FAITH (Ephesians 1:7)
Text:
Unlike Share Jesus Without Fear, the FAITH Evangelism Strategy has a ton of memorization involved. But memorization can be a good thing. It takes more work. But it also makes you more equipped. Memorizing how you are going to present the gospel can be a huge help in actually sharing the gospel with others.
The neat thing about this system is that it’s not just a gospel presentation. It’s tied into Sunday School. It provides additional discipleship opportunities. It’s more of an all-encompassing strategy to reach and disciple people for Christ.
There are three basic parts of a FAITH visit.
1. The Preparation, which is a way to connect with the person you’re talking with. Ask, “In your personal opinion, what do you understand it takes for a person to go to heaven?” There are four ways to answer this: faith, works, unclear, no opinion.
2. The Presentation, which is when the gospel is shared.
3. The Invitation, which is when the person is asked whether or not they would accept Christ. The person is encouraged to join a Sunday School class. The person is given information about baptism.
I think the key verse of this whole model is the very first verse that is brought up: Ephesians 1:7.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
There are three very deep phrases in this verse that I’d like to look at briefly.
1. Redemption through His blood. Our redemption was not free. It came at a price. The precious blood of Jesus paid the price for our sin.
2. Forgiveness of sins. Our sin deserves death. But instead, we receive forgiveness.
3. In accordance with the riches of God’s grace. We can’t boast about the forgiveness we receive. We didn’t earn it. God, being rich in grace, gave His Son to die for our sin.
What a great verse to begin with in telling people the gospel! It talks about our sin. It talks about the remedy for sin. It gives glory to God as the only One who can save people by His grace. What a great verse to begin with in telling people the gospel!
A few things to note about this method of evangelism: It doesn’t make sense to use this outside of the ministry of the church. It would take a lot of adjustment. The presentation of the gospel stresses belief in Christ but doesn’t mention obedience to Him. The presentation of the gospel might get a little confusing. The letters are more beneficial to the presenter than the hearer. The FAITH Strategy can be compared to a salesman’s approach to evangelism. It’s intentionally vague at first so that the lost person will desire to know more. It includes a long presentation of the gospel, only stopping occasionally to ask for brief input.
It does have a few good qualities, too, though! It attempts to connect with the person, at least at first. It’s integrated into the other purposes of the church, not detached as it’s own program. It documents everything so that nobody slips through the cracks.
When might you use this method? When you’re knocking on a door and you don’t know who lives there. When you’re talking with a person who is welcoming, but doesn’t really want to say much. Make the most of every opportunity!
Pastor Chris Huff has been with us since July 2009. He and his wife, Abby, have four children. Chris is originally from St. Louis, MO and even though he was raised as a city boy, he has a small town heart. Chris is all over the internet, so you can find him on Facebook, Twitter,… (read more)
