Lace Up Your Shoes

// RECAP

Series: Spiritual Habits

Week 1: We Need to Talk

Prayer is Communication with God

We need to pray God’s will over our lives, not our own

Pray to be Unshaken & Unafraid - prayer is the key to defeating anxiety

Week 2: Faith Unshaken

Faith is active trust and belief display through obedience

Faith & Works come together; if you have faith you will do works (obedience)

Faith recognizes that God is in authority

Faith impresses God

Faith grows through:

Testing

Asking

Hearing

Week 3: True & Free

Truth is something it’s someone

Truth is spiritual - we only know truth because of the Spirit of Truth (Holy Spirit)

Truth brings peace to fear & anxiety - what’s there to be afraid of if you know the truth?

Know truth by reading your Bible and activating your salvation

Week 4: Real-lationships

Have Boundaries

Assume Positive Intent

Love Like You’ve Never Been Hurt

Serve Others First

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Dirty

Closing out our series talking about the Habit of Evangelism

VIDEO: Don’t Be Like This Guy

1. Why Do We Need Evangelism?

Define

Evangelism

the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.

Gospel

the “good news” of Jesus Christ

Romans 1:16 ESV

16 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.

Evangelism is the vehicle that gets the Gospel (good news) to the world!

Ephesians 6:15 ESV

15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Evangelism is the vehicle that get’s the Gospel (good news) to the world!

The Gospel is a part of the Armor of God

Evangelism is the vehicle that gets the Gospel (good news) to the world!

Understanding the Gospel

God desires relationship with us

Humans got prideful and wanted to be like God - this is sin

This led to a separation between us and God

In other words, we were dead because of our sin

Jesus came and brought life to everyone that follows Him - Jesus is the way, truth, and life

Jesus took our place when He chose to die on the cross

When Jesus did this, it allowed us to have a relationship with God again.

This is the good news!

When was the last time you got good news and you told everyone you could about? Would you like to share what it was?

2. Your Story Matters

Your story (testimony) is the most important tool/weapon you have when it comes to evangelism!

Revelation 12:11 ESV

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.

Ephesians 6:15 ESV

15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Paul paints a picture of the Gospel being the foundation (shoes/feet) of our lives

if someone is injured in their feet, they aren’t going to be that valuable on the battlefield

Have you ever injured your knee, ankle, or foot? Did you find that it was harder to do everything else because of that injury?

Readiness points to being mobile, flexible, and ready with the truth!

Do You Know Your Story?

In order to be mobile, flexible, & ready we must know our story

your story has different parts to it

your story changes

memorizing your story is not like memorizing for a test - it is who you are

Simply sharing the Gospel with someone isn’t enough though...

…Jesus told us to go and make disciples

Matthew 28:

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

3. Doing Life Together

Jesus’ Command to Us

a follower or student

Jesus’ Command to Us

Go

this is an action word, meaning we need to be doing something

Make Disciples

Disciple

a follower or student

We are going to walk through life with someone - it’s not just a one time conversation

We all have questions and it’s easier to get answers to those questions when you have a friend helping you

it’s okay to say, “I don’t know.”

Baptize Them

Baptism is the public sign that someone is a follower of Christ

it’s the public changing of the “relationship status”

Teach Them

Open God’s Word and study it together

Do a YouVersion Bible Plan together

The Harvest

Mark 9:

Matthew 9:27–28 ESV

27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”

Matthew 9:37–38 ESV

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Jesus points out that there is no shortage of people that need to hear the Gospel

The shortage is the vehicles in sharing the gospel

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit will prompt you to share the Gospel with people that need to hear it

Examples:

encouraging a co-worker

praying with someone at school

texting or dm some on social media

inviting someone to sit with you at lunch

// Conclusion

You don’t have to have it all together before you can disciple someone.

You simply need to submit to God and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit

Have you identified what the “harvest” may be at your school or workplace?