Jesus came upon a man who was possessed with a legion of demons. Jesus cast them out and the demons entered into a herd of swine and they all ran into the sea and drowned. The people of the town became afraid of Jesus and asked Him to leave.
Later in the story, this man is so grateful for what Jesus did for him that he asked if he could go with Jesus and His disciples. It says in Mark 5:
Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.Jesus told this man to go home and share with his friends what the Lord had done for him. He did and it says they "all marveled." In the gospel of Luke, it says Jesus came back to that city and this time, they didn't ask Him to leave but instead received Him gladly. This happened because of one man's testimony.
(Mark 5:19-20)
Praise God, you can do the same as the madman of Gadera. Your story of how God delivered you from whatever you used to be in bondage to is powerful, especially to those who are in similar struggles.
Many have given up all hope of ever being free and happy again. But when you can confidently tell them, "I understand what you're going through. Let me tell you how Jesus set me free and restored my life," you'll see hope return to their eyes. It's a perfect opportunity to tell them that there is a way out, and His name is Jesus.
Of course, there are more ways to evangelize. As you use the God-given gifts that are in you, you'll develop your own "style" that works best for you. I think I should say here that evangelism should not be viewed as a "method."
It sounds manipulative. Evangelism is a heartfelt desire to sow the incorruptible seed of God's Word into the hearts of the lost. No matter how you share the Gospel, as long as you're motivated by love and are led by the Holy Spirit, your labor will bear fruit for the kingdom of God.
Can God Count on You to Share Jesus?
When God knows He can count on you to preach and teach about Jesus to the lost, He'll start bringing people to you. It happens to my teams and me quite often. In fact, let me tell you about one of the most unusual ways God has led people to us.
Jake told me about an unusual experience he had. He called an old friend, Jenny, who he hadn't seen since he had gotten saved. He wanted to share Jesus with her. Jake began to share with Jenny that he had given his life to the Lord and how much his life had changed.
Right in the middle of his testimony, Jenny interrupted him and said, "I have to tell you something. Last night, I had a dream about this phone call. Everything you've shared with me, I dreamed." Needless to say, Jenny received Jesus as her Lord.
I had a similar experience happen to me. I walked into the city center in downtown Minneapolis. I noticed a man walking toward me, looking at me very strangely.
Just as he was about to pass by, he blurted out at me, "I know you." I didn't recognize him at all and I have a good memory for faces. I asked him, "Where are you from?" He said, "Arkansas." I told him, "I've never been to Arkansas."
He became insistent, "I know, I know you from somewhere. I've seen you before...."
"Sorry..." I replied.
Then his face lit up with recognition. He snapped his fingers and said, "I remember where I saw you! Believe it or not, but I saw you in a dream I had. You approached me and took me by the hand and led me through this tunnel. It was like a tunnel of light."
Right away I realized I was experiencing a divine encounter. I held out my hand to him and said, "I want to lead you to the light. His name is Jesus." He was overcome with emotion as he prayed the prayer of salvation with me.
All rights reserved.