Thank You!
Thank You! For including me in your work!
Thank You! For including me in your work! For doing good things!
Thank You! For including me in your work! For doing good things! For wanting to increase the innumerable multitude!
This first session is conducted as a Bible Class for this period!
This first session is conducted as a Bible Class for this period! Your questions are welcome at any time!
This first session is conducted as a Bible Class for this period! Your questions are welcome at any time! Questions stimulate the thoughts of other class members!
Most condensed scriptural authorization - Col 4:2-6
Col 4:5-6 5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. NKJV
Finding Wisdom – By Praying - James 1:7
James 1:5-8 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. NKJV
Finding Wisdom By Listening to Her Proverbs 1
Prov 1: Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. 21 She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city NKJV
Prov 1:21-23 She speaks her words: 22 'How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. 23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. NKJV
Prov 1: Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, NKJV
Prov 1: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, 27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. NKJV
Prov 1: "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord, NKJV
Prov 1: They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. 31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. NKJV
Prov 1: For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil." NKJV
Prov 2: When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, 11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, NKJV
Proverbs 8 Prov 8:1-3 8 Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice? 2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. 3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors: NKJV
Prov 8:4-5 4 "To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. 5 O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart. NKJV
Prov 8:6-7 6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; 7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. NKJV
Prov 8:17 17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. NKJV
Seek Wisdom Pray for Wisdom Listen
How have things changed since my grandfather’s world, 75 – 100 years ago?
Reason This Question Is Necessary
You need to know what has changed and why it has changed in order to understand what we need to do now!
In One Lifetime There Have Been Three Different Worlds
One Life – Three Worlds
One Life – Three Worlds Rural
In % of Americans were farming
In % of Americans were farming In % of Americans were farming
In % of Americans were farming In % of Americans were farming In million people in the world leave farms to go to a city every week
Consider how city people are so very different from farmers
One Life – Three Worlds Rural Suburban
One Life – Three Worlds Rural Suburban Urban
How have people changed by living under very different conditions? How are people in big cities different from rural people?
Reasons These Questions Are Necessary Great Changes in Our Lifetime
Reasons These Questions Are Necessary Great Changes in Our Lifetime We Are to Be Wise Col. 4:5
Prosperity
Prosperity Transportation
Prosperity Transportation Communication
Prosperity Transportation Communication Size of Personal Neighborhood
Prosperity Transportation Communication Size of Personal Neighborhood Many Complex Choices
How are people different today?
What are city dwellers like?
Busy
What Then Are Our Responses To Urban People
Three Week Meetings
Three Week Meetings Two Week Meetings
Three Week Meetings Two Week Meetings One Week w/ “2 A Days”
Did any “farming centered” congregation ever have a Gospel Meeting during “planting” or “harvesting”? Why Not?
Three Week Meetings Two Week Meetings One Week w/ “2 A Days” Ten Night Chart Study
Three Week Meetings Two Week Meetings One Week w/ “2 A Days” Ten Night Chart Study Five Night Film Strip Lesson
Does this mean that people can’t be taught today?
Does this mean that people can’t be taught today? No – Just not on the same time frame!
Busy Urban
Busy Urban Skeptical
Three Week Meetings Two Week Meetings One Week w/ “2 A Days” Ten Night Chart Study Five Night Film Strip Lesson Teaching When They Visit
Three Week Meetings Two Week Meetings One Week w/ “2 A Days” Ten Night Chart Study Five Night Film Strip Lesson Teaching When They Visit Private Study When Ready
Busy Urban Skeptical Don’t Know
Busy Urban Skeptical Don’t Know Constant Changes
Busy Urban Skeptical Don’t Know Constant Changes Many Choices Must Be Made
Beginning Functions In Current Evangelistic Efforts Learning
Beginning Functions In Current Evangelistic Efforts Understanding Applying Wisdom
Planning
Planning Type of Event
Planning Type of Event Purpose
Planning Type of Event Purpose Possibilities
Planning Type of Event Purpose Possibilities Goals
Planning Type of Event Purpose Possibilities Goals Preparation Time
Beginning Functions In Current Evangelistic Efforts Planning Creating Interest, Motivation
Beginning Functions In Current Evangelistic Efforts Planning Creating Interest, Motivation Place of Great Materials
Beginning Functions In Current Evangelistic Efforts Planning Building Interest, Motivation Place of Great Materials Secret of Urban Noise
The Power of Noise! When there are 50 choices, what urbanites hear from their associates about a choice they have to make is the most important information to them!
Beginning Functions In Current Evangelistic Efforts Planning Building Interest, Motivation Place of Great Materials Secret of Urban Noise Power of Recommendations
You are the most knowledgeable “Religious Specialist” in many of your associates lives but when you don’t say anything, it is all lost!
What have you recommended lately?
We could have the greatest impact with our “Noise” but Satan has intimidated us into a terrible silence!
What is our greatest opportunity? Gentle Nudges By the Godly on Skeptical People
John 4:5-6 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. NKJV
John 4:7-8 The Warm Bridge 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. NKJV
John 4:9 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. NKJV
John 4:10 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.“NKJV
John 4: The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" NKJV
John 4: Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." NKJV
John 4: The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband.“NKJV
John 4:17-20 Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." 19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." NKJV
John 4:21 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. NKJV
John 4: You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." NKJV
John 4: The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." 26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." NKJV
John 4:27 27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" NKJV
John 4: The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. NKJV
John 4: And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. NKJV
John 4:42 42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." NKJV
A Great Objective Today Developing the courtesy and the skill of the gentle touch
But Jesus left them! Understanding the priority of the greater opportunity!
I have illustrated the “Urban Process” Are there alternative approaches?
Back to the Gospel Meeting? Or the Cottage Meeting?
Find someone with time and motivation to study right now?
Find someone with time and motivation to study right now? Prisoners
Find someone with time and motivation to study right now? Prisoners Door Knocking (to find people who are at home with time)
Find someone with time and motivation to study right now? Prisoners Door Knocking (to find people who are at home with time) Emigrants
Who did Jesus work with mainly?
Who are the greatest opportunities?
Col 4:5-6 5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ESV
Col 4:5 5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. NKJV
How have things changed since my grandfather’s world in Lawrenceburg, TN, 95 years ago?
The power of the right prospect!
The power of a thoughtful action and a purple flower
The power of the right prospect! The power of a thoughtful action and a purple flower The power of even a blunt inviter
The power of the right prospect! The power of a thoughtful action and a purple flower The power of even a blunt inviter The power of multiple invitations