The Five And Five Principle: Reaching Others Through Prayer And Witnessing
DAY 4
Five You Can Witness To
Read Acts 1:8; John 15:26-27.
For the rest of your life, keep the ten fingers of your two hands full. As long as you serve Christ, always have five people you’re praying for and five people you’re witnessing to.
The basic meaning of the word witness is “one who furnishes evidence.” Witnessing isn’t preaching. It’s not even teaching the Bible. It’s giving evidence. You believe in Christ as your Savior and Lord, and He lives in your life. As a result, your personality has an added ingredient that’s evident to the people around you. That added ingredient is Christ, causing His love to flow through you.
Jesus was talking with His followers shortly before returning to heaven. He made a great claim, gave a great command, and made a great promise. All three are found in Matthew 28:18-20.
Matthew 28:18-20 is your second Scripture-memory assignment for this week. Record it here and begin memorizing it now.
Highlight the great claim Jesus made. You studied this claim yesterday when you learned about the great power of prayer.
Now note the great promise Jesus made in the last part of those verses. Everything in between is the great command He gave all His followers. It’s usually called the Great Commission.
In Acts 1:8 you can find another important promise and command Jesus gave to His followers shortly before ending His earthly ministry. Read that verse now.
According to Jesus, what must happen before Christians begin witnessing?
Why is it necessary for Jesus’ followers to receive the Holy Spirit?
In Acts 1:8 Jesus named geographical areas in which His followers were to be witnesses in the power of the Holy Spirit. He started with Jerusalem, the city where they were at that moment. Then He moved out to more distant areas.
Look at the four circles in the drawing on the left. The innermost circle has already been filled in. Fill in the other circles, moving outward according to the instruction Jesus gave in Acts 1:8.
The principle of Jesus’ instructions about witnessing is still the same.
In the drawing, record the name of your town or city in the innermost circle.
Record the name of your state in the next circle and the name of your country in the next.
In the outermost circle, record the same words you recorded in the outermost circle on the left.
Do you agree that this should be your widest area of witnessing?
Read John 15:26-27.
Based on Acts 1:8 and John 15:26-27, what’s the one most important factor required to become a witness for Christ?
Now read Acts 2:13-18 and Ephesians 5:18. What comparison is made in both of these passages?
Both Ephesians 5:18 and Acts 2:13-18 compare drinking wine to being filled with the Holy Spirit. Now read the whole story in Acts 2:1-18. What was the essential ingredient in the witness of these Christians?
Did you respond that the filling of the Holy Spirit was the essential ingredient?
Carefully read the following two statements. Recall Acts 2:1-18 and select the correct statement.
☐
The Holy Spirit simply gave those people a new inner experience and didn’t expect them to verbalize it. Bearing a silent witness was enough.
☐
The first act of the Holy Spirit, after filling these people, was to make it possible for them to speak their witness to unbelievers so that every person would hear about Christ.
The right answer was easy, wasn’t it? But look! The spectators in Acts 2 thought the Spirit-filled believers were drunk. Peter had to explain that they were full of God’s Spirit, not wine.
When people are filled with wine (or any other alcoholic beverage), it takes control of them. They lose all restraint and inhibitions. They say things they probably never would have said otherwise, and they willingly fall to desires of the old nature. Paul said Christians shouldn’t let this happen to them. Instead, they need to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that they release the fears and inhibitions that keep them from living and speaking their faith. They’re out of control because they’re being controlled by the new nature, who’s the indwelling Christ.
The greatest hypocrite in the world is someone who says, “I don’t have to talk to others about Christ; if they observe my actions, they’ll know I’m a Christian.” Good old ego! How it loves to protect itself against exposure! But when self is no longer king and Christ reigns, you’ll speak about Him.
“But,” you may object, “what in my life would be important to an unbeliever?” The important thing is that you’ve already passed from death to life. Christ’s Spirit already lives in you and constantly fills you on request. Remember:
A witness is one who gives evidence. You have much to give evidence about because Christ is living through you.
Your five friends who are open to your sharing are curious about the added ingredient in your life. Don’t be afraid. Tomorrow you’ll prepare a witnessing testimony. Determine now to share with it with your lost friends.
Record the names of the people you know who are open to your sharing Christ. Decide on a time within the next seven days when you’ll share with each one. Beside each name, add the time you’ve decided to do share.
Name Time
1. __________
__________
2. __________
__________
3. __________
__________
4. __________
__________
5. __________
__________
End your quiet time by praying for those five friends.
