feel a sense of belonging. To be a part of something bigger than themselves. * The popularity of reality TV

Belief vs. Heart Longing 1. The inconsistency can be between their worldview perspective and their heart longing. * In a postmodern culture there is a desperate need today for young people to feel a sense of belonging. To be a part of something bigger than themselves. Example 1: A pre-believing student who after 9/11 said his life had to now count in some way….

Belief vs. Heart Longing Example 2: Student who said (after 9/11) I don’t believe in an afterlife but I believe that the terrorist were going to be held accountable for what they did. What do you think was his heart longing? That justice must be done!

The Bible Speaks About Heart Longings Solomon wrote that: "He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to end. " (Ecl. 3: 11).

Show Others that Jesus Meets the Longings of Our Hearts! What oxygen is to the brain, Jesus is to our hearts. He satisfies our deepest longings unlike anything else…. If we were to list all of our hungers, we might be surprised at how many legitimate hungers we have. We hunger for truth, love, knowledge, belonging, self-expression, justice, imagination, learning, and significance—to name a few. Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods, p. 71 -72

What You Might Hear Types of “sour notes” or inconsistencies you might hear: • Belief vs Heart Longing (Eccl 3: 11) • Belief vs Behavior (Gal 2: 14 -16)

Belief vs Behavior The inconsistency can be between what they say they believe and how they live or behave. Paul challenged Peter about his inconsistent behavior. (Galatians 2: 14 -16) Student: What Hitler did was not necessarily wrong

Belief vs Behavior Talking to a Buddhist: If one of the goals of Buddhism is the elimination of desire, is it really possible for human beings to really live without emotion or desire? (conversation with Buddhist auto-mechanic)

Specific Questions To Ask A Buddhist If Desire is the source of all suffering, how do we desire to stop desiring? Jesus taught that the issue is not giving up desire, but having right desire (Matt 5: 6).

Belief vs Behavior • Someone who claims that there is no wrong • Yet they try to live a good life. such thing as right and

Belief vs Behavior • I believe that there is no absolute right or wrong, • Yet I believe it is important to treat others with respect and civility.

Belief vs Behavior A. I believe in Buddhism. B. I hope I can win the lottery tomorrow. A. I don’t’ believe in life after death. B. We need to respect our dead ancestors by practicing burning incense and money for them.

Belief vs Behavior A. I think it is important that we offer our joss sticks to our dead relatives. B. I am not really sure how real my sacrifice is.

Belief vs Behavior • Christianity is not suitable for Chinese because it comes from the West • I am going to study to get a science degree in the United States… “The key should not be whether it comes from the West. Instead, the key factor should be whether Christianity is true and applicable. ”

Belief vs Behavior • I am an Atheist or Free Thinker • I sometimes go to temple fortune telling and pray for success in my career. …

Specific questions to ask a Muslim Do you pray at least five times a day A. I believe that my good deeds must outweigh my bad deeds in order to get to heaven. B. I don’t pray at least five times a day. How then can you have any assurance that you are going to heaven when you die?

Specific Questions To Ask A Confucianist Confucius said, “Man is born with uprightness” Wing-Tsit Chan “A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton, N. J. ; Princeton Univ. Press, 1963, p. 29 If it is true that humans are good by nature, then wouldn’t the doing of good come more naturally and easily to us? Do our thoughts naturally tend toward kindness when people speak evil of us? Do we automatically desire to love those who have wronged us? When someone is promoted ahead of us do we immediately consider them more worthy than we and want to congratulate them?

Specific Questions To Ask A Confucianist The Bible says: The Apostle Paul, who was perhaps one of the greatest Christians who ever lived, said of himself, “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ” Romans 7: 18

What You Might Hear Types of “sour notes” or inconsistencies you might hear: • Belief vs Heart Longing (Eccl 3: 11) • Belief vs Behavior (Gal 2: 14 -16) • Belief vs Belief (Acts 17: 22 -30) The inconsistency can be between two contradictory beliefs.

Belief vs. Belief 1. The woman is pregnant 2. The woman is not pregnant

Can Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed all be right? Can all religions simultaneously be true?

