What can shampoo teach us about witnessing?

[JRG39402]

By Justin Grice:
Have you ever had a thought or idea in the shower? I did! It actually involved witnessing(Ok, so I'm a strange cookie). So here it goes:

Have you ever actally read the directions for shampoo? What many of them say to do is wet, lather and rinse, and repeat as desired.

Wet hair: When you wet your hair, you are preparing for the shampoo. Just like that, you should prepare people for the gospel. You wouldn't (hopefully) randomly run up to someone and say "Jesus died for your sins and if you believe in him and accept him as Lord and Savior, you will be saved from Hell." Certainly not! So how do you prepare someone? Let's see what Jesus did. You've likely heard about Jesus and the woman at the well. He talked about water, and then switched over to talk about "spiritual water". Just like that, in a conversation, you would ask do you have a Christian background or a similar question. Now that you're on the topic, you can use the Ten Commandments to convict them of sin (just like Jesus did). You could ask "Do you consider yourself to be a good person? Have you kept the Ten Commandments? In a loving way ask, have you ever told a lie? What does that make you? (Have them admit to being a liar.) Have you ever stolen something reguardless of its value? (makes you a thief.) Jesus said whoever looks upon a woman, to lust after her, has already committed adultry with them in their heart. Have you ever lusted after someone? You can use more commandments depending on the situation or person. Then say in your own words, "By your own admission (fill in the blanks), you are a lying, thief and an adulteror at heart. If God judged you by the Ten Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty? I know I'd be guilty. ... Would you go to heaven, being set free, or go to hell, jail? I know I would go to hell?" ... I know this "wet hair" part is dificult, but without people knowing they have sinned and would be sentenced to hell, they wouldn't appreciate the loving salvation God gives.

Lather and Rinse: You are now ready to apply the Gospel. You could say "Do you know what God did so you wouldn't have to go to hell? .... God became a man, he called him his Son, Jesus, and died on the cross for everyone's sin. He took our punishment for us as a free gift. But you know what? Just because he paid for our salvation doesn't mean it's instantly ours. If i bought my Mom a DVD as a gift, when I paid the cashier, it didn't transport instantly into my Mom's hands. She would have to receive it before it was hers. In that same way, we have to receive the free gift of salvation before it's ours. Would you like to do that today? All you have to do is admit to God that you are a sinner, turn away from sin the best you can, and ask him to come in your life and save you (this is the rinse part by the way). After they have prayed, if they have, you could pray for them to be a strong Christian. Whether they have prayed or not, encourage them to read the Bible.

Repeat as Desired: Have them know that the Bible says we should confess publicly Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They should tell somebody of their decision and witness to others as you have to them.

Use wet, lather and rinse, and repeat as desired to help remember this way to present the gospel.

I bet you didn't think you could learn all that from a bottle of shampoo?

P.S. This is a practical approach. I left which Bible verses to use up to you. Make sure you use the Bible.

 

[npetreley]

I think this commentary is a better response than one I could write.

The Protestant Denial of Sola Gratia

http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/02/protestant-denial-of-sola-gratia.html

There's a reason we call this "Easy believism." There's a reason we call this a "dispensational soteriological innovation."

It is the Free Grace Theology that bloats the membership rolls.

It is the Free Grace Theology that results in churches with 29,000 members but only 9000 or less show up on any given Sunday morning, 1/3 of which are visitors.

It is the Free Grace Theology that gives us Pastor's Conferences that are full of men who pat themselves proudly on the back for their inflated numbers without regard to the church members they actually cultivate and then get snippy when you bring up that issue.

It's Free Grace Theology that gives us an SBC President that spends 2 years touring the nation promoting a baptismal program we affectionately call "The Million Man Dunk."

So, not only is the gospel reduced and redefined, a new sacrament is invented, the ecclesiological value of a regenerate church membership is diminished, and the ordinance of baptism is trivialized. I wonder also how many have taken the Lord's Supper to their condemnation to boot.

This isn't the gospel of the Protestant Reformation. This isn't the gospel of the Bible. Arminians wonder at this. You know, I actually have Arminian friends that call this Pelagian. You have to be pretty far out there for that to happen if you ask me.

I'd add that this is the Campbellite Movement all over again. Honestly, I'm surprised nobody has really noticed that yet. The sinner's prayer has replaced baptism. All baptisms are valid and the membership is, at least at the conceptual level, considered regenerate, since all the elect are preserved but all the elect do not also persevere. Add a dose of Keswick spirituality to make sanctification a second blessing, and you have a modified form of the old restoration movement.

 

[av1611jim]

Why! Grandpa what a huge brush you have to paint with! Using the same brush let's have ago a "Reformed Theology" aka Calvinism.

This is why some Baptist churches are dying on the vine. Add to that the hundreds if not thousands of additional Presbyterian churches and we find a theology which is fruitless. Since God has already chosen who gets saved and who does notthen why on earth should we even bother evangelizing our neighbors? "This isn't the gospel of the Bible."

What part of "whosoever will..." do you not understand?