What methods will help you communicate effectively?

As I have already indicated, many devout Christians fail miserably in their efforts to introduce others to Christ simply because they do not know how to go about it.

Knowing how often makes the difference between effective and ineffective witnessing. Before you can introduce others to Christ, you must know:

For many years in our various evangelism training conferences, we asked those who participated in the training to help us list everything they felt a person should know before he or she could make an intelligent decision for Christ.

Usually twenty-five to fifty different suggestions were made, all for which were written on the chalkboard. The list usually included the following, along with many others:

After all the suggestions were exhausted, we asked each participant to read with us a gospel presentation called the Four Spiritual Laws and to help us eliminate every point listed on the chalkboard that relates to Law One. These points were then removed from the board. We continued to Laws Two, Three and Four, following the same procedure. At this point, the chalkboard was always clean. The distilled essence of the gospel is contained in the Four Spiritual Laws booklet.

Originally, the Four Spiritual Laws was written only for our staff, who were asked to memorize it as a witnessing tool. As a result, the number of people who received Christ increased dramatically.

The content of the Four Spiritual Laws began to crystallize in my thinking during the summer staff training in 1956 at a time when our staff numbered less than fifty.

One of our speakers for our staff training that year was a Christian layman who was an outstanding sales consultant. He emphasized that to be successful in sales, a person must develop a clear, simple, understandable presentation that can be used over and over again. But then he warned us that when one becomes weary of making the same presentation and develops "presentation fatigue," one often changes the presentation and inevitably loses effectiveness.

He then compared the witnessing Christian to the secular salesperson. To be effective in communicating our faith in Christ, he stresses, we must develop a simple, understandable, reasonable presentation for the gospel which we can share with everyone. The better and more often you communicate this simple presentation, the more fruitful you will be in your witness for Christ.

He illustrated his remarks by telling of several well-known Christians who had their own special presentations. Then he zeroed in on me, saying, "Bill Bright thinks he has a special message for each of the different groups of students, prisoners and lay people with whom he works. But, though I have never heard him speak, I would be willing to wager that he has only one message for everyone. Basically, he tells them all the same thing."

To say that I objected to such a suggestion is to put it mildly. The longer he spoke, the more irritated I became. I resented the suggestion that I or anyone else who truly desired to serve the Lord was not led of the Spirit to speak with originality to each individual according to that person's particular needs. Furthermore, I resented his using me as an example before the rest of the staff.

But when it was all over and I was licking my wounds, the most serious of which was my bruised ego, I began to reflect on exactly what I did share with various people. That afternoon I wrote down my basic presentation, and to my amazement I discovered my friend had been right. Without realizing it, I had been sharing basically the same message with some variation with everyone. what I wrote that afternoon and later polished is now known as God's Plan for Your Life, a twenty-minute presentation for the claims for Christ - who he is, why he came, and how one can know Him personally.

I asked each staff member to memorize it, and we all began to use it in our personal witnessing. The next year, as we concentrated on sharing this simple message in dependence on the Holy Spirit and His power, our ministry was multiplied a hundredfold.

God's Plan was our first written "how-to" material - that is , material which explains simply and specifically how an individual can arrive at a desired goal, and shows how he or she can, in turn, help others arrive at the same goal. The "how-to" approach is one of the most needed and most powerful approaches to the Christian life and witness. Most non-Christians do not need to be convinced that they should become Christians. Rather, they simply need to be shown how to become a Christian.

Though God's Plan was extremely effective, we felt the need for a shorter version. So I prepared a condensed outline, complete with Scripture verses and diagrams, and each member of the staff memorized it . As more and more people became involved in our training program, it became apparent that we needed to make the presentation available in printed form.

As a result, the Four Spiritual Laws booklet was born.

We don't claim that the Four Spiritual Laws message is the only way to introduce others to Christ or even the best way. But we do know that literally millions of men and women have received Christ through the direct, simple presentation of the gospel contained in this booklet. According to our estimate, more than one billion copies have been distributed in all of the major languages of the world.

Many stories have come to my attention of the effectiveness of the Four Spiritual Laws. I'm thinking, for example, of a church whose senior pastor had come to our headquarters for training and was very excited about using the Four Spiritual Laws. He went back to share his enthusiasm with his church and with his assistant minister. The assistant was not impressed by the booklet. He disliked tracts, and this looked like just another tract. He tossed it on his desk, not even bothering to read it.

A few days later a city official came by to inspect the church facilities. As she was about to leave after her inspection it suddenly occurred to the assistant minister that he had not talked to her about Christ. He looked around quickly, and the only thing he saw was the Four Spiritual Laws booklet, which he had tossed aside in disgust some days previously. He gave it to her, saying, "Read this," meaning that she should read it when she got home.

She misunderstood, however, and began to read it aloud in his presence. She read every word, and by the time she got to Law Four, tears were streaming down her cheeks. She came to the prayer an prayed aloud, leading herself to Christ. By this time the assistant minister was so impressed that he came to Arrowhead Springs to find out for himself how he could be a more effective witness for Christ through training and the use of Four Spiritual Laws.

