WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.740 Message today is going to be how to evangelize. 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:04.280 How to evangelize. 00:00:05.060 --> 00:00:06.320 Straight to the point, right? 00:00:07.459 --> 00:00:10.779 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 4 says, 00:00:10.939 --> 00:00:10.759 ! 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:37.420 What is it? It's the gospel. 00:00:38.299 --> 00:00:42.000 And so he says we speak not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 00:00:42.480 --> 00:00:46.260 I would say, this might be a strong statement, but I'm going to say it, 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:50.840 that it's Christian malpractice to not be good at evangelism. 00:00:51.480 --> 00:00:54.900 To not have a level of competence in evangelism. 00:00:54.980 --> 00:00:56.579 Think of all the things you could be good at. 00:00:56.579 --> 00:01:02.659 As Christians, why in the world is it so acceptable to not evangelize? 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:05.299 Or to not even be confident to evangelize? 00:01:05.400 --> 00:01:09.519 As Christians, that is like a travesty. 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:12.719 To say the world is dying. 00:01:13.299 --> 00:01:15.500 The world is justly under the wrath of God. 00:01:15.939 --> 00:01:18.299 The world has no hope apart from Christ. 00:01:18.680 --> 00:01:21.939 The world is destined for eternal punishment and wrath. 00:01:21.939 --> 00:01:27.659 And we have the good news that when believed would save them from their sins, 00:01:28.099 --> 00:01:32.900 absorb the wrath of God, and set them on a course for eternal life with Jesus. 00:01:32.900 --> 00:01:34.340 We have that message. 00:01:34.659 --> 00:01:36.799 To not preach that message. 00:01:37.140 --> 00:01:41.599 To not take the time as Christians to be competent in it. 00:01:41.659 --> 00:01:42.459 To be good at it. 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:44.400 To be confident in it. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:51.200 Can you think of anything that would be more of a travesty as Christians? 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:54.580 And I don't think we think enough about that. 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.360 And we all think about being good at things, right? 00:01:57.860 --> 00:01:59.100 I mean, who doesn't try? 00:01:59.520 --> 00:02:03.219 There's probably not one person in this room who hasn't spent time in their life 00:02:03.219 --> 00:02:06.400 trying to excel at some particular area of life. 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:08.240 Okay, could be at your job. 00:02:08.640 --> 00:02:10.159 Could be as a parent. 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:12.020 Could be as a husband or a wife. 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:15.420 Could be just at a particular skill. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:16.379 Maybe barbecuing. 00:02:16.480 --> 00:02:16.860 I don't know. 00:02:17.920 --> 00:02:20.400 Could be fantasy football, for crying out loud. 00:02:20.980 --> 00:02:22.500 People get good at stuff. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.420 But for Christians to not be good at evangelizing. 00:02:27.980 --> 00:02:30.879 Heaven forbid we put all this time on being good at all these other things 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:32.460 and we don't know how to preach the gospel. 00:02:33.140 --> 00:02:34.759 We don't know how to evangelize people. 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:37.500 Of all things, get this. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:39.139 We must. 00:02:39.699 --> 00:02:40.340 We must. 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:44.519 So, before we get into this on the how-to, 00:02:44.659 --> 00:02:48.139 I just want to throw out a few false assumptions that come with this. 00:02:48.259 --> 00:02:53.060 Number one, sometimes the reason we don't really spend a lot of time on this 00:02:53.060 --> 00:02:54.780 is because we think someone else will reach people. 00:02:55.259 --> 00:02:56.419 I don't have to reach them. 00:02:56.799 --> 00:02:57.759 Someone else will do it. 00:02:58.399 --> 00:03:00.719 Well, what if you're the only Christian that somebody knows? 00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:03.000 Right? 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:05.020 What if you're the only Christian that someone knows? 00:03:05.139 --> 00:03:09.360 What if you're the one that God wants to use to speak to people? 00:03:10.699 --> 00:03:13.000 We can't just assume someone else will reach them. 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:14.699 We have to be missionally intentional. 00:03:15.180 --> 00:03:17.719 We have to assume that whenever we meet new people, 00:03:17.939 --> 00:03:19.800 that, hey, they might not be Christians. 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:23.600 They might need to hear the gospel. 00:03:24.600 --> 00:03:24.800 Okay? 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:27.860 Number two, a false assumption is, 00:03:28.460 --> 00:03:30.980 and a reason to maybe not preach the gospel is, 00:03:31.420 --> 00:03:32.700 they're already Christians. 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:36.140 Which 65% of America says, hey, I'm a Christian. 