Good Messengers Ministries Basic Evangelism Class



Good Messengers Ministries Basic Evangelism Class

Lesson #2 Discovering Hell’s Best Kept Secret

OPEN IN PRAYER

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Reminder 5 Weeks of Homework

Learn Biblical Principles today…learn how to apply them later!

WAKE-UP CALL

Video ER (Someone’s personal testimony if possible)

10 out of 10 people die | 150,000 people die everyday

How Much Time Left Alive…. (Average person dies at age 70)

20yrs – 2,500 weekends

30yrs – 2,000 weekends

40yrs – 1,500 weekends

50yrs – 1,000 weekends

60yrs -- 500 weekends

GUEST SPEAKER (if present)

Homework

At-Home Prep

- Virtues Firefighters have to save your life?

- Do You Have Those Virtues? (More personal)

Anyone want to share?

Real-World Application

- Call two people from church (who haven’t taken this course)

- Ask…Do you share your faith regularly?

- Why Don’t You?

- Go Around Room for answers?

NO Handouts Given to Read

School of Biblical Evangelism Book

Cover

Q. Psalm 19:7 What is it that actually converts the soul?

Kjv converting | ESV-NIV Reviving | NASB Restoring

Someone Read 1 Corn. 1:19

“the preaching of the cross seems foolish and offensive to an unregenerate sinner.”

Q. Why do you think preaching of the cross seems foolish and offensive to an unregenerate sinner?

A. It is foolish because we haven’t shown them what they have done wrong. Its offensive because in there eyes they are a “good person” and haven’t done anything wrong.

AGE OLD PROBLEM COMES FROM

THE ORIGINAL SIN!!!

John 8:19 “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my father also.”

Matthew 19:17 “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandment.”

There really are 2-WAYS TO HEAVEN? (what never heard that before)

1) Live a Perfect, Holy, Righteous, Sinless Life.

2) Through Repentance / Faith in Jesus / Through His Grace

Romans 3:10-12

“There is NO ONE who understands; NO ONE SEEKS FOR GOD. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; NO ONE DOES GOOD, NOT EVEN ONE.”

Quote from “The Old Evangelicalism” - Iain H. Murry

“Consider why all men by nature are blind to salvation through faith in Christ righteousness. The reason is that the fall has put men in a position where they depend upon themselves, and therefore they will always choose to seek acceptance with God by their own actions. This is true of humanity today as it was of the Jews of the first century, men will not submit themselves to the righteousness of God. The religion of the natural man is always a religion of self-righteousness.”

When you think of the unpardonable sin – God give him at death exactly what he wants….life with NO God…HELL!

Use MIRROR (Wash Yourself with it)

Explain self-justification

- Not as bad as the other guy

- I am a “good person”

- God will forgive

Good/Outweighs/Bad (all other faiths)

BASED ON WORKS!

World Goes with the flow of sin.

- Who in today’s society doesn’t tell the

occasional “white” lie.

- Who doesn’t take something that belongs to someone else, even if it’s a little “white collar” crime?

Note: Sinners know they are doing wrong, but their security is in the fact that so many others are just as guilty, if not more so.

We have cushioned sin!

We don’t even use the word “sin” it is now often replaced with words like “rebellion.”

“OMG” text messaging…first century killed for taking God’s name in vain. (we don’t hold His name in high reguard)

We teach: “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” – Romans 3:23

-Problem is most people NOW lump their sins with everyone else’s! I am not as bad as so-and so…Hitler, Osama, etc…

Modern Evangelism Preaches….

Prosperity Gospel – success, love, joy, peace, and lasting happiness. We use the fruits of salvation as a draw card.

People try on Christ. They tried on Christ for a better life, or because they saw something different in you, or because they are going through a hard time, or because they said a “Prayer.” But they didn’t come to true saving faith in Repentance and Faith (Trust)…not just mere belief!

What they found when they tried on Christ was trials, temptations, mockery. They no longer want anything to do with Christ, Church or Christianity. They are now worse off then when they started. A Bitter backslider!

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO…Where they saved in the first place and are we sharing a Biblical Gospel Message to begin with?

Deeper Study (Optional Homework)

Who did it? (Raise hands)

Q. What did you learn about Moses, Gideon, Paul?

A. God wants simple men/women to deliver

simple Message as witnesses, a witness doesn’t need excellence in speech. He should simply declare what he has seen & heard.

(Hence Good Messengers

[ messengers =witnesses in Greek ] )

Charles Spurgeon:

“Let Eloquence be flung to the dogs rather than souls be lost. What we want is to win souls. They are not won by flowery speeches!”

