Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Apartment #4

January 14, 2009. Day Fourteen. Wednesday. I drove the van as usual for Wednesday evangelism. I had three high school teen girls with me: Alanna, Griselda, and Clarissa. We went to some apartments in the city of San Pablo. The first apartment, #4, was on the upstairs left of building 2300. I rang the doorbell. A woman asked who was there. I introduced myself and told why I was there: "I'm Kent Brandenburg, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, and we're introducing our church, letting people know who we are and what we believe." She asked us to wait. We waited. She came to the door, a young, black woman, about mid twenties. She had a four year old daughter. She had just moved up from Oakland. She wasn't attending any church.

I segued to the gospel with a means that I often use. She wanted to listen. She was eager. I explained the gospel to her. We spent about an hour and fifteen minutes preaching. She received Christ. I showed her some verses that would give her assurance. She gave us her phone number. I asked if she would like a Bible study. Yes. I explained about baptism. I went through some other verses with her. Pray for Jenisha.

10 comments:

  1. Praise the Lord. This blog is very encouraging to me. And challenging.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This shows that there are some people out there who really want it. The Lord rejoices over one sinner that repents, and so do I. Just one is enough to rejoice. I will pray for Jenisha and for you as you work with her.

    I talked to Sharon, who gave her entire testimony of how she turned to Christ. She even used that terminology. She seems saved; she just needs to get into the right church. Hopefully she comes.

    I also talked to a Muslim lady. she believes Islam because of family tradition. Her parents are dead. She has Christian friends who sometimes take her to services. I showed her a little about Jesus christ and why everything spoken about Him is true. Her name is Nesar.

    Nesar seems to know a little. She believes there is a God. I think her understanding of English is not all that great. I believe that she would need to go through a Bible study. What do you think is the best thing to do? WDJD?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Jeff and Jack.

    David,

    We can take her through the five week evangelistic study if she is willing. We should offer her a five week study with a lady. By the way, I got an email today from someone that got a tract and is asking for the five week correspondence evangelistic study.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Praise the Lord for Jenisha!

    I can't wait to see the fruit.
    We talked to Arthur and Mary and were able to preach a pretty clear gospel presentation. I think they were just being polite.

    Pastor, for Michelle, my wife and I want to start the evangelistic study as soon as possible. She did say that she wanted it, but I don't know if she wants it right now. Should I just set up a day and start it or should I wait until she expresses more interest for it?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Marlowe, Thanks!

    I would act like she really wants it and ask her what day would be good. When she tells you, set it up. If it doesn't work for you, get a second best time, etc. I'm looking forward to see how it goes with her.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kent,

    Some us more nuts-n-bolts oriented guys would like to know how exactly you segue into the Gospel presentation. Word-for-word would be nice, or a close approximation.

    Also, I'd like to hear your "closing". How do you get them to "pray the prayer" without getting them to "pray the prayer"? (if you catch my meaning) In other words, how does a soul winner lead a person to call upon Christ without putting words in their mouth?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Joe!

    My basic segue is: Do you have a church? (Whether they have a church or not, I say...) Most people don't go to church. However, whether you go to church or not, church doesn't get anyone to heaven. It's kind of like an airport. Unless you catch a plane, an airport won't get you anywhere. Church is the same way. It might be a nice place to find out how to get to heaven when you die. But it doesn't get anyone there. And that really is the important issue---do you have eternal life? do you know you are saved? Do you know for sure?

    I don't try to get to a prayer. I want to get to the end to where they are willing to give up their life and offer it to Christ, offer their soul to Him by faith. If they say yes to that, then he or she will be ready to receive Christ. I tell them how I received Christ and ask them if they would like to do the same. They will know that they are relinquishing themselves to Christ. I do pray with them, but it is a sort of after their confession of repentance and belief in Christ.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Im so amazed Jenisha got saved on the first day... Amazing! Me and my church have to go all over ghetto cities. I Evangelize at Pittsburg mostly since my church is at Pittsburg. It takes me a while to preach to the people there because the majority where i preach at are all Jehovah's Witnesses... I tell them who Christ is and how Christ cant be Michael the Archangel, all they do is argue and one time they kicked me out there house which was an uncommon thing that happens to me. Are there anyways to tell the Jehovah Witnesses about that Jesus Christ is God and not only man?

    ReplyDelete