How to use Questions to help you with personal evangelism Sharing your Faith: How to use Questions to help you with personal evangelism

Reality is on our side!

If Christianity is true, then the worldview it presents is accurate—it describes reality the way it actually is even for naturalists who deny it. “Regardless of a man’s system, he has to live in God’s world.” (Schaeffer) This situation creates a problem for skeptics, but an opportunity for us. https://www.str.org/publications/solid-ground-september-2014-materialism-bumping-into-reality

WARNING !

Our Model: Jesus! Our Lord was a master at asking well placed questions Who do you say I am? (Matt 16:15) Do you believe? (Matt 21:22) Do you want to get well? (John 5:6) Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it? (Luke 20:24) For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?(Mark 8:36-37)

Why did Jesus ask questions? Gathering information Making a point or statement Correcting/teaching Encouraging thought and introspection

How can asking questions help us in evangelism? Takes the pressure off you! but…keeps you in the driver’s seat Shows you care what the other person thinks Encourages dialog Helps people clarify what they think/believe Lets you point out flaws in thinking in a gentle and respectful way (1 Peter 3:15) The person who asks questions, controls the conversation.

What would you say? “It’s the night of your weekly Bible study group. During the discussion of the Sunday sermon on the Great Commission, a newcomer remarks, “Who are we to say Christianity is better than any other religion? I think the essence of Jesus’ teaching is love, the same as all religions. It’s not our job to tell other people how to live or believe.” There rest of the group fidgets awkwardly, but says nothing. How do you respond? “Tactics”, Kokul, p.42.

What would you say? You’re sitting at the car dealership, watching TV and waiting with other customers for your car to be serviced. A TV news program highlights religious groups trying to influence important moral legislation. The person sitting next to you says, “Haven’t those people ever heard of separation of church and state? Those Christians are always trying to force their views on everyone else. You can’t legislate morality. Why don’t they just leave the rest of us alone?” Other people are listening, and you don’t want to create a scene, but you feel you must say something. What’s your next move? “Tactics”, Kokul, p.43.

The Columbo Tactic

Question 1: What do you mean by that? Helps gather information Helps you understand what the other person means Helps them clarify what they mean

Examples It’s irrational to believe in God. What do you mean by “God”?

Examples All religions are basically the same / All religions teach basically the same things. How are they the same?

Examples You shouldn’t force your morality on others! How am I forcing my morality on you?

Question 2: How did you come to that conclusion (HDYCTTC)? Burden of Proof: He who makes a claim, bears the burden! Helps you understand why the other person thinks what they think (*Don’t be surprised if you get a blank stare) ”Facts can be very inconvenient things” (C.S. Lewis)

Variations on “HDYCTTC” Why do you say that? What are your reasons for holding that view? I’m curious, why does that idea seem compelling to you? Why would you believe that?

Examples It’s irrational to believe in a god. What do you mean by “a god”? I mean a being that you can’t see or test scientifically for whom there is no evidence. How did you come to the conclusions that there’s no evidence for God? Why do you think it’s irrational to believe in something you can’t see?

Examples The only things you can know are what you can prove scientifically. Well how do you know that? / How do you prove that scientifically?

Examples Science has proven that evolution is true? (First ask what other question?) Well how did you come to that conclusion? (or) What scientific evidence to you have that shows evolution is true?

Question 3: Have you ever considered…? Good question to ask to gently challenge someone or encourage them to think about your perspective.

Have you ever considered… The Bible was just a bunch of ancient stories merely written by men. …that if the Bible were ‘merely written by men’ it would be very hard to account for fulfilled prophecy contained in the Bible? How would one explain that?

Have you ever considered… The teachings on re-incarnation were taken out of the Bible by the church in the fourth century. …the difficulty involved with removing something like the “teaching on reincarnation” from every one of the thousands of handwritten copies of the New Testament in circulation in the Roman world by the fourth century? How is that even possible?

Have you ever considered… You Christians are so judgmental. You think your religion is the only way to get to heaven. …that it’s not me, but Jesus of Nazareth who claimed that he was the only way to God (…only way to get to heaven?)

Put Jesus in the hot seat Objections to the moral teachings of Christianity = Objections to Jesus! Let Jesus take the heat (He’s God, he can handle it)

Example You Christians are wrong to say homosexuality is a sin. That’s an old fashion idea. People should be free to love anyone they want. Well, it’s not my teaching. Jesus was the one who taught that, I’m just following what he said.

Some other uses of questions Gets you out of the “hot seat” Avoids “reversing the burden of proof” Use questions to point out a flaw in logic or reasoning

Some Practical Examples Statement: There is no absolute truth. Q: Are you absolutely sure about that? A: Yes! Then I guess there are some absolute truths.

Some Practical Examples Your friend claims to be a moral relativist… …but makes a moral compliant. Ask: I’m confused. I thought you said morals were relative (there are no absolutes), yet you’re complaining about the Biblical teaching on homosexual conduct. Can you explain how, if there are no objective morals, that the Bible’s teaching is objectively wrong? Or is that just your subjective opinion?

Some Practical Examples Statement: You ought not judge! Q: Then why are you judging me?

“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (John 7:24, ESV)

Some Practical Examples I don’t believe anything that can’t be proven scientifically. Q: Well how do you prove that statement scientifically?

Some Practical Examples That’s just your interpretation. Q: Do you think my interpretation wrong? If so, isn’t that “just” your interpretation?

Some Practical Examples If Christianity were true, would you become a Christian?

Summing up Truth and reality are on our side! You don’t have to be an expert If you are challenged and you don’t know the answer, say so! Strive to ask at least a half-dozen questions in every conversation.

Exercises

Closing thoughts You don’t have to get to the foot of the cross with every conversation. Evangelism is relational! It may take a long time for someone to come to Christ. Sometimes, all you can do is put a stone in their shoe (plant a seed) Ultimately, our goal is to show that Christianity is worth thinking about!