Overcoming the Barriers
Evangelism: Sharing Christ to a Lost World • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsWhat keeps one from evangelizing the lost around them? What are the barriers that we need to overcome? These barriers may be on the side of the evangelist or they may be on the part of the sinner being witnessed to, but either way the barriers need to be addressed. Once the barriers are addressed, the Gospel must be shared.
Notes
Transcript
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Opening Passage
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Outline
Obstacles within the heart of the sinner
Charles Spurgeon, within his work, The Soulwinner, gives nine barriers to evangelism. What are these common barriers that we face as evangelist?
9 Obstacles to a Fruitful Evangelistic Moment
Indifference and lethargy of sinners
Unbelief of sinners
Delay in response by sinners
Carnal Security of sinners
Condition of Despair on the part of the sinner: From no hope to no fear
The love of sin
Self righteousness of the sinner
A love for the things of the world
Sinful habits and corrupt company
Overcoming the Obstacles of the Evangelist
Overcoming the obstacle of fear
Recognize you are not alone
Name your fear (ignorance, more harm than good, rejection)
Respond to your fear
Fear is normal
Most fears are unfounded
Fear does not excuse you from evangelizing
Appropriate God’s response to fear
Acknowledge you are empowered
7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
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 as far as the remotest part of the earth.”
Pray through it
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Remain close to Jesus (Prayer, Worship, and Devotion)
Overcoming the obstacle of ignorance
Two primary reasons why people claim ignorance when it comes to sharing the Gospel
Either they unclear about the message of the gospel or
they are uncertain of a proper methodology of sharing the Gospel
In response the later, let it be known there is a variety of ways to share the Gospel, but there is only one wrong way and that is to do nothing at all. Like I have said from the beginning, one only fails when they do nothing.
D.L. Moody was confronted one day by a person who disapproved of his method of witnessing. Moody replied that he wasn’t overly fond of it himself and and asked, “What methods do you use?” “Oh, I don’t have a method,” the critic replied. “Well,” Moody retorted, “I think I the way I do it better than the way you don’t!”
If Jesus can use different methods in healing a blind man physically: He spoke a word (Mk 10:52), touch a man (Matt. 9:26), and used spit and mud (Jn 9:6), then surely we can use different methods to open one’s eyes spiritually to the Gospel. There is no one method fits all. With the former issue, let us understand that God uses ordinary people like you and I. Let us be encouraged by the words of Paul to the church at Corinth.
27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
If there was any doubt, I am evidence of this verse. With that said, start where you are. If you know Jesus, you can witness about Him. Take every opportunity you can to train yourself in evangelism. Remember, the urgency of the moment demands that you do what you can with what you have right now. Just like the lost person is lazy and apathetic, Christians must overcome the same obstacle in witnessing.
Overcoming the obstacle of apathy
How do we over come this obstacle?
Stop making decisions based off of emotion
Make decisions based off of what you know is right
17 So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.
Be burdened for the lost
Learn to have compassion for lost people
Moses is a prime example of having compassion for the lost of this world. When God was going to destroy the Israelites, Moses interceded on their behalf.
31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves! 32 But now, if You will forgive their sin, very well; but if not, please wipe me out from Your book which You have written!”
Develop a heart of compassion
How do we do this?
Come to an honest view of eternity without Christ
Acknowledge time is running out
Saturate your life with the Scripture
Spend time with the lost
Commit yourself to intercessory prayer for the lost around you
Overcoming the obstacle of introspection
There is no perfect witness, so don’t waste your time trying to convince yourself there is
Our lives should reflect the message we proclaim
Realize we are all in the same boat (Sinners needing Christ)
Focus on Christ
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
May we be drive by Paul’s three-fold thrust to witness: the love of Christ , the fear of Christ, and the judgment of Christ
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade people, but we are well known to God; and I hope that we are also well known in your consciences.
14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
Overcoming the obstacle of busyness
Make time rather than find time
See eternity through lens of God’s view
Life at its longest is brief
14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.
Our time is not our own
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
People are eternal, possessions are not
Overcoming the obstacle of giftedness
Evangelism is not a gift, but a command
18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Christians are to see themselves On Mission for Christ not self
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Conclusion
We can give all these excuses we want for not being On Mission for Christ and evangelizing a lost and dark world for Christ. We are the king and queens of excuses, but at the end of the day, they are just that, excuses. When you and I stand before the judgment seat of Christ, we will give an account for all that we’ve done good and bad. At that point, what excuse are you going to give for not sharing the Gospel to your lost neighbors?
It my fear that many on that day will be found as Daniel declared to Belshazzar, you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient (Daniel 5:27b). the prophet writes...