This past Sunday marked the third Sunday that teams from
Compass Bible Church hit the streets in Aliso Viejo and Irvine to proclaim the gospel via door-to-door ministry and one-to-one witnessing. I had the privilege of leading the door-to-door team in Irvine. We have been using our "Bren Bags" to break the ice. These bags contain an invitation to our Easter services at the Bren Center, a tri-fold that has a great gospel tract and information about our church, and an audio CD from
Pastor Mike with the message "
But I've Always Been A Christian".
This has been my first experience with door-to-door ministry but won't be my last! I was somewhat apprehensive about door-to-door ministry but an encounter this weekend has completely wiped that away. I now KNOW that God can use door-to-door ministry in a big way.
Me and my son walked up to a door and knocked. Following
some advice I gleaned from fellow
Ambassador's Academy grad
Carl Kalbfleisch, I stepped back from the door a couple feet so as to not be right in the person's face when they answer. A young man came to the door and I told him that I was there for two reasons, the first of which was to give him an invite to our Easter services that we are having at the Bren Center which we have rented out this year. I then explained the contents of the bag briefly.
"The second reason I'm here", I explained, "is to share the gospel with you... may I ask you a few spiritual questions?"
He gave me permission to continue so I then asked him what he thinks happens after somebody dies.
The young man told me that he thinks that there is a Heaven and a Hell and that if you have faith in God then you will go to heaven.
I questioned him about what it meant to have faith in God and he explained that Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we could go to heaven.
At this point I was suspecting that I was speaking with a Christian so I asked him what he would tell me if I had only 3 minutes to live and wanted to know how to get to heaven.
He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts and then said that he would ask me if I believed in God and if I have been "seeking him". He then paused again and asked me how I would respond in that situation.
At this point I turned the conversation around and began to share the gospel with the young man.
I used the Law as a schoolmaster and showed him by looking at the ten commandments that he had broken God's law.
He admitted that he had lied, stolen, and taken God's name in vain.
I told the young man that Heb 9:27 says that it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes the judgment.
He agreed that he would be guilty if God judged him based on the moral law and that it would be right for God to send him to Hell for breaking his law.
I then shared the good news with the young man and explained that God the Father sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who is fully God and full man, perfect and without sin.
I explained that Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life that we are not capable of living.
I explained that Jesus suffered and died on the cross, taking the punishment upon himself that we rightly deserve - that we broke God's law but Jesus paid the fine in his life's blood on our behalf.
I explained that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day because he was sinless and death couldn't even hold him.
I then told the young man that God commands us to repent - turn from our sins and forsake them... cast them off like we would a filthy rag, and turn to God. I explained that God also commands us to put our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
I asked the young man if he had heard the gospel presented like this before and if he had repented and put his faith in Jesus Christ.
He answered and explained that he had and that he was regularly attending a church in Irvine.
He then told me something that blew me away... he said that he had been recently praying to God to help him to share his faith. He said that our conversation was a direct answer to prayer because he really had no idea how to share his faith and our conversation was really helpful. We then had a rather long conversation about the gospel and the importance of sharing it in a way that is biblical and that rightly represents who God is.
Such a simple concept of putting some resources and an Easter invite into a bag and knocking on doors... but God can take the simple concept and use it in a HUGE way. God not only encouraged that young man, but also encouraged me that God can use the small things in a LARGE way. Soli Deo Gloria!!
This year the San Juan Capistrano Tree Lighting Ceremony falls on Saturday December 4. We will be there again to sing Christmas Carols, pass out "Carols By Candlelight" gospel tracts, and to preach the gospel to those attending. If you have never attended this ceremony in SJC, it is a very enjoyable evening. There is a concert in the park followed by the tree lighting, after which everybody heads over to the downtown area to take in the concert in Mission SJC or to enjoy the many sights and sounds in the downtown area.
