Pastor’s Storybook III–1
Helper sings praises as usual, while he helps Learner build a ladder in the woodworking shop. Mr. Foolish arrives and requests, “Learner, can you build me a light, two-wheel cart to display the things I sell, like you made for the vegetable grower? I cannot pay you now, but I will sell more things and be able to pay easily next month.” Learner thinks a moment and replies, “Go bring me two old bicycle wheels and the lumber, and I shall make it. But for free. Mr. Wise cautioned us against borrowing and lending money.”
Mr. Foolish stays to listen as Helper talks about his plans. “I want to start another congregation—a daughter church of the one meeting in your home, Learner. Few people where I live will come all the way here to worship.”
Learner replies, “I’ve been praying for this to happen. I shall ask those in our congregation here who live over that way to go with you. I think several will.”
“No!” Mr. Foolish complains, “That would weaken our church here!”
Learner corrects him, “Mr. Wise said that the only way to reach our entire area for Christ is to start many congregations, one in every community. The congregation in our area is not to be only our small group. Many groups will work closely together. That way we can reach thousands for Jesus. The Gospel will keep spreading like a great vine over the entire area.”
Mr. Foolish leaves and Helper says, “I asked the believers who live near me to help me do evangelism. They said that they do not know how. They are afraid. How can I help them overcome their fear?”
Learner
recalls a study that Mr. Wise left him, about dealing with fear. He
says, “Mr. Wise left studies for you and the others that we
train to be leaders. One of these studies is about how many people in
the Bible told others about God with faith and courage. It will help
you explain to your helpers how to put their faith into practice the
same way. They will face difficulties when they talk about Jesus. The
story of David and the Giant gives and example of courage.”
Find in 1 Samuel 17:1-51 how to fight the 'giant' of fear:
How did David’s good work as a shepherd prepare him to fight a very dangerous man?
Why was David sure he could defeat the giant, even without a soldier’s weapons?
Learner explains while he works on the ladder, “While David was taking care of his sheep, he learned to trust God in dangerous situations. He spent time worshiping God and studying His Word. This prepared him to face Goliath without fear. Many people in the Bible were witnesses for God. Now, hear a similar story about Three Men in a Fire.”
Find in Daniel chapter 3:
Why were they able to face danger without fear?
Why was the king
convinced of God’s greatness?
To encourage evangelism, Helper writes a song about being courageous like David. The song touches their hearts and fear is no longer a barrier. The next day Helper visits Learner in his workshop to ask, “Does the Bible give us examples of how to evangelize effectively? We need help.”
Learner stops sawing and suggests, “Study Cornelius and the First Non-Jewish Congregation. You will find three guidelines for evangelism.”
Learner explains the First Guideline for Evangelism: Prepare. “We must prepare. God prepared Peter for effective evangelism.”
Find in Acts 10:1-33 what Helper discovers:
What was Peter doing while the men were traveling to Joppa to find him?
How did God show Peter that he had to go to others and accept their different ways, instead of waiting for them to become like him?
Who went with Peter and the soldiers to Cesarea?
Who, besides Cornelius, did Peter find waiting for him in Cesarea?
How did Peter show
respect for Cornelius before he began his message of evangelism?
Helper gets some sandpaper and helps Learner finish a table. They talk over how Peter prepared for evangelism. Learner explains, “He did it by doing the following things:
1) Praying.
2) Listening to God’s guidance.
During Peter’s prayer, God showed him that He accepts everyone. Instead of waiting for people to become like us, we take the good news to them first.
3) Forming a task group.
Peter took others with him instead of going alone. We, too, should go to people’s homes in teams of two or more.
4) Seeking those who want to hear God's Word rather than going to the public.
When he got to Cesarean, Peter found Cornelius’ friends and relatives in his home, waiting to hear the gospel.
5) Showing respect for a seeker and his family and friends.
