Professional Documents
Culture Documents
HOW CAN
I BREAK
CONTENTS THE SILENCE?
W
Sounds And Silence. . . . . 2 hy is it so hard to
The Sound Barriers . . . . 4 say those first few
words about the
The Acts Strategy . . . . . . 7
most important Person in my
Practicing The life? Why do I hesitate to pass
Love Of Christ . . . . . . . . 8
along the best news I have ever
Reflecting The heard? Is there anything that
Presence Of Christ . . . . 12
will help me to do the very thing
Proclaiming The I want so much to do—to tell
Message Of Christ . . . . 15
others that I have found a way
Friendship Evangelism. . 19 of surviving death, living forever,
What We Are . . . . . . . . 21 being forgiven of my sins, and
What We Do . . . . . . . . 22 exploring the goodness of God
forever?
What We Say. . . . . . . . 23
With a desire to answer
Breaking The Sound such troubling questions, senior
Barrier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
research editor Herb Vander Lugt
Leading Others has written this booklet. It
To Christ. . . . . . . . . . . . 27
reflects the wisdom of a man
Four Ways To Explain who understands the tension
The Gospel . . . . . . . . . . 30
between the message that
Hard Questions . . . . . . 32 must be told and the silence
that must first be broken.
Martin R. De Haan II
Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Photodisc/Don Farrall
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas
Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
© 1988, 2001,2005 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA
I
n many ways the church in attendance and little
is not silent. The sounds evidence that these
of well-amplified music churches would ever be
echo through its halls. anything but “little isolated
Impassioned sermons fill islands of Christians who
the sanctuary. Laughter and don’t even try to relate to
conversation flow into the the unchurched in the
parking lot. Yet, in the midst community.” Leaders and
of all these sounds, there is lay people alike were too
a disturbing quiet. John Stott busy to spend time trying to
calls it “our guilty silence.” reach the unsaved.
All too often, those of us
who have so much to say
to one another have little to
We expect them
say to those who desperately to come to us,
need what we have. when we should
Furthermore, we expect
them to come to us when we
be going to them.
should be going to them.
Ralph Neighbor, an So, Ralph Neighbor did
effective church planter and something quite radical. He
evangelist, was thoroughly decided to begin a church
discouraged with the results by using a different method.
of his work. The 26 new For starters, he went to a
churches he had started had lounge during the so-called
become stagnant soon after “happy hour,” drinking a
they had a building and soft drink and talking to the
could pay a pastor. In the beer-drinking unchurched.
2
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 3
W
hy do we find it the AMA has branded as
difficult to break dangerous and fraudulent.
the silence about They’ve heard rumors. They
the best news and most don’t think they need it.
important Person the world They don’t want to open
has ever known? We aren’t themselves to a discussion
that way about other things. or an argument that they
If we were to discover a cure feel might result in their
for arthritis or tennis elbow, being pressured into making
you can be sure that we a decision they don’t want
would pass along the news to make.
to anyone we thought could The Christian
benefit from it. On the other Strategy. A second
hand, talking to someone sound barrier is found in
about Christ is admittedly the Christian strategy itself.
more difficult than According to the New
telling them about a Testament, there are times
good restaurant. There when we are better off not
are many sound barriers— talking. Wisdom shows that
some necessary, some there are times when we
unnecessary. should let our actions break
The Nature Of the ice and create a sense of
Unbelief. Many people interest. Peter told Christian
are not only unaware of wives that they should let
their need of Christ (they their Christian behavior do
assume they’re doing just the talking for them in the
fine without Him), but they presence of unbelieving
are also predisposed against husbands (1 Pet. 3:1-3).
4
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 5
T
alk about excitement! repented and were baptized.
