[saysay]

EVANGELISM AND FOLLOW UP – EF 108 – L.
GROUP DISCUSSION 2:
The recent evangelical activity I carried out was with a brothel in Woji axis. This happened on the 3rd of September, 2023. I focus on the brothels more because I work in the rehabilitation home by the Carpenter’s Church called The Scarlet Thread Home.
The brothel is one of the difficult places to penetrate when it comes to evangelism. So, I looked for and joined two groups whose mission is to the brothels, and the vision of the Scarlet Thread Home is to rescue the ladies who sell their bodies for money and guys who patronize or are patronized for the same money. One of the strategies we have adopted has been effective in carrying out medical outreaches or marking the birthdays of any of the evangelical member who chooses to mark their birthdays with any of the brothels. Just to be able to penetrate the place, we put resources together for the medicals and support whoever wants to mark their birthdays.
We scout for possible brothels around Port Harcourt, pray, and trust God to lead us to a particular brothel where a soul is hungry or lamenting to gain freedom because most of these ladies are on strongholds. Many got there by chance and quest for money, and they fell into the trap I will call the lion’s den.
We carry out outreaches quarterly every year. So that now made me gain access one way or the other. In some of the brothels, the managers and owners of these places have bouncers that protect against what they call intruders, (the preachers.)
Outside of the organized outreaches, during the Carpenter’s Family Follow-up Group’s Evangelism, which is also quarterly. I visit these brothels. I either go into their rooms as if I came on a visit, if I have the name or phone number of the person I want to speak to or I engage a gist section with the manager while my eyes are scouting for a possible soul or client for Jesus.
The recent one I did on the stated date above went this way. I already have her name, through one of the ladies in the home {STH}, who is doing so well. They told her she had a visitor, and hoping it was a man she hopped out. Seeing the expression of disappointment on her face, I told her that her friend, Glory, the name she answered while she was there (they don’t bear their real name). That now changed her countenance, and she took us (me and the person I went with) to a convenient place where we could talk. I asked about her welfare, her health, where she is from, and her parents. I asked her what she liked most and enjoyed more about her “Work because they call it work or hustle,” she screamed, Mummy did you say enjoy? Hum! There is nothing they are enjoying here! It’s just that they cannot help and they don’t have a choice. I seized the moment and ministered the Gospel to her. I told her that there was a better option if she was interested. She jumped up and said she would do anything. I introduced Christ to her. Meanwhile, one of the hookers walked past severally saying, won’t you tell her that, quoting her “that you are an ashawo.” She keeps calling to announce that she has a customer. When I saw these distractions I intensified my gist, the lady too didn’t give up. I told her about the progress Glory is making. Then I asked her what would she love to do differently, and she said tailoring. I told her she could achieve it if she gave Jesus a chance. I told her the risk she was exposing herself to. I assured her as if I knew she was going through a health challenge. She broke down and went on her knees, then I led her to Christ and prayed for her. I gave her materials to read. I call her at least once a week, I have been trying to pull her out. She is indebted to her family, and that is her greatest nightmare. I am on her neck, to at least pull her to attend church services.
From what I have gleaned from these lessons on Evangelism, the role of prayers before, during, and after evangelism is key. The lady who was distracting was a target. I feel I would also find a way to reach her just the way Apostle Paul took advantage of the young girl with the spirit of divination Acts 16:16-34. The entire lesson had killed the fears I usually have when embarking on Evangelize. Ekklesia School has opened my eyes to so much truth.

[saysay]

MY REPLY TO:
Great job! It takes guts to share one’s story with a total stranger. Apart from helping you to break the ice, you helped her and the husband who listened on to trust you enough. Your life experience which unashamedly did helped her to open up. As one of the strategies for evangelism, you were able to get to the result which is getting her born again (leading her to Christ.). As I said great job.
However, remember the first and foremost of the ten tips for soul winning, “the mental block,” that needed to be removed during evangelism. I remember when I was not saved, I detested Deeper Life members of their outlook. Some released a bad smell on you. If that woman was in the same state, you would have lost her. All thanks to God who prepares to hearts even before we get to the unbelievers.
The way you real out your points step by step, the ending or summary thrilled me. it showed you understood the lesson very well. The way you pledge your commitments shows you are in for a great exploit. May your desires be met far beyond what you can put in Jesus’ name. Amen!

