Dare 2 Share - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. (II Corinthians 5:10-11a)
A long time ago in a country far far away…no, I’m not talking about Star Wars- I’m thinking of a place called Greece. They were pretty famous for having a bunch of really smart dudes called philosophers. Their job mainly consisted of thinking of exceedingly brainy thoughts, then telling others how they could be brainy too.
One particular philosopher was named Aristotle, and he wrote a classic book called Art of Rhetoric. This work taught people how to persuade others to their way of thinking. I was checking out this book not long ago, and I thought “hey, this is great stuff! I’ll have to use this sometime when I’m in a debate”. Now most of the time, I deliberate with others on matters of opinion. For example, if I like the movie Shrek and my friend John comes along and tells me it was a stupid flick- we will probably enter into a discussion and I will try to convince him that it was actually an excellent show. Yet that is just my opinion, because we both could be correct from our different perspectives.
However, sometimes I get into conversations with people about God- particularly the gospel. Now when it comes to sharing the gospel we are not talking about opinion- we are discussing the truth. Jesus Christ is the way to heaven, not a way- it cannot be both ways. Therefore, I propose that we use Aristotle’s great persuasion techniques to convince people of their need for a Savior- so let me explain how they work:
Technique one: Ethos (character). Henry Stanley said of Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone, "He never tried to convert me, but if I had been with him any longer I would have become a Christian." When we as believers actually ‘walk our talk’, our words are taken more seriously. Perhaps there are people in your life who are almost ready to trust Christ, but they are waiting for you to start living like a Christian instead of just talking like one.
Technique two: Pathos (emotion). At one of the Dare 2 Share conferences, there was a group of students witnessing to a security guard at a mall. He was very resistant to the gospel, until one girl tearfully pleaded, "If you don't accept Jesus, you'll go to hell. Please, please trust in Jesus." Her emotion most definitely got his attention!
Technique three: Logos (reason). As we strive to live a godly life, we will attract attention. Others will take notice of our inner joy and peace, and this will lead to questions. It is at those moments that we need to be ready to give reasons for what we believe, and we are to do so gently and humbly (1 Peter 3:15). That’s why we need to know the Bible, and the reasons why it is absolutely true.
All three of these techniques work very well by themselves, but when you combine all three you become an extremely compelling witness for Jesus. This week, ask God to help you identify which area you need to work on, and look for opportunities to share the most marvelous hope in the universe with those around you with a one-two-three combination.
When you know Christ, you want others to know Him too.
Questions:
1) Which areas are you weak in: ethos, pathos, or logos?
2) What can you do to strengthen these areas?
3) Who is God leading me to witness to?
