The Gospel Workshop
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INTRO
INTRO
Why are we talking about this?
Recap from Jonah
Part of the Christian life
Most people feel uncomfortable doing this
Why Do We Share The Gospel?
Why Do We Share The Gospel?
Command
Command
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Illustration
Jonah
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
SO WHY US?
God doesn’t need us
God changes peoples hearts
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
WHY? TO BRING GOD GLORY
God has redeemed us so that we could bring Him glory and enjoy Him forever.
What is the primary way that we do this?
By living a life redeemed by the gospel (enjoying Him = bringing God glory)
By sharing the gospel with others (testifying to God’s goodness = bringing God glory)
God does not need us in order to accomplish the redemption of lost souls; but he has enlisted us to be part of the process, he has entrusted to us a stewardship of great value and this should not be taken lightly.
Did God need Moses? No.
Did He communicate and work through Moses? Absolutely.
Did it grow Moses’ faith and character? Absolutely.
Was it a blessing to Moses? Absolutely.
Does God need you? No.
Does God convict and work through you? Absolutely.
Does it grow your faith and character? Absolutely.
Will it be a blessing to you? Absolutely.
God providentially plans for His people to experience challenges, because through those experiences His people will develop deeper faith, purer character, and greater love for God.
Sharing the gospel is one of those things
Conviction
Conviction
If the gospel has really changed you, if you really believe and experience the gospel, you can’t help but want to share it with others!!!
If there is not a desire to share the gospel with others, I would do some serious evaluating of whether or not you’ve experienced the transforming work of the gospel personally.
I AM NOT SAYING THAT YOU WON’T BE NERVOUS, TIMID, AWKWARD, SCARED
I get those feelings too
That’s part of our flesh and battle
What I am saying is:
If you truly understand your sin and desperate state
If you truly understand your God and the necessity of knowing Him
If you truly believe that Jesus can save and give new life
You will want others to hear, repent, and believe
For their sake
For God’s glory
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
What Is The Gospel?
What Is The Gospel?
WHO IS GOD?
WHO IS MAN?
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
THE UMBRELLA ANALOGY
The Background
God is our Creator (Gen 1:1)
He created everything good
He created us to live in a perfect relationship with Him
He created us in His image
He creates us to rule over the earth, under His authority
God is Holy (1 Pet 1:15-16)
God is Just (2 Thess 1:8-9)
God is Loving (1 Jn 4:8)
The Bad News
We are sinful and separated from God (Isa 59:2)
We deserve God’s punishment (Eph 2:3)
The Good News
Jesus is God (Phil 2:6-7)
He lived and died as our substitute (2 Cor 5:21)
He conquered death for us (1 Cor 15:17-18)
The Response:
Repentance (Acts 20:21)
Turn from your sin (2 Cor 5:15)
Turn to God (1 Thess 1:9)
Faith
Trust in Christ’s righteousness (Phil 3:9)
Trust in His payment on the cross (1 Pet 3:18)
How Do We Share The Gospel?
How Do We Share The Gospel?
Relationships
In our relationships, the problem of sin is evident:
Sin in the relationship with God
Sin in the relationship with others
Sin in the relationship with creation
THE PROBLEM is very evident
Ask the question:
Can I share with you the solution to the problem you’re facing?
Can I share with you the hope that you can have in spite of what you’re facing?
Re-direct the glory/attention:
When people compliment your fruits of the Spirit on display, don’t take credit for God’s work,
give the glory to God
use it as an opportunity to share the gospel and how it’s changed you
Random Interactions
Share how you spend the weekends
Be specific
Share why you spend them that way
Don’t be afraid to pray with/for others
Evangelistic Outreach (with your parents)
Saturday mornings with the Evangelism Team
Door-to-door
Street preaching
Preaching/teaching
What is the purpose of the Bible?
God’s Self-Revelation
God’s Redemptive Plan
The Gospel will (should) be linked/involved in some way to every week’s preaching
Lifestyle
How you live is a way to witness the gospel
Don’t be a hypocrite
YOU NEED WORDS AND ACTIONS
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Who, When, and Where?
Who, When, and Where?
WHO:
Family
Friends
Coworkers/Classmates
Neighbors
WHEN/WHERE:
Have situational awareness
You don’t have time for the umbrella analogy in the check-out line
If someone is on your heart, ask them, do you have a moment for me to share something with you? If not, can I come back or share later?
Be respectful and loving of the other person in the process
Know that spiritual warfare is a thing.
DON’T OVERTHINK.
Sometimes you just need to “blurt it out and start”
I’ve never regretted a time that I shared
I’ve regretted A LOT of the times I didn’t share
You’ll be surprised how many people are searching
BECAUSE, they too are stained and broken by sin.
The Power of Prayer
The Power of Prayer
For opportunities
For courage
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
For God to work in hearts