00:03:36.700 --> 00:03:37.640 So it's like, man, really? 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:39.480 I mean, most people are Christians anyways. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:41.840 It's not like I really need to preach the gospel that much. 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:45.979 Because if 65% of people are Christians, we're mostly good. 00:03:46.920 --> 00:03:51.319 But listen, 65% of America is not Christian. 00:03:52.259 --> 00:03:52.439 Okay? 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:54.620 Because when they ask those Christians, 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:56.140 you've heard me say this before, 00:03:56.219 --> 00:03:58.640 but I want to keep drilling it into our heads. 00:03:58.920 --> 00:04:00.699 When they ask them, do you believe that Jesus is the only way? 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:01.879 Do you believe that Jesus is God? 00:04:01.939 --> 00:04:03.740 Do you believe that the Bible is the word of God? 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:05.460 They're saying no to those things. 00:04:05.819 --> 00:04:08.719 90% of those, 65% of the population, 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:11.740 90% of those Christians are saying that they don't believe that. 00:04:12.280 --> 00:04:14.439 Well, you just narrowed it down quite a bit. 00:04:15.340 --> 00:04:16.540 If that's true, 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:20.000 then you're saying 90% of professing Christians 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:21.120 aren't actually Christians. 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:23.399 You can't be a Christian and not believe Jesus is God. 00:04:24.180 --> 00:04:26.920 You can't be a Christian and believe that Jesus isn't the only way. 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:29.240 Do you understand what I'm saying here? 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:30.899 So if someone says they're a Christian, 00:04:31.019 --> 00:04:33.620 don't just be, oh, thank God they're a Christian. 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:35.319 I don't need to preach the gospel to them. 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:36.800 Well, what if they're not? 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:38.960 What if they're a Christian in name only? 00:04:39.780 --> 00:04:40.540 Look at their fruit. 00:04:40.900 --> 00:04:41.400 Talk to them. 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:42.139 Ask questions. 00:04:42.379 --> 00:04:42.840 Number three, 00:04:43.780 --> 00:04:45.360 I just need to invite them to church. 00:04:45.840 --> 00:04:47.420 I mean, I don't need to talk to them about the gospel. 00:04:47.780 --> 00:04:49.439 I just need to get them in the doors, right? 00:04:50.180 --> 00:04:52.120 Let the paid professional do that. 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:53.519 That's not my job. 00:04:53.980 --> 00:04:55.699 That's what we got pastors for, isn't it? 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.160 Our job is just to invite people to church. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:01.120 As if like, you know, 00:05:01.400 --> 00:05:03.800 there's so many professing Christians 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:05.920 who think that evangelism was replaced 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:08.020 with church service invitations. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:11.020 And yet I don't see that anywhere in the Bible. 00:05:11.819 --> 00:05:12.879 It's like, go into all the world 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:14.100 and invite them to come to church 00:05:14.100 --> 00:05:15.740 so a paid professional can preach to them. 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:17.360 Is that what Jesus said? 00:05:17.840 --> 00:05:18.180 No. 00:05:18.280 --> 00:05:19.780 He said, go into all the world and make disciples. 00:05:20.780 --> 00:05:20.960 Okay? 00:05:21.180 --> 00:05:23.100 Preach the gospel in season and out of season. 00:05:23.699 --> 00:05:24.060 Right? 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:26.540 Now, if someone hears the gospel at a church service, 00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:27.280 praise God. 00:05:27.939 --> 00:05:29.199 I rejoice in that, right? 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:32.000 But our job isn't just to get people to church services 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:32.860 to hear the gospel. 00:05:33.300 --> 00:05:34.639 What do they need a church service for? 00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:35.240 They got you. 00:05:36.280 --> 00:05:36.980 If you're a Christian, 00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:38.780 they can hear the gospel through you. 00:05:39.819 --> 00:05:40.019 Right? 00:05:41.579 --> 00:05:42.399 Number four, 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:44.279 because I've always done it 00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:45.319 or seen it done this way, 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:46.420 this way is the best. 00:05:47.319 --> 00:05:47.500 Okay? 