The Smooth Road to Destruction

 By Pastor Doug Batchelor
An Amazing Fact: The California highway department noticed that on long, smooth stretches of highway, drivers were falling asleep and running off the road. So as a safety measure, they started adding line bumps to awaken sleeping motorists if they began drifting out of their lane. Most states now have these “drunk bumps” to keep drivers awake and alive.
“Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:8–10).

A Protestant missionary in the South Pacific, after working among the indigenous population for several years, decided to return to the United States for a nine-month furlough. During this time, he planned to visit several churches to raise funds for the island mission.
He also persuaded a local chief, a recent convert to the faith, to join him on the trip. The tall chief had an imposing presence — a muscular body accentuated by a broad, pearly white smile. The missionary knew that having this living trophy of his evangelistic efforts would greatly impress the church members in North America to give more generously.
When the two arrived stateside, the missionary took the chief from church to church. After showing slides of their mission station, he paraded the chief around in a colorful native costume. People were thrilled to hear about the chief’s conversion from paganism. But along the journey across America, to avoid the gawking of onlookers, the missionary dressed his friend in typical western garments and fed him American food. It was hard to find a pair of shoes wide enough for the burly chief’s rough feet.
After the nine-month whirlwind tour, the Western lifestyle had taken a toll on the Polynesian king. His feet softened from the shoes, and he lost definition and tone in his muscles from lack of exercise. Unaccustomed to the sweet, highly processed foods, the chief even began to lose his teeth and was plagued with frequent stomach ailments.
By the time he returned to his island home, many of his own villagers barely recognized him. “Soft living” had nearly killed him.
Baby Food
When whole wheat is milled into white flour, 83 percent of the nutrients are removed; mostly only starch remains. The fiber is also gone, along with most of the Vitamin E and 21 other nutrients. The flour that is left is so drained as a food that it must be fortified with chemically manufactured thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron. In fact, refined bread is so depleted, 35 U.S. states require that white flour must be synthetically enriched to be sold.
In the same way that processed wheat and soft living can make us physically weak, spiritual food with refined fiber-less pabulum produces churches full of weak, infantile invalids. Physicians are constantly reminding us that we must have sufficient roughage and grist in our diets to be healthy. This also applies to our spiritual diet, yet many Christians have been gumming baby mush for so long they are offended by real food.

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12–14 NKJV).

Tasty Terms
Especially in North America, our brains and bodies have been gradually weakened by convenience stores, elevators, auto dial, and remote control. Why expend the energy to do anything when it can all be done for you electronically?
This love of comfort, ease, and generally smooth living has affected our terms, as well as our time. A TV network explains, “This program is not for sensitive viewers” — instead of the truth: “This program is bloody, gruesome, grisly, and violent.” In fact, marketing executives know that as soon as they announce a program is not for sensitive viewers, the average person will pay even closer attention. You’ve also heard, “The following program is for mature audiences.” Of course, they really should warn that the “following program contains perverted, lustful, crude material.” (Is being perverted really “mature”?)
We’ve all heard the warning: The church is in the world, but the world is not supposed to be in the church! (See John 17:16–18.) Yet sadly, the fact is that the trends of the world are having an obvious influence on our church. The same longing for easy living is infecting God’s people. In this age of fast food, everyone wants a sermonette. (A friend of mine once said, “Sermonettes are for christianettes.”) In fact, to secure popularity among the clamoring of comfort-loving members, many pastors are falling into the same pattern as politicians who travel from one district to another telling everybody what they think will please them.
What are some of the smooth, popular, yet poisonous doctrines that some pastors are telling their flocks these days?

• As long as you pray over your food, you can eat or drink anything without consequences.
• If you have enough faith, you’ll be prosperous and comfortable.
• Abortion is not really killing an unborn baby; it’s simply “pregnancy termination.”
• Practicing homosexuality is not really a sin; it’s simply an alternate lifestyle.
• It’s not necessary to honor the Sabbath commandment literally as long as you are resting in Jesus.
• Once you say the sinner’s prayer, you’re saved and you can’t be lost.
• The most prevalent and deadly lie: Jesus came to save us in our sins, rather than from them.

