Title: The Lord's Command / Luke 6:44-55
We continue to talk about content evangelism. There are many evangelism methods for evangelism. There are several evangelism methods, such as Andrew's evangelism, Paul's evangelism, throwing mesh evangelism, and osmosis evangelism. All of these are good evangelism methods.
However, there is a better evangelism method than these evangelism methods. This probably has never happened before, and there is no better way of evangelism today or in the future. That is the method of conduction by influence. If there is the most effective evangelism method in this age, it would be the evangelism method by this influence.
When I go out on the street, people are clamoring and shouting to believe in Jesus, but these days, hardened people do not believe so easily. So what's the problem if people believe you? have to show What you have to show, you have to show influence.
Now, many people are hesitating because they do not believe in Jesus because they do not see this influence that they should see. Unfortunately, people are hesitating because they have only seen bad fruits from brier trees when they should see good trees and good fruits. The text says that a good tree produces good fruit. You can't get good fruit from a thorn tree or a brier tree. That is why he said that a tree can be recognized by its fruit. The fruit of influence does not come from just anyone. Good fruit only comes from good trees. There are three types of influence.
The first is the power of influence through appearance.
First impressions are very important to people. When you go to evangelism, it is best to go to someone with a good impression. Every Sunday, the deacons stand in front of the church door to guide them.
Those who come to the church for the first time are the first people they meet to guide them. At that time, when I saw the face and appearance of the guide, I said, "That face is that of a person who believes in Jesus." You have to feel this way. That is the most effective evangelism.
Showing this image is more effective than any other words for you to evangelize your neighbors. “If it were that person, I would also like to believe in the Jesus he believes in.” What better way to evangelize than this? This is far more effective than a hundred words. That's why the preacher Spurgeon said, "A man who has a face that is always dark, sombre, and full of dissatisfaction is unfit for a believer."
However, it is not so easy to live with a bright, gracious appearance and such a face. So you have to make it. Some people are born with this appearance, but most of them are acquired. It is created and cultivated through the life of faith. When we live with love, truth, and grace in our hearts for a long time, a good face and appearance are created. It does not change the face as with plastic surgery, but the face is the face, but the face exudes beauty, reverence, and holiness.
Take, for example, the face of a man like Lincoln or Gandhi. Where's the handsome part on that face? After all, would Lincoln's adversary say, "If you want to see the original gorilla, go to the White House." Look carefully at Gandhi's face. Where do you see the great spirit in that face? Nevertheless, their faces exude an unknown solemnity and benevolence. They are all people who ruled an era with that face. Such a face was created after many years of cultivating in godly faith.
People become beautiful, raise their noses, have double eyelids, pierce their ears and hang everything from them. Doing so may create some beauty, but influence is not created by doing so. The power of influence is not manipulated, and moreover, it is not made up, it is spread. It appears and is felt. A tree with good roots and good quality has value in itself. And the fruit bears fruit with a corresponding taste. That is why it is said that a good tree bears good fruit. This is the best evangelism.
Let us show this kind of influence to our neighbors, at work, and in society. Even if we don't talk about believing in Jesus, people will automatically follow us. That is why, among evangelism methods, the power of influence through these features is the best evangelism method.
Second, there is the power of influence through language.
There is a saying in our proverb that "one word pays off a thousand nyang debt". It means that a single word can make a great impression on people's hearts. In each word, character is revealed, dignity is revealed, and the person's character is revealed.
How much do we talk in our day to day life? Whether we believe in God or not, in our day to day life, we come into contact with millions of people and communicate a lot. At that time, depending on the word we say, we can influence the other person, or we can give them disgust.
Some people make people happy and move people with a noble word, while others make people angry and hurt their character with a single word. Others speak only by pointing out the other person's weaknesses. It is difficult to lead others to the path of faith with such skills.
So, Christians need to know how to choose and use beautiful words. You should speak as little as possible, and when you need to speak, you should pick and choose words that inspire others and give you joy. Because language contains the power and ability to influence others.
The third is the power of influence through life.