Peter showed them respect by asking them why they had called him and listening to them before he began to speak. When people respond like Cornelius, we should help them pass on the good news to their friends and family.”
Learner explains to Helper the Second Guideline for Evangelism: Witness for Christ the Way the Apostles Did, as they work together in the woodworking shop. “We witness for Christ, of what we have experienced, and what He did for all of us. You have learned to read better now. Please look through Acts 10, verses 34-43 to find this.”
Find in Peter’s Message in Acts 10:34-43:
What testimony did Peter give about himself?
What three important things did Peter say about Jesus?
What did Jesus
command His followers to do in response to His resurrection?
Learner explains, “Like Peter, our message should tell, in simple words, how God has changed us and sent us to tell others about Him. We should describe Jesus’ goodness and power, His death, and His resurrection. We should promise forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name.
Learner explains to Helper the Third Guideline for Evangelism: Assure New Believers by Confirming their Acceptance by God and His People. “Now find what we do for those who respond, to assure them.”
Find what happened in Acts 10:44-48:
Of what great event following Jesus' death did Peter witness, when the Holy Spirit came into the people's hearts?
What did Peter do
immediately to confirm the work of the Holy Spirit?
As they work together in the shop, Learner explains to his brother Helper, “Peter ordered the group to be baptized as soon as he saw that they believed God’s message. He knew that they had repented of their sins and been forgiven, because the Holy Spirit had come to them. He did not wait for anything else but confirmed the Spirit’s work with baptism. Peter followed Jesus’ command to make disciples in Matthew 28:18-20. He told Cornelius and his friends how to find forgiveness in Jesus. When they responded, he baptized them at once. We should follow Peter’s example of simple, immediate obedience to Jesus.”
Helper responds, “No wonder we have not been effective! At first we only invited people to come to our meetings, rather than going to the people. We should help everyone, especially new believers, to talk to their family and friends.”
Learner recalls, “Mr. Foolish invited one of those preachers to come from his cousin's church to hold evangelistic meetings. He used big words and complicated messages that the people did not understand. He begged the people to give big offerings for him!”
“Let us do evangelism like Peter did,” Helper suggests, “I shall ask Caregiver tonight if we can visit his friends with him to talk to them about Jesus. I read in the study booklet that Mr. Wise left that some people will reject us. Jesus says in Matthew 10:14 that if anyone does not listen, we are to go to someone else. I want to take the good news to several other places also, where our relatives live. Will you help me?”
Learner
replies. “Yes. Mr. Wise told me to train you and others to be
leaders of many congregations and to take Christ to this entire area.
I need to visit the people that you are evangelizing, so I can see
your work and train you just as Mr. Wise visited me and trained me.
Mr. Wise said to be strong with God’s power, not our own. Let
me tell you the story of Stephen’s Fearless Testimony.”
Find from Acts
6:54 through 7:60 how Stephen brought glory to God even though
his message was rejected.
Learner’s wife Sara hears a bell ringing outside the house. Mr. Foolish is pushing his cart, to which he has attached a bell to call people to buy his wares. He tells her, “Look at these beautiful candles. Is Learner here?”
She replies, “He is working.”
Mr. Foolish picks up a candle and says, “Look, it has chemicals in the wax that make the flame burn with different colours. It's beautiful. Here, I will light one.” He pushes his way into the house and lights the candle. It burns yellow, then red, and then blue, then sputters loudly and fills the room with pungent smoke. Sara waves a towel to fan the foul air out the door.
A neighbour girl, Deborah, shouts, “Fire!” and comes running to help.
When they stop coughing, Deborah says happily, “I feel so peaceful and secure since Learner baptized me. Jesus is with me all the time!”
“What?” Mr. Foolish cries. “How could you be baptized so soon?” To Sara he complains, “She has an illegitimate child and does not even know who the father is! Learner will ruin our church letting such people join it!”
Deborah sobs, “I have left that sinful life!” She starts to leave but Sara takes her hand and leads her to a chair.
