Audio Teaching

Tactics when Sharing with Mormons

# Who is the battle against?
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

# Who does the saving?
Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, „BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.?"

Five Principles for sharing with a Mormon:
1. Be relational
2. Be patient
3. Be courageous
4. Be prepared
5. Be dependent on the Holy Spirit
1. Be Relational: Most Mormons who leave their church do so through friends and close relatives. It is vital to see Mormons as individuals, made in the image of God; they are important in and of themselves.

# Be relaxed: With Mormons at your door you don?t have to work to get into a spiritual conversation.
# Share an effective non-confrontational opener
# Before you began your mission, where did you live?
# (With young missionaries) Are you in college? Which one do you attend? What is your major?
# They will ask you, would you like to meet? You can say, “I have strong religious beliefs but if you can prove me wrong in what I believe, I am willing to change my beliefs.” “Let me ask you the same, if I can show you you?re wrong are you willing to change your beliefs?”
# Ask questions about what they believe
# Why did you become a Mormon?
# How do you know the feeling in your heart is true?
# Ask, what is your definition of faith? Biblical faith is Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

o Assurance means we have solid knowledge that it is true.
o Conviction means our faith is evidence based and not wishful thinking. KJV says, “…the evidence of things not seen.”

# Utilize inclusive and non-threatening language
# When you finish a statement ask, what do you think? Or does this make sense?
# That?s a great answer, have you ever thought of this?

2. Be Patient: Think in terms of a long term process. Try to keep the relationship ongoing. Think of your sharing about Jesus as part of a team that is involved in moving someone forward towards accepting Christ. You don?t have to finish the job. Judge when they?ve had enough and stop.
# Don’t overwhelm them with too much information
# Focus on one main point
# Questions help slow you down
# Let them share their story of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. You will learn about what they believe by listening.
# Do not tell them what they believe
# Work on issues of the heart and faith
? They struggle with the idea of faith being based on knowledge and evidence. They want to point towards a blind or leap of faith when it comes to spiritual issues.
? Need to move them away from belief based on their heart experience.

3. Be Courageous: 2 Timothy 1:7-8 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,”
# Courage is needed to get into a conversation.
# Courage is also needed, when you are sharing, to turn up the heat and challenge them to face up to contradictions in their beliefs.

4. Be Prepared: 1 Peter 3:15 (NASB) “…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”

Know how to lead someone to Christ: Roman road – Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, and Romans 10:9.

Know your personal testimony ? Realize personal testimonies have limited effect. ? Make it short – 3 minutes maximum ? Include a Gospel presentation – “I believed Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins so I could experience forgiveness and the love of God.”

Know what you believe and why you believe it

# Study the Bible
# Mormon Apologetic Books
# Ron Rhodes, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons
# Richard Abanes, Becoming Gods
# B. McKeever & E. Johnson, Mormonism 101
# Theology Books
# Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology [large but important book]
# Wayne Grudem, Christian Beliefs [easier to read] ?

Web sites
? Mormon: http://www.lds.org/ (LDS official site)
? Mormon Apologetics
o http://irr.org/
o http://www.carm.org/
o http://www.hotm.tv/index.htm [Dylan?s favorite] ? Learn through study and practice how to answer common questions

5. Be Dependent on the Holy Spirit
Colossians 4:2-3 (NASB) Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;

# Pray for opportunities
# Pray for wisdom when sharing and for their salvation
# Pray for God to move in their hearts and minds (Acts 16)
Acts 16:14-15 “A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, „If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.? And she prevailed upon us.”

Success is sharing with a Mormon or anyone who needs Jesus.
Acts 1:8 “…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

© Steve Bruecker Mormonism pt. 2 http://biblicalworldviewacademy.org/