Reaching Out: Sharing God's Love Naturally (Interactions) - Softcover

Hybels, Bill

9780310265924: Reaching Out: Sharing God's Love Naturally (Interactions)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0310265924 ISBN 13: 9780310265924

Publisher: Zondervan, 2005

You probably don’t think of yourself as an evangelist.Most Christians would rather leave evangelism to a select few with "special talent" for outreach. But when Christ gave the command to spread the Gospel, He gave it to us all. Because He knew we'd each have something unique to offer as His witnesses to the world. In Reaching Out, Bill Hybels helps you develop your own evangelism style―one that fits your personality like a glove. You'll discover the meaning and importance of sharing your faith and learn the motivation and mind-set behind evangelism. You'll also get the solid guidance and seasoned tips you need to put it all into motion successfully. As you walk through this proven, highly effective approach, you'll find your hesitations melting into an enthusiasm for winning lost men and women to Christ.Interactions―a powerful and challenging tool for building deep relationships between you and your group members, and you and God. Interactions is far more than another group Bible study. It's a cutting-edge series designed to help small group participants develop into fully devoted followers of Christ.

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About the Author:

Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., and chairman of the board for the Willow Creek Association. The bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Leadership Axioms, Holy Discontent, Just Walk Across the Room, The Volunteer Revolution, and Courageous Leadership, and classics such as Too Busy Not to Pray and Becoming a Contagious Christian, Hybels is known worldwide as an expert in training Christian leaders to transform individuals and their communities through the local church. He and his wife, Lynne, have two adult children and two grandsons, Henry and Mac.

Kevin G. Harney (kevingharney.com) serves at Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, California. He is the author of many books and studies, including Organic Outreach for Ordinary People, Seismic Shifts, and Reckless Faith.

Sherry Harney (sherryharney.com) has served as a children’s ministry director and a women’s ministry director, and is the author of more than sixty small-group Bible studies. One of her greatest passions is investing in the next generation of women in the church.

Reaching Out
Copyright � 1996 by Willow Creek Association
Previously published as Evangelism
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Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN-10: 0-310-26592-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-26592-4
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International
Version�. NIV�. Copyright � 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Illustration on page 36 reprinted from The Bridge � 1981 by the Navigators. Used by permission of
NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
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Interior design by Rick Devon and Michelle Espinoza
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S E S S I O N 1 R E A C H I N G O U T
BEING SALT
AND LIGHT
T H E B I G P I C T U R E
The metaphors of salt and light are two of the most frequently
used pictures in Scripture that describe what Christians
ought to be. In Matthew 5:13–16, we find the most wellknown
passage on this topic. Here Jesus clearly calls His followers
to let their lights shine and to let their lives be salty.
The verses preceding Jesus’ words about light and salt are
called the Beatitudes. In Matthew 5:1–12, Jesus looks at His
followers and says, “I want to describe to you how you ought
to behave and what your attitudes ought to be in the family.”
And then He speaks these famous words: “Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In other
words, Jesus wants His family members to walk in
humility—in deep awareness of their need for grace.
Think about the words Jesus then speaks to His followers. He
says, “I hope you act poor in spirit toward each other. I hope
you have the ability to mourn over sin and sadness. I hope
you can meet each other at the points of pain and brokenness
in the family. I hope there’s a gentleness and a kindness that
sweeps through your community of faith. And I hope there is
a hunger and a thirst for righteousness among My people. I
hope there is a pureness of heart. I hope there are peacemakers
in the family who take reconciliation seriously. I hope
there is courage to withstand trials and persecution for My
sake.” He continues, “My people should relate to Me and to
each other in distinctively Spirit-anointed ways. There are
certain things that should mark the relationships of those
who are part of My family.”
Right after all these words of encouragement for believers,
Jesus adds, “Now, I am also terribly concerned about people
outside the family. Lost people matter to Me, and I am deeply
concerned about how you relate to them.” Think about that.
Jesus is saying that the most persuasive and compelling argument
for salvation He can present to an outsider is a close-up
view of the transformed life of one of His insiders. Nothing
packs a punch like a genuinely transformed life. At this point,
Jesus gives us the two famous metaphors: “My children, each
and every one of you should see yourselves as salt and light to
people outside the family.”
A W I D E A N G L E V I E W
1. What qualities or characteristics of salt are valuable
and helpful?
What qualities or characteristics of light are valuable and
helpful?
A B I B L I C A L P O R T R A I T
2. What parallels do you see between both light and salt
and your role as an evangelist in the world?
How are you to be like light?
How are you to be like salt?
R P E N I N G T H E F O C U S
Read Snapshot “An Equation for Evangelism:
(HP + CP + CC = MI)”
3. What can you do to increase your potency as a
Christian?
4 What can you do to increase your proximity to seekers
in the course of a regular week?
5 How would you evaluate your life in light of this
equation?
How would you evaluate the lives of your church members in
light of this equation?
AN EQUATION FOR EVANGELISM: (HP + CP + CC = MI)
Let’s break with mathematic tradition and start by talking about the answer to this equation. What
does MI mean? It means maximum impact. There is no mystery about the fact that Christ longed for
His followers to have maximum impact on people outside the family. The end result of effective evangelism
is maximum influence on those who are seeking spiritual truth.
Now let’s look at the front end of the formula. What might HP plus CP plus CC mean in relation to our being salt and
light? HP stands for high potency, CP stands for close proximity, and CC stands for clear communication. What
begins to emerge from this text in Matthew is Jesus’ concern about the impact our lives should make on others. In
order for maximum impact (MI) to happen, something with a lot of power (HP) must get real close (CP) to something
that needs to be influenced. However, in addition to being within proximity (CP), we must also communicate (CC) the
message of God’s love. See the formula shaping up? Jesus said someone with high potency (HP) has to be willing to
get into close proximity (CP) to someone else and clearly communicate (CC) the message of Jesus if maximum influence
(MI) is going to happen. Jesus chose the metaphors of salt and light because they both follow this same formula.
6. If followers of Christ are going to have a potency level
high enough to impact seekers, there are some specific
qualities that will need to be in their lives. Why is each
of the characteristics listed below essential in the lives
of fully devoted followers of Christ if they are to have
maximum impact with the Gospel?
� Spiritual confidence
� An authentic faith
� An urgency about the Gospel
Read Snapshot “Spiritual Disciplines”
SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
Where do spiritually salty Christians get their confidence, sincerity, and sense of urgency? Where do
they learn to shine so brightly? I wish I could give you a spine-tingling, bungy-jumping kind of
answer, but it’s actually pretty simple. They get it from the age-old, daily, personal, spiritual disciplines
that have made believers salty for a couple of thousand years.
When the spotlights aren’t on them . . . when they’re not at church . . . when no one is looking, these salty Christians are
thinking about Christ. They each have a holy place where they meet with Christ, where they open their Bibles and just
let the Word of God speak to them. They pray more than other people pray, because they know the power of prayer.
They have close relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ who help them negotiate life and faith. They use their
spiritual gifts, and they’re out sharing their faith when no one is looking. They’

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