Tools of the Trade
Notes
Transcript
My Testimony - Two minutes
Might be all the time you get when talking with someone
Then, intro….
A disease I wish we had a cure for - ALS comes to mind
IF you had the cure, how eager would you be to share it?
IF…you really want people to be cured, you’ll share it
Other diseases, sicknesses, you DO know of cures - and you recommend them, because you want to see people well/cured
TODAY - Sharing the Gospel
Two passages to focus on (out of soooooo many)
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 even to the remotest part of the earth.”
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
If you truly understand the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and all that that means for you, you cannot help but be excited about that and tell others about that.
Leads to evangelism - sharing, truly can’t help it… 2 Cor 5:14
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
Tools for Evangelism Success
Tools for Evangelism Success
Regarding success…
Always remember, God is the one doing the saving (we plant and water)
I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
Also, if YOU are not sure about this, get that settled before trying to convince someone else!
Some tools….
1) The WORD
1) The WORD
“He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
Remember the presupposition - God’s Word is THE authority
Personal stories are good, and often people leave out the Word
“God helped me,” “God loves you,” etc. We expect people to be moved by US…
When it is God’s Word that moves and changes people
It can be emotional, but emotions don’t do the saving
2) Tracts, Papers (with the WORD)
2) Tracts, Papers (with the WORD)
God’s Bridge - show and walk through
Romans Road - show image
3:23; 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-13
Doors of the Bible - show image, explain briefly
(There is a tract for each of you, give it to someone this week, ask them to read it)
3) YOU
3) YOU
YOU (Knowing and sharing the WORD)
YOU (Knowing and sharing the WORD)
2- minute opportunities are less common
Evangelism is relational - people you know, people who like you, trust you
You have specific opportunities - and God wants to use you
Your relationships and opportunities are unique
That I will not have
That others will not have
Evangelism is not optional
Might seem hard at first
Reasons we do NOT evangelize, share, witness
1 - Understanding
2 - Fear. We can be cowards, passing up opportunities
3 - Not saved? You can settle that today
Be in prayer for the burden to witness
ASK QUESTIONS - way to get conversations going
What do you mean by _____________?
How do you know what you believe is true ________________?
What if you are wrong about ________________?
What difference does it make?
When you do this, often people will bring up Jesus/God, before you do
Biggest question you can ask:
What would stop you, right now, from trusting in Jesus as your Savior?
See, there is nothing else Yahweh can do to to invite you
He sent His only Son - for you
Closed the gap between us and Him
I’d be happy to sit and pray with you, today, to settle this.
Then…..listen to someone pray. Help them acknowledge being a sinner
Help them understand what Jesus did, and why (Love)
Then rejoice with the angels when someone repents - Luke 15:10, Jesus explains
CLOSE CHALLENGE
1 - What is keeping you from understanding more about salvation, evangelism?
How can I help you gain understanding?
Do you WANT to gain understanding?
Those you can impact want to hear it from you, not just “Hey, come to church and talk to our pastor…”
2 - What are you afraid of?
Embarrassment, ridicule, shame
People lose friends, families distance themselves when you get serious about Jesus
Pray for the burden to reach the lost
Pray for God to send you lost souls to hear the Gospel
We have a tremendous responsibility - people need to hear the WORD
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
READ Ezekiel 3:17-20 warning
Not to make you feel “guilty”
But to help us all feel emboldened
The victory is won - we get to tell others
Oh…PRAYER - a major component/tool of all of this - a fourth tool, actually
We prayed for June, and she had opportunity
“Careful what you pray for…” :)
3 - And…if this part applies to you, get saved first
Then the rest falls in line
To you - what would it take today, what’s stopping you today, from giving your life to Christ?
I’d love to help you
If you left here today, where would you be heading? Heaven or Hell? Eternal Life, or Eternal Death?
Not sure? Let’s settle that.
CLOSE - (wrap around to illustration)
Sadly, no physical cure for ALS
There IS, however, a definitive cure for the disease of spiritual, eternal death
And…IF you are a believer, you DO have the cure, the remedy
It’s yours to share
YOU have ALL the tools
WORD, Prayer, Other printed materials with the WORD
AND YOU
INVITATION to follow
1 - Trust Jesus
2 - Share Jesus - one person this week, ONE
(Close prayer)