1 Corn. 1:17

“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

We need to go Preach!. God did not call us to go into all the world and live the Gospel but to preach…

March 16:15

“And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim (preach) the gospel to the whole creation.”

Matthew 28:19-20 - Great Commission

Luke 24:47

“and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

Q. So what are we to do?

A. Preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to the world

but starting in our own back-yard.

What did Christ do?

Look at Luke 3:3

“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming (preaching) a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Q. How did Jesus do that? Preach repentance? How do you learn to be repentant?

A. To be repentant of sin…you must understand your personal sin against God. That is what the Law does!

Explain Repentance (we will go into it later)

-about face turn away from sin towards God.

Our task is to preach the Word. We don’t save anyone. The message we are required to preach is offensive.

Romans 9:33 – “…rock of offense..”

Gal 5:11 - “…the offense of the cross…”

1 Peter 2:8 – “…stone of stumbling…a rock of offense…”

Any other comments about Deeper Study

Gethsemane Experience

(Gethsemane means = oil press [Greek], which means “making something new.”)

Do you remember your thoughts after watching the “firefighter” segment? I hope you were appalled that a human being could stand by and allow someone to perish. Such a thought should horrify us.

Tell story of woman w/ child drowning in water. Woman could not swim so child drowned only to find out that the water was only knee deep.

Any yet most believers are not horrified at the thought that lost people all around them are perishing…and going to where….HELL!

Strive to keep compassion and zeal for the lost…during and after this course. Remind yourself of WAKE UP CALLS!

Keep eternity in view when talking to someone.

Think of those you know who are NOT saved – your family, close friends, co-workers, fellow students, next-door neighbors. Without Christ they will one-day be cast into the lake of fire. We need to fuel our compassion for the lost regularly.

What each of us in this room needs is a “Garden of Gethsemane Experience;” where we lay down our own will and yield ourselves ONCE AND FOR ALL TO THE WILL OF GOD!

It was in a garden where Adam first said to God,

“NOT YOUR WILL, BUT MINE BE DONE!”

And it’s in a garden where we need to say,

“NOT MY WILL, BUT YOUR’S BE DONE!”

When Jesus dropped to His knees in agonizing prayer, His disciples were unconcerned with reality. They were in a dream world.

I am telling you this because I don’t want you to be discouraged when you feel like the rest of the professing Church is asleep when it comes to seeking the Lost.

The fact of the matter is the Lord your Savior is waking you up!

Gethsemane Prayer

Offer an example of prayer to those who are ready to commit to evangelism!

Instead, we need to pray,

“Father, the thought of sharing the Gospel with strangers, friends, and loved ones makes me sweat great drops of blood in fear. Yet not MY will, but YOURS, be done!”

Make it so REAL that the next time you’re standing next to a stranger in a grocery store or chatting with someone you care about, you will remember your “Gethsemane Experience.”

Before we continue, take a moment right now for silent prayer as you meditate on the CROSS and SURRENDER yourself completely ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL TO THE LORD!

This is a very necessary step, because we are about to lay a very important foundation in the course.

BREAK

Watch Lesson #2 Video (Hell’s Best Kept Secret)

Explain Key Phrase of Course

Law to the Proud – Grace to the Humble.

When the fruit is ripe, it should practically fall off the tree. If you have to twist and pull it off a branch, you will probably find it to be sour.

It took me a long time to realize that I’m not called to “close the deal.”

You don’t have to feel pressured to share the Good News with a proud, self-righteous sinner (rebellious, arrogant person) who is NOT willing to admit his guilt before a HOLY, JUST GOD.

In fact, show me anywhere in Scripture where Jesus revealed Himself to someone who wasn’t humble before Him.

We need to realize that most American’s have a concept of God as a benevolent Father Figure. The thought that a God of love would judge us and send us to HELL is unthinkable to many. Its all about GOD’S LOVE!

I often get asked…What about God's love and grace? After all, isn't love what the gospel is all about?

The Bible consistently defines the love of God towards sinners in two words: THE CROSS!

"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

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. “ – Galatians 2:20

"This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” – 1 John 4:10

Always and without fail, God uses the cross as the supreme example of His love towards sinners. Surely God offers the saved believer daily comfort, joy, inner peace, patience, self-control, and a safe harbor in times of trouble, but never does He offer it to the unbeliever.

Check it out yourself. Look in your Bible to find any instance of Jesus, an apostle, or a prophet offering an unrepentant sinner any form of God's love other than Jesus' blood on the cross.

Rather, Scripture says God's wrath is on them! "You are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed." Romans 2:5. Scripture goes on to say, "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

God's wrath is crucial to who He is. If He had no righteous anger, He would not be God. Apart from His wrath, the concept of His love is rendered meaningless.

