Keys to Effective Evangelism from Jesus’ First Encounter with Peter —** Part 2**
“Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated, A Stone).”—John 1:42 (NKJV)
A person’s name is very important to him or her, as Jesus realized with Peter. His identity is wrapped up in his name.
That is why people are impressed and grateful when we remember their names, and disappointed when we don’t. Focus on names when you meet people. Value them very highly. Make it a priority to remember their names, even if you do not think that you will see them again. How many times have you had brief introductions to people that you thought you would never see again, and ended up meeting them again several times after that?
Names contain destiny, identity and blessing.
How many people did God name, or rename, in Scripture? Abram, Sarai, Isaac, Jacob, Saul of Tarsus, John the Baptist, His own Son Jesus …
Before Jesus and John the Baptist were born, God sent angelic messengers to their parents to give them the babies’ names. If precise names were that crucial in the lives of our Savior and His forerunner, that should say a lot to us about the importance and impact of a person’s name on his or her future destiny.
Value a person’s name very highly. Effective ministry involves relationship. We are called to love people as Jesus loved us (John 15:12); to love people while they are yet sinners (Romans 5:8).
It will go a long way in communicating the love of Christ to people if we will remember and value their names.
A young lady came to us for ministry at a large counter-culture festival. When I focused on her, I had a vision in which I saw her as a princess. It turned out that her name was Sara, which means “princess.” Realizing that this vision revealed an aspect of who she truly was, I was able to offer encouragement to help her rise above all of the negativity that had been spoken over her and the discouragement that she felt.
In a restaurant some time ago, the waitress assigned to my table had an unusual name. As she returned to my table, I was doing a search on my phone. “I’m trying to find the meaning of your name,” I told her. “Do you know what your name means?”
“No, I don’t,” she replied.
As I read to her what I found about the meaning of her name, she responded, “That sounds just like me!”
Possibly for the first time in her life, this woman began to realize that the name that she had been given as a baby was a blessing that shaped her into the person she had become.
I got the best service in the restaurant after that.
Discipleship Practice: Meanings of People’s Names
Objective: To learn to bless people with the meanings of their names.
How often? Once a week or more
Speak destiny into people’s lives by making them aware of the meanings of their names.
Relatives and Friends:
• There are several books, web sites, and smart phone apps that contain meanings of names.
For example: http://www.meaning-of-names.com
• Using these resources, look up the meanings of the names of relatives and friends. I keep notes about the meanings of people’s names in my phone contacts.
• As you make contact with these relatives and friends, help them understand the meanings of their names in a positive way.
People That You Meet:
• As you meet people, ask them if they understand the meanings of their names.
• Help them to gain greater insight into the meanings of their names.
• If you are not able to tell them the meanings at that time, try to get back in touch with them later after you have done more research. This informal joint project of discovering greater insights into the meanings of people’s names can help build relationships and open the doors to more impactful ministry.