Using gifts for the Gospel Message

Intro

Recap previous teaching

Giftings

He makes us unique - gives us natural giftings, and gifts of the Spirit

5-fold ministry; ministry gifts

It is a GIFT to the church to be part of God’s redemption plan; to be a messenger delivering the good news

What is the message?

Re-visit overall topic or series

Being Salt and Light by equipping the church body to go out and BE the church

Share faith, evangelize, teach, serve, and live out following Jesus

But in order to do that, we need to be able to articulate the gospel message

Most of you know the gospel message; but can you articulate it?

Main Topic (Text or Idea)

Scripture basis

Use our giftings for the gospel

Matthew 5:14–16 ““You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Being salt and light means we are to SHOW God’s glory

And central to that glory IS the gospel message

God’s salvation and redemption plan for humanity

Being the light on the hill, being the lamp in the house - shining God’s light includes being able to share the good news of Jesus

If we miss opportunities to share the gospel with others, we are putting that lamp under a basket - hindering and stifling God’s glory from being shown

Romans 10:13–15 “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 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!””

Definitions

Gospel literally means “good news”

Sharing the gospel means you are sharing “good news”

This message benefits ALL people

The world says that all you have to be is a “good person”, but it has no definition on what is “good”

Hear it all the time - “well, I’m a ‘good’ person, so why would I be punished?”..…

The problem is there is no absolute truth or objective definition of what is “good” by the world’s standards

One person’s “good” doesn’t apply to the next person

They might “feel” its good, but its all RELATIVE

What you find when you live by the world’s standards is RELATIVE.ISM

Where if you dig down, there is actually no standard for good and evil

And if you remember Genesis, what fruit did we eat from? The knowledge of good and evil...

So we took the fruit, and started to define what we thought was good and evil for ourselves; and stopped relying and trusting that God is the One who defines it

We seized autonomy for ourselves and removed God from our definitions of good and evil

But here lies the problem - we can SAY we define good and evil; but do we actually determine what is good and evil in the world?

NO.… we think we are the creator and forget that we were CREATED

What we do, in culture, in the world; is we hold a red pen in our hand and say that its blue.…

When we remove God from our definition of what is good, we end up removing the source and plumb line of the definition

God is good

God determines what is good and what is evil

God will judge based on that determination

God is the author, creator, and arbitor of truth

God is our source; we rely on Him to determine what is good

So when we are sharing the “good news” or sharing the gospel message - we are sharing a life-giving message that holds the reality of absolute truth within it

GOD DEEMS THIS MESSAGE GOOD, RIGHTEOUS, AND TRUE

We don’t carry that responsibility.… God determines the gospel message is “good”

So we carry a message of good news, and we are tasked with sharing this with the world for the benefit of every single person on this planet. And we see the birth of this message being carried in the book of Acts

Movement 1 - Spreading a message

Book of Acts

The book of Acts is a continuation of events after Jesus’ resurrection

It serves as a sequel to the gospel of Luke

It is a historical account of the message of Jesus being spread immediately after His life, death, and resurrection

Isn’t that great? That we have a window into how people dealt with this task of spreading the good news of Jesus

And even though it documents the expansion of the gospel message; we find there was a lot of figuring out how and what to do

Its very raw and honest documentation of people trying to figure out how to deliver this message

Reason to believe the Scriptures are true

Unedited window into real human nature

Disciples were trying to figure this out

So this is how they went about it according to Acts (summary):

Jesus’ Ascension & Pentecost (Acts 1-2) – Jesus ascends to heaven; the Holy Spirit is poured out on the apostles, empowering them to preach boldly.

The Early Church (Acts 3-7) – The apostles perform miracles, preach about Jesus, face persecution, and even died for the gospel message (Stephen is martyred).

The Gospel Expands Beyond Jews (Acts 8-12) – Philip evangelizes in Samaria, Peter reaches out to Gentiles (Cornelius), and James (the apostle) is martyred.

Paul’s Conversion & Missionary Journeys (Acts 9-21) – Paul is transformed and embarks on multiple journeys spreading the gospel across the Roman Empire.

Paul’s Arrest & Journey to Rome (Acts 22-28) – Paul is arrested in Jerusalem, put on trial, and eventually sent to Rome, where he continues preaching under house arrest.