The church is striving so hard to be politically correct and sensitive to the world. The result is that we are becoming increasingly indifferent to God’s Word.
Deadly by Any Name
The devil wants to soothe our conviction to sleep, lest we should realize our peril and turn from our sins. He is afraid we will discover how lethal sin really is — “That sin through the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Romans 7:13) — and that we’ll start looking for a Savior.
My grandfather smoked Lucky Strike cigarettes for years. He made a few feeble attempts to quit, but his health was fair so he was not too alarmed and, therefore, not very motivated. But one day, he was admitted into the hospital for a simple procedure and was appalled when he saw the man in the bed next to him smoking those same cigarettes through a hole in his throat — his voice box had been removed from smoking-related cancer. When my grandfather understood how exceedingly dangerous smoking is, he threw away his cigarettes and never smoked again.
If a doctor is afraid to upset you so that he says that you have a touch of poison ivy when you really have skin cancer, he is not your friend. Likewise, as Christians, we should honestly diagnose ourselves if we are going to receive the appropriate treatment.
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6). Ministers and church members have a responsibility to faithfully and lovingly warn the world that there is a heaven to win and a hell to shun, that persisting to live a life of sin will end in irrevocable loss.

“So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezekiel 33:7–9).

As we near the end of the world, seeing the imminence of the second coming, it is no time to proclaim smooth things. Every gospel presentation should be saturated with a sense of power and urgency. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).
Jesus has told us that one of the signs of the end is that the church will be softly singing Satan’s lullaby, “Peace, relax, rest in your sins.”
“For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3 NKJV). I used to believe this passage was speaking of the world, but perhaps Paul is warning us of conditions in the church!
The Truth Can Hurt
On many occasions, Jesus had to say some rough things for the purpose of saving souls. And on more than one occasion, droves of followers turned away from Him because of these challenging statements. “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? … From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:60, 66).
I cannot improve on this statement from the book Steps to Christ:

“Jesus did not suppress one word of truth, but He uttered it always in love. He exercised the greatest tact and thoughtful, kind attention in His intercourse with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. He spoke the truth, but always in love. He denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity; but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes” (p. 12).

The hard sayings of Jesus were never designed to simply wound or offend those hearing Him. He said them to save us and help us grow the fruits of the Spirit. “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11 NKJV).
False Prophets
Peter Marshall, in his vivid style, describes 20th century Christians with these words: “They are like deep-sea divers encased in suits designed for many fathoms deep, marching bravely forth to pull plugs out of bathtubs.”
Jesus warns us that there will be many false prophets in the last days preaching smooth things (Matthew 24:11). That’s why we must know how to distinguish the true from the counterfeit. But to take the high, straight, and rough road of biting honesty when everyone else is sliding down the smooth road buttered with platitudes of popularity requires a rare breed of courage.
In the first book of Kings, we find a story that dramatically illustrates how most people in this world are hungering to hear smooth things, while God still has faithful followers who want to tell the truth at any cost.
Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, wanted to recapture his town of Ramothgilead from the Syrians, but he needed help to take on the mighty army of Syria. So he asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah to join him in his campaign against their common enemy.
Jehoshaphat was willing to join forces with Ahab, but he believed that they should first seek God’s counsel. Ahab had forsaken the Lord years earlier to worship the pagan god Baal, so he called in his 400 hired false prophets to come before the two monarchs and prophesy. As the two kings sat on thrones, all the pompous pagan prophets said, with a loud dramatic display, “Go and fight the Syrians and you will be victorious!” It was a very impressive pep rally.
Yet Jehoshaphat was skeptical. Seeing these were all prophets of Baal and knowing how they always told the king what he wanted to hear, he requested to hear from a prophet of the Lord. Ahab was disturbed at this request but said that there was one prophet of God left, called Micaiah — but he added, “I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil” (1 Kings 22:8). Nevertheless, at Jehoshaphat’s urging, Ahab reluctantly sent a servant to fetch Micaiah.
The messenger sent to bring Micaiah told him, “Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. [Preach smooth things!] And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.” Now there’s a novel thought — tell the truth regardless of the consequences. The prophet went to the kings and bravely told Ahab that if he went to fight the Syrians, he would surely die in the battle.
Now Ahab was faced with a tough decision. Should he believe 400 prophets of Baal who preached smooth things — or one lone prophet of the Lord with a rough message? Ahab made the wrong decision, even though he knew what was right. He persuaded Jehoshaphat to disregard the warnings of Micaiah and join him in a war promoted by Baal’s prophets. After all, how could one prophet be right over 400 others?
Still, just in case, Ahab thought he could outsmart the Lord by dressing in full armor and avoiding the front lines. But the wicked king learned too late that you can never escape the Word of God. In the battle, a stray arrow struck Ahab in the joints of his armor and he bled to death in his chariot. Ahab was killed by embracing the fatal flatteries of false prophets.
In the Age of Smooth Things
When the famous evangelist Billy Sunday would preach direct and powerful sermons against specific sins, such as the evils of alcohol, local leaders would often ask him to tone down his direct preaching. They would say, “Pastor Sunday, you are always rubbing the cat’s fur the wrong way.” But the famed evangelist would respond, “I am rubbing the cat’s fur the right way; the cat just needs to turn around.”
Jesus warns, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26 NKJV). Jeremiah put it this way: “Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you” (Jeremiah 12:6 NKJV).
Paul goes on to tell us that this dilemma will be one of the characteristics of the church in the last days. Church members will be looking for ministers to tell them what pleases their carnal nature, for smooth, easy religion without a cross.
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:2–4 NKJV).
Many people in our church today want a form of religion without the power to overcome their sins. Many churches are accommodating them, providing bazaars, bingo, and soothing social programs — but avoiding a message of salvation from sin. Their sermons are like a saw with no teeth. The sharp sword of God’s Word is replaced with a rubber baby spoon!
Sadly, the people leave church feeling like they have been feasting on molasses. It is sweet to eat, but then everyone walks away sick. It’s all gooey, sloppy sermons for cotton candy Christians.
One Sunday, Abraham Lincoln was riding home from church in his carriage when his secretary asked him how he liked the sermon they just heard. “Not very much.” The secretary was surprised, because most people felt the preacher was very gifted. What was the problem? Lincoln answered, “He did not ask me to do anything great.”
The true word of God will always challenge us to press onward and upward to greater things. One great writer put it this way:

