Alpha-video13-transcript

The Alpha Course is called the “Inspiration Course” (启发 qifa 课程) on the Chinese language video.

Title: Why and how should I tell others
 
(Hosts shopping in a busy city) When they see a sign advertising a big discount, they message all of their friends about it.
 
0.11 Question| What good news have your heard recently?
 
Several people say “None”...Not hearing bad news is already good news...I got married!...God gave me my job ...people praised my hair….best news is that I can go home and eat at a family gathering...I’m going to go out to eat in a little while...I’m going to become an aunt!...an uncles biopsy was negative…
 
2:05. (playing in park) Hearing about enjoying time together with family and friends is  normal good news for people.  人之常情  Knowing Jesus is also good news, but unfortunately many people don’t dare to share it. I also had this problem and didn’t share much.  
 
2.27 Teacher - Before I became a believer, I often encountered Christians handing out tracts. Some handed them out on buses. Others even came to knock at the door. Honestly, at that time I was afraid of them. They seemed the same as salesmen to me. Also they talked about terrible topics like death. I avoided them by pretending I was in a hurry, or that no one was home. I felt that faith was a personal matter. I wondered why they wanted others to believe their own personal beliefs. But now I myself am a person who shares the gospel!
 
Why?  
 
1. First because Jesus wants us to. He said “Go and tell all nations to become my disciples”. He also said. I want you to be my witnesses from here to the ends of the earth.
 
2. Second is because all people need to hear it. They don’t understand the life’s meaning and hope, because they don’t know God.  
 
God gives us peace and joy in him so they also will connect with the Creator of life and receive his forgiveness. This is something really wonderful. If you found an oasis in the desert,  would you be someone who only cared about your own needs?  No, we should tell others: “Look, I found water! Finding an oasis in the desert is what finding Jesus is like. We should be loudly proclaiming: ”Hey, I found Jesus!” The gospel literally means “good news”. Since we have heard this good news, should also spread it far and wide, so that even more people can hear about it. Whenever we experience something wonderful in our lives we love to tell others.
 
4.56 (Teacher and wife) After 8 years of marriage, Zhuling and I did not yet have a child. Zhuling wanted one much more strongly that I did. Zhuling was disappointed that we did not have a child. Many people were concerned for us. Our Christian friends were praying for
us. This went on for years. We eventually lost the expectation that it would happen. But right at that time, Zhuling suddenly got pregnant. Zhuling did not dare to believe it. But later it was ‘great news’ 天大的好消息 Our first thought was to tell our families, then our friends. Instead the first people we told were those who were praying for us. Then we made long distance calls to our families. Everyone was very happy, and spread the news further. In a very short time everyone who cared about us knew the good news. Then nine months later, at the hospital, we had to wait a very long time for the baby to actually come out. God had a sense of humor! Actually if was a very difficult birth 分娩. But finally at 5pm that day our child was born, a 3.4 kilo boy. When I was finally able to hold him I told my Dad to quickly take a picture, so I could send it out. Yes it was very, very exciting- like telling the whole world. Hey, I’m a father!!!
 
Actually, telling the gospel is similar. Just imagine, if something that impacts your friends and family is such good news, how much more is the news that impacts all of humanity!  
 
Cautions in sharing the gospel
 
We have to be careful about how we share this good news because not everyone thinks it is good. So, we must first help people to understand their need. But sometimes believers are too impetuous 鲁莽, and make people uncomfortable, even to the point of offending them. 冒犯 Once, I had a friend who believed and accepted Jesus. He learned that the number one most important thing in sharing the gospel is making a person understand their need for Jesus. Not long after that a dance club. He saw a girl on the dance floor 舞池里. He said to himself, this is a good opportunity to share the gospel. So he went on the dance floor and the first thing he said to the girl was: “You look awful. 糟糕透了You really need Jesus.” If you share the gospel like that you will really close the door. 会碰钉子的 Despite this 尽管如此 several years later, that same girl came to know God. But not through my friend. But, amazingly, she did marry my friend! And they have a happy and fulfilling life together.
 
Fear-  One of the most common things we have to deal with is fear. We don’t dare to talk about our faith with people. We don’t even dare to mention Jesus’s name. I spent a long time fumbling around 摸索 trying to find the right method.
 
Question |If you knew nothing about Jesus Christ, what way would you like other people to use to introduce Christ to you.
 
If the other person is good looking, whatever way they use is okay….it would be best if it was my friend, because I would not easily trust a stranger…..I wouldn’t reject any method because I like discovering new knowledge….first that no one would try to force me to believe. The best would be in sort of a customer service way. 客服...First they should try to establish a relationship and then slowly introduce me to their belief...As long as they don’t
try to force it that would be okay….a dialogue 对话 would be the most acceptable way for me….tell me a story, I would like that….in the form of a video would probably be best...emotional, something with an emotional touch. 情感的触达 or else something very logical, that includes every aspect, so that the meaning goes very deep. This would help to persuade me, and I would probably choose to believe.  
 