You can feel it when The church was born.
you read the book of That small group began
Acts. It begins with a few proclaiming the good news
of Jesus’ followers who were about Jesus in the power of
uncertain about what was the Spirit. They told people
going to happen next. But that Jesus Christ is the
they were sure about one Messiah, that He died to
thing: Jesus had come pay the price for sin, and
back from death! The fact that He conquered death.
that their leader was alive They began the most
made them bold enough dynamic movement in
to go right back into history. They swept away
Jerusalem where He had all obstacles as they
been crucified. There, in proclaimed their message
obedience to His directions with spontaneity and power.
before He ascended into They reflected a sense of
heaven, they waited for the God’s presence. They
baptism of the Holy Spirit showed such love for one
and anticipated witnessing another that sinners were
for Him in Jerusalem, Judea, drawn to them. In the way
Samaria, and the whole they proclaimed the gospel
world. and lived out its truths,
Ten days later, the they gave us a model. If
promised event occurred. we follow their strategy,
The Holy Spirit came, they we will make as great an
declared the wonderful impact on our culture as
works of God in dialects they did on theirs.
7
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 8
FL
such wonders and signs and
PRAC
EC
healings as evidence of His
TIN
CHRIST
presence with the men and
G
women who preached
Christ. And although those
open signs and wonders
became less frequent as the
REFLECTING apostolic period drew to its
THE PRESENCE close, the Lord continued to
OF CHRIST work miracles in the lives of
The first Christians were His people.
also effective in evangelism The power of God’s
because their lives reflected presence, however, was
the presence of Christ. They not limited to those
had been touched by God, occasions when the Lord
and it showed. Sometimes supernaturally intervened to
His presence was obvious heal or deliver. Even during
through miracles such as the the early days, when these
sound like that of wind and outward signs were most
the tongues-speaking on the prevalent, there were
Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1- situations in which the
13), the “wonders and signs” followers of Jesus reflected
(2:43), the healings (3:1-10), God’s presence by the way
the shaking of a meeting they suffered.
place (4:31), the sudden God allowed the Jewish
judgment of two who lied to authorities to arrest and
God (5:1-11), the restoration scourge Peter and John
of life to the dead (9:36- (5:22-42). He permitted
12
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 13
IN
TIC
by the change he saw in her.
FL
PRAC
EC
He started attending church
TIN
CHRIST
with her, and after a year
G
he accepted Christ as his
Savior. He said it wasn’t the PROCLAIMING
preaching that led him to
this decision, but it was the
change he saw in his wife PROCLAIMING
and the evidence of Christ’s THE MESSAGE
presence. Today his parents, OF CHRIST
a brother, and a sister are These first followers of
saved. His father testified, Jesus spread the good news
“I could tell that God had by verbal communication—
done something wonderful either by powerful sermons,
in his life, and I wanted by serious discussions with
what he had.” non-Christians, or simply
This evidence of the by telling their story
supernatural is an absolute wherever they went. In one
essential for spiritual way or another, they all
effectiveness, and it should preached the good news.
be evident in every believer. Public Meetings. The
It can’t be faked or produced first Christians didn’t have
through effort. If we have it, church buildings, but they
we won’t even be aware of held large public meetings.
15
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 16
T
he phrase friendship businessman’s father gave
evangelism has become Bob a job in his factory. And
popular recently, but a young friend of the family
the concept is not new. It drove Bob to Chicago to
worked in the 1950s for meet a parole requirement.
a Christian businessman In time, Bob became a
who picked up a hitchhiker believer. And he has been
named Bob. Bob had been instrumental in reaching
reared in the slums of his former friends for
Chicago. He had been in Christ. Their lives have been
constant trouble with the transformed—spiritually,
law. He was shivering with morally, and materially. And
cold when he got into the it all began when one man
car, but soon warmed up and a few other Christians
and started spilling out befriended Bob.