“Preachers should have no scruples to preach the truth as it is found in God’s word. Let the truth cut. I have been shown that why ministers have not more success is, they are afraid of hurting feelings, fearful of not being courteous, and they lower the standard of truth, and conceal if possible the peculiarity of our faith. I saw that God could not make such successful. The truth must be made pointed, and the necessity of a decision urged. And as false shepherds are crying, Peace, and are preaching smooth things, the servants of God must cry aloud, and spare not, and leave the result with God” (Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 2, pp. 284, 285).

Avoiding Disaster
“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat” (Proverbs 23:1–3).
So what can you do to resist the temptation of gobbling up Satan’s sweet but deceptive delicacies?
1. Measure all teachings by the Word of God. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).
2. Be willing to do His will, regardless of the consequences! “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God” (John 7:17).
3. Never accept a teaching just because it is popular. “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil” (Exodus 23:2).
4. Place yourself under a well-balanced diet of spiritual teaching and feed your own soul with God’s Word. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Several years ago, a man living in China bought a microscope. At first he was thrilled with his new acquisition; he marveled looking at the wonders of flowers and feathers magnified hundreds of times. But one day he made the mistake of looking at his rice under the microscope and saw that it was crawling with tiny creatures. Rice was his favorite food. Very disturbed, the man smashed his microscope with a rock because it revealed his rice had bugs, but he didn’t want to give up his beloved staple.
We are all faced with a similar challenge today. We can either place ourselves under the scrutiny of God’s Word and allow Him to boil away the bugs — or we can turn the microscope of His law out of focus to blur our defects and listen to the fancy fables of false prophets.
God desires that we look deep to find out what we really want. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). May our sincere response be, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23, 24).

The Road to Emmaus: 15 Tips for Effective Witnessing

Don Mackintosh, Director of AFCOE In Luke 24, we find a wonderful example of Christ’s witnessing manner and method in a powerful post-resurrection story. In this article, we’ll uncover 15 witnessing tips that can be gleaned from this one Bible passage, which can help you become a more effective and confident witness!
Let’s pick up the story in verses 13–15:
Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them (NKJV).

Witnessing Tip #1: Draw Near

Christ was not aloof. He went to where people gathered. He “drew near and went with them.” The root meaning of the phrase “drew near” is to come near in time and place. Christ sought out the hurting.
While much of the gospel work can be accomplished from afar, ultimately, most people need a personal, real-time connection. They need someone who will reach them where they are and become acquainted with them. They need someone who will sympathetically apply Scripture to their specific situations.
But before we go too far, notice the next verse …

Their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him
(v. 16 NKJV).

