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Here's a sermon I got from my youth pastor waaaaay back in the day... I re-worked it, extensively, and then first used it about a year and a half ago. I actually first preached it under the title, "Principles of Evangelism," but have since re-titled it as "4 Steps to Better Fishing."

UPDATE (02-21-07): Just making sure... my youth pastor's name was Henry Bernshausen and I wanted to make sure he got full credit for one of his many incredible sermons... even though I did state that it was my youth pastor's and not mine, I just wanted to make sure and say exactly who my youth pastor was. Especially since he found it and read it and commented! ;-)

"PRINCIPLES OF EVANGELISM"
Luke 10:1-11

Opening Prayer...

Any of you ever been fishing? I have. I went fishing once in Arkansas at a small creek with some folks from here. I didn't catch much, mind you. In fact, I think I caught more of my sweatshirt that day than I did of anything else.

I've got some pictures here of one of our students, Richard Fangmeier, who went fishing with his Dad and brothers last year. He gave these pictures to me, and I thought since we were going to talk a little bit about fishing that we'd show these.

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Here's the battle between Richard and the fish.
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He had a little bit of help. And then we've got the winner of that particular battle.
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Then, we've got the picture of the fisherman and his brothers.
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And we've got what they found in the fish's belly.

Now, I would like to take a moment and tell you a story about fishing. This story happens to be about a man named Bob.

Illustration: Bob hooks a huge bass
Bob had a great day of bass fishing, not just a great day, but a record-breaking day. He was able to hook the heaviest bass known to man. Soon after his sudden success, Bob was asked to speak to a fisherman's club about his experience.

Bob went through the whole story with them, telling them what lure he had used and explaining the struggle he had pulling the fish in. One of the members of the club was so impressed with his story that he asked Bob to come speak to another group. Soon, Bob was speaking everywhere about this one fishing experience. In fact, he spent three years going from place to place telling this story. However, during those three years, he never went fishing.

Now, you may have heard this story before or you may doubt that it really happened... but the truth of it, what's behind it is clear. Many people think that going fishing one time makes them a fisherman. I've been fishing once or twice in my lifetime... that does not make me a fisherman.

The same thing with practicing evangelism... the process of sharing Jesus Christ with others. Just because I shared Jesus once long ago doesn't make me an evangelist.

This morning, we're going to look at a piece of Scripture that was spoken by Jesus and we're going to draw four principles of evangelism. Not the only four, not the perfect four, but four in a strategy that Jesus laid out for his disciples.
In doing so, our prayer should be that God would allow us to live out some of these principles in not just our church life, but in our everyday lives.

Luke 10:5-6 says this:
5"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' 6If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you."

BLESS THEM.
Remember, this is Jesus talking. He's giving instructions on how to begin to win a place in the hearts and minds of the people.

Really, I can see the logic in this. I can see the intelligence in His plan... His strategy. Because we have to ask... what have we lost if we try to bless someone and they refuse it? Nothing! It is their loss! If somebody offers to pray for me and I refuse... it's my loss! If somebody tries to buy me lunch or dinner (which I consider a blessing) and I refuse... it is my loss!

We have become too indoctrinated with the lie that we have nothing to offer an unbelieving world... we have salvation, church! We have the only name through which men may gain salvation! We have the security and peace of mind that this world is not all there is!

Luke 10:7 goes on to say:
7"Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house."

2. FELLOWSHIP WITH THEM.
Remember, Jesus is still speaking. Now, is He saying not to go door-to-door? I don't think so. Somebody, somewhere might try to make a case for it... but I believe there is a much deeper message embedded in these words of instruction.

Jesus understand that human beings are relational and that if you stick around long enough, even with the most reclusive person, eventually, you will push past the veneer, the wall they may have built up and you will get to know that person. You will come to see them as a person and not just a project.

