Studying Jesus' conversations with diverse people in his day, Jerram Barrs draws lessons and principles for attractively communicating the gospel to unbelievers in our day. Living in a culture that is opposed to Christianity tempts God's people to conform, to retreat, to be silent. But Jesus showed the way to live faithfully before an unbelieving world. As the greatest evangelist, Jesus exemplified how to attract people to the gospel. He modeled how to initiate spiritual conversations full of grace and truth. Christian evangelism, then, both in theory and practice, must be shaped by his pattern. Seeking to articulate the passions and principles present in Christ's life and words, longtime L'Abri staff member Jerram Barrs has studied Jesus' diverse encounters with people throughout the Gospels. Each chapter of Learning Evangelism from Jesus recounts one of those stories, draws useful lessons for readers' lives and communication of the gospel, and concludes with questions for further reflection and application. This highly practical book will guide Christians in how to live before unbelievers and how to love them into the kingdom, just as Jesus did.
Author(s): Jerram Barrs
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 288
FRONT COVER......Page 1
CONTENTS......Page 10
THE FATHER’S LOVE FOR THE WORLD......Page 12
PRAYING FOR THE WORLD......Page 13
THE PROBLEM OF RETREAT AND SEPARATION......Page 14
IMITATING JESUS IN THE WORLD......Page 15
JESUS’ ETERNAL GLORY......Page 16
THE GREATEST EVANGELIST......Page 17
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 18
JOHN’S KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS......Page 22
IS THIS STORY TRULY SCRIPTURE?......Page 23
WHO WAS THIS WOMAN?......Page 24
TESTING JESUS......Page 25
THE PROBLEM......Page 26
OUR QUESTION FOR JESUS......Page 27
NO PRIVATE SINS......Page 28
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 30
3. THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA......Page 36
JESUS’ INTENTIONAL LIFE......Page 37
THE WOMAN AT THE WELL......Page 38
JESUS, FRIEND OF THE OUTCAST......Page 41
SETTING ASIDE CUSTOM AND LAW......Page 42
REVEALING HIS NEEDS......Page 43
RESPECTFUL DISCUSSION......Page 44
GENTLENESS AND GRACE......Page 45
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 47
THE BIBLE TEACHER’S QUESTION......Page 54
JESUS’ ANSWERING QUESTION......Page 55
JESUS’ REPLY......Page 56
JESUS TELLS A STORY......Page 57
UNDERSTANDING PARABLES......Page 58
THE PARABLE’S LESSONS FOR THE BIBLE TEACHER......Page 59
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 61
5. A WEALTHY YOUNG LEADER OF THE CHURCH......Page 70
JESUS’ RESPONSE TO THE YOUNG MAN’S QUESTION......Page 71
THE YOUNG MAN’S ANSWER......Page 73
JESUS’ REPLY TO THIS CLAIM OF VIRTUE......Page 74
THE YOUNG MAN’S SORROW......Page 76
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 77
JESUS’ KNOWLEDGE OF ZACCHAEUS......Page 84
BEHOLD, ZACCHAEUS......Page 85
HATRED OF ZACCHAEUS......Page 86
OUTRAGEOUS SOCIAL BEHAVIOR......Page 88
SEEKING AND SAVING THE LOST......Page 89
JESUS AND SINNERS......Page 90
GRACE AND REPENTANCE......Page 91
SALVATION HAS COME TO THIS HOUSE......Page 93
A SON OF ABRAHAM......Page 94
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 95
TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS......Page 102
PHARISEES AND SCRIBES......Page 103
HOW TO TEACH A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE......Page 104
PARABLE ONE: THE LOST SHEEP (THE GOOD SHEPHERD)......Page 105
PARABLE TWO: THE LOST COIN (THE SEARCHING WOMAN)......Page 108
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 111
THE SETTING......Page 118
ESCAPING TO ANONYMITY......Page 119
THE FATHER’S WELCOME......Page 120
UGLY BEHAVIOR......Page 121
MORAL CHALLENGES......Page 122
REVELATION OF JESUS’ CHARACTER......Page 123
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 124
THE POWER OF STORIES......Page 128
THOSE PRESENT AT DINNER......Page 132
WHO WERE THE PHARISEES?......Page 133
SIMON’S THOUGHTS ABOUT JESUS......Page 134
JESUS’ RESPONSE TO THE SINFUL WOMAN......Page 135
JESUS’ RESPONSE TO THE “RIGHTEOUS MAN”......Page 136
APPROPRIATE HONOR FOR A DISTINGUISHED GUEST......Page 137