What an interesting concept! Here Scripture indicates that the eyes of these two men were restrained and they did not know that it was Jesus. The Lord wanted them to be able to focus on what He was saying rather than who He was.
Drawing near to people and witnessing to them does not necessarily require that the first thing we do is adopt an in-your-face, full-disclosure approach; sometimes much more can be accomplished if we remain “undercover” and reveal things as souls are able to digest them. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12 NKJV).

Witnessing Tip #2: Measure Your Approach

So don’t always make your purpose known unless the situation warrants it.
Of course, there are times when you must let people know who you are to avoid being counterproductive. For instance, if you knock on someone’s door, they have the right to know right away who you are and why you are there.
However, in other venues, for instance, when you are traveling, you have the luxury of letting things play out, which can provide big advantages for effective witness.
But for this to occur, we need to be aware of the “conversation” and “reasoning” that we hear people using.
The word “conversation” in verse 15 comes from the Greek root for logos or “word.” The word “reason” comes from the Greek root logismos, where we get the word “logic.”
We could take this to mean that instead of making Himself known right away, Christ chose to listen to and learn about those He was trying to reach.

Witnessing Tip #3: Listen to Them

Listen to the words people are using, listen to their logic, when you are witnessing to them. You can learn much about who they are and what their needs are. This can provide a foundation and direction for what you later share when it is time to make yourself and your purpose better known. It is easier to tailor your teaching to their specific needs if you listen to their concerns and take them to heart.
What did Jesus do to gather more needed information?

He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” (v. 17 NKJV).

We can find at least two more fruitful witnessing tips in this short verse.

Witnessing Tip #4: Explore Their Hearts

Ask open-ended questions to better know your new friends and get additional background. It is simply amazing the amount of information people will volunteer once they begin talking. When you ask open-ended questions, people often don’t feel pressured and will share what’s in their hearts. They also feel valued because they are being listened to, rather than “witnessed to” or “preached at.”
But did you notice the other element in Christ’s question? He not only asked about their conversation, He also noted and asked about what their facial expressions and body language were communicating.

Witnessing Tip #5: Be Aware of Everything

Ask the Spirit to give you Christ-like awareness and discernment. Jesus saw that these two men were sad (literally gloomy or of mournful appearance), and He specifically asked them why they were so!
Facial expressions matter, and they can tell a lot about what’s going on in someone’s head. It’s never safe to assume anything based on just a facial expression, but it certainly does not hurt to ask.
Jesus’ question and observation drew a revealing response from one of His travel companions.

Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” (vs. 18, 19 NKJV).

As you “listen” to Cleopas, can you sense his sadness? Perhaps he sounds a little bit angry too. Interestingly, this is in keeping with the actual meaning of the word translated as “sad,” which can include the idea that the person is also experiencing anger.
But Christ, the master communicator, recognizes that it’s still not quite time to speak. He hears within Cleopas’ question the desire to share even more information, so He beckons Cleopas to continue by asking, “What things?”
As you read Cleopas’ answer, see if you can identify and diagnose the cause for his sad anger:

The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see (vs. 19–24 NKJV).

Did you see the reason for Cleopas’ anger? He offered it! So what was the problem? These two were despondent and their conversation with one another was not helping one bit; it was only further depressing them.
Bottom line, they had lost hope and were in a very vulnerable and discouraged state of mind.

Witnessing Tip #6: Be Patient

If you patiently wait long enough, people will often tell you their problems and give you a chance to offer a solution.
What Christ said next would be of vital importance to them physically, mentally, and spiritually. It could very well be the difference between life and death for them.
So what did He say?

He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (v. 25 NKJV).

While at first it could appear that Christ’s choice of words might seem ill advised, they are actually saturated with meaning.
First, Jesus says, “Oh foolish ones.” Should a fool know better? Is a fool unintelligent or merely unwise? What exactly is a fool anyway? Well, according to one Scripture, a fool is one who says “in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).
So what we have now is a picture of two individuals who had walked and talked with Christ for three years but were in danger of walking with God no more. They were about to give up completely, even questioning their faith and trust in God.
Let’s go to the next phrase: “slow of heart.” Slowness of heart in the Greek is bradeis cardia, and it’s where we get the word “bradycardia,” which is a term used in medicine today to describe a dangerously low heart rhythm. In other words, their spiritual foolishness had caused them to lose heart.
What was the cause of this life-threatening condition? Because they had not “believed all the prophets had spoken.” And because of this selective and faulty reasoning, what was actually a magnificent blessing was something they thought was the worst possible curse; what was depressing them was supposed to be seen as a glorious fulfillment of Bible prophecy. “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things to enter into his glory?”
Here the entire tone of this witnessing experience changes. Christ moves from being an active listener to being an active presenter of heart-saving Bible truth!
But before we look closer at His presentation, let’s remind ourselves of several vital witnessing tips that we’ve just seen.

