FriendFluence

Building Friendships for Eternity

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FriendFluence

• actively pursuing relationships with people in order to win them to Christ, build them in faith and send them back into the world to influence others.

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Session 1 – Introducing FriendFluence

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Why FriendFluence?

• Believers have insulated themselves from the world in a cocoon of casual Christianity.

• As a result, they have isolated themselves from the lost world.

• If we are going to share the good news of Jesus Christ, we have to know people to share the good news with.

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Why FriendFluence?

• Jesus practiced FriendFluence

• Out of 132 Contacts Jesus had with people– 6 were in the Temple– 4 were in the synagogues– 122 were out with people in the mainstream of

daily life– J.K Johnson

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Scriptures Related to FriendFluence

• 1 Corinthians 9:19-22

• Acts 17:16-18

• Matthew 5:13-16

• Luke 14:16-24

• Matthew 28:19-20

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The State of Our Relations

• How important are relationships in winning people to faith in Christ?

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The State of Our Relations

• The average Christian has few or no close relationships outside of their family or church members.

• Many Christians feel uncomfortable around the lost.

• They longer we are Christians, the fewer people we know outside of church circles.

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What Influences People to Christ?

• Church advertising - 2%

• The pastor - 6%

• Organized evangelism programs - 6%

• Friends and relatives - 86%

Adapted from "Evangelism: The Why and How" by Elmer L. Towns, in Church Growth State of the Art, C. Peter Wagner, ed. (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1988), p. 53.

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A Native to a Missionary

"You built a bridge of love between your heart and my heart and Jesus walked over."

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The State of Our Relations

• The church must become intentional about pursuing vital relationships with the lost.

• Without such concern, we can only expect to see once vibrant churches become decaying institutional hulks housing hardened saints.

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Namestorm…

Namestorm at least 3-5 people that you know who don’t know Christ in your circle of influence. Write their names in the box on your listening sheets. Begin praying for them on a daily basis. Look for ways to build a relationship with them in the coming days.

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FriendFluence

• The active pursuit of relationships with people in order to win them to Christ, build them in faith and send them back into the world to influence others.

FriendFluence

Building Friendships for Eternity

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Session 2 – Churches and Their Attitudes (Acts 8:1-4)

Saul agreed with putting him to death. On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria. But devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.

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Session 2 – Churches and Their Attitudes (Acts 8:1-4)Saul, however, was ravaging the church, and

he would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison. So those who were scattered went on their way proclaiming the message of good news.

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“The Blue Book says we’ve got to go out and it doesn’t say a d____ thing about having to come back.”

- Patrick Etheridge, US Life Saving Service

Chicamacomico Station – Hatteras IslandChicamacomico Station – Hatteras Island

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Family Focused Church

Important Relationships Family

Attitude Toward Outsiders Closed

Attitude Toward Lost Hostile/Indifferent

Who Initiates Relationship People In Church

View of Pastor Chaplain

View of Church Church is a Building

Growth Experienced None/Small

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Friendly Church

Important Relationships Church Friends

Attitude Toward Outsiders Guarded…

Attitude Toward Lost Concerned

Who Initiates Relationship Outsider

View of Pastor Evangelist

View of Church Church is the People

Growth Experienced Mostly from Transfers

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FriendFluential Church

Important Relationships Kingdom Relationships

Attitude Toward Outsiders Open

Attitude Toward Lost Concerned and Active

Who Initiates Relationship People in Church*

View of Pastor Equipper

View of Church Church is the Kingdom

Growth Experienced New Growth

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FriendFluence

• The active pursuit of relationships with people in order to win them to Christ, build them in faith and send them back into the world to influence others.

FriendFluence

Building Friendships for Eternity

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Matthew 5:13-16 - HCSB

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.

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Matthew 5:13-16 - HCSB

No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

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Session 3 – Becoming FriendFluential

“The greatest soil for evangelism is friendship.” – John MacArthur

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Kingdom Relationships

• Kingdom relationships are relationships initiated with others for the purpose of influencing people for Christ.

• In a FriendFluential Church, the members don’t wait for the lost to come to them; they go to the lost first.

• Paul in Acts 17:16-18

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Acts 17:16-19

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

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Integrating FriendFluence In Church

• Turn VBS into a Backyard Bible Club

• Evangelistic small groups in homes

• Christmas and Easter pageants away from church

• Harvest Festival/Block Party in the Park

• Servanthood Evangelism

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Integrating FriendFluence Personally

• Use your hobby as a tool– Hunting Club– Fishing Club

• Ladies groups– Scrap Booking Club– Preschool Groups– Mentor Mom/Single Mothers

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Integrating FriendFluence Personally

• Neighborhood Get Together– Backyard Barbecue– Spaghetti Party– Reverse Trick or Treat

• Visit sick co-workers in the hospital or in their home. Help them with at-home tasks

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Be A FRIEND to the lostF ind ways to build BRIDGES to lost peopleR each out to those people with whom you can build long-term

relationshipsI nvolve yourself in their lives through prayer and participationE xtend an invitation for them to be involved in Christian

activitiesN ever pass up an opportunity to share the gospelD isciple them through a hands-on mentoring relationship

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BRIDGE buildingB oldness to reach across barriersR esponsiveness to the needs of those we seek to winI ntegrity in our own walk with ChristD etermination never to give up on reaching our friendsG race to understand how and why they live the way they liveE mpathy to identify with their spiritual situationS incerity to show we have their best interests at heart.

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FriendFluence

• The active pursuit of relationships with people in order to win them to Christ, build them in faith and send them back into the world to influence others.

FriendFluence

Building Friendships for Eternity

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Session 4 – Win, Build, Send

The ultimate end of a FriendFluential relationship is to win your friend to Jesus Christ, build them up in the faith and to send them back into the world to influence others toward the Kingdom.

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Win, Build, Send

If we truly love those around us and are deeply concerned for their welfare, we will do more than just build friendships with them, we will influence them for Christ.

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Mark 2:3-5

“Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’”

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Communicating The Good News

• Every FriendFluential Christian should know how to communicate the basics of the gospel. – Share Jesus Without Fear– Evangecube

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Communicating The Good News

1. SIN IS THE PROBLEM (Romans 3:10, 23)

2. SIN HAS A PENALTY (Romans 6:23)

3. GOD HAS MADE A PROVISION FOR SIN (Romans 6:23 & 5:8)

4. OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S PROVISION (Romans 10:9-10, 13)

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Building

• It is not enough for you to win your friend to Christ, you must help them grow in their faith.

• As a FriendFluential Christian you take on the role of mentor after the salvation of your friend.

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Building

• Devote at least a year to each new Christian friend to make sure they are growing in faith and walking with Christ.

• In that process, train your friends to do the very same thing that you have done – influence others for Christ.