Evangelism in Action

Good morning everyone, it is so good to be here this morning with you all. Right now we get to send out the kiddos to their class where you have the opportunity to learn about God in a way that makes sense to you. Then, remember, you gotta pay attention real good so that you can come find me after service and tell me something you learned today. Then of course we also want to welcome those of you joining us online, etc.

There is alot on my mind today with today’s topic because it is so important. It’s so important, but it’s also really hard to conceptualize sometimes, and frankly its really hard to take the step to actually start doing on a regular basis if we are honest. However, I wanna set the stage with a quote from Penn Jillette the famous Vegas magician from the Penn & Teller duo, and Atheist. Here’s what Penn said,

…how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? —Penn Jillette

This is a shocking statement, isn’t it? But it’s a reminder to us of the weight and responsibility we have when it comes to sharing the Gospel. I mean, if we really do believe what we say we believe…then nothing else matters, right?

Before we get to far into what I really want to talk about, let me remind us all about what we have been talking about. We are in this series called I Love My Church and, as we’ve moved through Acts 2, we’ve talked about the early church’s devotion to teaching, fellowship, prayer, and generosity—things that strengthened them as a community and as followers of Christ. Have you considered how our love for the church should extend to our love for the lost in our community around us?

I’ve talked about the 80% of Ogle County that does not attend a Bible believing church, which would likely reflect 80% of people that do not have a relationship with the Lord. For those of you that are newer, I want you to know where I got that number. Basically I took the churches in Ogle County and the average attendance and did the math. That’s it…but it was very telling to us, and I think it’s super helpful as we think about our community. With that in mind, who do you know in your life right now that doesn’t know Jesus?

Now, part of being Christ bride is to not be ashamed of your spouse in public, amen…that means being a part of his mission to seek and save the lost. Of course there are so many around us who genuinely have no idea who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for them…maybe you are here this morning and you don’t have a full grasp of what Jesus has done for you. You see, in order for someone to know, someone else has to tell them. God has chosen to use you as his church to tell those all around us, but if we don’t…who will? Listen, last week we talked about finances, and that was a little uncomfortable, today, we’re stepping into something else that can be uncomfortable, but so much more important—sharing our faith with others. But don’t just take my word for it…Let’s take a look at what the Apostle Paul says about this topic. Go ahead and turn to

Romans 10:14–15 (ESV)

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? 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!”

Today we are talking about Evangelism in Action and I hope to by the time we are done today equip you with both the knowledge and the ability to be able to have a conversation with someone else about Jesus. Listen, there are different “tools” out there that different people that developed to help explain the Gospel, but honestly the best tool there out there, is you…So, let’s start out taking a look at

The Need for Witnesses:

See, we’ve already established the need for witnesses I think. Between what Penn said and what Paul said, we should see a value of getting this message out there, right? Then we look at our community and we see the need for our very community, our family, our friends, our neighbors, who don’t know what we know about Jesus. Here’s the deal though. In order to be effective at sharing a message, we need to know that message, right? So, because we want to communicate this effectively, let’s turn our focus briefly to

Understanding the Message:

OK, Today, we’re going to have a bit of fun with some Gospel witness training. On your note sheet, you’ll find some key passages. I want you to take these with you—whether that’s in your car, your Bible, or even a photo on your phone. The goal is for you to feel ready to share the message of salvation confidently anywhere. Take whatever notes you need to take, but I want you to feel at least minimally prepared to share about what salvation is. Let’s break it down:

God is Holy: Isaiah:6:3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

God’s holiness sets Him apart from us. It signifies His sacred perfection, which we will see that we fall short of next.

Man is sinful: Romans 3:23 …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

We are all in the same boat. We have all sinned—whether through actions (lying anyone) or the motives of our hearts (hatred maybe), we’ve all fallen short of God’s holiness. No one is better than another; we are all equally in need of redemption.

