Commitment and Follow-up

.... You’ve just shared the gospel with someone and they’ve believed, and prayed to receive the Jesus! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! And . . . what?

.... To your dismay, they’re still looking at you! With eager eyes they seem to be asking, ‘Now what do I do?’ and it suddenly dawns on you. This is not a closure, it's just the beginning! You may be surprised to find how many evangelists have never thought it through this far!

.... So remember, right here and right now, that the Lord grants signs to follow those who have believed in the gospel. If your listener is sick, it’s time to lay hands on them and pray, and ask God to heal them, that they may recover from their illness (Mark 16:17-18). Or if they are facing any other pressing needs in their life, ask what those needs might be, and humbly pray about them in making a petition to God for them:

.... "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

(Mark 16:17-18)

.... Remember that God wants to use this opportunity, right now, to show Himself strong on their behalf, in order to establish a direct relationship with them (1 Corinthians 2:5). It is also a part of your goal to quickly point beyond yourself, and point directly to God through Christ (2 Corinthians 4:5). So make the most of this opportunity and have some faith, and follow through properly!

.... But when you make your petitions to God, especially if you want to request worldly goods, you must realize that part of God’s goal is to establish a new discipline in their lives (1 Peter 1:17). In other words He will gladly address their problems and meet their needs, but He's not as likely to meet their greeds, so don’t promise them sudden wealth or anything like that. It could really get things off on the wrong foot for them (Luke 12:34; 1 Timothy 6:17-19). In fact, in the short run, some judicial forms of austerity probably await them, that they may learn to walk with the Lord and trust Him from now on (Jeremiah 2:2; Hebrews 10:32-33).

.... After your initial follow-up, remember that if your new Christian friend has believed with all of their heart, it is time for them to be baptized in water, so you may need to explain how this corresponds to their new faith in the gospel (Acts 8:36-37). Remember that in the Scriptures, everyone who believed the gospel was baptized immediately, so you must always encourage the same:

.... "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may."

(Acts 8:36-37)

.... There is also a very pressing need for you to put some Scripture in their hands (1 Peter 2:2). So before letting them go home, ask them if they have a Bible. If not, any book store in America carries them and some editions cost very little. If they have no money, give them some of your own, or bring along a pocket New Testament you can give them, or even give them your own Bible. Or, some Christian book stores carry Scripture portions, such as the Gospel of John, that are designed for giving to new Christians – anything to make sure they have some study material that will enable them to take further steps, that they may grow in the knowledge of the Lord.

.... Finally, most people who accept the Lord are initially reluctant to attend church, so please consider sending them to this blog site. That way they can 'hide out' on the internet and learn the basics at their own pace, until they're ready for more of a direct contact. Meanwhile, they can become as involved as they wish through the 'comments' forum, and it may even help them find other Christians in their area to talk with.

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Daily Bible Reading: Luke 2