My sermon notes for Sunday, Nov 10th as we continue our study through WHY SHARE THE GOSPEL. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided to help follow as we walk through the Word each week. To see the sermon each week or subscribe to the weekly sermon podcast please visit http://www.fbcap.net
Why Share the Gospel – The Message
Because of the Great MESSAGE
Matthew 4:18–22 – [19] And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
A few things to consider first:
My definition of Evangelism – The passionate, joyful, and intentional sharing of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, to the world. The goal of evangelism is making disciples. A disciple is someone who has accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, that is growing daily in their relationship with Him, and is serving Him by their involvement and ministry within the fellowship of His Church.
You will notice two components present:
- Proclamation – We must proclaim the Gospel. The true, pure, biblical message of redemption. The good news of Jesus Christ. Who He is. Who sent Him. Why He came. What He accomplished. What it means to you and I.
- 1 Cor. 2:1-5
- John 1:12
- The message
- Persuasion – We must persuade people to respond to the message. Our life should be a life of encouraging people to come to Christ in repentance and faith.
- 2 Cor. 5:11-21
- Our Mission. What we do with the message
(Obviously a major component is PRAYER)
This is the big picture idea of the Sharing the Gospel and the idea of a message and a messenger being involved. But I would like for us to consider a few more things.
What is our motive?
- The WHY of sharing Gospel.
- Some would say… TO GET PEOPLE SAVED.
- For God’s Glory
- The Redemption Story. The flow of redemption through human history!
- Last week THE NEED. People are lost.
- Restoring relationships (mankind to their Creator.)
- Big picture. The spread of the Kingdom.
- People I know and love need the hope of Christ.
- To Make Disciples
- Glorifying God as we join Him in His plan of redemption
What is our method?
- THE HOW of sharing the Gospel
- What are we sharing?
- What are we asking people to do?
- The HOW of affirming that someone is a Christian. (that someone has understood and received the message.)
Why this should be important… consider:
- SBC and our emphasis for numbers over the years and celebrating baptisms and church membership.
- Yet, our churches are numerically spiraling downward.
- What has been our score card? What do we celebrate?
- YET, we have the Word. We know what a Disciple looks like. We know what is a healthy church.
- IT IS TIME WE TAKE A DEEP LOOK WITHIN AND ADMIT… WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!!!
Data from Flagship SBC church in Florida.
- 11,845 Baptisms. 7,690 New Additions over a certain 16 year period. (at the height of their ministry)
- Membership grew from 21,062 to 29,181.
- YET, Attendance stayed the same and SS numbers went down by 651. ( SS from 6,401 to 5,750)
- HOW CAN WE ADD 19,535 MEMBERS TO OUR ROLLS AND IT NOT IMPACT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO WORSHIP THE LORD THAT CONVERTED THEM/SAVED THEM/REDEEMED THEM.
Yet, we applaud the numbers. We train people to do it THIS WAY. We view this a what all should be doing.
What have we been asking people to do?
- Believe in Jesus.
- Believe you are a sinner.
- Want to go to heaven.
- Sincerely believe and you will be saved.
- Be saved forever.
It could very well be that this is exactly what we have shared and exactly what we have responded to. But, think about it and then consider the condition SO many people we know are in.
Say they are saved, yet not living the saved life.
Think about these verses:
- 1 John 2:15–19 – [15] Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.[18] Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. [19] They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
- Matthew 7:23 – [23] And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
- John 10:27–30 – [27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. [30] I and the Father are one.”
KEY IS 1 John 2:15 – They did not truly love the LORD. Just like the rich young ruler last week (Luke 18:18-20) IT IS A HEART ISSUE.
Yet, what has happened for so many years is that someone is “saved” and then when they do not get plugged in… it is our fault.
- We did not disciple them
- We did not follow up
- They did not connect
(example… I want to be saved. I cannot come back to church tonight or wed and talk)
So what do we do… WE CANNOT GO BACK, BUT WE CAN GO FORWARD…. WE SHARE THE GOSPEL BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MESSAGE.
THE MESSAGE is so much more than believe in Jesus and you will go to heaven one day.
It is:
- God is holy and righteous and worthy of all praise and worship
- Mankind is created in His image and we are accountable to our creator.
- We have sinned and are separated from God.
- By our nature – original sin
- By our choice – life that we live as sinners.
- He loves His creation so much that He provided a way of salvation through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
- We must acknowledge our condition and need.
- Recognize that Christ is our only hope
- Repent or your sin.
- Place your faith in Christ.
- Forsake your ways and follow Christ
- Daily worship Him and live for His glory
- Repent of our sin and place our faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord.
When He is our Savior and Lord
- We love Him and love living for Him.
- We love Him and love the things that He loves.
- We love Him and love His Word
- We love Him and love His church
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Matthew 4:18–22 – [18] While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. [19] And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” [20] Immediately they left their nets and followed him. [21] And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. [22] Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (ESV)
John 1:9–13 – [9] The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. [11] He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. [12] But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 2:1–5 – [1] And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. [2] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, [4] and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, [5] so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (ESV)
2 Corinthians 5:11–21 – [11] Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. [12] We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. [13] For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. [14] For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; [15] and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
[16] From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. [18] All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. [20] Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [21] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (ESV)