July 18, 2015
This week’s study is titled….
‘Evangelism Is Awkward’
Do you see yourself as an evangelist? Though most Christians do not have the gift of evangelism we are all called to share the Gospel message to a lost world.
Let’s see what God’s Word says.
1. The Call To Share The Gospel.
Read the following passages and write down and discuss what they say to Christians generally and then to you personally.
2. Sharing By Life or By Lip.
How do you share with others? Consider and discuss the following quote and examples from God’s people.
No matter what approach to evangelism we use, whether emphasising life-style and example or whether building relationships, we should never obscure the message of the Good News. *
3. What Is The Message We Share?
Read in a nutshell the essence of what Paul shared. 1 Corinthians15:3-4, 2:2.
Our role is not to convert people.
What does Paul say does convert people? Romans 1:16, 1st Corinthians 1:18.
What did Jesus say the Holy Spirit does? John 16:8-11.
What does Paul say those who bring the Good News are? Romans 10:15, 1Thessalonians 2:4.
Discuss Paul’s comments and conclusion (v18) to those preaching the Gospel even with wrong motives. Philippians 1:15-18.
With the above in mind what do you see as the most important things to keep in mind when sharing the Gospel with unbelievers? Read Paul’s words in 1Corinthians 2:1-5.
4. Prayer.
Read Ephesians 6:19-20, Colossians 4:3-4.
What were the four things Paul asked for his fellow believers to pray for?
5. Four appeals to come to Christ.
If you have time discuss Luke’s words below taken from last Sunday’s message.
1) Guilt and Shame, In Genesis 3:10 Adam hid from God because he afraid of his nakedness. From this moment on, guilt and shame have stained us as humans. Often we live, perpetually hiding and jumping from place to place to cover up our guilt and shame that we feel and has been done to us. The Gospel comes to us and says that we can be cleansed from the stain of sin that has been done to us and all of our sins that we have done. We do not need to hide, because Jesus’ blood covers all our shame and cleanses our heart, Hebrews 10:22 and 1 John 1:9. There is forgiveness from all we have done and cleansing from what has been done to us because His blood goes deep into our hearts – the source of the problem – and He covers all our nakedness with His own righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our identity now comes, not from what we have done, or has been done to us, but rests safely and eternally in what Jesus has done for you.
2) Idols, That is, anything that we set up in our heart as our greatest treasure – the thing we need to survive to feel like we have an identity. Anything that occupies our wallet, time or thoughts more than God – that’s an idol. In Luke 18:18-30 a rich ruler comes to Jesus and asks, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life.’ He’s a good person, we see that because he emphasises what must I do. And to this, instead of answering positively, Jesus devastates him by telling him to sell what he has, give the money away and follow him. Jesus words hurt and sadness fills his heart, not joy. See, this man clung to his wealth and it obscured Him from God. It was His idol. He worshipped it. And Jesus calls Him to exchange His idol for an even greater treasure than money; God. To exchange the worth giving of things and stuff for the only object that is worthy and everlasting. The Gospel devastates our idols, but offers us delight in God for eternity. Idols of money, ministry, family, sex, technology or football can’t die for our sin. Only Jesus can.
3) Rejection, Isaiah 53:1-12 tells us that Jesus was aquatinted with rejected, sorrow, suffering and loss. He gets suffering and rejection. In the garden before He was crucified, late at night, tired and anxious over His impending crucifixion, Jesus was rejected by all His friends. On the cross He was rejected by God. He is a suffering Saviour and gets the rejecting you feel. The Gospel comes and says, to those having faced rejection from a spouse, boss or friend, that Jesus was rejected so that you can be accepted in Him. He faced the worse, so that you can be adopted into His family with the hope that He will never leave or forsake you because your acceptance rests in His work on the Cross, not on us.
4) Love, Love is a very abstract idea today. In one breath I can say I love pizza and my wife. Now, that’s sound very strange – does it mean I have the same feelings of affection and joy for pizza as Natasha? I hope not! The Gospel defines true love. In Hose we see the love of God in choosing to redeem a rebellious people who have acted like a prostitute. In Galatians 2:20 Paul ends his talk about the death of Jesus by saying, ‘….He loved me and gave Himself for me.’ And In Ephesians 5:25-29, the motivation for Husbands to love their wives comes from the death of Jesus for us.
Jesus death shows the extent of God’s love for us. Our sin has harmed God and hurts us. And in love, Jesus came to get out the spots and stains and make for himself a perfect, clean bride. If someone harms us and takes our happiness or reputation or things, we can either make them pay or forgive them – which means absorbing the cost ourselves. Our great debt to God required an infinite payment that could only be met in God. So, Jesus came and in love, died my death.
6. Conclusion.
Has this study helped you to share with others the Gospel message? If so share with each other how.