You Can Share The Gospel
The Foundation
Introduction
As you go through the Sessions you'll see about a dozen different
methods for presenting the gospel.
In polite conversation there are two subjects we like to avoid...
sin and hell.
But the fact is that Jesus spoke about hell much more than he did
about heaven.
... if a person does not know they are a sinner, they do not
know they need a savior. On R.C. Sproul's radio program this
morning he stated that 90% of the people he shared the gospel with
thought they were good enough to get into heaven, or that they could
do enough good works to earn their way into heaven.
My experience is similar. On one Saturday I spoke with 300 people.
290 said they thought they were good people. The problem is, although
they may be "good" people based on human standards, they
will be judged based on God's standards.
Before I go any further, here are two important facts:
Salvation is a free gift from God: "For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God." - Ephesians 2:8,9
God can do whatever He wants. He can save anyone at any time. He
does not need us: "...with God all
things are possible." - Matthew 19:26
Although He doesn't need us, He has told us that we are to participate
by sharing the gospel. However, God has not given us a script we
must follow. He has not told us that we need to be perfect in how
we share. God can use whatever we do and say in our attempts to
share the gospel. So there is no morally correct or morally wrong
way to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
However, there is a pattern we can see in the New Testament that
provides a guiding principle. Let's look at the sections of scripture.
Please read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
In these verses Paul summarizes the gospel. (Notice that in verse
1 Paul says that what he is about to say is of "first importance".)
There are three points:
1. Christ died for our sins.
2. He was buried.
3. On the third day he rose from the dead. (That he was alive again
was attested to by many witnesses.)
This is an outline of the gospel message.
What does "Christ died for our sins" mean? What does
the word "sin" mean? In these verses Paul was speaking
to Christians who, like you, knew what sin is and why Christ died.
But when we are talking with nonbelievers they don't know the answers
to those questions. So how did Paul present the gospel to nonbelievers?
The book of Romans gives what Paul taught, and the first chapters
of Romans give a presentation of the gospel by Paul.
Please read Romans 1:18 - 3:30
In presenting the gospel, where does Paul start? Does he start
with telling people they have a God shaped hole in their heart or
that God has a wonderful plan for their life. No. He starts with
sin, describing in detail what sin is and making plain we are sinners
and we have no excuses.
Starting in verse 1:18 and continuing for 63 verses Paul talks
about sin. He does not talk about God's grace until verse 3:21 and
then he uses just six verses to present the answer to sin, God's
grace. He spends ten times as much time talking about sin as he
does presenting the cure.
Paul is like a doctor who has a patient with a fatal illness, but
the patient does not know the illness is serious. If the doctor
hands him a bottle of pills and just says, "Take one every
day for 30 days, they will make you better.", the patient may
or may not take the pills as instructed. But if the doctor spends
45 minutes explaining to the patient that he has three months to
live; and he shows MRI's and blood tests that reveal the problem;
and he discusses all the research on this illness that demonstrates
it is 100% fatal. AND THEN he gives the pills to the patient, explaining
that if the patient takes one a day for 30 days, he will be cured.
That patient will take the medicine as instructed and will be hugely
grateful to the doctor.
Until we know we are seriously sick and dying (know we're sinners),
we are not very much interested in the cure (Jesus Christ).
So how do people learn they are sinners in need of a savior? God
has given us a tool.
Please read Luke 18:18-27
This is the story of the rich young ruler who is seeking salvation.
He asks Jesus how he can be saved. How does Jesus answer him? With
the Ten Commandments. When the young ruler says that he has obeyed
all of the Ten Commandments, Jesus proves that he has not. Jesus
shows that the rich young ruler is breaking the first commandment.
His money is more important to him than God. (Have no other Gods
before me.)
God's law reveals what sin is. Paul says he would not have what
sin is without the law. - Romans 7:7
God's law is a tutor that leads us to Christ - Galatians 3:24
Use the law as it was intended to be used, to reveal to people
they are sinners. You'll need to be the judge when this is necessary,
although I think you'll find it is needed in 9 out of 10 cases.
Using the Roman Road you might say something such as:
"For all have sinned and fall sort of the glory of God. Do
you know what sin is?"
[Let them answer]
"To sin means to break break God's laws. Do you know the Ten
Commandments?"
[Let them answer]
Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever taken anything that did
not belong to you. Here's one that really got me, Jesus said that
if you look at a woman [or man] with lust, you have committed adultery
in your heart. Have you ever done that? These are just three of
the Ten Commandments.
You can then go on to discuss the penalty for sin (death... meaning
spiritual death not physical death), and the good news that Jesus
Christ paid that penalty in their place so they are free to enter
heaven.
Note that in the above I asked questions and allowed the person
to answer. It is better if you have a conversation instead of you
doing all the talking, preaching at someone.
Now let's get started learning the ways you can use to go out and
share the gospel.
Go to Lesson 1: Eight
Reasons Not To Share The Gospel
Optional Lession: Is Your
Evangelism God Centered?
Go to: the first page
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