The cross is love's masterpiece. The cross is God motivated by love, running toward the sinner to rescue him from the flames of eternal punishment. If you were to pinpoint a time in a Christian’s life when his heavenly father clearly demonstrated his love for him, it was the time He saved his life. We can know that the Father loves us because he saved us!

We don't need to look any further for proof of His love. Who could want better proof that my Father loves me than the fact that He gave His own life to save mine, and every other demonstration of love pales in comparison to the supreme moment of mercy. If you have to point beyond the cross where Jesus can rescue you from eternal death, you are missing the focal point of God's love. If you feel the simple message of the cross is not enough to describe the love of God...would you say that to the Father who sacrificed His one and only Son? Would you say it to Jesus who loved you and gave His own life for you? Would you say it to the countless martyrs who died for their faith simply because Jesus loved them and died for them?

God's love is what held Jesus to the cross. It is His love that God's solemn promise --written in His own blood --to forgive those who repent and trust in Jesus Christ His Son. Without the cross, we would no doubt paint God as cold and uncaring. The cross is God's pulpit and ULTIMATE demonstration of His love for us!

So back to our main point….before we share Christ (Good News) we need to shower them that they need Christ (Bad News). Good before Bad. We also need to stop sugar coating the gospel (doesn’t mean we can’t present the bad news in love!).

One of the Greatest Evangelism Questions….”Are you a Good Person.”

Why? “No one is good but God alone!” Luke 18:19

Law shows us where we stand before God! The law DOES NOT help us it just leaves us HELPLESS!

NOTE: This is Key…THE LAW DOES NOT SAVE ANYONE!

Use Measuring Ruler Analogy or Mirror Again To Explain the function of the Law

Quote from D.L. Moody,

“ God being a perfect God, had to give a perfect Law, and the law was given NOT to save men but to measure them. I want you to understand this clearly, because I believe hundreds and thousands stumble at this point. They try to save themselves by trying to keep the Law; but it was never meant to save themselves by.”

Q. Can anyone name all 10 Commandments in Order?

Show Learn 10 Commandments Video in 3 minutes (twice)

Test on 10 Commandments

If I were a physician and knew you had a terrible disease, it would be unwise to give you a cure without first carefully explaining to you that you have a disease in the first place.

Not only would I tell you. I would let your fear work good for you and show you the 10 X-Rays (Law).

Some Christians who witness are like a loud gun that misses the target. They may sound effective, but if the bullet misses the target, the exercise is in vain.

If a sinner leaves after you have witnessed failing to understand his/her desperate need of God’s forgiveness then you have missed the target.

That is why we MUST use the Law when witnessing. It is a snipers bullet that hits a mans heart and brings the knowledge of sin.

God is looking for… - HEART CHANGE

- Repentance & Faith

(for talking later)

Modern Gospel tries to make Christianity more palatable to a cynical world.

It replaces the word “sin” with rebellion (softer word).

Sin in the Greek means to “miss the mark!” What is the mark …the Law…HOLYNESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, PERFECTION

Remember…God doesn’t need a salesman.

If what you are presenting wouldn’t preach on death row, then it doesn’t preach! Example: God has a wonderful plan for your life. (talk about later)

Also remember,…You are NOT telling someone they are sinners (like the Romans Road does). You are NOT telling them you are showing them their (personal) sin against God! Hold up Mirror Again!

We are called to “plant seed.”

Q. And what do you do before you plant seed?

A. Plow the ground.

“If before we plant the seed of the gospel we take the time to turn the soil of the heart thoroughly with the law, upon repentance the effect will be the removal of the stones of sin.”

-Spurgeon

Go Over Handouts

God’s Law Does the Following.

Forgotten Key to Biblical Evangelism

Go Over Homework

Read @ Home

Real World Appl. Say “Hi” to 10 people.

Read Handouts

Discuss briefly Decisional Prayer & Repentant Prayer

As a rule, I do not lead someone in prayer. It is not Biblical. If someone you know committed adultery against his wife, would you lead him back to his wife and say, “Repeat after me, I am really sorry

and I shouldn’t have slept with that woman?” You would not do it in that case and you shouldn’t do it with a sinner. However, if they say they want to pray now, you can say, “Go ahead and pray

and then I will pray for you.” Otherwise, send them on their way and ask them to let you know if they have made their decision. If they do, God saved them. If they don’t, you will be glad you

didn’t manipulate them into prayer.

Closing Video Psalm 51

“They will never accept grace until they tremble before a Just and Holy Law.” - Spurgeon

CLOSE IN PRAYER

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download