[saysay]

MY REPLY TO FLORENCE:
I agree with you that true service is unrelated to your state of birth or born as you put it. You said that Rebekah worked effortlessly and willingly to serve as a “servant”. That is where my bone of contention lies. The Bible describes how wealthy Abraham was, even Abraham’s servant explained the same to the family of Rebecca. Someone who traveled with ten (10) camels mounted by men, gold and silver, am sure did not appear like a servant. Though he introduced himself later as one. Genesis 24:28-30 states that when Rebekah ran home to tell her mother what had transpired between her and Abraham’s servant, Laban his brother seeing the nose ring and the bracelets, ran to him. Without much grammar, he invited time he invited him in. You can’t perceive someone as a servant and give him the honor of a king.
The principles of service; choice, willingness, mindset, and divine opportunity, may have played out during their service, but the scenarios cannot be likened to be the same. Rebekah stumbled on her divine opportunity while Joseph’s was through progressive revelation.
Secondly, your conclusion is contradicting the assignment given. We were asked to either compare and contrast Rebekah and Joseph’s service or a leader outgrow service. You were meant to write on one of them.

[saysay]

REPLY TO EVANGELISM AND FOLLOW UP GROUP DISCUSSION 1:
You have done so well with the meaning and explanations of Evangelism. From my opinion observation, you have deviated from the question asked. You were asked to give “three points of what evangelism is not.”
Your introduction is fantastic and on point. Of a truth, Evangelism is the Good News of the gospel, it is a command, and every Christian ought to be prepared and willing to carry it out if they truly love the Lord, John 14:15,21 15. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me….”
Being intentional, the content of the message to be Evangelized, and the responsibility of every believer are all the truths about evangelism. But the instructor says what Evangelism is not. I suggest you revisit and look deeply at the topic and discuss “what Evangelism is not.”

[saysay]

NEW CREATION NUGGETS.
UNDERSTANDING OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
QUIZ: THE FALL OF MAN CAME WITH SEVERAL EFFECTS. DISCUSS IN DETAIL THREE EFFECTS OF THE FALL OF MAN.
God created man “Adam” and was put in the Garden of Eden. God gave Adam instructions, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2: 17.
But Satan came and deceived man, and man willingly disobeyed God and obeyed the devil, thereby committing high treason.
What is high treason?
High treason is willfully disobeying God. It is a crime of disloyalty. An example of an ambassador going against the authority of his country. It’s like selling one’s country to the enemy. This transgression brought a lot of effects on man, and the entire humanity. We are going to be looking at, at least three of the effects of Adam and Eve’s actions
THREE EFFECTS OF THE FALL OF MAN:

1.MAN BECOMING A SINNER: As a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, disloyalty, or high treason, sin entered the world. From that very moment, every man or child born into this world, by a woman automatically becomes a sinner. The gene of man was corrupted, and hereditary sin was passed to man.
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one-man sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned.”

2.SLAVERY: The entire humanity became a slave to the devil: we were subject to sickness and disease, pains and even death.
Genesis 3: 17-19.
17. Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, “you shall not eat of it”: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall of it All the days of your life. 18. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of your field. 19. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you return.
Man gave the devil to power to be in charge of the world to the devil. Thereby making the devil to be the ruler of the world. a

3.FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD: Man lost his fellowship with God. Genesis 3:8 “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in a cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” This explains how God lost that relationship with man as He came to fellowship with Adam and Eve. The man could no longer have that communion with God. Man lost everything.

