Musing –Preaching Techniques to use when Sharing the Gospel.

Hebraic Musing –Preaching Techniques to use when Sharing the Gospel.

Have you ever tried to tell someone about Jesus and find them tuning you off?  Ouch!  It makes me wonder if there could have been a better way to present the message!?  People are so bombarded with sales pitches from today’s proliferation of media advertising that when you start a Gospel-type message the unchurched people mentally think “What is he/she trying to sell?”  People today are more skeptical than ever.  They don’t want to be “preached at”; BUT they do not mind “talking with you.” 

Here are suggestions for “effective preaching” that might also apply when you have an opportunity to share the Gospel message with somebody.*    

1. Be open about your own struggle and weaknesses.  People relate to transparency and genuine confessions.  Jesus openly shared His agony – "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?  'Father, save me from this hour'?  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” John 12:27 NIV   People see a common bond when you share your own challenges.  Why is the sharing your testimony so powerful?  Because it starts by revealing your life before Christ.  I am a believer in a three part outline for sharing an effective testimony:  (1) What was life like before; (2) What happened when I accepted Christ; and (3) What has life been like ever since.  People can and will relate to events in your life; and you become “real” and believable.

2. Share you current progress and struggles.  As the apostle Paul frequently said, “Follow me as I follow Christ”.  We may not be a perfect model but we are trying.  Again, being “real”!  Before your listener can determine if the Bible is real, they want to know if you are real. 

3. Find an interesting way to present the message.  This is my favorite part.  The Bible and God’s message to His people is not boring, so let’s make it “entertaining”  Definition of “Entertaining” -- “providing (someone) with amusement or enjoyment” or “Capturing and holding the attention for a period of time”.    
Here are a few suggestions:

·      Vary your delivery.  Don’t let a monotone put your audience to sleep; it hides your own excitement.  God doesn’t speak to me in a boring monotone voice!  Imagine what Moses’ voice inflections were like when he repeated God’s commandments to the people in Exodus 20?  “And God spoke all these words:  ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me. …’”    And reciting long Bible references can become a sleepy lullaby!

·      Tell it in a picture or parable.  WWJD?  He painted pictures in parables and those picture stories in the Gospels are still fresh in my head.   An example -- "A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell…” Matt 13:3-4   Unforgettable!!!

·      Interject humor, and/or a touch of sarcasm.  It helps people put down their guard.  Jesus used it:
"Why do you look at the speck … in your brother's eye and pay no attention to…your own eye?”
And how about His zinger about people who strain out gnats and swallow camels? 
Why did Sarah say "God has brought me laughter, and everyone … will laugh with me."
And the best humor is found in real-life stories; especially telling stories about yourself!

I hope this helps us in fulfilling His final instruction to us – “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15   Let’s keep it interesting and fun.

Points to ponder

If you are not a model for your message, you are not ready to preach it!

Does your “three minute testimony” utilize the above techniques?
Do you have your testimony ready?

♫“Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, In a most delightful way…”♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          February 26, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

*   Inspired by “3 Ways to Keep Your Listener’s Attention as You Preach”  - Rick Warren,  Jan.15, 1019

Musing – Why would a “Practicing Christian” not Evangelize?

Hebraic Musing – Why would a “Practicing Christian” not Evangelize?

Headline of a recent Barna* email stated “Almost Half of Practicing Christian Millennials Say Evangelism Is Wrong.”  Naturally that grabbed my attention.  Why would that possibly be?!?!

Sharing one’s faith—evangelizing—is a core practice among many religions.  For Christians, it’s viewed as a mandate from Jesus himself before he departed earth.  Mark 16:15 was His final instruction as He left us as the ones responsible to spread the Good News.

Today there are a number of factors which might discourage many a Christian’s enthusiasm for faith-sharing; but the key finding is that “Christian Millennials feel conflicted about evangelism.  In fact, almost half believe it is wrong to share their faith.”*  Why or how could that be?

Christian Millennials (ages 20 – 34) clearly know that the best thing that could ever happen to someone is for them to know Jesus.  And yet 47% of they tend to believe it is wrong to share their personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in the hope that someday that person might share that faith.  Reluctance to share might be related to another survey that reported 40% of Millennials feel that to disagree with someone is to judge them.  Meanwhile only a rather small percentage of the older generations feel that way.  Could it be the maturity level?  Or might older folks be more aware of eternal consequences?  Today’s society tends to cast a negative light on proselytization; while many older Christians do not feel that way and therefore are more willing to resist that societal trend.

Younger practicing Christians are more aware of the cultural temperature around spiritual conversations. “Millennials report an average (median) of four close friends or family members who practice a faith other than Christianity; most of their Boomer parents and grandparents, by comparison, have just one.  Sharing the gospel today is made harder than at any time in recent memory by an overall cultural resistance to conversations that highlight people’s differences.” *

I like the way the president of Barna concluded with this statement – “…this study highlights a need for Christians to bolster their confidence in certain convictions—among them, the belief that ‘evangelizing others is good and worthy of our time, energy and investment.’”— to which I respond – “WWJD.”

Why do I really love to sing this song?  One of my absolute favorites!
♫ I love to tell the story    Of unseen things above.    Of Jesus and his glory,  Of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story    Because I know 'tis true    It satisfies my longings   As nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story  'Twill be my theme in glory  To tell the old, old story   Of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story   For those who know it best   Seem hungering and thirsting To hear it like the rest.
And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song 'Twill be the old, old story That I have loved so long.
I love to tell the story   'Twill be my theme in glory   To tell the old, old story   Of Jesus and his love. ♫

And speaking of songs, whatever happened to this old camp song?  ♫ Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain, Our Jesus Christ is born. ♫   

Points to ponder

When you sing “I love to tell the story”, is it from your heart?

