sf145 - What Are These Stones - Part Two The Gospel Conversion And Evangelism (Joshua 4 19-24)
Joshua 4:19-24
Introduction
Scriptural context
Forty years of aimless wandering were about to come to an end
God instructs His people to construct a memorial
Ø Because he knows we tend to forget
Ø He knows the question will come...What are these stones?
Historical context
Two years ago this body of believers gathered to establish a New Testament Church.
In the earliest days of this fellowship we determined to seek to build this church upon the foundation that Christ has set in His Word.
I am deeply indebted to Dr. Mark Dever and his book The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, for much of the material I will use in this series of messages.
Join me as I seek to answer “What are these stones:” Worship, preaching, theology, the gospel, conversion, evangelism, church membership, church discipline, church leadership, and growth?
Regeneration is a subject which lies at the very basis of salvation, and we should be very diligent to take heed that we really are “born again,” for there are many who fancy they are, who are not. Be assured that the name of a Christian is not the nature of a Christian; and that being born in a Christian land, and being recognized as professing the Christian religion is of no avail whatever, unless there be something more added to it-the being “born again,” is a matter so mysterious, that human words cannot describe it. “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Nevertheless, it is a change which is known and felt: known by works of holiness, and felt by a gracious experience. This great work is supernatural. It is not an operation which a man performs for himself: a new principle is infused, which works in the heart, renews the soul, and affects the entire man. It is not a change of my name, but a renewal of my nature, so that I am not the man I used to be, but a new man in Christ Jesus. To wash and dress a corpse is a far different thing from making it alive: man can do the one, God alone can do the other.
If you have then, been “born again,” your acknowledgment will be, “O Lord Jesus, the everlasting Father, thou art my spiritual Parent; unless thy Spirit had breathed into me the breath of a new, holy, and spiritual life, I had been to this day ‘dead in trespasses and sins.’ My heavenly life is wholly derived from thee, to thee I ascribe it. ‘My life is hid with Christ in God.’ It is no longer I who live, but Christ who liveth in me.” May the Lord enable us to be well assured on this vital point, for to be unregenerate is to be unsaved, unpardoned, without God, and without hope.[1]
1A. The Stone Of The Gospel (Galatians 1:6-9)
1B. The gospel tells us that salvation is the result of God’s grace.
Ø Heaven is a free gift. (Romans 6:23)
Ø Heaven is not earned or deserved. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
2B. The gospel is honest about man’s condition.
Ø Man is a sinner. (Romans 3:23)
Ø Man cannot save himself. (Matthew 5:48)
3B. The gospel recognizes God’s uniqueness.
Ø God is merciful (1 John 4:8b)
Ø God is just (Exodus 34:7)
4B. The gospel presents Christ as God’s only answer to man’s sin.
Ø Who He is—Christ is the infinite God-Man. (John 1:1, 14)
Ø What He did—Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and to purchase a place in heaven for all who believe. (Isaiah 53:6)
5B. The gospel teaches us that saving faith is the key to heaven.
Ø Saving faith is not mere head knowledge. (James 2:19)
Ø Saving faith is not mere temporal faith.
Ø Saving faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life (Acts 16:31)
6B. The gospel commands us to repent and believe (Mark 1:15; Romans 10:9-10)
2A. The Stone Of Genuine Conversion (John 3:1-8)
1B. Why is the new birth needed?
Because of the nature of man (3:1-3)
Ø Nicodemus was a good man by man’s standards (3:1)
Ø Nicodemus was a sincere man (3:2)
Ø Nicodemus was a lost man (3:3)
“Nobody by nature delights so much in the character of God that he hungers after the true God.” (John Piper)
Because of the nature of the new birth (3:3)
Ø We are slaves who must change masters (Romans 6:17-23)
Ø We must die with Christ and be raised to newness of life (Romans 6:3-4)
Ø We must put off the old man and put on the new man (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Ø We must repent (Luke 13:3)
Ø We must receive a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19)
Ø We must become a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Ø We must become like children. (Matthew 18:13)
Ø We human beings must change. (Romans 2:8)
2B. What is the new birth?
The new birth is spiritual, not physical (3:4-6)
The new birth is supernatural not natural (3:7-13)
Ø A fundamental change must take place in the sinner’s heart (John 3:7; Romans 8:5-8)
Ø The new birth operates independent of man’s control (John 3:8)
Ø God both initiates and completes salvation. (John 1:12-13; 6:44, 64-64)
Ø Regeneration (new birth) always results in repentance and faith (Acts 2:37-38)
The new birth is the result of God calling men to Himself and unto saving faith. (Romans 10:8-17)