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:50.000 Sometimes we've seen ways of evangelism 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:50.920 that aren't the best 00:05:50.920 --> 00:05:52.439 and we should challenge our creed 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:53.899 and determine whether or not 00:05:53.899 --> 00:05:54.719 that's really the truth 00:05:54.719 --> 00:05:55.839 according to the word of God. 00:05:56.439 --> 00:05:57.579 We should dive into that. 00:05:57.660 --> 00:05:59.000 We should have conversations with people. 00:05:59.719 --> 00:06:00.480 And then number five, 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:02.240 I just need to wait for opportunities 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:03.139 to come to me. 00:06:04.060 --> 00:06:06.019 Well, how about making opportunities? 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:07.220 Do we always have to just wait 00:06:07.220 --> 00:06:08.620 until someone comes up to us and says, 00:06:08.740 --> 00:06:10.120 what must I do to be saved? 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:11.019 I don't know. 00:06:11.079 --> 00:06:12.800 How many of you have had that happen pretty often? 00:06:13.579 --> 00:06:15.740 I think I've had that happen once in my life. 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:17.540 It did actually happen once. 00:06:19.319 --> 00:06:20.779 That's a pretty rare thing, though. 00:06:20.779 --> 00:06:22.539 I mean, I'm 46 years old. 00:06:23.699 --> 00:06:26.099 If I only waited for people to do that, 00:06:26.139 --> 00:06:27.979 I would be barely preaching the gospel at all. 00:06:28.699 --> 00:06:28.859 Okay? 00:06:29.919 --> 00:06:31.439 We have to make opportunities. 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:33.939 So these are assumptions that can get in the way 00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:35.239 and I don't want those to get in the way 00:06:35.239 --> 00:06:36.399 as I talk about the rest. 00:06:36.479 --> 00:06:37.500 So I throw those out there. 00:06:37.739 --> 00:06:38.739 So let's jump into it. 00:06:39.559 --> 00:06:41.659 How do we evangelize? 00:06:42.039 --> 00:06:43.419 Number one, okay? 00:06:44.579 --> 00:06:45.699 And some of these are going to sound 00:06:45.699 --> 00:06:47.459 like I'm Captain Obvious. 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:48.159 That's okay. 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:51.060 Like, it's good to just say these things out loud. 00:06:51.180 --> 00:06:52.439 Number one, how do we evangelize? 00:06:52.820 --> 00:06:54.800 Get in front of lost people. 00:06:55.620 --> 00:06:56.980 Get in front of lost people. 00:06:57.460 --> 00:06:59.300 You can't evangelize a lost person 00:06:59.300 --> 00:07:01.140 until you are in front of a lost person. 00:07:01.800 --> 00:07:03.260 And you might say, well, duh. 00:07:04.260 --> 00:07:05.460 But I'm saying, no. 00:07:05.840 --> 00:07:07.160 We have to make effort. 00:07:07.340 --> 00:07:08.580 We have to be strategic. 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:09.820 We have to plan. 00:07:10.020 --> 00:07:11.820 We plan so many things in our life. 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:14.840 How often do we plan to get in front of lost people? 00:07:14.839 --> 00:07:17.279 And not just so we can be their friends 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:18.319 and befriend them to hell, 00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:20.759 but so that we can preach the gospel. 00:07:21.479 --> 00:07:21.659 Okay? 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:24.019 Listen to the language of the New Testament. 00:07:24.359 --> 00:07:25.659 Great Commission, Matthew 28. 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:26.599 What does he say? 00:07:26.659 --> 00:07:27.759 He says, go. 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:30.839 Okay, this involves moving from one place 00:07:30.839 --> 00:07:31.759 and going to another. 00:07:31.899 --> 00:07:35.059 Going to all nations to make disciples. 00:07:35.719 --> 00:07:35.919 Okay? 00:07:36.479 --> 00:07:38.079 Luke 19, verse 10. 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:42.279 Jesus says the Son of Man came to seek and to save. 00:07:42.599 --> 00:07:44.979 That also implies you're going. 00:07:45.419 --> 00:07:46.659 It implies you're looking. 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:47.740 Right? 00:07:48.259 --> 00:07:49.740 And then Matthew 4, 19, 00:07:50.099 --> 00:07:51.659 when Jesus reached out to his disciples and said, 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:53.879 follow me and I will make you fishers of men. 00:07:54.459 --> 00:07:54.699 Okay? 00:07:54.779 --> 00:07:56.319 So go seek fish. 00:07:56.599 --> 00:07:58.579 All of those involve taking action, 00:07:58.979 --> 00:08:00.759 going to a place, you know, 00:08:01.899 --> 00:08:05.259 no one's ever been sitting in the living room 00:08:05.259 --> 00:08:05.939 and like, what are you doing? 00:08:06.019 --> 00:08:06.879 They're like, I'm fishing. 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:08.360 They're like, well, don't you're not? 00:08:08.699 --> 00:08:09.459 They're like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:08:09.459 --> 00:08:10.560 I'm just waiting for him to come. 00:08:11.540 --> 00:08:12.779 I'm waiting for him to come. 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:14.100 You know? 00:08:14.180 --> 00:08:16.259 Like, no, you have to go where the fish are. 00:08:17.300 --> 00:08:20.279 Like, no one fishes on dry land. 