week 5 witnessing report 1

Andrea Young

EVAN 525 – Contemporary Evangelism

Professor Robert Cowman

April 19, 2015

Witnessing Report 1

While walking one evening a few weeks ago while on one of my evening stroll, I meet one of my neighbors, by the name of Margaret Brown, who was also walking. We struck up a conversation and continue walking together. We became walking partners and developed a relationship. Since taking this course I have become more intentional in evangelizing the word of God to whom I come across and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me. On one of our walks the Holy Spirit lead me to witness to her by asking,”If she knew Christ?” Margaret responded that as a child she attended Sunday school but as an adult she does not know Christ. My response to her was would you like to know Christ. She said, “Not really” with uncertainty. She then shared her story of her lifestyle as an Exotic dancer. She feels that Christ would not love someone with her lifestyle or that He would even forgive her for all her sins.

This where the Holy Spirit lead me to share the message of Jesus in John 4:23–26 of the woman at the well, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” This woman was an alienated member of society living in sin; Jesus lovingly offered her salvation where she was. I shared with her how much God loves us that He gave His only son to die for all our sin that we may have salvation. Now all our sins are forgiving and at that time she became overwhelmed with emotions and tears flowed down her cheeks. I told her that all we have to do is say the sinner’s prayers and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. I ask her right there and then if she would like to accept Jesus Christ as her Lord and savior. She nodded her head and said “yes”. We both repeated the sinner’s prayers together and invited her to Church that Sunday. We are now friends and attending church together for the past couple of weeks. Margaret is now amends to her lifestyle.

Approximately four weeks ago I visited my Cousin on his dying bed in the Hospital. John is a retired carpenter and about 84 years old. With him being sick in the hospital I became intentional about ministering the gospel to him. John has always gone to church but was never committed. So at this visit I took the time to ask John if he would like to pray with me and ask God for forgiveness of sins because tomorrow is uncertain. I told John of Jesus’s love for him and that he has to repent of his sins to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. I shared the scripture of John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I ask John if he died today, if he thinks he would go to heaven or to hell. He said he did not know so at this time I ask him if he wanted to make sure he enters the kingdom of heaven? All he had to do was say the sinner’s prayers, repent of his sin and accept Christ as His Lord and savior. John started crying and said that he wanted to go to heaven in the event of his death and he decided to accept Christ as His Lord and savior. We hugged and prayed the sinner’s prayers. John is now saved and committed for however long he has on this earth.

The ministry of the church serves no purpose if it is not based in love. The personal relationship with God in action and shows the church’s relationship to the world. This is where the church functions together in community with one another. Every month my church distributes food from the church pantry. I volunteer and hand out bags to the people from the neighborhood and I always make it a point of duty to talk with the people on the line. This month there was this particular lady that I always speak with and I went up to her and started my usual conversation. This time I was intentional about asking her if she have a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. She told me that she has been struggling with finding God and I witness to her, telling her, how much God would like to have a relationship with her. I told her of his forever love for us and all we have to do is cost our fears on the water and put our trust in him and he will never leave us or forsake us. I offer to pray with her and when we were finish she ask how she could accept Jesus as her savior? I told her we can do it right her by praying the sinners prayer of repentance and accept Jesus into her life. Today, Susanne is very active in our church and is on her way to be baptized. Glory to God, for great things he has done. From my experience we don’t have to force anyone to accept the Lord when the Holy Spirit is ready it just happen. Our God is an on time God.