Another heartwarming experience demonstrates the effectiveness of the booklet. A man, who was greatly admired in his home town, was not a Christian. In fact, he was known as the town skeptic because he never responded positively to the many who witnessed to him personally.

He had befriended the parents of a Christian friend who felt especially concerned for his salvation. After obtaining a Four Spiritual Laws booklet, this friend decided to call on the skeptic and read it to him. As he finished reading, he asked, "Does this make sense?"

The skeptic replied, "Yes, it does."

"Is there anything that would keep you from receiving Christ?"

"No," he said.

The two men then knelt together and prayed, and the "Skeptic" invited Christ into his life as his Savior and Lord.

When they arose, the friend was rejoicing with the man, who then stunned him with this question, "Is this what you and all the other Christians have been trying to tell me for years?"

"Yes."

"Well," continued this new brother in Christ, "why didn't you tell me? Any man would be a fool not to receive Christ if he really understood what is involved."

The gospel as contained in the Four Spiritual Laws booklet had cut right through the barrier of skepticism and indifference so that this man received the Lord Jesus.

Now, permit me to share several simple suggestions that will help you to introduce others to Christ as a way of life.

First, begin every day with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to empower and lead you to those whose hearts He has prepared.

Second, relate to people in a loving, natural, personal way. Avoid being mechanical. Everyone responds to love. As you walk in love, the Spirit of God will confirm to those with whom you are sharing Christ that you are genuine; that you are not simply trying to win an argument or promote a cause; and that you have taken time to talk to them because you truly love them with God's love.

Not everyone will be prepared to receive Christ or even be positive in his response. Some may even be antagonistic. God may want you to sow the seed to use you as an instrument of harvest. Whatever the case, relax and let Him do what He wants to do through you.

Remember, just as all fruit in an orchard is not ripe at the same time, so some individuals will be ripe for harvest and others will still be green - not yet ready to respond to the gospel. Consider every gospel conversation a great privilege and opportunity, not a legalistic responsibility. Think of God's great love, of what knowing Him has meant to you and what it will mean to others when they receive Christ. Make sharing your faith in Christ a way of life.

Third, use a clear, simple presentation of the gospel. There are many benefits which result from using a tool such as the Four Spiritual Laws. Let me list some of them:

Paul exhorted Timothy, his young son in the faith, "The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."

The Four Spiritual Laws is such a simple, transferable tool that it enables those who receive Christ to go immediately to friends and loved ones and tell them of their new-found faith in Christ. It also enables them to show those friends and loved ones how they, too, can make their own commitment to Christ.

A well-known Christian leader, highly gifted as a theologian, shared with me his frustration with me over his lack of effectiveness and fruitfulness in witnessing for Christ.

I asked him, "What do you say when you seek to introduce a person to Christ?"

He explained his presentation, which was very long and complicated. The large number of Bible verses he used would confuse most people and prevent them from making an intelligent decision.

I challenged him to use the Four Spiritual Laws presentation daily for the next thirty days and report his progress to me at the end of that time. When I saw him two weeks later, he was overflowing with joy and excitement.

He said, "By simply reading the booklet to others, I have seen more people come to Christ during the last two weeks than I had previously seen in many months. It's hard to believe!"

I could quote countless letters and reports from people who have benefited from receiving training in how to use this simple presentation.

A woman who had served with her husband as a missionary in Africa for many years wrote, "You should have seen the transformation in my husband when he returned from one of your training seminars. He wanted to share the Four Spiritual Laws booklet with everyone. He even shared in the swimming pool with water up to his neck! And the best part of all is that he keeps on doing it."

Another shared, "I was afraid at first, but the Lord has changed my attitude, and now I want to go out witnessing. I thank God with all my heart for this change."

In addition to sharing Christ with students, executives and lay people individually and in groups large and small, I witness regularly to porters, elevator operators, maids in the hotels, taxicab drivers, filling station attendants and people in numerous other types of work, on a plane, it is often easy to engage the stewardess or a seatmate in conversation by having in hand either a Bible, a Four Spiritual Laws booklet, or some other piece of Christian literature.

Following a group meeting, whether a church service, a Bible study, a student outreach meeting or some similar gathering, you may wish to introduce yourself to different individuals. Then, after a warm greeting, proceed with the following questions in whatever way is natural for you:

"What did you think of the message?"

"Did it make sense to you?"

"Have you made the wonderful discovery of knowing Christ personally?"

"You would like to, wouldn't you?"

Then ask, "Have you ever heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?" and proceed to read them to them. If the individuals indicate they have already heard of the Four Laws, ask their opinion, review the booklet, and give them the opportunity to pray and receive Christ, if they have not already done so.

There are many effective ways of establishing contact with another person. After a cordial, friendly greeting, you can say:

Or you might say:

Here is another approach:

You could try this one:

If the answer is yes, ask:

This direct approach can best be employed when you have only a few moments with an individual. If you have a more unhurried opportunity, you may find it helpful to take a few minutes to establish rapport by sharing a few things of personal interest about yourself and asking the other person about himself, his business, profession or family. Then you can explain that you are a Christian and that you have discovered a remarkable booklet that has been a great help to you and that you would like to share with him. Then ask, "Have you ever heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?"