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:21.560 You go to the water 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:22.860 because that's where the fish are. 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:25.839 No one, if we want to reach lost people, 00:08:25.899 --> 00:08:28.420 we have to go to the water where they're at, 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:29.600 wherever they might be. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:32.340 We might have to go to specific places 00:08:32.340 --> 00:08:33.639 we wouldn't normally go. 00:08:34.019 --> 00:08:35.159 There are multiple, 00:08:35.159 --> 00:08:37.059 the majority of lost people. 00:08:37.379 --> 00:08:39.659 They will never set foot in a church 00:08:39.659 --> 00:08:40.579 in their lost state. 00:08:41.379 --> 00:08:42.799 So we can't just say, well, 00:08:43.179 --> 00:08:45.480 that's the only place I reach lost people 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:46.299 is in a church building. 00:08:46.699 --> 00:08:47.039 No. 00:08:47.500 --> 00:08:48.339 Go where they are. 00:08:48.439 --> 00:08:49.500 And Jesus did this. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:50.319 Go. 00:08:50.740 --> 00:08:51.139 Seek. 00:08:51.740 --> 00:08:52.139 Fish. 00:08:52.659 --> 00:08:52.879 Go. 00:08:53.059 --> 00:08:53.639 Seek fish. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:53.899 Go. 00:08:54.079 --> 00:08:54.559 Seek fish. 00:08:54.819 --> 00:08:55.799 This should be the pattern 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:57.159 of a Christian's life. 00:08:57.559 --> 00:08:57.759 Okay? 00:08:58.679 --> 00:08:59.360 Which means we, 00:08:59.819 --> 00:09:00.500 and some of you are like, 00:09:00.579 --> 00:09:03.000 man, I can't add more things into my life. 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:03.240 Yeah. 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:04.960 A lot of that is just starting 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:06.460 with the existing people and places. 00:09:06.659 --> 00:09:08.440 Who am I already in contact with? 00:09:08.600 --> 00:09:09.879 What am I already doing? 00:09:10.360 --> 00:09:11.960 Where am I already spending my time? 00:09:12.019 --> 00:09:14.059 And how can I use more gospel intentionality 00:09:14.059 --> 00:09:15.220 in those places? 00:09:15.460 --> 00:09:16.279 In my workplace? 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:17.220 In my family? 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:18.200 In my neighborhood? 00:09:18.779 --> 00:09:20.179 On my kids' sports team? 00:09:20.700 --> 00:09:22.100 Whatever it may be, right? 00:09:22.419 --> 00:09:23.860 Being more intentional in those things. 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:26.179 Secondly, what are the new people and places? 00:09:26.340 --> 00:09:28.559 Where can I go and reach new people and places? 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:33.079 Um, you know, what are those places? 00:09:33.199 --> 00:09:34.279 Where can I meet strangers? 00:09:34.959 --> 00:09:37.219 Friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, 00:09:37.419 --> 00:09:41.339 colleges, restaurants, stores, grocery stores, 00:09:41.479 --> 00:09:44.439 coffee shops, barbers, hairstylists, doctors, 00:09:44.659 --> 00:09:47.419 chiropractors, mechanics, parks, schools, 00:09:47.779 --> 00:09:50.139 bars, sports teams, nursing homes. 00:09:51.139 --> 00:09:52.919 Is there, we could go all these places. 00:09:53.379 --> 00:09:54.679 They say, well, I'm not going to them now. 00:09:54.759 --> 00:09:55.459 Well, pick one. 00:09:56.340 --> 00:09:57.920 Like, aim for something. 00:09:58.100 --> 00:09:58.860 Go somewhere. 00:09:59.259 --> 00:10:00.100 But we got to get out there 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:01.960 and be where lost people are at. 00:10:02.540 --> 00:10:03.300 And be intentional. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:06.440 This can also include doing certain things 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:08.240 that we can do to attract people, 00:10:08.680 --> 00:10:10.700 but it doesn't necessarily need to be in a church building. 00:10:11.060 --> 00:10:13.379 It can be in homes just like it was for Jesus 00:10:13.379 --> 00:10:15.460 on multiple occasions and the disciples. 00:10:17.940 --> 00:10:20.060 All kinds of just sharing meals together, 00:10:20.060 --> 00:10:21.639 doing holiday parties together, 00:10:22.280 --> 00:10:23.720 all kinds of things like that. 00:10:23.879 --> 00:10:25.440 Meeting in public and in homes. 00:10:26.060 --> 00:10:27.560 And we should be doing that together 00:10:27.560 --> 00:10:28.500 as much as possible. 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:30.740 In Luke 10, when Jesus sent out the disciples, 00:10:31.160 --> 00:10:33.080 he sent them out two by two. 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:33.740 Okay? 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:35.580 Two by two in every town and place 00:10:35.580 --> 00:10:36.620 where he's about to go. 00:10:36.680 --> 00:10:37.300 He sent them. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:38.060 Go. 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:39.280 Go find lost people. 00:10:39.379 --> 00:10:40.500 Get in front of lost people. 00:10:41.800 --> 00:10:43.639 And you might say, well, okay, 00:10:43.720 --> 00:10:45.300 of all that, what's the best means? 