[saysay]

I love the way you listed out all the key points that led to the fall of man for clarity. Analyzing your points further, the fall of man is best described as a transition from dominion to spiritual death, then physical death. Genesis 3:19b, “Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started as dirt, you’ll end up dirt. “Which means separation from God and the body from the soul. God gave man power for life eternal, man lost it all to the devil. He did not only lose his dominion position. He lost his friendship with God. Man lost a great relationship that ever existed, the privilege of knowing the heart of God on a platter of gold. The opportunity of having God as a playmate. So, to speak.
The willful disobedience of man did not only lead to death and disconnection from God, it also resulted in hustling and bustling in mam, Genesis 3:18, “The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you’ll get your food the hard way, planting and tilling and harvesting.”
In summary, man became mortal, fellowship was lost, and tending or work became a toil.

[saysay]

WHAT EVANGELISM IS NOT.
I believe you. Invitation to programs and church services is not evangelism. Evangelism is about leading the unbeliever to repentance. It is sharing the love of Christ and letting the unbeliever know God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you have a flux of people invited to church, for example, believing that the undiluted Word is taught in that congregation, hoping the people get born again is not a bad idea. However, that is not true evangelism, as you rightly pointed out.
Evangelism is for the lost souls, and not the qualified. God does not call the qualified. According to 2 Corinthians 3:5, We are not qualified in any way for us to decide who should be evangelized to. We have no right to judge anyone—for example, a dead criminal who had killed lots of people. If the love of God is pointed at him, we have no right to deprive him of getting the gospel. As you said, No one has the right to run down an unbeliever.
Salvation is a miraculous work of God, not of any man. Hence, no man should take credit for it. No man is born an “evangelist,” nothing like I have the gift of evangelism. You evangelize based on your encounter with Jesus Christ. It’s the experience of the Love of Christ that makes the gospel. If someone gets born again in the process, it has nothing to do with your, ability or capability.

[saysay]

WHAT EVANGELISM IS NOT.
I believe you. Invitation to programs and church services is not evangelism. Evangelism is about leading the unbeliever to repentance. It is sharing the love of Christ and letting the unbeliever know God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you have a flux of people invited to church, for example, believing that the undiluted Word is taught in that congregation, hoping the people get born again is not a bad idea. However, that is not true evangelism, as you rightly pointed out.
Evangelism is for the lost souls, and not the qualified. God does not call the qualified. According to 2 Corinthians 3:5, We are not qualified in any way for us to decide who should be evangelized to. We have no right to judge anyone—for example, a dead criminal who had killed lots of people. If the love of God is pointed at him, we have no right to deprive him of getting the gospel. As you said, No one has the right to run down an unbeliever.
Salvation is a miraculous work of God, not of any man. Hence, no man should take credit for it. No man is born an “evangelist,” nothing like I have the gift of evangelism. You evangelize based on your encounter with Jesus Christ. It’s the experience of the Love of Christ that makes the gospel. If someone gets born again in the process, it has nothing to do with your, ability or capability.

[saysay]

MY REPLY TO:
HOW CAN A LEADER WHO HAS GROWN IN THE RANKS IN CHURCH OR AN ORGANIZATION STILL BE ABLE TO SERVE?
From what I glean from your exceptional write-up is that leadership is all about giving. It’s not a position of authority where you want to be served. It shows that leadership gives to the work involved because leadership is work itself. You buttress your points with Mathew 20:25-28. Where two sides of leadership were expressed.
Verse 25 showed where the rulers of the gentiles Lord it over their subject, this is not servanthood but Jesus countered it, in the next two verses where He said, “Whoever desire to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.” Service is for growth. To be great, one is expected to serve. You said, “Faithfulness in one level of service should be re-echoed in the next level of service as you rightly pointed out in Luke16:10-13.” To my understanding, service is generational. It grows from one generation to another. It is meant to be contagious. Hence, when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He gave them an instruction, that they should do the same to one another. That goes to say that servanthood is unending.
In conclusion: Servanthood is for all who have chosen to serve. So, a leader who has grown to a certain rank or position is a servant. It is not a class thing, it’s rather a rank that leads to promotion.