Likewise, when He says to eat and drink whatever they give you, He is saying, become familiar with them, with how they cook their burgers or tacos... take your pick. Because if there's one thing we know Texas, it's that home-cooking varies from home to home... Amen?

Illustration: "Tortillas" My aunt and grandmother were famous for the way they would prepare the flour tortillas. Not too thick, not too thin... but just right. In all my time in Texas, I have never come across anyone who prepares tortillas exactly like they did.

And Jesus knew that if you stuck around someone long enough, in the places they inhabited, that eventually you would come to know them better and better.

But not just for strategy's sake, but also for relationships' sake. When you come to know another human being, you pray for them more intensely because you care about them, you actually desire good and godly things for that person and their family and their life. You don't pray blanket, general prayers anymore... your prayers become
more and more personal and your burden for them becomes stronger.

We bless them, we fellowship with them and we...

Luke 10:9a says this...
9Heal the sick who are there..."

3. MEET THEIR NEEDS.
If someone is sick, heal them. Heal them. If someone is hurting, help them. If someone is hungry, feed them. If someone is naked, clothe them. If they are in need, meet that need.

I'm not saying the church can meet every need... we can't. It's impossible. Neither am I saying that we should allow ourselves to be taken advantage of. There are so many swindlers out there today that have no problem with cheating a church... I take offense at it. I'd like to take one or two every now and then behind the church house and teach 'em a thing or two about respect for the church. But then there's people inside the church who have just as much problem learning respect.

So, we bless them, we fellowship with them, we meet their needs and...

Luke 10:9b finishes it off:
"...and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'"

4. THEN, SHARE THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST WITH THEM.

It's really very simple. These four principles don't have a lot to them, but sometimes we have a hard time because they're about evangelism.

But How do we share the message of Christ?

Some practical tips for sharing Jesus...

1. Always be prepared.
1 Peter 3:15b instructs us, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

2. Always be in prayer.

3. Always be aware of opportunities.

Let me close with this film clip... we're talking about fishing, so let's look at a movie that has some really great fishing scenes in it.

Illustration: Clip from Jaws.
Start Time: 00:36:06
End Time: 00:37:45

Chief Brody didn't warn people about swimming in shark-infested waters, even though he should have.

How many of us would not warn friends if they were about to dive into shark-infested waters?

The Bible says that no one will live forever, that no man can escape the power of the grave (Psalm 89:48). Nobody. Eventually, every one of us, and everyone that we know is going to have settle up with the grave.

Why oh why would we not tell people who are about to dive headfirst into Hell?

Why oh why would we allow ourselves to be put in a position where we would have to shoulder the fact that we could've, but we didn't?

Why oh why, would we talk with some close friends about everything else under the sun... but we wouldn't share with them the simple, life-changing, soul-saving news of Jesus Christ?

Let's pray...

Posted by Carlos M. Tovar at 05:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, I have begun to muse on an upcoming event in my life... it will be something completely new and different and for me, it will be something of a road marker for me. It is happening in about a month's time, on November 19, to be precise. November 19 happens to fall on a Sunday, and so that is it's own dilemma, because Sundays are many times my busiest work days. But November 19 approaches nonetheless and upon its back it bears a personal milestone for me...

I am turning 30 years old.

Now, brace yourself... it doesn't feel as old as it sounds. When I was a teenager, I used to think, "Man, when I turn 30, I will be old. That's old. 30 years is a long time. It's 3 decades. Man, that's ancient." However, now, being within a month of turning 30, I've started waxing philosophical and evaluating where I am at with turning 30 and I am reevaluating my thoughts on the matter. Premier is the fact that 30 feels nowhere near as old" as I thought it would. Except when I get up to go jogging for my church's Boot Camp program.