00:10:45.800 --> 00:10:48.040 1 Corinthians 9, 19 to 23 says, 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:49.080 though I'm free from all, 00:10:49.420 --> 00:10:51.280 I have made myself a servant to all, 00:10:51.620 --> 00:10:53.060 that I might win more of them. 00:10:53.059 --> 00:10:53.759 To the Jews, 00:10:53.839 --> 00:10:54.779 I became as a Jew, 00:10:55.259 --> 00:10:56.019 in order to win Jews. 00:10:56.099 --> 00:10:56.939 To those under the law, 00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:58.319 I became as one under the law, 00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:00.419 though not being myself under the law, 00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:02.219 that I might win those under the law. 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:03.419 To those outside the law, 00:11:03.539 --> 00:11:05.059 I became as one outside the law, 00:11:05.479 --> 00:11:07.059 not being outside the law of God, 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:08.299 but under the law of Christ, 00:11:08.739 --> 00:11:11.359 that I might win those outside the law. 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:12.519 To the weak, 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:19.439 I became weak, that I might win the weak. I become all things to all people, that by all means, 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:24.659 I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its 00:11:24.659 --> 00:11:32.639 blessing. So what should we become? All things. To what people? All people. By what means? All means. 00:11:33.340 --> 00:11:39.340 Why? That we might win some for the sake of the gospel. Okay? It's just getting in front of lost 00:11:39.340 --> 00:11:44.740 people by any means in preaching the gospel. And I think it would be good for us to think, 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:49.899 how often is this on my radar when I'm going through my day? I was convicted by this the other 00:11:49.899 --> 00:11:56.440 day. I was so kind of locked into my day, wasn't paying attention. And then I got in my car, I'm 00:11:56.440 --> 00:12:02.480 like, oh my gosh, I didn't even realize who was in front of me. These were lost people I was 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:08.480 interacting, and I was just oblivious. I was so locked into what I had to do that day, 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:13.440 what I had going on, which is another moment being locked into what you need to get locked 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:17.700 in on the day. But being sensitive to the fact that we're interacting with unbelievers all the time, 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:24.159 that those people we're interacting with, those people don't know Jesus. Those people are destined 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:31.240 for eternal punishment apart from the saving power of Jesus. And so we need to get in front of them. 00:12:31.920 --> 00:12:37.139 Okay? We need to get in front of them. So we should be, as a church, we shouldn't just be waiting for 00:12:37.139 --> 00:12:43.980 those opportunities. A church, all the more so a church plant, should be strategically looking for 00:12:43.980 --> 00:12:50.720 opportunities to get in front of lost people, as much as possible, by any means. Okay? Once we get in 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:56.659 front of lost people, what do we do? Number two, find out what they believe. Become a good question 00:12:56.659 --> 00:13:02.860 asker. Get them talking. Listen to them. Identify their gods. Identify if they're proud or humble. 00:13:02.860 --> 00:13:09.300 Okay? Matthew 12, 34 in the CSB says, the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. 00:13:09.820 --> 00:13:15.860 So often, when you get in front of a lost person and you're thinking, I don't know what to say, 00:13:16.740 --> 00:13:22.200 start by asking questions. When I think this is true, just getting in front of Christians too. So 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:27.460 many times in counseling, I don't know what to say at first. So I just start asking questions. As the 00:13:27.460 --> 00:13:34.360 mouth speaks, things start to come out. What they believe in. What they're hoping in. And if you ask 00:13:34.360 --> 00:13:39.379 good questions, you start to see a lot of things. And the Holy Spirit will make clear what direction 00:13:39.379 --> 00:13:43.560 you're to take. Whether it's a lost person, you're trying to counsel a Christian. But in this particular 00:13:43.560 --> 00:13:49.220 case, we're talking about unbelievers. Ask questions. Get them talking. Hey, like, what are some 00:13:49.220 --> 00:13:54.279 questions you can ask? You can say, hey, are you a Christian? But then if they say yes, don't be like, 00:13:54.340 --> 00:14:01.340 oh, good. And then move on. A great question after that is, oh, great. Tell me, how did you become a 00:14:01.340 --> 00:14:05.800 Christian? And you could really tell a lot about what they believe when they answer that question. 