the story of his life to this Friendship evangelism is
friendly stranger who talked simply reaching people for
about God and Jesus. As the Christ by being a friend to
businessman listened, he them. It’s a very effective
became convinced that he way of getting out the good
and his wife needed to do news. It reaches people who
something for this young would refuse to accept a
man. He pulled over to a tract handed to them or
pay phone, called his wife, sent through the mail. It
and asked her to get the reaches people who would
spare room ready for a be offended by a direct
visitor. personal evangelism
They took Bob into their approach. It reaches
19
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 20
H
ow do you break think it is always wrong to
the silence with be dishonest?” Perhaps the
a non-Christian? person has a magazine on
How do you break the the table with a cover that
spiritual sound barrier? is somewhat seductive. You
Well, don’t try to go too might point to it and ask,
fast too soon. In most cases, “How far can magazines go
when time permits, you’ll without violating standards
want to spend time talking of decency?” If he says he
about common interests. sees no harm in seeing
Build relationships. Show suggestive pictures, ask,
that you’re a real person. “What about the violent
If you sound too pious or pornography that exploits
come on too strong, you will children?” He’s almost sure
usually turn off someone to admit that this is wrong.
who is unsaved. You will then have an open
Sooner or later, however, door to tell about your
you will want to begin belief in God and the moral
asking questions that relate standards He has given us.
to what you’ve been talking Bad Circumstances.
about. The answers you get We often encounter people
may lead to an opportunity who are sad or worried.
to lovingly share the gospel. A newlywed who is having
Here are a few illustrations: adjustment problems. A
Moral Issues. Let’s mother of teens who has just
suppose something has just received word that she has
been said that relates to cancer. An executive who
moral issues. Maybe faces heart bypass surgery.
25
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 26
W
hen I was probably could have found
19 years old, peace with God without my
I began speaking being there to help him.
to small gatherings on Knowing The Basics.
street corners, in jails, and If you want to have the joy
in nursing homes. I was of leading a person to faith
somewhat afraid when in Christ, you need to know
I stood up before a group, a few basic truths—and you
and I was petrified at the need to know them well.
thought of leading an These truths can be stated
individual to Christ. I was in different ways, but they
familiar with biblical truth boil down to the following
and I was assured of my four points:
own salvation, so I don’t 1. Every person is by nature
know why I was afraid. a sinner who stands
As it turned out, I guilty and condemned
discovered that my worries before God.
were needless. The first time 2. Every person is helpless
I helped lead someone to to save himself by his
Christ, I had no difficulty. own effort.
I started where the man 3. In love, God provided
was in his own thinking salvation for sinners
and helped him place his through Jesus Christ,
trust in Jesus Christ. In his who became a
case, I didn’t need to show member of the human
him that he was a sinner. family, lived sinlessly,
He knew that full well, and and then died on the
27
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 28
cross to pay for our sins. and changed, you can omit
4. Salvation is an individual those points. You should
matter and requires a begin by showing him what
personal response on
the part of anyone who
wants to be saved. If you want
Because God accepted
Jesus’ sacrifice by raising
to have the joy
Him from death, all who of leading a
acknowledge their sin person to faith in
and place their trust in
Christ are adopted as
Christ, you need
God’s children. to know a few
You will find that the basic truths—
Bible verses supporting
these points are built into
and you need to
the greatly used witnessing know them well.
tracts that are reproduced
on pages 30 and 31. Before
you use these tracts, or any God has provided for
other, make sure you know sinners and how He saves
the basics so well that you by grace through faith alone.
can be flexible when you On the other hand, if the
deal with individuals. person balks at admitting
Being Flexible In that he is guilty and
Your Approach. If the condemned and absolutely
person you are trying to help helpless, you can’t go on to
is convinced that he is a tell about God’s provision
sinner, admits that he can’t or the glory of salvation by
do anything to save himself, grace alone. If you meet
and wants to be forgiven somebody who refuses to
28
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 29
accept the idea that all are God on their own merit, say
lost and that Jesus is the something like this: “Tom
only way to God, you will Paine said the same thing.
accomplish nothing by using He said he wanted justice,
a “packaged” salvation plan. not mercy.” Then you could
Obviously, you can’t say, “But I’ll admit that I
follow exactly the same don’t want justice. I have
approach with all people. fallen far short of loving
Paul didn’t use the same God with all my heart, soul,
procedure with the jailer mind, and strength. And
(Acts 16:27-34) as Philip I don’t always love my
did with the Ethiopian neighbor as myself. If I
eunuch (Acts 8:26-39).