 When was the last time you heard ♫ Go tell it on the mountain…♫ sung during “Worship” time?

Do “Practicing Christians” really believe in Heaven and Hell?
…and what do we mean by “Practicing” Christians?

If we do not evangelize, do we really love our neighbor?

"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”  Mark 16:15

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                               February 19, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

* Barna Group email- “Almost Half of Practicing Christian Millennials Say Evangelism Is Wrong” – 2/5/19
    I can forward the full email upon request.

Musing – What does the Word “Prayer” Really Mean?

Hebraic Musing – What does the Word “Prayer” Really Mean?

I find the first mention of the word “Prayer” in Gen. 25:21 where “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren.” NIV   Isaac was needy and desperate; but most of all, Isaac was holding the Lord God to a promise. 

The word “Pray” appears in earlier situations by someone simply calling on or talking to God and we find ourselves doing that often (I hope).  

Praying as a “Prayer” involves entreating or beseeching or appealing to God for a situation and/or a solution. 

Definitions get fuzzy, but the second one by Merriam-Webster is “an earnest request or wish”.  Does that definition best fit the original Hebrew?  What is the symbolic meaning of Prayer in the original Hebrew in Gen 25:21?

The word in Hebrew -- OT:6279 `athar — to pray, to entreat, to supplicate, to plead.  Let’s look at the symbolism of the Hebrew letters –   Ayin, Thav, Resh   or  u  t  r   
Symbolically:
u    Eye  or See
t    Seal  or Covenant
r    Head or Highest

So we could say that the symbolic meaning of “Prayer” is to   SEE   the COVENANT   of the HIGHEST.  The highest applicable covenant I can think of was the original Abrahamic covenant which the LORD enhanced in Gen 22:17-18  “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."  So was Isaac simply reminding the LORD through “Prayer” of His promise of offspring from Father Abraham’s seed? 

Are we entitled to seek God for the completion of His promises to us as sons of Father Abraham?

Points to ponder

Should we be in prayer for our needs?   Or for wants?

Should we be in prayer for fulfillment of God’s promises; or for His will to be done?

♫ Father Abraham had many sons, Many sons had Father Abraham, I am one of them and so are you… ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          February 12, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Musing – Why is “Money Talk” taboo in Church?

Hebraic Musing – Why is “Money Talk” taboo in Church?

“Money and possessions are the second most referenced topic in the Bible – money is referenced more than 800 times, the message is clear.”*   So why is the topic avoided in Church?  When Pastors talk about money, the topic is interpreted by the congregants as “Give more in the offering.”  That’s a very unfortunate reaction since the Bible is an excellent financial adviser, whether or not you are religious!  Is it “MY money” that the pastor is asking for?  Or is he asking for us to be good stewards as we handle “God’s money”? 

Pastors are speaking to congregations in which there is probably a very small number, if any, who are millionaires or who are financially secure – who saved and now have no debt, a cash emergency reserve, retirement funds being built and a will.  BUT unfortunately, all too many of the members are in debt, some way over their heads in debt!  Money slips out of their slippery undisciplined fingers because spending is too easy with availability of credit cards and installment sales.  These Christians burdened with debt may genuinely want to honor the tithing message but simply can’t, or think they can’t, or don’t know how. 

Why did Jesus tell his disciples "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” NIV  in Matthew 19:23-24?  Let’s refresh our thinking about some obvious characteristics about money:

Money is a distraction, a powerful force, warping our Christian morality “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes…” James 2:1-3   I think we have all experienced inappropriate favoritism in some way!

Some Biblical money talk is speaking to an agrarian society, but these are still very obvious stewardship principles.  We are responsible for possessions entrusted to us, be they sheep, cows, things or money.  Proverbs 27:23 says “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.”  We are called to manage money, not let money manage us.  Ever notice that sheep don’t care for themselves?  Maybe money needs to be managed and cared for diligently 24/7 like a shepherd cares for his sheep?

Proverbs talks about money in pithy ways.  Proverbs 21:20 “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.”  Shouldn’t we be managing and budgeting our spending and be building up an emergency funds?  Do we get distracted because of “Instant Gratification” tendencies?

Many people do not keep track of their spending.  Jesus knew that when He was teaching to a crowd.  "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?  For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,…” Luke 14:28-30   Jesus believed we should manage our resources; especially critical if we consider the need to “finish”.  Did Jesus understand the need to fund a retirement plan?

I’ve heard it said “If you live rich, you will be poor; but if you live poor you’ll be rich”.  Maybe Proverbs 28:19-20 is trying to tell us that.  “He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.”  Consider the implications in Proverbs 28:6  “Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.”

Have you noticed that nowhere in Scripture is debt viewed in a positive way?  Maybe that is why Proverbs 22:7 is my favorite “Money Management” verse.  “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”   That explains why the “MasterCard” is so popular!!!  Jesus set us free; so why be a slave?

Points to ponder

Who does “My Money” really belong to?

Do we manage money, or does “our” money manage us?

Waiters get 15% for so-so service; God only asks for 10% of HIS MONEY for His perfect service!

♫ “Cause money, burns a hole in my pocket” ♫  (Dean Martin oldie but goodie)

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                               February 5, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Source – Most of the points come from “Financial Peace University” presentations – Dave Ramsey
* Forbes - “I get my financial guidance from the Bible,” May 24, 2012 Grandich.