3B. Six biblical truths concerning salvation…
1. Man must repent and believe in order to be saved. (Acts 16:30-31)
2. Every one who repents and believes the gospel will be saved. (John 6:37)
3. Man must personally, knowingly, and willingly repent of his sin and place his faith in Christ. (Luke 13:3).
4. Man in his natural lost condition will not and indeed cannot repent and believe. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
5. God in His grace must change man through regeneration before man can and will repent and believe. (Titus 3:4-7)
6. Repentance and faith are the evidences, not the cause, of regeneration. (John 3:3; Acts 16:14)
3A. The Stone Of Biblical Evangelism (Acts 1:8)
1B. Who should evangelize? – “But you…”
The prominence of evangelism in the Bible (Matthew 28:18-20)
The people are the evangelists in the Bible. (Acts 8:1-4; 11:19-21)
2B. How should we evangelize? – “You shall be my witnesses…”
We must tell people that they are sinners and therefore in need of a Savior. (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:2)
Ø We must tell people that there is only one Savior and one way of salvation. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
We must tell people that if they repent and believe they will be saved—but it will be costly. (Luke 9:23)
Ø We must urge men to be saved because they have no guarantee of tomorrow. (Luke 13:6-9; Hebrews 4;7; 2 Corinthians 6:2)
Ø Tell people with joy that if they repent and believe they will be saved. However difficult it may be, it is worth it.
We must use the Bible as our primary source of the gospel. (Isaiah 55:11; Romans 10:17)
We must live in such a way as to validate our witness. (Matthew 5:16)
We must pray, because salvation is the work of God.
3B. What is evangelism? – “You shall be my witnesses”
What it is not
Ø Evangelism is NOT an imposition of your beliefs on someone else.
Ø Evangelism is NOT simply your personal testimony.
Ø Evangelism is NOT social action or recruiting for the church.
Ø Evangelism is NOT apologetics, answering questions and defending the faith.
Ø Evangelism is NOT the same as the results of evangelism: conversion.
What it is
Ø Evangelism is sharing the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.
4B. Why should we evangelize? – “to the remotest part of the earth”
We do not evangelize in order to draw a crowd.
We evangelize in order to be obedient to the Great Commission (1 Corinthians 9:16-17)
We evangelize because we love the lost. (John 3:15; Matthew 9:36; Romans 10:1)
We evangelize because we desire to see God glorified.
1A. The Stone Of The ________________________
1B. The gospel tells us that salvation is the result of God’s _____________. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9)
2B. The gospel is honest about man’s condition. (Romans 3:23; Matthew 5:48)
3B. The gospel recognizes God’s uniqueness. (1 John 4:8; Exodus 34:7)
4B. The gospel presents Christ as God’s _______ answer to man’s sin. (John 1:1, 14; Isaiah 53:6)
5B. The gospel teaches us that saving faith is the key to heaven. (James 2:19; Acts 16:31)
6B. The gospel commands us to ______________ and believe (Mark 1:15; Romans 10:9-10)
2A. The Stone Of Genuine Conversion (John 3:1-8)
1B. _________________ is the new birth needed?
Because of the nature of man (3:1-3)
Because of the nature of the new birth (3:3; See Romans 6:3-4, 17-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Luke 13:3; Ezekiel 11:19; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Matthew 18:13; Romans 2:8)
2B. _______________ is the new birth?
The new birth is spiritual, not physical (3:4-6)
The new birth is supernatural not natural (3:7-13; See Romans 8:5-8; John 1:12-13; 6:44, 64-65; Acts 2:37-38)
The new birth is the result of God calling men to Himself and unto saving faith. (Romans 10:8-17)
3A. The Stone Of Biblical Evangelism (Acts 1:8)
1B. _________ should evangelize? – “But you…”
The prominence of evangelism in the Bible (Matthew 28:18-20)
The ___________________ are the evangelists in the Bible. (Acts 8:1-4; 11:19-21)
2B. ______________ should we evangelize? – “You shall be my witnesses…”
We must tell people that they are sinners and therefore in need of a Savior. (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:2; John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
We must tell people that if they repent and believe they will be saved—but it will be costly. (Luke 9:23; Luke 13:6-9; Hebrews 4:7; 2 Corinthians 6:2)
We must use the Bible as our primary source of the gospel. (Isaiah 55:11; Romans 10:17)
We must live in such a way as to validate our witness. (Matthew 5:16)
We must pray, because salvation is the work of God.
3B. What is evangelism? – “You shall be my witnesses”
Evangelism is _______________
Ø …an imposition of your beliefs on someone else.
Ø …simply your personal testimony.
Ø …social action or recruiting for the church.
Ø …apologetics, answering questions and defending the faith.
Ø the same as the results of evangelism: conversion.
Evangelism is sharing the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.
4B. ___________________ should we evangelize? – “to the remotest part of the earth”
We do not evangelize in order to draw a crowd.
We evangelize in order to be obedient to the Great Commission (1 Corinthians 9:16-17)
We evangelize because we love the lost. (John 3:15; Matthew 9:36; Romans 10:1)
We evangelize because we desire to see God glorified.
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[1] Spurgeon, Charles H., Morning and Evening, March 6 Morning.