1 of 22

Helping Your Friends

Grow Toward Jesus� �The 5 Thresholds of Faith��

2 of 22

SOCIAL

CLUB

Little impact on campus, �little personal transformation.

TRANSFORMATIONAL COMMUNITY

The Holy Spirit keeps leading us into conversions, reaching new networks, and reconciliation & justice.

EVANGELISM

COMMUNITY

The Good news is shared but not embodied.

+

RECONCILIATION�COMMUNITY

Good news is not shared, �only embodied.

LOW EVANGELISM

HIGH RECONCILIATION AND JUSTICE

LOW RECONCILIATION AND JUSTICE

HIGH EVANGELISM

3 of 22

THE FIVE THRESHOLDS

� �From I Once Was Lost by Doug Schaupp and Don Everts (IVP)��

4 of 22

MARK 4:26-29

The harvest is more ripe

than we think.

5 of 22

He [Jesus] also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. �A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day�whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, �though he does not know how. All by itself the soil �produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the �full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he �puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”� Mark 4:26-29 (NIV)��

What is the farmer good at?

6 of 22

What is the farmer good at?

Throwing the Seed

Watching and Waiting

Discerning the Growth

Harvesting the Crop

7 of 22

What are YOU good at?

Throwing the Seed:�you are good at �meeting people

Watching and Waiting:�you pray for the�harvest

Discerning the Growth:�you sense where people �are at with God

Harvesting the Crop:�you help people �commit to Jesus

What are you good at? Let’s do a quick self-assessment. Pick the ONE area you are best at. Some of you are best at throwing the seed. That means you like meeting new people and you are friendly. Others of you are strong at intercession. You watch and wait; you pray for the harvest, and you embrace the mystery. Others of you discern the growth. Within about 5 minutes of meeting a non-Christian, you can guess their level of interest in God. Lastly, some of you are strong at the harvest and the sickle. You help people commit to Jesus.

(Turn in pairs for 30 seconds) Pick your strength. Now, let’s each vote. Raise your hand for the one you are best at. (Have them vote.) Which of you are best at meeting people? Which of you are best at intercession? Which of you are best at discernment? Which of you are best at helping people commit to Jesus? (Comment on the number of hands that go up. Affirm where they are strongest and point out where they have fewest votes. Make an observation, but do not be judge-y.)

8 of 22

Is it a patient process �or an urgent moment?�
Is it a mystery or a predictable pattern?

�

Who is the active �agent in the harvest?�The ground, the seed, �or the farmer?

The Harvest Paradox

A paradox is “a situation that combines contradictory qualities.”

9 of 22

THE FIVE THRESHOLDS

10 of 22

Distrust

Trust

11 of 22

Why don’t people �automatically trust Christians today? ��How can we have fun together?

12 of 22

Indifferent

Curious

Then in the 2nd Threshold, they are Indifferent. They may trust us, they may like us, but they may not care at all about our faith. There is a myth that if we are a nice Christian, they will eagerly ask us questions about our faith. This is very seldom true today.

�Here’s the funny thing about our postmodern context. Let’s pretend that I am a typical postmodern person, with 4 friends. I have an atheist friend, I have a lesbian friend, I have a Marxist friend, I have a Christian friend. Each of my 4 friends are wonderful and crazy, and what each one believes has no impact whatsoever on what I believe. Therefore, I feel no contradiction about the fact that I can like them all as my friends, and yet feel totally indifferent to their respective beliefs.

�Instead of being offended by their Indifference, we help them become Curious. And then they ask us “Do dogs go to heaven?” How do we help them become Curious? We ask them questions about themselves.

�

13 of 22

Jesus is superb at asking great questions. �Why are his followers so focused on the right answers?��What are a few questions you can ask?

14 of 22

Closed to�Change

Open to�Change

Closed to Change

15 of 22

Many people see themselves as open minded…�until you ask them to try praying with you.

�How can you be more vulnerable in your relationships?

16 of 22

Wandering

Seeking

17 of 22

Many seekers seldom take steps forward �because they are wandering.

�What is the most important �question you have for Jesus?

18 of 22

Undecided

Follower �of Jesus

In the 5th Threshold, sometimes people stop and remain undecided. This means they are paralyzed at the point of decision-making about Jesus. They’re not sure what to do. We get to help them consider following Jesus with the rest of their lives. This is wonderful. That’s where the 5th Threshold ends.

What is the best way to help them become a follower of Jesus. One way we like to do this is to tell them “Everybody has a crucial decision to make. Who will be at the center of your life? Do you want you, yourself, to be at the center of your life? Or do you want to let Jesus become the center of your life? I think you and I would be wise to make Jesus the center of our lives. What would it take for you to follow Jesus, and allow Jesus to become the center of your life?”��http://evangelism.intervarsity.org/invitations-faith

19 of 22

Jesus loves to invite �people to become his followers. �We get to offer the same invitation!�

How can you grow as an inviter?

20 of 22

Timid

Courageous�Witness