Evangelism 5
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Recap:
So, the heart of the gospel is to:
Repent! The Kingdom has Come - turn from your sin and turn back towards God!
Through Jesus comes salvation - believe in Him!
He Lived
He Died
He Resurrected
Way back in May, when we started the series, we began with:
Our Church Mission Statement:
1. People of the Gospel
The first part of our mission is about preparation and equipping. We believe every believer has been given a gift by God (equipped) in order to share the Good News in his or her unique way. FBC desires to prepare every believer that has a passion for the lost by teaching and encouraging them to pray, study the Bible, and church fellowship. We are not trying to gain members. We are trying to encourage you to do what the Lord has called you to do!
This is why we spent time looking over what the gospel is.
Romans Road:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This morning, we are going to dive into the second part of our mission statement:
2. Share the Gospel
The second part of our mission is about seeking the lost and revealing to them The Way of salvation - faith in Jesus Christ. Each believer knows the darkness and pain they were once in and each believer also knows the joy that came when Jesus delivered them from it! We desire that every person experience that same Joy of the Lord!
So, this morning, we are going to dive more specifically at 2 conceptual ways of sharing the gospel
Before we dive too far, we need to remember a few things:
1 Timothy 2:3–6 (NIV)
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
John 14:6 (NIV)
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 12:31–32 (NIV)
31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
John 6:44 (NIV)
44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
So, as we begin looking at ways to share the gospel this morning, we need to understand that God wants to save people!
We also need to understand that God is the one at work in salvation! We are just the spokesperson!
Ways to Share the Gospel:
1. Theological/Historical/Logical
1. Theological/Historical/Logical
The beginning here is to what the gospel is. This approach is simply sharing the gospel with others. We approach evangelism from a “heady” space.
There are plenty of videos and ways to do this!
In fact, most of the gospel presentations that we see in scripture are people do just that!
They are sharing the historical or theological truths of the gospel!
2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV)
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NIV)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Often times, these conversations turn to apologetic questions.
Some tips:
Ask questions!
Use scripture when appropriate
Talk about prophecies
Talk about historical accuracies
Talk about what the bible is - not one book!
Resources:
Frank Turek - Cross Examined - college campuses - programmed events
Todd Friel - Wretched - college campuses -open air preaching
Cliffe/Stuart Knechtle - Give Me an Answer - college campuses - open air discussion
Bryce Crawford - street evangelism
Nicholas Bowling - open air preaching
Sean McDowell - apologist
Josh McDowell - apologist - Evidence that Demands a Verdict
Some things to avoid:
Heated arguments - keep emotions in check
Personal jabs
Fallacies
Arrogance
2. Relational
2. Relational
Most of us, specifically those maybe not with the gift of evangelism, This is likely the way that we share the gospel
Through our relationships with others, they should see Jesus
1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
1 John 3:18 (NIV)
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 Peter 3:15–16 (NIV)
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
― Brennan Manning
“If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it” - Paul Harvey
3. Spirit Led
3. Spirit Led
This last one I put on here as a number 3, but really it should encompass all evangelism, and all that we do!
Some people will error on the side of speaking to quickly or too often, and others will error on the side of just “living it out”
But, the truth is, we must walk according to the Spirit!
On the first end of error, we drive people away from the gospel
On the other end, we never actually share the gospel!
Well, it is both! And, we have the Holy Spirit inside of us to guide us!
Galatians 5:16 (NIV)
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Galatians 5:25 (NIV)
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
We need to be so in tune with the Holy Spirit that we know how and when to share the gospel!
This way we don’t end up erroring on one side or the other!
So, as we wrap up this morning, maybe the gospel needs to be real for you! Maybe you have heard the gospel, but it has never been real in you….
Maybe a long time….
I want you to take a moment and pray about who and how you can share the gospel with. - write it in your notes!