Contradictory Truth Claims Regarding “Salvation” Christianity– by faith alone in Christ alone Islam– by belief in Allah, his prophet Mohammed, and good works Hinduism– by overcoming karma and incarnations with good works Buddhism– by cessation of desire through eight-fold path

Show That They Cannot Hold Conflicting Views! What is wrong with these statements? A. B. Jesus is my Savior I can measure up A. B. The Bible is reliable I must do good works to be saved (Ephesians 2: 8 -9: Titus 3: 5)

Show That They Cannot Hold Conflicting Views! A. The Bible is reliable B. Jesus is just one of the many gods and therefore just one of the many ways to heaven

Conversation with Chinese Student A. B. I’m a Christian I’m not quite sure why Jesus had to die on the cross.

Belief vs Belief A. As a fortune teller my predictions never fail. B. Yet they are only 99% accurate

Belief vs Belief • Someone who claims to be a Buddhist • Yet they are not sure if there is any life after this life

Belief vs Belief • As a Chinese I believe in Deng’s pragmatism, therefore I try my best to succeed by all means possible! I believe that the salesperson is so evil of money! It really is not fair! • to cheated me out

Belief vs Belief A. I believe that Jesus is just a great prophet B. But Mohammed is the last and greatest prophet though the Koran teaches that Jesus was without sin and virgin born while Mohammed was not.

Belief vs Belief (Reincarnation) A. I believe that all humans are reincarnated after death and that if they are bad they will become an animal. B. I believe that both the human population in the world is getting bigger and that there is an increase in crime. But if reincarnation is true, how can we accounted for the increase in population in spite of the increase in crime everywhere?

What You Might Hear Types of inconsistency you might hear: • Belief vs. Heart Longing (Ecl. 3: 11) • Belief vs. Behavior (Galatians 2: 14 -16) • Belief vs. Belief (Acts 17: 22 -30) • Illogical Belief (2 Cor. 1: 18) “The Apostle Paul said, “But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not yes and no. ” - 2 Cor. 1: 18, NIV

Illogical Belief The inconsistency or contradiction can also be in the statement itself

Some things are undeniable Example: Winnie the Pooh

Illogical Beliefs Just because a statement is sayable does not mean that it is meaningful. Example: I cannot utter a word in English!

What Are Some Un-meaningful Statements? • You should be skeptical about everything. • Always avoid making absolute statements.

Un-meaningful Statements? More Examples: • God is so far beyond us that we can not really know anything about Him. • There is really no absolute truth.

Un-meaningful Statements? More Examples: What is wrong with these statements? • Everything is relative. • You can’t really know anything. • I know for sure there is no god.

Your Greatest Tool in Answering False Claims: Apply the claim to itself! For Example. . .

Apply the claim to itself! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. There is no such thing as truth! You can’t know truth! All truth is relative! It’s true for you but not for me! No one has the truth! All truth depends on your perspective!

What You Might Hear (Review) Types of inconsistencies you might hear: Belief vs. Heart Longing (Eccl. 3: 11) Belief vs. Behavior (Gal 2: 14 -16) Belief vs. Belief (Acts 17: 22 -30) Illogical Belief (2 Cor. 1: 18)

The Difficulty In Listening To Them And At The Same Time Spotting The Discrepancies In Their Viewpoint “It is very difficult (and still is) to listen earnestly to the other person during the conversation and trying to spot the inconsistencies at the same time. However, as I talked to more people, some common things will eventually surface and be repeated, and I will be more ready to pick them up the next time. ” Former student at East Asia School of Theology

Don’t forget to really listen The fact is that some people hold to beliefs that are some what different than what their particular religion teaches! By listening to them carefully you also communicate that you really care about them and want to understand what they believe.

Don’t forget to focus on a few sour notes * Point out the most obvious inconsistencies rather than pointing out all inconsistencies

Evangelism Training for the New Millennium Conversational Evangelism Acknowledgements: This material was developed by Dave Geisler & his Meekness team members, and was refined by suggestions from people around the globe and based in part on the Mirror model concept developed at Hill Country Bible Church and pioneered by Glenn Mc. Gorty (See speaker notes for more details). Special thanks to Kent Vanderwaal for all his work in developing our new graphics. Thanks also to Brett Yohn (Baptist Student Ministry Dir. U. N. L. ) who originally developed the imagery of musician, artist, archeologist, and engineer (which we now call builder), to better describe the Conversational Evangelism model. www. meeknessandtruth. org

Revisions Descriptions of Revision Author www. meeknessandtruth. org

Conversational Evangelism: Hearing By Dr David Geisler www. meeknessandtruth. org