9:40 - 9:45 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION|If you knew nothing about Jesus Christ, what way would you like other people to use to introduce Christ to you.
 
9:58 - HOSTS- “Liao Zhi, how long after the earthquake did it take you to believe?” “It was two years later on 18 May 2009 that I trusted Jesus. There were a group of volunteers 义工 from Canada. They were enthusiastically helping in the rebuilding. In the second year they sponsored me 资助 to go to Canada to fit me with prosthetic legs. They shared the gospel with me there. I felt their love had no hesitation in accepting Christ as my savior.”  
 
TR “That’s right, After I began a relationship with God, it became very natural to share Christ with others, because my motive was love. Love for God and love for other people.
 
10:44 (A canal in the city. )Testimony. Putting a family back together- Our son was everything, but when he was three we enrolled him in a boarding school, because of how much work we had.  打拼事业
He liked to play football, so in order to make up for our absence 缺席, we spent millions of yuan to build a soccer field for him, hire coaches, and other learners to make up a football team. We thought at the time that we were giving him the best. But actually we were hurting him deeply. In his teenage years he left us and lived independently. He didn’t let us know where he lived. Son: “During those years I felt that apart from material things or money, I didn’t get any care or companionship from my parents. Mom: After I became a Christian I began to understand that love is not only giving material things, but giving the God, the source of love, to him. For three years I constantly prayed for him. I used the telephone and WeChat to share God’s love with him. It was amazing, like God heard my prayer. He unexpectedly took the initiative to come back home and stay. Son: I really didn’t know why I mad e the decision to return.But my heart had a kind of answer, in that I wanted to go back.  I went back to Beijing and it happened to be Wednesday when there was an Alpha course. At first, I had a dislike for it, but then I slowly became more willing to attend. I felt it was better to understand it, or try it, rather than have only a feeling of dislike. Then I prayed for the first time in my life. That was the day I opened my heart to Jesus. Mom: Now we and our son lead an Alpha group.I am very thankful. God has united our family. God can really do amazing things, like changing our family. It still feels unbelievable.
 
13.05 (Hosts in a park) - There is one way to share the gospel that is not rude or impetuous. 莽撞 That way is to live out the truth in your life. Jesus said: You are the salt of the earth... the light of the world...let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:13-16) Salt is a kind of flavor enhancer. In ancient times it was also a preservative which kept meat from spoiling. As Christians we have a responsibility keep the world from morally degenerating. 变质 Jesus said that we are light. The good deeds of Christians are like shining lamps. Through being kind to the poor and those in need, we are shining light into the world. Jesus wants us to bring our influence into the world, not outside of the world. We should display our good actions and kind deeds 善举 to our families, friends, work and neighborhood. That is preaching the gospel by living out the truth. It is the most persuasive way. 途径
 
14.18 Testimony from a Scientist( Scene of city buildings beside water)  I have a fairly introverted personality. From the time I was a child, I didn’t like to talk much. I also didn’t know much about how to relate to people. After I graduated I began to work at NASA doing research. This felt like it fit me, because I didn’t need to have too much contact with people. At first I was very interested in my work, feeling that exploring the world was truly amazing. After several years, though, I felt that writing and publishing papers didn’t really contribute to society. I could not see much real worth in what I was doing. There was a huge emptiness inside of me. Even more, I was also very confused and could not see where the road ahead was going. A sister who led our campus fellowship loaned me a book. It was a biography of Hudson Taylor (戴德生). At first I was very impressed by how he came to know God. Then later how he went  to China by himself and founded the China Inland Mission. 内地会 Also how he spread the gospel and helped many people. He also had so much love. I was very inspired.
 
16.07 (Scene of University Building) What I had been looking for was something like this. To live that kind of life. To help many people to know the Lord. To do something that really had value. In 2004 I started working at MIT. Usually when I was with my fellow students or sometimes my colleagues - if there was a suitable opportunity, I would share the gospel with them. Sometimes I had to stir up my courage to tell the good news to those around me. This is how I can give glory to God. I feel that coming together to know this God and discovering together what is true and real is the most meaningful thing in life. Then to find out together how we should live in this world, and what our purpose is.
 
