Reaching Your Neighbors

Someone wanted to do door to do evangelism and posted the following message asking for advice:

SO basically I want to get out there and start door to door preaching but what is the best way to go about it and get prepared?

Another member of the forum replied with the following message:

You're wasting your time...

Unless you are being guided by the Holy Spirit to do so. Sorry if that sounded unduly bold.


Here is my reply:

Door to door evangelism may or may not be the vehicle with which the Lord wants you to reach your neighbors. However, we are all called by the Lord to "make disciples". So, I would encourage you to continue pursuing reaching your neighbors with the Gospel.

I do have this advice. There are many ways through which the Lord can use us to reach our neighbors but they all have one thing in common: love.

Principle:
John 13:34
34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Application:
Acts 2:44-47
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

On this side of eternity, this world hungers for genuine authentic love (agape love). This world also knows that talk is cheap; we can talk about love all we want, but this world's not going to buy it unless we can show them the goods. They want see that we love one another because Christ first loved us. If you can't show them that we love one another, they are not going to believe that Christ first loved us. And if they don't believe that Christ first loved us, how can they believe that Jesus would love them. And if they don't believe that Jesus would love them, how can they believe that Christ died on the cross to atone for their sin.

If we want to reach our neighbors, we can't be doing it like lone cowboys. We need to do it as the body of Christ whose members love one another because Christ first loved us and let our love for one another draw in our neighbors which in turn allow Christ's love overflows from us onto them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Some Suggested Action Points:

1. Develop a strong fellowship of brothers and/or sisters in Christ. All you need is a couple of guys (or gals) with whom you can develop deep godly relationships: guys (or gals) that you can pray with, pray for, lean on, and enjoy life with. Do things together: go sailing, fishing, bowling, guys' (girls') night out, etc.


2. As a fellowship, pray for the lost in your neighborhood and ask the Holy Spirit to direct your fellowship.


3. Invite non-believing neighbors to join you when you do things together: go sailing, fishing, bowling, guys' night out, etc.


4. Pray and look for opportunities to share the Gospel when non-believing neighbor(s) accept(s) your invitations.


5. Let the Holy Spirit flow.

Love one another as Christ loves you: by this all men will know that you are His disciples.