Witness: Your Turn (2)

Witness: Your Turn

Matthew 28:18-20

How do we take what we have learned from all these witnessing encounters and turn it into an encounter with our friends and family and help them receive Christ.

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.”

Going = to go with purpose. Living with the purpose of witnessing.

Why I'm preaching different today. Not expositionally through one passage. I want to give a practical way to use all we have learned the last several weeks.

Earning the right to witness.

Obstacles in our way while presenting the Gospel

5 Obstacles we must overcome in order to witness to our friends.

I- Overcome Image Problem

A. I have learned a good lesson about image.

1. Driving a Hummer in OK

2. Hummer has done a great job promoting its image.

B. The church has done a lousy job with its image. Our culture is running from the church, not Jesus. 

C. Jesus answers the question of how to earn the right to witness.

1. Luke 10:29-37

Luke 10:29–37 ESV

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

D. Too many times the church is walking around those in need.

E. We are no longer relevant to many in our society. They don't need us.

5 Obstacles we must overcome in order to witness to our friends.

II- Overcome Social Problem (McDowell)

A. Sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32)

1 Chronicles 12:32 ESV

32 Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.

B. 4 Storms in our culture that affect the church- Josh McDowell - OWU Conference

1- Origin of Truth

a) Most of history- truth was found in God.

b) Enlightenment-- We don't need God because look how great man is.

c) Industrial Revolution-- Look how good man can create.

d) Evolution-- There is no God. God is dead.

(1) #1 Virtue of our culture= tolerance= Just because it's right for you doesn't mean it is for me.

e) 2 Distinct cultures in America today.

(1) Those over 50-- Believe Truth is Discovered

(2) Those under 50- Truth is created.

(a) It's true because they believe it. Truth is found within.

(b) “It is my truth.”

2- Internet

a) Internet is ethically neutral-- It's how it is used.

b) 2012 adolescence spent 18 hours a week. 2013 it is 40 hours a week. Today around 44.

c) YouTube has 500 hours per minute uploaded to its site. (720,000 hours per day)

d) We have unlimited knowledge at our fingertips.

(1) Questions now by Middle School kids use to be what was asked by Juniors in College.

3- Pornography

a) 35% of internet searches are porn.

b) 25% of downloads are porn.

c) 90% of 8-16 year olds have seen porn.

(1) 91% saw it the first time by accident.

(2) Avg age of first time to see= 8 yrs old.

d) 38% are addicted.

(1) Harder addiction to break than drugs and alcohol.

(2) Drugs and Alcohol it takes more to sustain the addiction.

(3) Pornography it takes different.

(4) Eventually the different turns into reality.

e) 58% of divorces mention pornography as the reason.

1 Added by Me...

4- Gaming

a) average teenager spends 3 hours a day.

b) number one excuse of why churched middle school boys won’t come to church events/ camp.

5 Obstacles we must overcome in order to witness to our friends.

III- Overcome Complexity Problem

A. We make it too hard!

B. Parable of Seed and Sower-- The seed is the Gospel.

1. Luke 8:4-7, 11-15,

Luke 8:4–7 ESV

4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

Luke 8:11–15 ESV

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

2. Sower is sharing the Gospel

3. Result had everything to do with preparedness of soil-- not the sower or Gospel.

C. FAITH evangelism- CWT- EE

1. Ability to quote verses is good but only to those whose soil is prepared.

2. Knowing that is good but that is not all of evangelism.

D. Prepare the soil=Help people in the process of realizing their need.

1. ILL-- The bottomless pit illustration with the cross as the bridge to God.

2. Live in a generation that don't even see the pit yet.

E. Alex Himaya at Josh McDowell Institute Conf.-- 8 Steps of Process of someone being saved.

1- They become aware of messenger

2- They like the messenger

3- They realize messenger is a Christian

4- They relate to the person and realize Bible's relevance

5- They get positive attitude toward Bible.

6- They hear and begin to understand Gospel.

7- They recognize a personal need.

(now they are ready for diagram)

8- They put hope in Christ.

F. Figure out where those around you are in the process-- then help them get to the next step.

G. This is evangelism- it's not just the person who witnesses to them the last time.

H. You are part of the process everywhere you go.

5 Obstacles we must overcome in order to witness to our friends.

IV- Overcome Ignorance Problem

A. Ignorance of the church.

B. What is the Gospel?

C. Why do we believe to know truth?

D. We must stop being scared of science. Science just finds data. Someone has to interpret data through their own lens.

E. The data of science does not point away from God. It points directly to God.

5 Obstacles we must overcome in order to witness to our friends.

V- Overcome Apathy Problem

A. The desire of Christians to tell their friends.

B. Apathy. We say we believe Jesus is only way and say we believe in hell but our actions prove otherwise.

C. We must go with purpose of making disciples.

D. Time for urgency on part of the church. We are losing the battle. War will be one but who will be left out because we lose this battle.

CONCLUSION

Are you ready for your own witnessing encounter?