Having said this, you are probably thinking like this in your heart right now. "I'm not a face enough to inspire people, and I can't even speak noble words, so it's all wrong." If there is such a person, do not be disappointed. If you lack appearance or language, you can cover it through the influence of life.
Guys, look at John the Baptist. Does he have a face? Do words make you noble? His appearance was very rough, with long hair, a shaggy beard, and a camel's coat. Some say that John the Baptist wore clothes made of camel hair, so he wore expensive clothes.
At that time, the only means of transportation was using a pharmacy. John the Baptist's camel's robe was worn with the rotten skins of a camel that died when he was passing through the wilderness with a load of water. So, how harsh is John's appearance, far from being noble?
Also look at the language John the Baptist used. When he saw people coming out into the wilderness to be baptized, he cried out, "You brood of vipers." It wouldn't be enough to say how much effort you put in to get here, but does this make sense when you say "children of vipers"? This is an old translation, so it's still polite. How harsh, ferocious, and rude are you? John the Baptist is such a person who, in appearance and language, can offend people rather than influence them.
However, what is strange is that people who came out to see John the Baptist in the Jordan River did not just go back because they felt bad when they saw them swearing. Then, after being deeply moved by John the Baptist, he was baptized and returned. What would be the reason? It is because of the life of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist is the son of an incumbent priest. At that time, priests were a privileged class belonging to the high-income class. John is a man who will automatically succeed his father as a priest even if he is still. Then you can live in a nice house and eat only the meat you bring as a sacrifice every day. Is meat also normal meat? It is a sacrifice offered to God. In today's terms, John is a man with a guaranteed future career.
Even so, John the Baptist gave up all such vested interests as if he had devoted himself to it and went out into the wilderness to live alone as a savage. It is impossible to sit and live in peace as the country is now becoming. So when I went out into the wilderness, I looked forward to the future of the nation that was falling apart and prayed with tears before falling asleep, falling asleep, and waking up again to pray. Each time, locusts flew around, thinking that John's long beard was a forest, and when they hung on it, they ate it up. Would you have caught it and grilled it or eaten it? Chew raw and live while raw. And while praying in the crevice of the rock, some bees were beeping around. I saw wild bees in the crevice of the rock pouring honey into the hive, and John just chews it and eats it. That's seokcheong.
As John the Baptist lived like that and watched the country crumble, he couldn't bear to be sad. So, when a fire broke out in my heart, I went down to the Jordan River and drank water to soothe my heart, and if it didn't subside, I started screaming like a scream, which is "Repent, you brood of vipers."
That is, it is not that people went back because they felt bad when they heard the sound, but rather that those who came out of the spectacle were pierced in their hearts and filled with resentment, so each of them repented and turned down, and they all returned after being baptized.
Guys, think about it. John the Baptist is a man who can live a comfortable life if he is alone. A person with a guaranteed future. In the fortress language, he is a young man with a bright future ahead.
Nevertheless, John the Baptist threw away all such things, sat on his own seat of suffering, looked at the future of the country that was dwindling, and cried out with a painful voice, “Comrades, how should we live like this? Aren't you afraid of the wrath of God? Repent, you brood of vipers." Who wouldn't be offended by these words? So, in spite of his rough appearance and use of disgusting words, John the Baptist was inspired, repented, and baptized, rather than swearing at people.
Guys, what are the Christians of this age doing? What do you think we should do in this day and age? It is not a matter of a Christian becoming president and ruling a country, and becoming a great conglomerate to feed the people. Of course you have to do that. However, more than anything else, what we Christians have to do in this day and age is to live in the world with the influence that has matured in faith. It is to live in the world with the power of influence through appearance. Influence through appearance, influence through language, and influence through life. “If it were that person, I would also like to believe in the Jesus he believes in.” This is what we Christians are living today, and this is the best evangelism in this age.
The world has become so bleak today. It is not easy to spread the gospel and evangelize people living in this world. So, all methods of evangelism by star have been studied. However, as it is today and in the future, if there is the most effective way of evangelism, it is this influence alone. This is the virtue the Lord requires of us living today.
“Each tree is not by its fruit, so you do not gather figs from thorns or grapes from briers.” I pray that you will have a blessed life that glorifies God with good fruits and influences the world.