00:14:07.040 --> 00:14:12.019 You know, I've asked that question before and my eyes probably get kind of big. So I'm thinking, 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:17.660 wait, what? That's not how you become a Christian. I don't know. That's not how you become 00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:22.860 much of anything. So I don't know where you got that from. But so that's just a great question to 00:14:22.860 --> 00:14:28.360 ask. And, you know, you're genuinely asking. But obviously you're asking because you don't know for 00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:32.860 sure that they are just because they profess to be. So you're saying, hey, how did you become a 00:14:32.860 --> 00:14:38.159 Christian? And then you might have to do some correction and just say, hey, that's actually not 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:43.039 what the Bible says. Can I tell you what the Bible actually teaches about this? You could speak the 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:47.600 truth to that. Okay. Another great question is, are you a man or woman of faith? 00:14:48.500 --> 00:14:54.779 Or what do you believe? You know, which is essentially asking, what is your gospel? Like, 00:14:54.819 --> 00:14:58.459 what's the gospel you believe? But you say, what do you believe? You could say, what do you believe 00:14:58.459 --> 00:15:01.879 about sin? What do you believe about death? What do you believe about heaven or hell? What do you 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:08.419 believe about God, spiritual things? Like, what do you believe? You could ask, do you believe that Jesus 00:15:08.419 --> 00:15:13.959 literally rose from the dead? Because that's a big deal, right? If they don't believe that Jesus rose from 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:21.420 the dead, we got a problem. We got a big problem. A lot of times people are going through hard 00:15:21.420 --> 00:15:25.440 situations. A question I love to ask people is, when they're going through a hard situation, 00:15:25.540 --> 00:15:30.139 they start sharing it. I love to ask them about it and then ask them, how are you dealing with that? 00:15:30.139 --> 00:15:37.139 Like, that's a heavy load. You know, a lot of people collapse under something like that. 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:41.539 How, what, like, what are you looking to? How are you doing that? And that's another way to just 00:15:41.539 --> 00:15:46.299 offer up, like, are you a person of faith? Like, how are you dealing with this difficult situation in 00:15:46.299 --> 00:15:53.799 your life? You can also bring up current events, especially right now. Like, you can, you can ask 00:15:53.799 --> 00:16:01.740 about things related to morality and ask what they think. Christian brother the other day went to the 00:16:01.740 --> 00:16:07.599 UMKC campus and was doing evangelism with another guy. And one of the things he was just asking, he 00:16:07.599 --> 00:16:12.919 asked a couple people was, hey, what do you think about that Charlie, the Charlie Kirk shooting? And 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:17.860 people were more than willing to talk about it, right? Obviously, everybody's talking about it 00:16:17.860 --> 00:16:23.299 anyway, so it's not like that's a weird thing to ask. And just ask. And then from that conversation, 00:16:23.299 --> 00:16:28.719 they were able to share the gospel. They went into the campus for three, for one hour, met three people 00:16:28.719 --> 00:16:34.000 and preached the gospel to three different people, got one of their phone numbers to possibly connect 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:39.299 after that. I mean, that's the kind of stuff that can happen. But it just happened by asking simple 00:16:39.299 --> 00:16:47.139 questions and introducing themselves to strangers. Okay. So ask questions, find out what people believe. 00:16:47.359 --> 00:16:56.000 Number three, preach the gospel. We got to give them a hearing, right? Romans 10, 17 says, faith comes 00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:01.799 from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. How are people going to get faith? They got to hear. 00:17:01.799 --> 00:17:09.019 They got to hear the gospel. And just know, it's only our job to give them the hearing. It's not our job 00:17:09.019 --> 00:17:15.200 to save them. Romans 10, 14 says, how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:22.659 are they to hear without someone preaching? Okay. We got to preach the gospel. It's so easy in our fear of 00:17:22.659 --> 00:17:29.799 man to just love people, befriend people, be relational with people. You don't want to love someone to hell. 00:17:29.799 --> 00:17:36.579 They have to hear the gospel. Okay. It's not true that you preach the gospel always and when necessary, 00:17:36.700 --> 00:17:43.379 use words. It's always necessary to use words. That's what the Bible teaches. It's always necessary 00:17:43.379 --> 00:17:49.180 to use words. They can't have faith unless they hear. And how can they hear unless someone preaches 00:17:49.180 --> 00:17:54.539 words? This is why, again, you got to know what to say. Like you got to be competent in the gospel. 00:17:54.940 --> 00:17:59.399 There's no excuse for someone who's been a Christian for a long time, not knowing how to preach the 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:07.160 gospel. If anything, you don't know, find out how. Study it. Go to good people who've taught the 00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:13.460 gospel really well. Ask people you know and trust. Get in the scriptures and study the gospel. 00:18:14.280 --> 00:18:17.940 Everything, every verse related to the gospel. Memorize verses related to the gospel. 