HOW MUCH HAVE WE BEEN FORGIVEN?......Page 138
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 140
GOOD NEWS FOR THE GRADUATES OF A SINFUL LIFE......Page 147
EVERYONE NEEDS THE GOSPEL......Page 150
NEEDING TO KNOW ONE’S NEED......Page 151
PRIDE......Page 153
A CRITICAL SPIRIT......Page 154
LACK OF MERCY......Page 155
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 156
11. RELIGIOUS AND MORAL TRADITIONALISTS: THE PROBLEM OF RULES AND TRADITIONS......Page 164
HYPOCRISY......Page 167
MERELY HUMAN RULES......Page 168
VOIDING GOD’S COMMANDS—AN EXAMPLE......Page 169
DEFILEMENT COMES FROM THE HEART......Page 170
JESUS HAS TO REPEAT HIS RADICAL WORDS......Page 171
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 173
12. FAITH AMONG THE CANAANITES......Page 180
HER FAITH IN THE COMING MESSIAH......Page 181
GENTILE DOGS!......Page 182
IS JESUS DISMISSING HER?......Page 183
STRONG FAITH......Page 184
MINISTRY TO THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL......Page 185
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 186
13. THE FAITH OF THE CENTURION: AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN......Page 194
WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT THIS MILITARY MAN?......Page 195
JESUS’ REACTION......Page 198
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 200
14. A NIGHT VISITOR......Page 206
JESUS’ IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE......Page 207
ELEMENTARY TEACHING......Page 208
ADVANCED TEACHING......Page 209
THE SCANDAL OF THE DEATH OF THE SON OF MAN......Page 210
NICODEMUS’S REFLECTIONS......Page 211
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 214
A DIFFICULT PARABLE?......Page 220
SHREWD BUSINESS PRACTICE......Page 221
WORLDLY WISDOM......Page 222
JESUS’ FASCINATING APPLICATION......Page 223
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 227
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY—JESUS’ CHALLENGES FOR US......Page 232
16. NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE GUEST!......Page 234
RESCUING THE NEEDY......Page 235
THE SABBATH IS ABOUT MERCY......Page 236
EXPOSING THE PRIDE OF THE HEART......Page 237
HUMBLE SERVICE IN THE KINGDOM......Page 238
TRUE HOSPITALITY......Page 239
LOVING STRANGERS......Page 240
THE BANQUET IN GOD’S KINGDOM......Page 242
THE FAILURE TO RESPOND TO GOD’S INVITATION......Page 243
LEARNING FROM JESUS: LESSONS FOR EVANGELISM......Page 244
CONCLUSION......Page 250
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 2: CAUGHT IN THE ACT......Page 254
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 3: THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA......Page 255
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 4: JESUS AND THE BIBLE TEACHER......Page 256
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 5: A WEALTHY YOUNG LEADER OF THE CHURCH......Page 257
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 6: AN UNUSUAL DINNER INVITATION......Page 258
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 7: THE LOST SHEEP AND THE LOST COIN......Page 259
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 8: THE TWO LOST SONS......Page 260
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 10: REVEALING THE PHARISEE’S HEART......Page 261
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 11: RELIGIOUS AND MORAL TRADITIONALISTS......Page 262
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 12: FAITH AMONG THE CANAANITES......Page 263
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 13: THE FAITH OF THE CENTURION......Page 264
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 14: A NIGHT VISITOR......Page 265
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 15: THE SHREWD MANAGER......Page 266
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 16: NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE GUEST!......Page 267
CHAPTER FIVE: A WEALTHY YOUNG LEADER OF THE CHURCH......Page 270
CHAPTER TEN: REVEALING THE PHARISEE’S HEART......Page 271
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE GUEST!......Page 272
GENERAL INDEX......Page 274
SCRIPTURE INDEX......Page 280
BACK COVER......Page 285
