INTRODUCTION
Global Total Member Involvement, or Global TMI, is an initiative that calls on every member to make disciples using Christ’s method. Only when we follow His method will we find true success.
This sermon is the second of a four-part series on Global TMI and Christ’s method. In the first sermon, we discovered that the predominant characteristic of Christ’s ministry is that it was personal. But we also discovered a consistent process: First, Jesus befriended people. Next, He proclaimed the truth to them. And lastly, He trained them to become disciple-makers themselves.
Over the next three sermons, we will explore these three areas of Christ’s method, beginning today with how to befriend others. The Global TMI disciple-making framework, which is based on the biblical harvest analogy, refers to this component of Christ’s method as preparing the soil of the heart.
I. SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
God Himself is relational, and created us as relational beings. It is therefore unsurprising that He designed witnessing to be relational. Jesus often shared the gospel through friendship, and He has instructed us to do the same.
But making friends for Jesus is not the same as making friends for merely social reasons. It has an eternal and deeply spiritual purpose, and therefore requires spiritual preparation. This preparation isn’t about knowing the Bible inside and out or being able to speak with eloquence. It starts with knowing Jesus ourselves. How can we persuade people to follow Jesus if we aren’t walking with Him?
Jesus reminds us, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NKJV). A vine provides nourishment to the branches so that the grapes become full and sweet. Likewise, Jesus through the Holy Spirit transforms our characters so we can be effective witnesses.
As Galatians 5:22–23 points out, the Spirit produces in us the love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness that allow us to effectively befriend people and share truth with them. This way, we will be sweet Christians with whom people want to be friends. Remember, “The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.”1
Another critical part of the foundation for effective witnessing is to pray for those we seek to befriend. The advantage gained from prayer for others is so great that the prophet Samuel considered it a sin to neglect doing so (see 1 Sam 12:23).
Jesus also prayed for those He was laboring for. John 17, the longest recorded prayer of Jesus, is largely about those He was seeking to reach or train. Even now, in heaven, He still makes intercession for us (see Heb 7:25)!
If it was important to Jesus to pray for those He sought to reach, how much more important should it be to us! Prayer is essential because we’re in a spiritual battle (read Eph 6:12). Ellen G. White affirms, “Through much prayer you must labor for souls, for this is the only method by which you can reach hearts.”2
II. TAKE THE INITIATIVE
Having discussed the vital role of abiding in Christ, we’re ready to explore the first and perhaps most challenging part of making friends (read Matt 28:19). When the Great Commission begins with the word “go,” it implies that we must be active and intentional. Or, as Ellen White puts it, “We are not to wait for souls to come to us; we must seek them out where they are.”3
In Mark 1:17, Jesus promised His disciples that He would make them “fishers of men.” If you know anything about fishing, you know that in order to catch something you have to go where the fish are. Nobody puts a bucket on the lakeshore and waits for the fish to flop out of the lake and into the bucket! No, you have to go fishing to catch fish.
Similarly, to follow Christ’s method, we must take the initiative to reach out to those around us. Making this initial effort is perhaps the greatest hurdle to winning souls.
Ellen White explains: “Some who engage in missionary service are weak, nerveless, spiritless, easily discouraged. They lack push. They have not those positive traits of character that give power to do something—the spirit and energy that kindle enthusiasm. Those who would win success must be courageous and hopeful. They should cultivate not only the passive but the active virtues.”4
If we want to make disciples, we must take the initiative to make friends. Being like Jesus isn’t just about being gentle and kind. We need His active virtues of character, too, such as boldness, courage, energy, and determination. Only then will we step out of our comfort zones to say hello to a neighbor or to invite a church visitor home for lunch.
III. MINGLING WITH PEOPLE
Jesus spent time with people and took an interest in them. He was never so absorbed in His own interests that He didn’t have time to think about the interests of others. The Ministry of Healing tells us that “the Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence.”5
Jesus found many different ways to mingle with people. He spent time with them at the seaside, went to their homes for dinner, attended feasts, and taught in the synagogue. He looked for ways to be with people so that He could listen to their stories and gain their friendship. Jesus loved people.
So, who should we mingle with? When Jesus gave His disciples the promise of the Holy Spirit, He taught us how to prioritize our labors (read Acts 1:8). The disciples were in Jerusalem, so Jesus asked them to start in the area closest to them. Then, they were to expand to neighboring Judea and Samaria, and eventually to the whole world. The lesson for us is that witnessing should begin with those nearest to us—those in our homes and our families. From there, we can reach out to our neighbors, visitors at church, and others in our sphere of influence. The Parable of the Good Samaritan serves as a reminder that our neighbor is anyone we encounter who needs our help (see Luke 10:29–37).
To mingle with people means to draw close to them and take an interest in them. As you get to know someone, ask questions about their lives and listen carefully to the details they share. Do small favors to lighten their burdens. You might bring them a pot of soup, care for their property or animals while they travel, or run errands for them. On their birthdays or holidays, consider giving them a thoughtful gift. And don’t forget the impact of an invitation to share a meal together.
CONCLUSION
Before we can plant seeds of truth in the hearts of people, we must first prepare the soil of their hearts. We do this by befriending them and showing we care. As we take the initiative and mingle with those in our sphere of influence, we will find many opportunities to minister to their physical, emotional, and social needs. By doing so, we will prepare the way to also minister to their spiritual needs.
Take a moment to think about the people you know who need salvation and Bible truth. Make a list and start praying for them every day. Then, ask God to show you how to more intentionally mingle, sympathize, and make friends for eternity. As a friend of God, will you go, and make friends for God?
1 Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1905), 470.
2 Ellen G. White, Evangelism (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1946), 342.
3 Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1900), 229.
4 White, The Ministry of Healing, 497. 5 Ibid., 143.
James Howard is the director of the Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Department at the GC of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