Witnessing Tip #7: Be Complete

Jesus continued to ask open-ended questions until He and those He was witnessing to had shared enough information to have a complete picture of the diagnosis and the solution.

Witnessing Tip #8: Be Direct

Once Jesus knew the problem and its seriousness, He wasted no time in directly, but tactfully, sharing not only His diagnosis of the problem but also the solution: believing all the prophets have spoken.

Witnessing Tip #9: Offer the Solution First

To be sure that those listening to Him were not devastated by His forthright diagnosis, He shared the conclusion—the hopeful prognosis—they needed to hear before He set out to prove it.
In essence, He said, “Look, I know your pain. I understand it from your perspective, but I’ve got good news for you. You are wrong! What you think is the worst thing in the world is actually the best!”
Of course, He doesn’t just leave them with the conclusion. Notice what He does next!

Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (v. 27 NKJV).

Witnessing Tip #10: Be Prepared to Have an Answer

Christ doesn’t just tell them that they are thinking things wrong. He also shows them how to think right through a powerful explanation of Scripture! Jesus knew they were desperate for answers. You could say that He positively reproves them, offering them the correct view of the situation on the basis of Scripture.
Of course, a systematic topical Bible study—that is, looking at everything the Bible has to say about a subject—can have a powerful effect. This is in fact what an evangelist does in every presentation. It’s what we train our AFCOE students to do: to prove and reprove all things from the Word.

Witnessing Tip #11: Make It Personal

As Jesus explains this revelation, He does it in the context of His own personal pain experience and God-glorifying testimony—“the things concerning Himself.”
The most powerful form of witness is often just a simple personal testimony. You must learn to share your testimony whenever it is most useful to do so.
Be careful, however, to not overdo it. Christ actually gauged the continued interest of those who were listening to Him. He did this by indicating that He had to continue on His journey as the other two neared their destination.

Witnessing Tip #12: Gauge Continued Interest

Always monitor whether or not you are getting through to someone or to gauge the interest level of those listening and then tie off your time while interest is still at a peak. You don’t have to share everything at once. You can feed a person too much of even the best food and give them indigestion!
Notice the response of the two men when Christ said He was leaving them …

But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them (v. 29 NKJV).

Now, isn’t this the way you’d like people to act at the end of your Bible study? Constraining, begging you, imploring you to stay and show them more?
Of course, the best part of this wonderful passage is found in the next several verses. See if you can spot the results of effective witnessing.

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (vs. 30–32 NKJV).

Did you see the results?
Effective Bible study helps people literally see Jesus. The Word is so filled with Spirit that it can take broken, helpless, “slow” of heart, sin-sick souls and bring them new life and energy. The slow of heart are instead filled with heavenly heartburn!

Witnessing Tip #13: Give the Glory to God

Remember, true witness will lead to the worship of the living Christ, not the preacher or teacher! Keep God as your focus, just as Christ always did.

Witnessing Tip #14: Leave Their Focus on Scripture

Effective witnessing will also lead you to leave while the focus of those you’ve been studying with is firmly focused on the life-changing truth of Scripture.
And what was the ultimate result of Christ’s witness that day?

So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread (vs. 33−35 NKJV).

Witnessing Tip #15: Make Disciples

True witness will lead and inspire those who have learned the truth to share what they’ve learned with the same boldness and clarity.
What a wonderful and practical picture of effective Word-based witnessing! What a wonderful example of simple techniques that not only the disciples but you and I can use in reaching out to others for the King!
Remember, it was this one simple Bible study, given during a short seven-mile walk, that was used by the Spirit to turn the world upside down! They heard the study and were gripped and equipped by it. Their hearts were set on fire, and they couldn’t help but share it with others. And now you’ve heard it and can go share it with others too!