Five You Can Witness To
Read Acts 1:8; John 15:26-27.
For the rest of your life, keep the ten fingers of your two hands full. As long as you serve Christ, always have five people you’re praying for and five people you’re witnessing to.
The basic meaning of the word witness is “one who furnishes evidence.” Witnessing isn’t preaching. It’s not even teaching the Bible. It’s giving evidence. You believe in Christ as your Savior and Lord, and He lives in your life. As a result, your personality has an added ingredient that’s evident to the people around you. That added ingredient is Christ, causing His love to flow through you.
Jesus was talking with His followers shortly before returning to heaven. He made a great claim, gave a great command, and made a great promise. All three are found in Matthew 28:18-20.
Matthew 28:18-20 is your second Scripture-memory assignment for this week. Record it here and begin memorizing it now.
Highlight the great claim Jesus made. You studied this claim yesterday when you learned about the great power of prayer.
Now note the great promise Jesus made in the last part of those verses. Everything in between is the great command He gave all His followers. It’s usually called the Great Commission.
In Acts 1:8 you can find another important promise and command Jesus gave to His followers shortly before ending His earthly ministry. Read that verse now.
According to Jesus, what must happen before Christians begin witnessing?
Why is it necessary for Jesus’ followers to receive the Holy Spirit?
In Acts 1:8 Jesus named geographical areas in which His followers were to be witnesses in the power of the Holy Spirit. He started with Jerusalem, the city where they were at that moment. Then He moved out to more distant areas.
Look at the four circles in the drawing on the left. The innermost circle has already been filled in. Fill in the other circles, moving outward according to the instruction Jesus gave in Acts 1:8.
The principle of Jesus’ instructions about witnessing is still the same.
In the drawing, record the name of your town or city in the innermost circle.
Record the name of your state in the next circle and the name of your country in the next.
In the outermost circle, record the same words you recorded in the outermost circle on the left.
Do you agree that this should be your widest area of witnessing?
Read John 15:26-27.
Based on Acts 1:8 and John 15:26-27, what’s the one most important factor required to become a witness for Christ?
Now read Acts 2:13-18 and Ephesians 5:18. What comparison is made in both of these passages?
Both Ephesians 5:18 and Acts 2:13-18 compare drinking wine to being filled with the Holy Spirit. Now read the whole story in Acts 2:1-18. What was the essential ingredient in the witness of these Christians?
Did you respond that the filling of the Holy Spirit was the essential ingredient?
Carefully read the following two statements. Recall Acts 2:1-18 and select the correct statement.
☐
The Holy Spirit simply gave those people a new inner experience and didn’t expect them to verbalize it. Bearing a silent witness was enough.
☐
The first act of the Holy Spirit, after filling these people, was to make it possible for them to speak their witness to unbelievers so that every person would hear about Christ.
The right answer was easy, wasn’t it? But look! The spectators in Acts 2 thought the Spirit-filled believers were drunk. Peter had to explain that they were full of God’s Spirit, not wine.
When people are filled with wine (or any other alcoholic beverage), it takes control of them. They lose all restraint and inhibitions. They say things they probably never would have said otherwise, and they willingly fall to desires of the old nature. Paul said Christians shouldn’t let this happen to them. Instead, they need to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that they release the fears and inhibitions that keep them from living and speaking their faith. They’re out of control because they’re being controlled by the new nature, who’s the indwelling Christ.
The greatest hypocrite in the world is someone who says, “I don’t have to talk to others about Christ; if they observe my actions, they’ll know I’m a Christian.” Good old ego! How it loves to protect itself against exposure! But when self is no longer king and Christ reigns, you’ll speak about Him.
“But,” you may object, “what in my life would be important to an unbeliever?” The important thing is that you’ve already passed from death to life. Christ’s Spirit already lives in you and constantly fills you on request. Remember:
A witness is one who gives evidence. You have much to give evidence about because Christ is living through you.
Your five friends who are open to your sharing are curious about the added ingredient in your life. Don’t be afraid. Tomorrow you’ll prepare a witnessing testimony. Determine now to share with it with your lost friends.
Record the names of the people you know who are open to your sharing Christ. Decide on a time within the next seven days when you’ll share with each one. Beside each name, add the time you’ve decided to do share.
Name Time
1. __________
__________
2. __________
__________
3. __________
__________
4. __________
__________
5. __________
__________
End your quiet time by praying for those five friends.