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1.The Gospel defined
The Good News put simply
1 Cor 15:3-4
1Co 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
Is the Gospel attractive? 1 Cor 2:21-25
You may have experienced, especially from family, hostility toward the gospel. It IS offensive (Gal 5:11), “you are condemned, and you cannot do anything about it – you need God.”
-An offensive and foolish message to theunsaved
-A powerful and wise message to thosewho are called
-Incompatible with man’s glory (v29), therefore only the humble (poor in spirit, seekers of righteousness) will find the gospel attractive.
2.Theology of Evangelism
2.1.Why evangelise?
2.1.1.Love for God
- If we love Him we will obey His commands
- We have been commanded to preach the gospel, to make disciples of all nations.
- God has compassion for the lost – He has shed His blood for them. And His love has been shed abroad in our hearts too.
2 Pet 3:9
The Lord … is longsuffering toward us, not willing that anyone should perish but that all should come to repentance.
2.1.2.Love for our neighbour
- Everybody needs to hear the gospel. How can they believe unless they hear? (Rom 10:14)
- Today is the time of grace. But this will come to an end. 2 Pet 3:7,10,15 – the patience of the Lord is salvation, but in the end every ungodly person will be judged by Him
- You used to be one of them too, until someone shared the gospel with you!
2 Peter 2:9 the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
- The Great White Throne judgement is coming: Revelation 20:11-15
2.2.His Glory revealed
God’s work always results in His glory:
God is exalted and worshiped for Who He Is by those who have been found by Him, and satisfied by Him
People are most satisfied when God is glorified and God is most glorified when people are most satisfied in Him
Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
We are of those who will be there, and there’s a whole lot more to join.
2.3.God’s power for evangelism
2.3.1.God’s power is NOT dependent on you because:
2.3.1.1.The Gospel message is HIS WORD
You don’t need to adjust it (in fact, you BETTER NOT)
Gal 1:8, John 1:1, Mark 1:1, Heb 1:1-2
2.3.1.2.The Gospel message is ADVANCED BY HIM
It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin: John 16:8
It is God who grants repentance to people: 2 Tim 2:55
It is God who grants boldness to share the gospel: Eph 6:19-20, Acts 4:29-31
You don’t need to be afraid of anything.
2.3.1.3.The Gospel message is ITSELF the power for salvation
Rom 1:16- It is the ONLY power. And IT is the power.
You don’t need to be ashamed of it
To be ashamed of it is to deny the Truth and the Power of it, and to elevate someone or something else above it.
2.3.2.You are God’s chosen instrument to share the Gospel
The Great Commission: Matthew 28:18-20
A Clarification:
The reason is v18: Jesus has all the power and authority
The response: Therefore make disciples (not Go!)
How to make disciples?
–A. In your going (wherever you go are are)
–B. Baptising them
–C. Teaching them to obey His commandments
2 Cor 3:6 – We are made sufficient ministers of the new covenant by God
3.Practice of Evangelism: God save us from dead orthodoxy!
3.1.So what exactly is happening when you evangelise? Partaking with God
–You are experiencing the pinnacle of human experience here on this earth: seeing first hand the reality of God’s word:
–The work of God – “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (Jhn 4:34) – Evangelising feeds your soul.
3.2.A question of methods
-Great for equipping you
-The risk is that you start serving the program, and it becomes a plastic method, a sausage machine to churn out results.
The method is secondary. The message is primary.
3.3.Passion for the Lost
Trust and Obey: Faith leads to seeing. You may not be feeling very passionate. But as you step out in faith, the Lord will reveal Himself to you and you will start growing a passion for the lost.Remember Eternity. Wear Eternity glasses
Romans 10:11-14
(13) For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
(14) How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
A warning to God’s messenger, Ezekiel 33:7-11
(8) If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
…
(11) Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
3.4.Basic Principles
3.4.1.Speak in:
- Love – be driven by the truth which compels us to Love
- Truth – be driven by love which compels us to speak the Truth
You are not evangelising to make them happy – but to reveal their need of a saviour, and then present the Saviour to them. It will involve sorrow on their part. There must be repentance. In love for their soul, you will show them their error.
2Co 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
3.4.2.Be prepared with Key Scripture verses
Write the references in the front of your bible, and underline them (if you want!) so that you can find them easily. When you are sharing the gospel, it makes a VAST difference to use God’s words and not yours. Either by showing them the verses in the Bible, or by quoting from memory. People can argue with your words, but they cannot argue with the Bible.
3.4.3.How can I open up the conversation?