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:21.920 Get good at preaching the gospel because this is how people get faith. 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:28.060 2 Timothy 4, 2 says, be ready in season and out of season. Preach the word. 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:34.119 In season and out of season. Okay? This means that you can't just do it when you feel like it. 00:18:34.679 --> 00:18:40.419 It can't just be when it's easy. It's got to be when it's hard too. And you got to know that people 00:18:40.419 --> 00:18:47.500 aren't always going to like it. Colossians 4, 3 to 4, Paul says, pray also for us that God may open to 00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:54.419 us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ on account of which I'm in prison, that I may 00:18:54.420 --> 00:18:59.779 make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Are you able to make the gospel clear to people? 00:19:00.320 --> 00:19:07.240 If you're not, do what Paul did. Pray. Pray that you would be able to make the gospel clear. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:12.060 Before you're talking to someone, pray that you'll do that. When you're not talking about that, pray for 00:19:12.060 --> 00:19:16.759 yourself and pray for our whole church that we would be people that make it clear to people what the 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:22.700 gospel is. Okay? That we could declare the mystery of Christ and make it clear because he says, this is 00:19:22.700 --> 00:19:28.480 how I ought to speak. It should be clear. If there's one thing and one thing alone that Christians should 00:19:28.480 --> 00:19:34.119 be clear on, it should be the gospel. We could disagree about different things. We could disagree 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:40.240 about methods of all kinds of things in Christianity, but there's one thing we should agree on. It is the 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:46.420 gospel. It should be clear. It should be something we're all agreed on and that we can do with authority, 00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:54.000 with confidence, with competence, with power. Okay? So how do we do that? How do we, how do we preach the 00:19:54.000 --> 00:20:01.000 gospel? Number four, we got to start with the problem, the bad news. Okay? Everybody's got a five-fold 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:10.340 problem. Number one, sin. Okay? Sin, sin leads to death. The wages of sin is death. So all have sinned and fall 00:20:10.339 --> 00:20:19.240 short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death. Okay? When we die, we face judgment. Okay? And when we face 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:26.799 judgment, the wrath of God is on us so that we, the only just punishment for our sin, our sin against the 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:34.480 holy God is eternal punishment. This is the problem. You can't, you don't want to give solutions 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:39.839 to a problem that people don't think they have. You don't want to give solutions to a problem that 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:44.620 people don't think they have. We have to also be able to preach the problem. We all have a sin 00:20:44.620 --> 00:20:50.539 problem. Okay? We all have, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All have sinned. 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:57.259 This is a universal problem. We should use the language of we and all. We have all sinned. It's not 00:20:57.259 --> 00:21:02.360 just you that I'm preaching to. It's all of us. We've all sinned. We've all fallen short of the glory 00:21:02.359 --> 00:21:08.319 of God. There's no one who's good, not even one. This is what it says, right? We've all sinned. 00:21:09.079 --> 00:21:15.379 So there's a sin problem. People need to know that. Some people are very self-righteous. Some people 00:21:15.379 --> 00:21:21.399 think they're fine. Some people think, as long as I'm better than other people, I'm okay. And we need 00:21:21.399 --> 00:21:27.619 to let people know that, no, we're, if you've broken one law, you've broken them all. We need to let 00:21:27.619 --> 00:21:31.839 people know that, again, these are scriptures I'm quoting, right? We need to let these people know 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:39.019 that they have a problem of sin and it's universal. Hebrews 9, 27 says, it's appointed for man to die 00:21:39.019 --> 00:21:45.099 once and after that comes judgment. Okay? There's a judgment to come. We should preach that. Hey, 00:21:45.139 --> 00:21:50.419 listen, you're going to die and you're going to stand before God. What will be your hope? What are you 00:21:50.419 --> 00:21:55.659 standing in? You standing in your self-righteousness? Well, the Bible says your righteousness is disgusting. 00:21:55.660 --> 00:22:03.040 It's gross. What an affront to a holy God to think that unholy people could be righteous enough to earn 00:22:03.040 --> 00:22:10.340 God's mercy and forgiveness. No way. No way. They need a mediator. They need someone to satisfy the 00:22:10.340 --> 00:22:16.800 wrath of God. Someone else has got to do it. John 3, 36 says, whoever believes in the Son has eternal 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:23.519 life. Whoever does not obey, the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. The 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:30.259 wrath of God remains on him. The problem isn't, who's the problem with? It's with God. They have a sin 00:22:30.259 --> 00:22:35.700 problem with God where the wrath of God remains on them. And apart from Christ, there's no hope. 00:22:37.059 --> 00:22:43.579 Matthew 25, 46 talks about people going away into eternal punishment. Eternal punishment. 