Jesus came to save sinners: Romans 5:8 …but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

You see, you and I had to be washed clean of that sin and that is what the blood of the Son of God did for you and me. Jesus loves us so much that he gave his own life in literally one of the most brutal ways to die in all of history. He knew what he was getting into, but he willingly did it anyway, and more than that…he did it while you were still his enemy. Who does that for someone that is actively trying to hurt them? Jesus did…that’s who, and there’s really only one thing left for you and I to do this morning, and thats to a

Respond in Repentance and Faith: Romans 10:9 …because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

You see, technically you have two choices…you can go on living like you did before you heard this message, or you can respond in repentance and faith that Jesus is who Scripture says he is. Here’s there deal though…I just wanna be very clear here, ok. This is the only path to salvation. Anyone suggesting otherwise is not teaching the truth. For those that reject this message, there is only one option and that is the eternal torment of Hell. I just want to be clear about that because that’s how important this message really is, ok.

Now, first of all I want to say that if you are hearing this right now and realizing that you need to repent and believe yourself, I want you to simply briefly cry out to the Lord by saying something like this. Lord, I am a sinner, and I don’t deserve you. However, today I give you my life wholly and completely, and I trust you will teach me what that means as I grow to become more like you in time. Thank you Lord. Later today Im going to ask you to write that on your commitment card along with your name so that I can connect with you.

Ok, you’ve heard the Gospel laid out simply. In a moment, I’ll ask you to turn to the person next to you and share these four elements aloud. Just say: ‘God is holy, man is sinful, Jesus came to save sinners, now respond.’ This will help you practice sharing the message clearly.” Now, turn to your neighbor and share these things.

Now we have seen that there is a message that is important and we have seen what that message is. We have even very briefly practiced practiced sharing the Gospel with each other. Of course thats not really all there is to it, right. I mean, theres also the matter of fear of talking to people. Sometimes talking to your friends is the scariest thing you can do…It’s scary because you don’t wanna loose that friendship, sometimes its scary because you don’t know how they will respond and what they will think about you. There are all kinds of things we can talk about in regards to all of that, but ultimately it’s a matter of

Understanding the Power of the Gospel:

Did you know the Gospel has power? Listen, I know that there are some things you know because you the Bible says so, but what I’m asking is if you actually “know” the Gospel has power? Like, has the Gospel actually changed you? Has there been something that has happened within you that the Gospel is responsible for? If you say no, I’d say you misunderstand the Gospel.

Now, We’ve seen how powerful the Gospel is—how it transforms lives and brings hope to the hopeless. This message that we need to share is not just a set of ideas or political agendas; it’s the very power of God for salvation. But even with this powerful message, like I said before, many of us struggle with fear when it comes to sharing it. Fear can be paralyzing, making us hesitate or even avoid conversations about our faith. So, we need to address this fear head-on because it can hinder us from fulfilling our calling as witnesses. So, let’s look at how we can overcome these fears…how we can be bold and confident in sharing the message of salvation. Well, let’s talk about

Overcoming Fear:

Do you feel inadequate when it comes to talking about the Gospel and sharing your faith? Go ahead and look to your neighbor and ask them that question. (pause) Now, no matter what they said, look back at them, with a smile, and say, “You should.”

I’m going to tell you why now. Here’s the reality…you are inadequate, we are all inadequate, Paul was inadequate, Moses was inadequate, David was inadequate, throughout Scripture God uses inadequate people to spread a message of hope and salvation. Let me prove it to you with something the Apostle Paul said,

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

You see, you are inadequate, but that’s exactly what God uses to spread His message. Are you scared about how a conversation might turn out? Good—trust God. Worried it might make things awkward with a family member? Good—trust God. Concerned about things getting tense at the office or in the factory? Good—(gesture to the congregation) trust God! What about your coworker, your client, or even your boss? Unsure what to say? Good—(gesture again) trust God!

Why? Because the power isn’t in us—it’s in the Gospel itself.

