"Most believers are convinced that it is the pastor's responsibility to bring people into the church as well as into the kingdom of God. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Scripture is clear on this point. Pastors were given by God to a church to equip the people to do the work. Sermons are not God's primary method for reaching people. People are His method for reaching people. What kind of people? Men and women whose lives and life-styles have been deeply affected by the truths of Scripture, people who have discovered the wonderful Spirit-filled life." (page 5)
God's method for reaching this generation, and every generation, is not preachers and sermons. It is Christians whose life-styles are empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit. Somewhere around 85 percent of all Christians came to Christ through a friend or family member. People are the key to reaching people! (page 5)
In light of that, let me give you a statement from The Art of Personal Evangelism by Will McRaney, Jr.: "My contention is that if Christians are not experiencing Jesus in the everyday concerns and problems of life, then we will miss most of the potential transition points to talk about the impact of Christ in our lives. For what is on the heart and mind will also be on the tongue. If we are not experiencing Christ in the ordinary affairs of life, then we do not have Christ in our hearts. As we listen to people talk about their marriages, finances, or disappointments, we need to hear opportunities to talk about how our relationship with Jesus has made a difference in those areas of our lives." (pages 173-74)
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