The million dollar question! It always takes boldness ( =trusting in God to undertake)
Questions that open the conversation:
-“What’s going to happen to you after you die?”
-“Would you consider yourself a good person?”
-“Why do you think this world is such an evil place?”
-“Have you got a Christian background?”
Some ideas:
Cold calling:
-Politely ask them for a moment of time, and if you could ask them some questions. Remain humble, always loving.
With friends / family:
Pray for an opportunity to steer a conversation toward talking about God.
Sometimes the opportunity only comes when they are in a dark place and are seeking for answers.
Remember that God is the One who has elected those whom He will save, and when He will do it. Therefore you are like a fisherman, casting out the nets – sometimes you will get nothing, and sometimes you will be blessed.
Not every opportunity goes in the direction you want. You may need to walk away from an encounter feeling discouraged because they were completely closed – but remember that it is the Holy Spirit who will take the gospel and start sowing it in their heart. One man sows, another reaps.
Relationship is important. The relationship is what carries the discipleship after conversion.
Most people have some sort of philosophy about life and are quite eager to share it with someone who will listen. Your listening to them gives you an open door to share your faith with them, and to also humbly point out weaknesses in their beliefs.
A great place to learn: in Hospitals and Prisons! – the people are needy, willing to listen, have few doubts about their own weaknesses.
3.4.4.What must I tell them??
Avoid getting into intellectual debates about God and the Bible. You can never debate someone into the Kingdom. Get straight to the conscience: deal with how they match up to God’s law. Use the method you’ve chosen if you wish but don’t be enslaved to it.
If you are really caring for them, and loving them, it will come across in your words, and they will see the love in the truth, even if they don’t like what you’re saying.
Evangelising however, must present all aspects of the gospel. Do not think anyone is ready to be saved if they haven’t heard the full gospel: They must understand the bad news and the good news.
-God’s Holiness, revealed by His Law – including the 10 commandments. His standard of righteousness.
-their sinfulness in the light of His Holiness, and
-their need to repent, and that
-faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved – that none of their good works will save them.
The hope that they must be looking for is the hope of salvation – from sin, from God’s wrath. Then they are ready for the good news.
3.4.5.If someone wants to place their faith in Christ: Now what??
- Try to discern whether it is a sincere desire. Ask if they are aware of their sin before God, and are wanting to repent from it, trusting Jesus Christ to forgive them. (It doesn’t need to be accompanied by tears – just a solemn awareness of their need and the only way to be made right with God)
- Assure them of God’s promise. Tell them that God has promised that all who come to Him are never turned away, but will receive Eternal Life.
- Ask them to pray. Tell them that they need to place their faith (=trust) in Christ, and they can do that by praying to Him for their forgiveness. You don’t have to lead them in any formal prayer – let their sincerity use their own words.
- Pray for them out loud. Praise God for working in their life, entrust this person into His hands, … pray naturally
- Use a scripture to assure them that all those who repent and place their faith in Jesus are saved, 100%, that there is no more condemnation, no guilt to be had, and that Eternal Life begins today! (2 Cor 5:17)
- It is so important for them to now be discipled – they must get into a fellowship group. Introduce them to the pastor. This is only the beginning. This is now your spiritual child! (cf 1 Tim 1:2) – it may take you spending some petrol, and what-not in your sacrifice to bring this person into the fellowship of the church. Get them a Bible. Serve them. This is now a brother / sister in the Lord.
- Pray, pray, pray – for them.
4.Appendix: 40 KEY VERSES FOR EVANGELISM
(ESV; modified from
GOD: God is Holy – He hates sin – He is perfect – He has objective standards – absolute values. He has revealed Himself to us – we can know Him, what He is like, and what He desires of us. He is our creator. We all have that conscience of Him, even though we try to suppress it.
The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalms 19:1
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38
“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Leviticus 19:2
REBELLION: Those who reject God will be punished. Not a popular message today in this pluralistic society where everything goes. But this is God’s word. It is the truth. And the conscience knows this too. Everyone has a sense of moral absolutes – this is because God has put it there, so that we are without excuse for our behaviour.
but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. Isaiah 59:2
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Hebrews 9:27
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28
ATONEMENT: God loves, God is love. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our saviour by living the life we should’ve and then dying in our place. Jesus raised from the dead, proving that everything He said was true, and that He truly does have the power to forgive our sin.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 1 Peter 3:18
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36
CONVERSION: We can repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins - this is God’s good news – the Gospel.
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, John 1:12
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:3
let the wicked forsake his way,and the unrighteous man his thoughts;let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18
For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9