Mr. Foolish yells over his shoulder as he stomps out the door, “You do not know her like I do. You will see. Learner will be sorry that he baptized her.” Deborah sticks out her tongue at him and makes an ugly face toward his back as he leaves.
Obeying Christ’s Command to Baptize
Sara is prepared to comfort Deborah. She recalls the story of The Woman Who Almost Got Stoned to Death that Learner told during family prayer time.
Find in John 8:1-11:
Why did the Pharisees bring the woman to Jesus?
What did the Old Testament law of Moses command people to do to such women?
How did the Pharisees treat this sinner who deserved death?
How did Jesus treat her?
Who
has the right, since Jesus came, to condemn sinners?
Sara assures
Deborah, “My young friend, how can men condemn you when God has
forgiven you? He loves you! Mr. Foolish acted like the Pharisees in
this story. They did not care about the woman. They only brought her
to Jesus to trap Him. They shamed the woman by making her stand in
front of everyone. Jesus never condemned her, although He was perfect
and could have thrown stones at her. He saved her from death. He has
saved you from death, too.
“You see, before Jesus came, God gave Moses His law which told people how to live. The law said not to worship idols, not to kill, steal, lie or commit adultery. We find the law in the Old Testament. This law showed people that God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. People who broke the law had to die. Jesus was the only person that ever kept the law perfectly. When He died, He ended the law’s power to condemn us to death.
“We baptized you because you asked God for forgiveness in Jesus’ name, He saved you from death and gave you new life. He gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit. We confirmed your faith and God’s promise with baptism. You died with Jesus to the law and to your sin. Then you rose to new life in Jesus. Remember Jesus’ complete forgiveness, and do not sin any more.”
Learner
returns home. Sara explains what Mr. Foolish told Deborah. Learner
assures her, “Like many uninformed people, Mr. Foolish, thinks
you have to be perfect to be baptized. That is not the meaning of
baptism. Nobody would ever be baptized except liars who merely say
they are perfect. New believers who receive Jesus as adults are
newborn babies in God’s sight. They commit many errors during
their spiritual infancy. They need our immediate love, care and
acceptance by baptism.”
Deborah stops crying. She says. “I fear that I will fall back into sin! I am too weak to serve God.” Sara tells her the story of Jesus’ Baptism in Matthew 3.
Find in Matthew chapter 3:
Was Jesus baptized because He was a sinner or because He was on the side of all sinners?
Find in Matthew chapter 4:
What three things did the devil tempt Jesus to do?
What did the devil promise Jesus if He worshipped him?
Recall both chapters (Matthew 3 - 4):
Was Jesus baptized
before or after He called His disciples and began His public
ministry?
Deborah exclaims, “Jesus was not a sinner! He showed everyone that He did not come to accuse sinners like the adulterous woman and like me. I understand now. He was not like Mr. Foolish. Jesus came to be on our side. That is what Jesus’ baptism meant. He was baptized and then started His work as God’s messenger. Maybe I can also start serving God now that I’m baptized, just like Jesus did!”
“Yes,
absolutely!” Sara agrees, “Listen to the story of The
Workers Who Arrived Late. You will see how God gives us jobs to do as
soon as possible.”
Find in Matthew 20:1-16:
What did the landowner tell each workman to do, regardless of the time of day?
Why were the first workers jealous of the last workers?
Practical Work
Use the stories mentioned in this section to encourage your people to take the good news to their family and friends.
Help your people prepare simple testimonies about what Jesus has done for them, and to tell in a simple way about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
Baptize all that come to Jesus for forgiveness of sins as soon as possible, to confirm their repentance. Welcome them into the life of the congregation.
Require only what the New Testament requires for baptism. It is for bad people who confess their sins and trust in Jesus to forgive them and change them.
Organize the congregation so that mature Christians help the new Christians tell their friends and family about Jesus.