1 / 54

Biblical Witnessing

Biblical Witnessing. Biblical Witnessing. Man-Centered Witnessing vs. God-Centered Witnessing. Man-Centered Witnessing vs. God-Centered Witnessing.

bryson
Download Presentation

Biblical Witnessing

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Biblical Witnessing

  2. Biblical Witnessing Man-Centered Witnessing vs. God-Centered Witnessing

  3. Man-Centered Witnessing vs.God-Centered Witnessing “I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison. I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:6-8).

  4. Man-Centered Witnessing vs.God-Centered Witnessing “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 48:11).

  5. Man-Centered Witnessing vs.God-Centered Witnessing The key to whether God is glorified in our witnessing lies in the specific things we say to the lost.

  6. Man-Centered Witnessing vs.God-Centered Witnessing What we say about God

  7. What we say about God Man-Centered: God-Centered: • God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. • God Created you.

  8. What we say about God “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17:24-26).

  9. What we say about God Man-Centered: God-Centered: • God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. • God’s chief attribute is love. • God Created you. • God is holy and just as well as loving.

  10. What we say about God Man-Centered: God-Centered: • God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. • God’s chief attribute is love. • God is waiting for you to respond. • God Created you. • God is holy and just as well as loving. • God enables you to respond.

  11. What we say about God Man-Centered: God-Centered: • God’s authority is ignored or subordinated to the authority of the sinner. • God’s authority is emphasized to the sinner.

  12. What we say about God “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36)

  13. What we say about God Man-Centered: God-Centered: • God’s authority is ignored or subordinated to the authority of the sinner. • The sinner is seen as being in control of the salvation process. • God’s authority is emphasized to the sinner. • God is seen as being in control of the salvation process.

  14. What we say about God “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

  15. What we say about God Man-Centered: God-Centered: • God’s authority is ignored or subordinated to the authority of the sinner. • The sinner is seen as being in control of the salvation process. • The sin of rebellion is left unchallenged by the witness. • God’s authority is emphasized to the sinner. • God is seen as being in control of the salvation process. • The sin of rebellion is assumed and is challenged directly by the witness.

  16. What we say about God “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36)

  17. What we say about God Man-Centered: God-Centered: • The sinner is seen as being in control of the salvation process. • The sin of rebellion is left unchallenged by the witness. • God is seen as a helper who will respond if the sinner wills it. • God is seen as being in control of the salvation process. • The sin of rebellion is assumed and is challenged directly by the witness. • God is seen as a Redeemer who has mercy on people who are fighting against him.

  18. What we say about God “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

  19. Man-Centered Witnessing vs.God-Centered Witnessing What we say about God What we say about People

  20. Not this kind…

  21. Man-Centered Witnessing vs.God-Centered Witnessing What we say about God What we say about People

  22. What we say about people Man-Centered: God-Centered: • People are fallen, but can still choose to be saved (part of them remains able to respond or choose good things) • People are hopeless and desperate. Only God’s intervention can help them.

  23. What we say about people Man-Centered: God-Centered: • People are fallen, but can still choose to be saved (an incomplete fall) • People lack the right information. If they seek that, they can be saved. • People are hopeless and desperate. Only God’s intervention can help them. • People lack the right disposition toward God. They must be changed from within.

  24. What we say about people Man-Centered: God-Centered: • People are fallen, but can still choose to be saved (an incomplete fall) • People lack the right information. If they seek that, they can be saved. • People need help from God to have a better life. • People are hopeless and desperate. Only God’s intervention can help them. • People lack the right disposition toward God. They must be changed from within. • People need reconciliation with God to avoid his wrath.

  25. What we say about people “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.” (Romans 2:5-8)

  26. What we say about people “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. (Romans 5:9)

  27. What we say about people “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)

  28. What we say about people Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Teaches that people are neutral toward God, needing better information and wise choices. • Teaches that people are condemned already and need God’s merciful intervention in order to be saved.

  29. What we say about people Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Teaches that people are neutral toward God, needing better information and wise choices. • Teaches that salvation provides a better life. • Teaches that people are condemned already and need God’s merciful intervention in order to be saved. • Teaches that salvation provides an escape from God’s wrath, from the power of sin and from the coming judgment.

  30. Man-Centered Witnessing vs.God-Centered Witnessing What we say about God What we say about People What we say about Jesus Christ

  31. What we say about Jesus Christ Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Jesus’ working is primarily for your benefit. • Jesus’ working is primarily for the glory of the Father.

  32. What we say about Jesus Christ Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Jesus’ working in primarily for your benefit. • Jesus acted because he needed the sinner. • Jesus’ working is primarily for the glory of the Father. • Jesus acted because of his purpose in gathering a people to himself.

  33. What we say about Jesus Christ “So Jesus said, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.’” (John 8:28-29)

  34. What we say about Jesus Christ Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Jesus’ death is emphasized as if it is more important than his life. • Jesus’ entire person is emphasized.

  35. What we say about Jesus Christ “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

  36. What we say about Jesus Christ Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Jesus’ death is emphasized as if it is more important than his life. • Submission to Jesus’ Lordship is best, but not necessary to salvation. • Jesus’ entire person is emphasized. • Submission to Jesus’ Lordship is always a part of genuine salvation.

  37. What we say about Jesus Christ Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Jesus’ death is emphasized as if it is more important than his life. • Submission to Jesus’ Lordship is best, but not necessary to salvation. • Jesus saves from mistakes, life problems and hell. • Jesus’ entire person is emphasized. • Submission to Jesus’ Lordship is always a part of genuine salvation. • Jesus saves from sin and the righteous wrath of God over sin.

  38. What we say about Jesus Christ “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

  39. What we say about Jesus Christ “For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

  40. Man-Centered Witnessing vs.God-Centered Witnessing What we say about God What we say about People What we say about Jesus Christ What we say must be done by the sinner

  41. What we say must be done by the sinner Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Choose salvation so that God can respond to you. • Repent and believe the gospel to be saved.

  42. What we say must be done by the sinner Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Chose salvation so that God can respond to you. • Respond to your desires for a better life by asking Jesus to join with you. • Repent and believe the gospel to be saved. • Respond to your need by confessing Jesus as Lord and asking him for mercy.

  43. What we say must be done by the sinner Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Belief is described as mental ascent (often while denying that it is only mental ascent). • Belief is described as an act of the entire person.

  44. What we say must be done by the sinner Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Belief is described as mental ascent (often while denying that it is only mental ascent). • The sinner is told to make a decision for Christ. • Belief is described as an act of the entire person. • The sinner is told to repent and be converted.

  45. What we say must be done by the sinner Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Belief is described as mental ascent (often while denying that it is only mental ascent). • The sinner is told to make a decision for Christ. • Selfish desire is appealed to. • Belief is described as an act of the entire person. • The sinner is told to repent and be converted. • Conscience is appealed to.

  46. What we say must be done by the sinner Man-Centered: God-Centered: • Sinners are addressed as though they are judges who have the right and power to sit in judgment of Jesus Christ. • Sinners are addressed as guilty defendants who have no hope without the provision of Jesus Christ.

More Related