Romans 1:16 (ESV)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The Gospel is the power of God! So, let’s talk about a few simple strategies to help get you started:

1. Ask questions: – “What do you believe about God?” “What do you think happens after we die?” or even, “Where do you go to church?” These questions can open the door to deeper conversations.

2. Share your own story: – Share what happened to you, you don’t need all the answers. Simply share what Christ has done in your life: “I used to be stressed all the time, but now I have peace and joy in my life. I used to be a certain way, but I’m not that way anymore.”

3. Bridge to Jesus: – Find a natural way to bring the conversation back to the Gospel. For example, “Yeah, the world feels uncertain right now, elections, riots, inflation, wars. But I’m so glad I don’t put my hope in any government. My hope is in the Lord. Do you want to hear more about that?

This will lead you right into sharing the Gospel we talked about earlier. Do you see how that works? It’s actually pretty easy…

Now, here’s where we’re going to start thinking about what we are going to do today. Now we’re going to talk about

Going Beyond the Church Walls:

You see, this is something that again every church talks about, but we don’t wanna be a church that just talks about it do we? We wanna be a church that IS about it. In other words, this should be in our DNA as a body of beleivers…we have potlucks, we love men’s ministry, and we tell people about Jesus…that’s just who we are.

Now, quietly just to yourself I want you to think about the last person you told about Jesus…Think of who they were and think of when that was. Was that recently, or was that longer than a month ago? a year? a decade? See, if you don’t put this as a priority it’s really easy to put this off and not actually do it, and before you realize, its been years since you’ve talked to anyone about the Gospel. So…how do we go from not thinking about this, not prioritizing this, to making this a part of who we are? Well…I have some thoughts for next year and into the future, but for now I wanna ask everyone to just grab your commitment card from your chair this morning. Think about your circles of influence, your family, your friends, your coworkers, your neighbors. Now I want you to think about making a commitment to sharing the Gospel with at least one person this week.

Listen, for those of you that don’t know this…I used to ride bulls in my later teen years. Well, the very first time I ever got onto the back of a 2,000 lb bull I was terrified, completely and utterly terrified. That bull had never been ridden, and I had never ridden a bull. I would’ve potentially walked away, except I had already paid the $50 entry fee, so ya know…fear vs cheapskate. So as I’m climbing up on that bull I’m thinking to myself, you’re gonna die tonight, and you know what…I didn’t die, I lived to ride again and I only got a little better as time went on. The same thing is true here…You may think to yourself, I may die today as you are walking up to the person you are planning to share the Gospel with, but ya know what…you won’t, and you’ll live to tell someone else.

So Let me help some of you ease into the concept of sharing your faith with other people. Go ahead and grab your commitment card. What I am going to ask you to commit to, is sharing the Gospel. Now, I’m going to ask you to do that a few different types of ways, and so if you can do any of these things, I want you to write down which one you are committing to so that I know specifically how to pray for you this week. Again, you don’t have to put your name if you are uncomfortable doing that.

Here goes…

Invite someone to come to church with you…that is one way to share the Gospel, super low key

Ask someone how you can pray/Let someone know you are praying for them…this tells them that you believe in the power of prayer and potentially opens the door to another more natural conversation.

Use Social Media to share your testimony…This is getting a little more real because this one requires you to actually be real about who God is to you, and what God has done in your life.

Now, I also want to add that if you’re here this morning and ready to make a commitment to place your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to write that down on your commitment card as well. This is the most important decision you will ever make, and I want to pray for you and walk with you in that journey.

So, there are three ways that I’m asking you to commit to evangelism in action, and if you’re ready to give your life to Christ, please write that down too. You see, here’s the deal:

There are roughly 40,000 people in Ogle County that don’t know Jesus as Lord. How can they know Him if they have not believed? How can they believe in whom they have never heard? How can they hear without someone telling them? How can someone tell them unless they are sent? LRBC…This morning, you are being sent

Let’s pray: pray and commission the church as evangelist into the community. pray for boldness, wisdom, and opportunities to share.