I am not at a place where I am necessarily regretting getting "old-er"... being 30 has definite advantages. I'm on a career path and have some money... not a lot, but enough to be able to do some cool stuff. I have life experience to draw from. Again, not a lot, but enough to have some idea of what wisdom can be: not saying I have it, but I am saying that I can at least see where I need it most. I have completed and achieved some things... but nowhere near what I had envisioned as a teenager. It doesn't really bother me, that much, though, because I realize that I had some naive dreams as a teenager, probably more naive than most, and so looking back on them, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that some of them didn't come to pass by this particular birthday.

There are some things, though, that have begun to creep into my thoughts on a more and more frequent basis, though. As I near 30, I have begun taking stock in some things that - while realistic - I will have to work extremely hard at and in at least one case, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that must pursue with a vengence.

I have, on numerous occasions, taught and read through a bible passage in which a parable is told of three servants who are given the responsibility of being stewards over their master's wealth. The specific amount of money each is assigned varies, but one thing stays the same; each is given at least one "talent." Now, a talent was a specific measurement of money in the culture and time period of the parable's telling and it was the highest possible amount that could be named. An incredible sum. Almost a blank check, if you will. The three servants each are given a different number of talents and then turned loose. Two of the servants put their talents to use and double their master's wealth. One of them, however, hides his and does nothing with it.

When the master returns, the two who put their master's wealth to use are rewarded and invited into fellowship with their master. However, the servant who simply hides his talent is sent out into the cold and is rebuked harshly by his master.

By now, most of you have probably picked up on this and know where this is headed. Bottom line? I don't want to be that guy who simply sits on his "talent" and gets chewed out by his Master. I firmly believe that each of us has been given some share of our Master's wealth (ie: talents, abilities, resources, etc) and once we are entrusted with them, it then becomes our responsibility to put them to use. It is important that I note the true ownership of the wealth... it is not mine, I am simply the steward, the trustee. It is my Master's. I am a temporary steward of my talents, abilities and whatnot and my belief is that one day, I will be held accountable for what I do with what I've been given.

I would not ever presume to tell someone else this in regard to their own life... this is a very personal conviction of my own. I am not even claiming to espouse solid biblical hermeneutics in this blog. Just offering a few random thoughts based on my own personal spiritual journey.

Back to the matter at hand. I have begun to re-shift my internal gears back towards my writing. I have always been very interested in writing, telling stories, creating. It's been something I have been fascinated with, primarily because my mother took the time during our summers to cart myself, my brother and sister to the downtown branch of the Houston Public Library and - initially - force us to read stacks of books for hours at a time. As time went on, I came to unearth my own love of reading, of story-telling, and of how artfully life could be conveyed through the written word. It even rivaled my love of the cinematic story-telling (which is a whole other blog).

And so, as I move towards 30, and as I keep in mind my own spiritual journey and the aforementioned parable, I am continually impressed with a deep, surging sense of urgency. I must begin to utilize the gifts I have been given... if I truly want to fully develop them and make the most out of them. I could just bury my desire to write in letters to students and parents or emails to prospects and such, in curriculum-writing and developing, but the reality is that I feel I need to begin exercising some long-forgotten mental and creative muscles. I need to write. And I need to write because I am approaching 30 and 30 is closer to halfway than not of an average human life-span. And I need to write because no day is guaranteed to us and we are prompted by a very wise man to make the most of every opportunity because the days are "evil." No day is promised. And I don't think I want to waste any more days as maybe I had done at different points in my younger years. So, in writing this blog, I continue to expand outlets for working out some long-dormant muscles. Please excuse the shoddy - at best - craftsmanship of this blog. Some muscles are flabby from lack of use. Some are sore from this little burst of exercise right here. And some have a long way to go before I can finish that novel I have begun working on again.

30 is coming soon... and I sure want to make sure I am moving full steam ahead when I get ready to hit 40. Because standing on the brink of turning 30 years old, 40 years old sure looks "old." And I would certainly hate to be in the same place with my writing at 40 years old as I am on the cusp of turning 30.

Posted by Carlos M. Tovar at 05:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)