In making the presentation, show love. Be casual, friendly, warm, and speak with confidence. You don't need to impress people with your brilliance, but neither should you use a half-hearted, hesitant, negative approach that suggests, "I don't suppose you would like to become a Christian, would you?"

When you share the Four Spiritual Laws, you can simply read through the booklet. Generally, you should read aloud from the booklet, holding it so that the person can read along with you. It is also helpful to use a pencil or something similar to point to the lines and words being read to insure better concentration.

Some time ago I was speaking to a group of pastors in Dallas. Skeptical that such a simple approach as the Four Spiritual Laws would communicate with college students, a university chaplain asked if I would go with him to the nearby university campus to demonstrate how to use the Four Spiritual Laws booklet with non-Christian students. He gathered about a dozen students, most of whom were Christians. I gave them each a copy of the Four Spiritual Laws booklet and asked them to follow along silently as I read the booklet aloud.

Although I have shared Christ with thousands of students and lay people in individual counseling sessions through the years, I am a rather reserved person and do not always find it easy to witness. As I sat there reading the booklet aloud to the students, I began to receive all kinds of negative impression from the devil who was trying to discourage me and put doubts into my mind such as, "These students will laugh at you. They are too intelligent to be responsive to such a simple presentation. You need a more intellectual approach. Don't go too far; don't be a fanatic. These students will be turned off. They will think you are crazy."

But knowing that I am free from Satan's power as I obey and simply trust the Lord, I could say, "Greater is He (Christ) who is in me than he who is in the world (Satan)." So I kept on reading, knowing from experience that God would honor this presentation as He has on thousands of other occasions, for He has promised to honor His Word. When I came to the prayer, it suddenly seemed that a chorus of voices was saying to me, "You are not going to read this prayer and make a fool of yourself before these intelligent students, are you?" But I read the prayer, and then I said, "If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, pray it with me silently. Make it your own prayer."

Then I read the prayer aloud a second time. When I finished the prayer, I looked up and saw tears running down the cheeks of one of the young women. She came up to say that she had prayed that prayer and knew that the Lord Jesus had come to live in her heart. Later a young man came to receive Christ. Before I left, the chaplain introduced me to a young woman who had just received Christ, too. As far as I know, all the rest except one were Christians. The remaining one had been reared as an atheist, but was sobered by what he had heard and was also on the verge of receiving Christ. Through the simple reading of the gospel as contained in the Four Spiritual Laws booklet, the Spirit of God worked in the hearts of these young men and women in a marvelous way. Often this is the experience of any Spirit-controlled person who shares this presentation.

Generally, you will find that most people agree with the first three laws and are not likely to ask many, if any, questions. Thus, you can proceed to Law Four with confidence.

When you come to the two circles, one representing the self-controlled life, the other the Christ-controlled life, ask the question contained in the booklet:

Then ask:

In most cases the one with whom you are sharing will answer the first question, "The circle on the left," and the second question, "The circle on the right."

The holy Spirit's work of producing a repentant attitude in a non-believer is a necessary preparation of receiving Christ. This change of attitude will result in a change of action. However, it should be clearly understood that you do not become a Christian because you repent but by the simple act of receiving Christ by faith as explained in John 1:12 and Ephesians 2:8,9.

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

The next crucial point in sharing Christ is to help those who want to receive him as their Savior to know exactly what to do. As you continue to read from the booklet, explain how to receive Christ.

Read the prayer aloud and then ask, "Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?"

If the answer is "Yes," say, "You can pray this prayer right now if you really mean it, and Christ will come into your life as He promised. Then pause for prayer, and suggest that if the individual will pray aloud, you can pray with him or her.

If there is a long silence, you may suggest that the person pray after you phrase by phrase. Be sensitive, however. Don't offend by "forcing" the prayer. Some people wish to pray their own prayer rather than the suggested one. Should someone wish to pray silently, suggest he or she say "Amen" when finished. When he says, "Amen," you pray aloud for the new believer.

If the individual makes no commitment after you have read the booklet through the first time to this point, avoid offending the person. Don't try to argue or high-pressure anyone into making a "decision" for Christ. Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."

However, you can do several additional things to help the individual who does not pray and receive Christ when you have reached the prayer in the booklet:

Some will want to pray then, while others may wish to pray at a later time after they better understand what is involved in receiving Christ. In this event:

On one occasion I shared the Four Spiritual Laws booklet with a famous general who agreed with the content of the booklet but had never received Christ. He wanted to but had not done so. I agreed to pray with him, but he said that he would prefer to receive Christ when alone. I promised to pray for him and said good-bye.

The next morning I called him to inquire, "Did you pray that prayer?"

"I certainly did," he responded warmly and enthusiastically, "just as I promised I would."

Let me suggest two other methods that you might find helpful.

One is to share your own personal testimony and, as the Holy Spirit leads you, give another opportunity for the individual with whom you are sharing to receive Christ. Another is to simply review the booklet, explaining it clearly one law at a time and asking after each law, "Does this make sense?"

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