[saysay]

In considering what something is not, there is a need to know what that thing is actually about. Before we say what evangelism is not, let’s have an insight or at least, what evangelism means.
WHAT IS EVANGELISM? Evangelism is that conscious effort of carrying the good news (the gospel) to the unbeliever or lost soul, leading him/her to repentance towards God and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is simply to share what Jesus is to you.
To get the true picture of evangelism, let’s consider just three things evangelism is not. There are many more:
1. EVANGELISM IS NOT AN ACTIVITY.
Evangelism shouldn’t be that organized evangelism by the church, sharing of flyers e.t.c.. For example, the Family Follow-up Group evangelism is organized quarterly by The Carpenter’s church. If that is the only moment you evangelize, then you would have bye pass so many other souls that God has brought your way. Evangelism should be what you do naturally, it is part of who you are, and what you do naturally as a Christian. We share the love of Christ and what He has done in our lives. Evangelism should not be what we do in isolation, it should be something we do as a lifestyle.

2. EVANGELISM IS NOT CRITICISM.
Evangelism is not the time you preach church or criticize other churches or religions, the Pastor and leaders of other churches. It is not a moment to waste sharing who we are, what we do, and what we don’t do. It is the time you share the love of Jesus Christ. You talk about who Jesus is and what He has done for every one of us. There is no need to waste your time talking about your views about other church leaders or religious practice leaders. For example, why do some churches not tie their hair why do some churches wear trousers or why is it that your church allows female preachers?

3. EVANGELISM IS NOT BULLYING OF FORCING PEOPLE.
There was this post I watched on social media, where a preacher or an evangelist went to preach because he had a target to meet, he went to this young man who was also facing the frustration of his life. The preacher shared his gospel as much as he could to convince the young man. The Youngman expressed his predicaments and vented some anger on the preacher. The preacher walked away. Remembering his target, he brought a gun and asked the young man to say the prayers for salvation. That is bully, it’s coercing. Evangelism is not terrorism. You don’t terrorize people you only share the LOVE OF CHRIST.

[saysay]

SERVANTHOOD (103 – LC)
LESSON 1& 2 – QUIZ
QUESTION 1.
True service is unrelated to your state of birth, it is rather a deliberate choice you make to serve. From what you learned in this lesson; compare and contrast the service rendered by Rebekah to Abraham’s servants and Joseph to Potiphar in Egypt.

One of the definitions of service is the act or mode of service. They both served but their services are not quite the same. One was divine opportunity while the other service was subjective. Let’s see how they played in Rebekah and Joseph’s services.

REBEKAH: GENESIS 24:14 -19
14. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’and says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’ – let her be the one you have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” 15. And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born of Bethuel, son of Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.” 18 So she said, “Drink, my Lord.” Then she quikly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she finished giving him a drink, se said, “I will draw water for your camel also, until they have finished drinking.”
Here we see that Rebekah chose to serve. She saw a divine opportunity and dived into it. Remember she was sent on an errand to get water for the home, and probably there was no water to cook at that time, she did not tell Abraham’s servant, “Sir let me go and drop this for my mum she is cooking. I will come back quickly to give you water and even take care of your camel. No, she saw an opportunity to serve and step into it immediately. Rebekah was sensitive to the need at the time.

JOSEPH: GENESIS 39: 1- 4
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him.
According to this scripture, Joseph served. It was clear that he was loyal, humble, and dedicated in the service he rendered to his master. His attitude was right. His mindset, I am sure was not a slave mindset as he rendered his service. Despite all of these attributes, we are safe to say that his service was not a divine opportunity, it was the position he found himself but he made a choice to serve, tracing back to his family, service brought to where he found himself. He did not stop because of his present position, he continued in the serve.

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