Evangelism Session #4: Build and Send

As we contemplated the third phase of journeying with people, we looked to the Bible for our example of how to build bridges over obstacles that people have in journeying to the cross. We looked at how Paul spoke to the Athenians in Acts 17: 16-34. The basic principles that we gleaned from Scripture about the builder is that an effective builder begins where the person is at, ends with Jesus and connects the two effectively. I find it really encouraging to talk about what the results were in this specific case in dealing with the Athenians. From verses 32-34 we see that some sneered, some were curious and wanted more, and some believed and followed. What a great example of leaving the results up to God. God will do what He wants to do and He moves in mighty ways to change people's hearts from stone to flesh.


We have access to a lot of resources in terms of apologetic arguments circling around many intellectual, emotional and volitional obstacles to the cross, but our biggest tool as builders to the gospel is prayer. We need to ask God to move in people's hearts, minds, and wills, and also need to have our eyes opened to how He already is moving in people's lives, and prayer is how we do that. In Doug's sermon this past week on the Lord's prayer in Luke 11, he talked about how Jesus instructed us to pray by asking the Father for His kingdom to come, on Earth as it is in heaven (in Matthew's version), and how this really means praying for God's peace over all people in being restored to relationship in people's lives. Prayer is huge in every aspect of our spiritual journeys with people, but especially crucial as we seek to see their obstacles to the cross being built over by the grace of God.

We are called to be bridge builders to the cross as we journey with people spiritually. This means graciously and prayerfully pointing people to the truth that is in Jesus Christ, starting with where they are at, and ending with Jesus.