2 Corinthians 5:20 (NKJV) Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
God’s heart is for all who are lost to return to Him, and every believer is entrusted with the Gospel. God will nudge our hearts to reach out to others, especially when we witness the sufferings in their lives, because we hold the answer to their hopelessness—Jesus. Therefore, we need to be a good befriender, and the Response Pyramid (Source: “Type A” Evangelism Training Workbook by Alfred Yau) is a tool to help us share the Gospel with different kinds of unbelievers.
Broadly speaking, unbelievers will fall into two main categories, namely Type A and B, which can be further broken down into five levels.
Type B (Level 5) represents the largest group of people whose typical mindset is “We’re all going to the same place via different roads”. They have no interest in the Christian faith and may object strongly to the sharing of the Gospel. We need to develop relationships with them and expose them to the reality of Christ in our own lives. Our personal testimony is a powerful tool in making them aware of what Christ means to us. While many deny, ignore or even reject the Gospel, this gives them cause to stop and think.
Type B (Level 4) represents the second largest group. They have an awareness of the Gospel but are not receptive; they have heard about Jesus but choose not to believe.
Type B+ (Level 3) don’t object to being friends with Christians and may attend church or Christian gatherings occasionally. We should engage in friendship evangelism. Sharing your life experience after conversion allows them to see how God has met your needs in the same situations they are facing and may lead to an opening to pray for their situations.
Level 2 (Type A) is open to the Gospel. They may already have some understanding of Christianity and are willing to attend church. It is appropriate to do Bible Study, explain the message of salvation to them or even lead them through the Sinner’s Prayer if they are ready.
Level 1 (Type A) is very close to making a decision for Christ—they may just be waiting to be asked. The best way is to pray for them.
We should all take time to write out our personal testimony. Simply sharing how our life used to be and how it has changed since accepting the Lord as our Saviour is a great door-opener to share the love of Jesus with others because nobody can reject or challenge the story pertaining to our life’s journey.
You and I are the church of the living God. Therefore we should be proactive in reaching out to the lost. The pandemic and the challenges that it brought have humbled the hearts of people and made them more open to the Gospel. Therefore, we should make the most of this opportunity, and arise and build His church.
Sermon Series: Arise and Build