So they were largely persecuted, killed, imprisoned.… All because they were sharing the gospel message

They weren’t waging war against the empire, they weren’t inciting insurrections, they weren’t causing mayhem.… they were just sharing the news that Jesus the Christ had come

That’s it, just sharing a message.… and a beneficial message for ALL people, a good thing for ALL people

That is how powerful a message, or news is

<maybe talk a little on today’s news and media>

And this message was spread throughout the known world at the time....

Geography of the Spread of the Gospel

The message of Jesus spreads from Jerusalem (where the church starts) to:

Judea & Samaria – Philip, Peter, and others evangelize these regions.

Antioch – The first major Gentile church and Paul’s missionary base.

Asia Minor (Modern Turkey) – Paul plants churches in cities like Ephesus, Galatia, and Colossae.

Greece (Macedonia & Achaia) – Paul preaches in Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth.

Rome – Paul is imprisoned but continues spreading the gospel in the capital of the empire.

Beyond (possibly Spain) – Though not recorded in Acts, early tradition suggests Paul intended to travel to Spain.

This was all within Roman rule and empire

The avenue which this message was spread was thru house churches, social settings, teachings, small gatherings, and a handful of faithful people who believed it with all their hearts

People from all backgrounds - slaves, free, Jews, and Gentiles from different nations

And it wasn’t all smooth sailing within the people delivering the message

There’s an interesting debate in Acts 15 where they were debating about if the gospel was for Gentiles or only Jews

So we also see that people can muddy and make delivering this simple message complicated sometimes....

We think its so simple, but delivering the message of Jesus to someone is sometimes more complicated that we anticipate

Chunk - Story, testimony, and/or narrative to relate to topic

<me telling my dad about hell and Jesus>

Challenge - Elevator speech

<have everyone pair up, and each deliver the gospel in 60 sec.… switch>

<my one-minute: “We’re all broken and separated from God - sin separated us from God. But God sent His Son Jesus to rescue us. Jesus came, showed us and taught us a Way to live, took the punishment for my sin, for your sin, and the sins of the world, died on the cross for our sins (paying our debt and suffering the consequence of OUR sin), rose again by the power of God, and now offers you and me and anyone who will believe - forgiveness and eternal life. His grace, mercy, and love has changed my life—and if it can change mine, it can change yours too.”>

How’d everyone do? Here’s 4 things to help us deliver the gospel

Movement 2 - Application

1. Believe it! - Before you can share it, you must be convinced it’s true

Key idea: The gospel isn’t something we just say—it’s something we live. You won’t talk boldly about something you’re not sure about.

People can tell when we speak from secondhand faith.

True belief isn’t just mental agreement—it’s heart-level trust.

The biblical word believe (Greek: pisteuō) means to rely on, to put your full weight on.

The disciples didn’t just know who Jesus was, they BELIEVED Him

Ask yourself: Do I live like I believe Jesus is the answer? Do I act like the gospel is the most important truth in my life?

Illustration: It’s like recommending a restaurant you’ve never been to. “I heard it’s good” doesn’t hold much weight. But when you’ve tasted the food, when you speak from firsthand experience - your conviction makes others curious.

Scripture connection: Romans 10:9 – “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Teaching cue:

You won’t be effective sharing the gospel if you’re still unsure you believe it yourself.

Let Jesus transform your life first. Then your message becomes real, not just religious.

2. Understand / Know it — Know the gospel story and the Person behind it

Key idea: Believing leads naturally to wanting to know more. And when you know the truth, you’ll be ready when people ask.

You don’t need to be a Bible scholar, but you should know the basics:

Who Jesus is (God in the flesh)

Why He came (to save sinners)

What He did (died and rose again)

What that means (forgiveness, new life, eternal hope)

If people are really curious, they will ask questions—“Why do you believe in God?” “Why is Jesus different?” “What does the Bible really say about…?”

If all you can say is “I just believe,”; that may be enough for your faith - but it leaves the other person still in the dark

But when you understand the story, when you understand the events and meanings in the Bible - even simple answers can carry significant weight

Scripture connection: 1 Peter 3:15 – “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Teaching cue:

It takes effort to understand something, to learn

Take time to study the gospel. Learn to explain it simply: creation, fall, redemption, restoration - what that means for you and me

Know the Word—because truth brings clarity, and clarity builds confidence

And we can be confident that the truth, though sometimes harsh, is a foundation we can stand on confidently

Practice - I know you might feel silly, but practice telling the story in your own words.… because when the opportunity arises, you want to be able to deliver this life-giving message clearly

3. Articulate it — Speak it clearly, personally, and lovingly

Key idea: It’s not just what you say—it’s how you say it. Your voice matters.

