The Survey Method
"I was once alive apart from the Law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died." ~Romans 7:9
The Watchman Project is based on the commission of Mark 16:15: "Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation."
Spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world sounds like a great idea in theory, doesn't it?But, in the moment of truth, do you ever find yourself chickening out? Or convincing yourself that you've never had a good opportunity, or that you don't want to annoy people and put a bad light on the gospel? Well here's what seems to stop all of us dead in our tracks: It's awkward. Nobody likes going up to somebody and saying, "You're going to die and go to @#!*% if you don't repent and trust in Jesus." What are the odds of that morphing into a friendly conversation about spiritual beliefs? Well, after extensive study, research, prayer and planning, we at TWP have discovered a revolutionary piece of information: nobody knows how to share their faith effectively, because nobody told them how. Did you follow that? You may need to read it over a few times.
Spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world sounds like a great idea in theory, doesn't it?But, in the moment of truth, do you ever find yourself chickening out? Or convincing yourself that you've never had a good opportunity, or that you don't want to annoy people and put a bad light on the gospel? Well here's what seems to stop all of us dead in our tracks: It's awkward. Nobody likes going up to somebody and saying, "You're going to die and go to @#!*% if you don't repent and trust in Jesus." What are the odds of that morphing into a friendly conversation about spiritual beliefs? Well, after extensive study, research, prayer and planning, we at TWP have discovered a revolutionary piece of information: nobody knows how to share their faith effectively, because nobody told them how. Did you follow that? You may need to read it over a few times.
Believe it or not, it actually is possible to casually share your faith with anyone, anywhere, and without it feeling a bit awkward. Why? Because, ladies and gentlemen, we live in the social media generation, which means that almost everyone is more than happy to drop everything to talk about themselves to anyone who asks, or even to people who did not ask. The way we've taken advantage of this fact, is by sharing the gospel with people in the form of a brief survey. Contrast: "Unless you repent and believe in Jesus, you will spend eternity in @#!*% ." and "Hey, could you spare maybe two or three minutes to answer a few questions for a brief survey?"
This really isn't complicated. One says, "I'm judging you, I'm better than you, I know important things that you don't know." The other says, "I'm a friendly person, I am interested in your opinions, and I'm not going to waste your time." So we structured a template for you to follow when sharing your faith, based on the survey method. Please read on, and then go test it out!
- “Excuse me? Hi, I was wondering if you could spare maybe two or three minutes to answer a few questions for a brief survey.” (If they want more specifics, say “I'm from a Christian organization, and we’re researching people's spiritual and religious beliefs.” If no, then “Okay, well have a great day!” If yes, then “Great, so the first question is...!” and proceed to first survey question)
- A cell phone, notebook, binder, etc. containing the survey questions helps add authenticity, and maybe help you remember the questions better. Don’t take the time to write down their responses during the conversation. And be careful not to stare at your cell phone, or your notebook, or your shoes, or the ceiling, during the conversation. Once people learn that you are Christian, their opinion of you will possibly determine their opinion of your faith. So smile, look people in the eye and speak clearly.
Survey Questions (These can be adjusted to adapt to the situation however you decide is necessary)
1: Do you believe in the existence of a god or higher power? (If no, then “Do you have any spiritual beliefs?”)
2: Who do you believe Jesus Christ is?
3: Do you believe in heaven and @#!*% ?
4: If you died today, where do you think you would you go?
5: If you were mistaken about any of your beliefs, would you want to know?
At this point, you may need to allow them an opportunity to end the survey if they need to, by thanking them and telling them how much you appreciate their responses. Ask, “Can I ask you just a couple more questions based on your responses?” But if the first half of the survey went by quickly, or the person seems very interested, then skip the interlude and continue on. Only ask this if they seem irritated or distracted.
Continued Survey
6: Do you consider yourself to be a good person? (If yes) “These next three questions are called the “Good Person Test,” which is actually based on the Ten Commandments.
7: Have you ever told a lie?
8: Have you ever stolen anything, regardless of its value?
9: Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? (If they answer no, proceed through the Ten Commandments until they admit to at least two. Try not to make this sound more accusatory than it needs to be. Say things like, "Hey, I've broken all of these commandments more times than I can count, so you can be honest with me.")
10: Didn’t you just admit to being a lying, thieving blasphemer? (If those are the questions you asked) If you were judged by God based on the Ten Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty? In other words, would you go to heaven or @#!*% ?
11: (If @#!*% ) “Does that concern you?”
-If they say heaven, or if they insist that “God is good so He will forgive me,” etc. then take them through an earthly court scene, to demonstrate that sin must be punished. If they say @#!*% , then skip ahead to number 13.
-Court Scene: “Imagine, just for the sake of argument, that you’re found guilty of 1st degree murder. They found the murder weapon and a jury found you guilty. Now you’re approaching the judge in the court room before he pronounces the sentence, and he asks if you have any final words. You reply that although you’re guilty of the murder, you’ve overall been a good person, and so you’re really hoping that he’ll let you off the hook.”
12: What would a good judge do? Do you agree that a payment must be made for the crime you committed?
-Remind them that God is infinitely holier than any earthly judge, and therefore the punishment for sin is infinitely more severe. Ask them again if they are concerned that they might die and be sentenced to @#!*% to pay for their sins. You will have to decide based their tone and attitude, whether or not it is wise to proceed to the next step. But if possible, regardless of their response to the last question, continue to the conclusion.
13: Imagine that you've been sentenced to life imprisonment for your crime, and you're about to be led off to prison, when suddenly someone in the crowd that you do not know, jumps up and offers to go to prison in your stead, so that you can go free. Multiply that by infinity, and that's what Jesus did when He died on that cross, 2,000 years ago. Since we've already determined that you and I are sinners, the only option seems to be for us to pay the price for our crimes. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves or to make ourselves right with the Judge. That’s why Jesus took the form of a man and came to live on earth. He allowed sinful people like you and me to torture Him to death and nail His body to a tree. At that moment, all of God’s righteous anger was poured on His own Son, instead of on the people who deserved that anger. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If you ask God to forgive you for your sin, and to help you begin a new life of faithfulness to His will, then you will be spared from @#!*% , and you will instead receive freedom and eternal life in Christ. Since Jesus paid for your crimes, God can pardon you and still be a good judge. He can take you back to Himself and love you like He loved Adam and Eve before they sinned. And the Bible says that nothing on earth or in @#!*% or in heaven can separate you from His love.
14) Assuming you get through all of number 13, ask them if they have a Bible and, if not, give them one if possible, or encourage them to get one and read Romans 10. Invite them to come to church with you, or to find a church themselves, where the pastor teaches verse by verse from the Bible. Unless they seem to want to continue the conversation, thank them for their time. If appropriate, let them know you’ll be praying for them. And off you go. The week’s assignment is complete. And you’ve fulfilled a Biblical commandment.
That’s it! Piece of cake. Nothing offensive, nothing awkward. All you did is conduct a survey. You didn’t jump out in front of the person and tell them that they are sinful and need God’s forgiveness; they figured that out by themselves. All you did was make them start thinking. And thinking is like inertia; once it starts, it will keep going.
Remember, this is only a template. Adjust and revise as necessary to fit each situation. If it feels weird and forced to be saying it, then it probably sounds weird and forced to the person listening. So change it to feel more authentic. And remember, we're always open to suggestions!
Remember, this is only a template. Adjust and revise as necessary to fit each situation. If it feels weird and forced to be saying it, then it probably sounds weird and forced to the person listening. So change it to feel more authentic. And remember, we're always open to suggestions!