Methods of Sharing the Gospel
 
Persuasion not Pressuring
 
17:17 (Hosts in a park) After we become Christians how we behave 行事为人, along with how we speak are very important. When our loved ones see our transformation, they then know that God changed us. A Christian is Christ’s disciple. Our behavior should be a good witness for Christ. At every level, our loved ones will be curious about our life change. They will be asking questions about our faith. How should we answer them? The Apostle Peter said: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”. The apostle Paul said we should try to persuade people because the message Jesus brought is so great. New Christians try to persuade 劝说 people by telling them the reasons for believing. Persuasion 劝导 and pressuring 施压 are not the same! When being pressured people might superficially go along with what you say, but persuasion brings better results. These two methods are completely different.截然不同
 
(TR asks if he could join in a chess game in the park) LZ: At the same time as we are fully engaged in answering questions, we must be sure to listen carefully to what other people are saying. We should be empathetic to the other’s standpoint. (要换位思考对方的立场). We should also respect their ideas and values.
 
Inviting People
 
18:45 Teacher: The core idea in sharing our faith is to proclaim the good news that Jesus brought. That is basically to introduce Jesus to others. This is the purpose of the Alpha course. There are many methods of preaching the gospel. We can see several of these in the New Testament. Some methods are simple, such as “Come and see”. Jesus said this. It is an invitation to come and see for yourself how wonderful the good news is. After the disciples had met Jesus they went and invited their friends to also come. In fact the reason you are at an Alpha Course meeting is probably because a friend, family member or colleague invited you. Anyone of us can invite people to come.
 
Pray for people
 
19:40 (Hosts) We cannot change people’s hearts. Only God can do that. Prayer is absolutely necessary. After they become Christians, many people discover that people had been praying for them. So the most important thing you can do for your family, friends or co-workers is to pray. For people to firmly believe  坚信, God must work in their life.
 
Testimony  
 
From the time I was a child I wanted to be a doctor. But I had no idea that I would not only be healing people’s bodies, but also their souls. Every time I come to this graveyard, I visit three tombstones. 墓碑 These three people changed my life. The first is a friend I spent time with from childhood to adulthood. Not long after I trusted the Lord, I wanted to invite him to our small group and share the gospel with him. He said that he was leaving on a trip for his work in two days, I had no idea that he he was never to return. 一去不回. He died on the spot after accidentally falling from a mountain. 从山上意外跌落 At the time I had an indescribable pain.难以言表的. We all think that our lives are firmly in our hands, but we don’t realize that actually no one can guarantee they will live tomorrow. The second tombstone is of a foreign friend. One evening I was on duty in the emergency room. 值急诊
班  An American brought his daughter who had fallen and had a large wound. I performed the operation to clean and stitch the wound.  Four years later I had the opportunity to visit this man’s family. His wife told me that they had been praying for me and my family since that incident. I had not realized that people had been praying for me before I came to faith. I had felt that my believing was not just a coincidence. God had listened to their prayers. The other gravestone is of my good friend and colleague from the hospital. I had known that he had late stage lung cancer, but one day I was sudden feeling that I should go see him that day. When I knocked on the door of his hospital room, I was surprised. His whole family was there. Then I heard that just 30 minutes before, my good friend had awoken from being unconscious the whole day.  So I went to his bedside and asked him if he was willing to accept Christ as the Lord of his life. He readily爽快, answered:  “I want to.” After I left he re-entered 再度的进入 an unconscious state and never woke back up. So every time I come back to this graveyard I repeatedly hear God’s voice pressing me 催逼 or encouraging me to preach the gospel to more people, and to pray for more people’s salvation.
 
Witness from your own experience
 
23:56 (Hosts by a garden spring) One of the most effective ways to evangelize others is to share you own experience. This is what the apostle Paul did. Again and again, 一次次 he brought up his own experience saying, I was formerly like that, but then I met Jesus and now I am like this. The Bible records that after a blind man was healed by Jesus, many curious onlookers surrounded him. One of them interrogated him trying to use him to accuse Jesus.  The formerly blind man did not know how to answer the question. But he said “There is one thing I know, once I was blind, but now I can see”. This is a hard statement to argue against. People can call into question 质疑 the doctrines of Christianity, but they have no way to call into question your own personal experience. Your experience is your witness.
 
24:41 God’s great power will accompany us when we share the gospel. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). When sharing the gospel we may encounter many barriers or objections. Perhaps some people will mock you for your faith. We might feel disappointed or defeated 挫败.  Or we might think that others are just not interested. The early Christians paid with their lives for their faith. When setbacks happened, they prayed for God to give them strength and courage. We encourage you that if difficulties come, do not to give up but persevere in prayer. We do not know what people we talked to will experience in the future. But we do know if you shared good news, that the seed of the gospel has been sown in their heart. But it is only if we share Jesus that there can be any fruit. The gospel itself is God’s power. If we have experienced God’s goodness then we should share it with others. There is nothing else that can so thoroughly and completely 彻底 change our lives. If we can help our loved ones find faith, we will also become very happy. Our own lives will become more meaningful the more we are active in sharing the gospel. Jesus commanded us to go and make all all nations to be my disciples. Are you willing to go?
 
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION | Have you shared your  Alpha Course experience with your family and friends? What was their reaction?