When the time comes, can you actually explain the gospel to someone?

Not just “Come to church with me,” but “Here’s what Jesus has done for me, and He can do it for you too.”

You don’t need to sound polished or perfect.

Most people respond to real stories, not rehearsed speeches

Know what the gospel is, but speak from a real place

Your personal testimony is powerful (Revelation 12:11 “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” ).

People are more likely to listen when they feel heard—listen first, speak second.

Teaching cue:

Speak to the heart, not just the head.

We are all broken people that needs the restoration and redemption found in Jesus - every single one of us

So we can Relate to others - Look for connection points—what pain, doubt, or hope does this person carry?

Share how Jesus met you in those places and what Jesus has done in your life

Practical help:

That’s why I wanted to do today’s exercise

Practice your one-minute gospel explanation - then be prepared to have a conversation to go deeper:

<my one-minute: “We’re all broken and separated from God - sin separated us from God. But God sent His Son Jesus to rescue us. Jesus came, showed us and taught us a Way to live, took the punishment for my sin, for your sin, and the sins of the world, died on the cross for our sins (paying our debt and suffering the consequence of OUR sin), rose again by the power of God, and now offers you and me and anyone who will believe - forgiveness and eternal life. His grace, mercy, and love has changed my life—and if it can change mine, it can change yours too.”>

Scripture connection: Colossians 4:6 – “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

The message we carry and deliver is life-giving - it is a message of hope in a dark and lost world.… its a light in the dark

But we don’t have to carry this message alone - we have brothers and sisters in this mission - but most of all, we have the Holy Spirit

4. Rely on the Spirit — You’re not doing this alone

Key idea: You can be prepared, but you still need power. That comes from the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t leave us alone...

The Spirit leads us to the right people at the right time.

He gives us words when we’re unsure what to say (Luke 12:12).

He softens hearts—that’s not our job, and that should take the pressure off.

We trust in Him and that gives us freedom!

Personal testimony (generalized from my mom/aunty convo): I mediated a hard conversation between two people that were close to me. I won’t say who it was, but it was a hard, uncomfortable, and emotional situation.

I didn’t go in with a plan—I just prayed. Lord, help me, I don’t know how to facilitate this and how to navigate this situation.

But as this conversation unfolded, the Holy Spirit just filled me and the words came, the questions flowed, and the Spirit moved.

As I was talking, I was like “wow, this sounds awesome...” Because it wasn’t me—it was Him.

Another testimony: I had a good friend from college come and visit a few weeks ago. Now I haven’t really seen him since college, so lets just say I’ve come a long way since then.… So I prayed for an opportunity to share Jesus with him. I didn’t want to force it, so I prayed for an opportunity.

Guess what, God opened the opportunity. And come to find out, he is finding his faith in Jesus too! So I got to witness to him, and we had a great conversation about it. It was clear God had orchestrated it.

Teaching cue:

Pray before you go into your day: “Lord, give me one chance today to share Your love.”

Expect the Spirit to answer.

Be available, not just prepared.

Trust that you’re not alone

Scripture connection:

Revelation 3:16 – “Because you are lukewarm… I will spit you out of my mouth.”

When you have the opportunity to share the gospel, it isn’t the time to be halfway. The world needs light, not dimmed-down faith.

Luke 8:16 – “No one lights a lamp and hides it under a jar…”

Use our gifts FOR sharing the gospel message

Movement 3 - Conclusion

This isn’t a checklist. It’s a flow:

Believe — Let it change you first

Understand — Know the message and the Savior behind it

Articulate — Speak clearly and personally

Rely on the Spirit — Trust God with the results

You don’t need a platform or a pulpit—just a willing heart, a real faith, and the Spirit of God.

This message is not to for us to gain worldly benefit.… this is not some pyramid scheme or some business recruitment process

We’re sharing finding eternal life, finding forgiveness, finding salvation

Restoration of relationship with God

The best thing anyone can find....

Ephesians 2:1–5 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

Imagine a broken vase lying on the floor, shattered into pieces. This vase represents our lives before we find Jesus—damaged and discarded. But a skilled potter sees potential. He collects the pieces and begins to reshape them into something beautiful, filling the cracks with gold. This is how God treats us. He takes our brokenness and makes us whole, turning what was once lifeless into a masterpiece that reflects His grace and glory.

Call to action

This is good news! Share it

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Pray to close