Furthermore, you must
be prepared for the fact that You must be
some people won’t believe
on Jesus Christ no matter
prepared for the
what you say. Felix, Drusilla, fact that some
Agrippa, and Festus heard people won’t
Paul passionately present
the truth, but all of
believe on Jesus
them refused to believe Christ no matter
(Acts 24–26). When you what you say.
encounter this kind of
determined unbelief, don’t
be needlessly offensive. Be had to stand in my own
courteous and pray that God goodness and receive justice,
will continue to work in their I would be sentenced to hell.
hearts. I’m thankful for God’s mercy
If people insist that they in Christ. I hope you will be
are willing to stand before too someday.”
29
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 30
A
dmit That You Are Sin’s Penalty:
A Sinner. “All have “The wages of sin is death,
sinned and fall but the gift of God is eternal
short of the glory of God” life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Rom. 3:23).
Romans 5:8
B
elieve On Christ. God’s Provision:
“Believe on the Lord “God demonstrates His
Jesus Christ, and you own love toward us, in that
will be saved” (Acts 16:31). while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.”
C
onfess Your Faith.
“If you confess with Romans 10:9-10
your mouth the Lord Man’s Response:
Jesus and believe in your “If you confess with your
heart that God has raised mouth the Lord Jesus and
Him from the dead, you believe in your heart that
will be saved. For with God has raised Him from the
the heart one believes to dead, you will be saved. For
righteousness, and with the with the heart one believes
mouth confession is made to to righteousness, and with
salvation” (Rom. 10:9-10). the mouth confession is
made to salvation.”
30
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 31
2 Your Own
Helplessness (Prov.
14:12; Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12; MAN
SIN
GOD
Gal. 2:16; Jas. 2:10).
When Jesus died on
4 God’s Promise To
Meet Your Need
(Jn. 10:28; Phil. 1:6;
substitute, Jesus (1) provided
a righteousness that God
can credit to our account
Heb. 7:25; Jude 24). (2 Cor. 5:21) and (2) made
reconciliation possible
Therefore, change your between sinners and a
attitude toward sin (Acts holy God (1 Jn. 2:1-2).
3:19). Put your trust in
Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).
CHRIST
Make your decision today
MAN GOD
(Rom. 10:9-10).
31
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Q0706 Silence new (2col) pp 5/2/05 11:31 AM Page 32
P
eople without Christ of the gang members.
are lost and on their Many Christians are
way to hell. We know finding that friendship
that we are commanded to evangelism works. They
love them and to tell them have become friends with
about Jesus. But we tend to unsaved work associates
sidestep our responsibility. and neighbors. They hold
We get into involved small-group Bible studies.
theological discussions They sow the seed of the
on why God hasn’t elected gospel by being friendly,
everybody to salvation. kind, helpful, and open
And we argue for the moral about their faith. Some
necessity of a hell for the believers are also handing
wicked. However, the out tracts, calling on visitors
question each of us should to their church, or inviting
be asking ourselves is, people to church services.
“What am I doing to Ask yourself, “If
reach the lost?” everybody did as much as I
A husband and wife am doing to reach the lost,
in their mid-twenties how many people would be
determined to stay in their coming to know Christ?” A
Detroit home even though hard question, but each of
a gang of teens tried to get us must evaluate what we
them to move by making life are doing to reach the world
miserable for them. They for Christ. We must break
invited the gang to a party in the silence—our guilty
their house. The outcome? silence—and bring Christ’s
A good relationship with the message to a dying world.
32
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
Get your free Bible
Resources catalog!
Discovery Series
booklets can be
valuable guides to
help you learn what
the Bible says about a
broad range of topics.
Each 32-page booklet
can be used in your
personal Bible study
or in a small-group
setting.
www.discoveryseries.org/catalog
USA: PO Box 2222, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2222
Canada: Box 1622, Windsor, ON N9A 6Z7