Where Am I With Evangelism?
Notes
Transcript
ILLUST: Playing guitar - I’m not very good - I don’t practice
Driving a stick shift - good now, not so much when I first tried
What about you? What are you good at now that you weren’t when you started?
How are you with evangelism? Is it even something you want to do?
WHERE AM I? Here’s is where we have been
Where am I with God?
Relationship - am I walking with Him?
Where am I with God’s Word?
Am I being guided and shaped by Him?
Where am I with worship?
Is pointing glory to him my priority?
Where am I with fellowship with others?
Community - Am I walking with His people?
Relationship with God changes us
His Word shapes us
Worship drives us
Fellowship supports us
Us, Us, Us, Us
All this was never meant to stop with US
If we are inwardly driven by relationship wtih God, our faith will move outward!
If our faith never moves outward, then something inward, something inside us, has stalled
If all this is real, is it reaching anyone?
READ Matthew 28:19-20 and Jude 20-23
1) Evangelism
1) Evangelism
Defined - sharing the good news, THE GOOD NEWS
We ended last week with Acts 2:42-47
The result was MORE ADDED TO THE ROLLS OF THE CHURCH
More got saved, (baptized, and joined the church)
The world around them was evangelized - told about Jesus
Challenged to repent and obey the Gospel
Based on Peter’s sermon in Acts 2
Look at what Peter then also preached in chapter 3, and 4 - READ much of Acts 3
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
2000 more! (3000 in Acts 2…)
What is evangelism?
Telling the true account of Jesus - salvation, with the prayerful hope of others trusting Him as Savior
Good News, requires Bad News
All have sinned, all deserve punishment, all will be judged based on trusting or not trusting in Jesus as Savior
Telling people they can be spared eternal punishment (saved) by repenting of sin and accepting the forgiveness offered by Jesus
What it’s not:
a program in the church
winning arguments
being rude or weird
starting every conversation with “If you died tonight…”
pressure tactics or guilt trips
inviting to church (though that helps)
having all the answers
OPTIONAL - It is NOT OPTIONAL
Evangelism is not meant to be uncomfortable
So why is it??
…Because we don’t do it often enough…
ILLUST: New job - compare your first day with your day doing that job for a year
Learning to drive, learning ANYthing - the more you do it, the better you get, and the more comfortable it is
What it is - You, loving Jesus, unable to contain that within
2) The Importance of Evangelism - The “Why?”
2) The Importance of Evangelism - The “Why?”
Why? It is commanded
Yeah, but that doesn’t help us own it. We don’t like doing what we’re told
But we WILL like doing what we love
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
Evangelism is important, because people, lost people, need to hear it
Let’s take a look at Jude 20-23
Context of Jude’s letter - to discuss and celebrate salvation, but a couple things are happening
1 - Saved people are not living like they are saved
2 - False teachers seem to be winning
In verse 3 - “contend for the faith” - you gotta fight for this
We see in Jude, the same type of people we see today
People wavering, leaning toward false teachers
Then - There really is no judgment to come, live however you want
Today - Pretty much the same
These people should not be ignored; they need to be shown mercy
People close to being “captured” by false teaching
Same today - Don’t give up on them
People already living the opposite of the Gospel
Still, offer and extend mercy, being careful
Influence more than being influenced
Important - you have faith. How? The Word
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
NOT - “I think” - you will hear this often…(expand on this in other areas)
This is not an area to guess, the Bible has truth and facts
As for those around you….
If people you know, who trust you, don’t hear the Gospel from you, who will they hear it from?
Matthew 28:19-20 - “as you are going”
Evangelism is not just what missionaries and pastors do
Where you live is your mission field
3) How, When Do I Evangelize?
3) How, When Do I Evangelize?
(Not going to spend time here on some program or tool)
But…use the Bridge tract - place it in someone’s hand
Best way to start it - show your life as one of hope
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
It actually starts with you, being sure of your own salvation
If you have doubts, settle them - JTB had his own doubts…
Then…If you TRULY own your salvation -
You will respond with a love for Jesus, it shows
You will respond by telling others, warning them
Q - Do you really believe in Heaven, this eternal place of glory with Jesus?
Q - Do you really know you will be there?
Q - Do you really believe in an eternal hell, Lake of Fire, where those who reject Jesus will be sentenced?
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
You cannot believe in one without the other
Tell people the truth:
Sin - warning, show love by warning them
Salvation - Jesus has made the full and sufficient payment - Good News!
Q - Does it excite you to know that you will be in Heaven?
Q - Does it concern you that people, possibly close to you, will not?
POINT - God does the saving
POINT - God puts people in front of you to tell them the truth (planting the seed, watering…then God does the saving)
Then PRAY - Look at your prayer life regarding evangelism
Pray for the burden to reach the lost - without this, you will not
Pray for opportunities - they will come, God will open those doors
Then pray for specific people - by name
Believers depend on God, continually coming to Him in prayer
The lost, likewise, cannot come to Him without depending on Him
Pray for that work of the H.S.
Pray according to the Spirit’s will
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Then TELL - When?
When God puts that person in front of you…
Place a tract in someone’s hand - make contact
(much better than just leaving it somewhere, hoping someone finds it)
(I find tracts from false teachers and throw them away…)
Ask someone to read it
When they have questions, answer them
And if you are not sure of the answers, get back to them, and do it
The more you do this, the more you will hear the same questions
The more you will learn, and YOU WILL GROW your faith!
CLOSE
When you understand the experience of God’s mercy, you will share that
God’s mercy will be FULLY understood when we meet Him face to face
ASIDE - Some will reject Jesus despite your efforts, despite the calling of the Holy Spirit
“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.
We have the same command - Go and tell
Go and warn - We do have God’s Word!
You might be the only Bible someone will “read”
How they decide to proceed with Jesus may depend on what it is they hear from you
No pressure, seriously :)
Just let your love for Jesus shine through, let the Holy Spirit work.
And…don’t quit just because it feels awkward at first…
Where are you?
God, Word, Worship, Fellowship
Evangelism