00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:51.339 Right? That's a scriptural phrase. There is a punishment that's eternal. Everyone likes to 00:22:51.339 --> 00:22:56.919 talk about eternal life, but you know what makes eternal life so great is that the alternative is 00:22:56.919 --> 00:23:03.099 eternal punishment. And when people might say, well, that seems a little overkill, like my short little 00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:08.199 life, I'm going to have eternal punishment, even though I only lived, let's say I lived 70, 80 years in 00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:14.620 this life. For that 70, 80 years, I'm going to get eternal punishment. What are you going to do to 00:23:14.620 --> 00:23:22.920 explain that? Why would that be just? Is God fair or is he unjust? God is just because he is infinitely 00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:29.440 holy, because there's no end to his holiness. His holiness is so far above us, so far beyond us, 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:35.480 that makes any sin against a holy God infinitely wicked. There's no end to the wickedness of our sin 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:42.860 if there's no end to the holiness of God. Okay? Therefore, the only just punishment for our sin 00:23:42.860 --> 00:23:50.160 would be eternal punishment, because our sin is that bad. One of the problems with people not being 00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:55.259 interested in the gospel is they think their sin is not that bad. We need to be able to explain the 00:23:55.259 --> 00:24:01.180 utter wickedness of sin. We need to be able to explain how big of a problem it is. For most people, 00:24:01.180 --> 00:24:07.700 they know they have sin, but they think it's a small problem. That's the problem. Okay? They need 00:24:07.700 --> 00:24:14.240 to see that it's a big problem. And another thing that goes with this is when you're giving the bad 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:21.019 news, you have to understand John 7, 7. Jesus said, the world hates me because I testify about it that 00:24:21.019 --> 00:24:27.259 its works are evil. The world hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. Why does the 00:24:27.259 --> 00:24:31.539 world not hate us? Well, sometimes it's because we're not willing to tell them that their works 00:24:31.539 --> 00:24:35.960 are evil. Maybe we're just giving them the good news and not the bad news, and the good news has 00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:40.500 no power. Maybe we're too afraid to tell them that they're sinners. Maybe we're too afraid to tell them 00:24:40.500 --> 00:24:47.000 that the wrath of God remains on them. Maybe we're too afraid to tell them that their lifestyle is sin, 00:24:47.079 --> 00:24:54.599 that greed is a sin, that homosexuality is a sin, that selfishness is a sin, that hating your father 00:24:54.599 --> 00:25:01.439 and mother is murder. Like, maybe we're too afraid to say those things. You better believe the world 00:25:01.439 --> 00:25:07.779 will hate us. The world will persecute us. He promised, if they hated me, if they hate you, 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:14.159 they hated me first, he said. All right? And the reason they hated Jesus is because he told them 00:25:14.159 --> 00:25:19.619 that their deeds were wicked. And guess what? This has never stopped. The reason people hate Christians, 00:25:19.619 --> 00:25:25.379 the reason people are killed for their faith all over the world to this day, are because they tell 00:25:25.379 --> 00:25:30.599 unbelievers that their works are evil. In order to give the good news, you have to first tell them, 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:39.799 your works are evil. Your works are evil. I don't care how good of a person it seemed like you were. 00:25:40.219 --> 00:25:47.759 If you were a good person, your good works are evil too. Oh boy. That'll really hack someone off 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:55.000 right there. You're telling me even my good works are evil? Yes. It's a vain attempt at getting, 00:25:55.279 --> 00:26:01.619 being right with God apart from Christ. It's a self-exalting worship of self to say, 00:26:01.619 --> 00:26:09.779 I can be right with God without God. It's basically saying I'm God. Okay? People will be mad about that. 00:26:10.119 --> 00:26:14.900 If you've never experienced someone being mad, maybe you're not really preaching the bad news. We must. 00:26:14.900 --> 00:26:22.240 We must tell people that their deeds are evil, which lays the groundwork for number five. We give them 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:26.980 the solution to their problem. We give them the solution to the bad news that they have. It's the 00:26:26.980 --> 00:26:32.880 good news. We speak about grace through faith. So yes, even though all these things are true, 00:26:34.320 --> 00:26:42.100 that grace comes through faith in Jesus and all your sins are covered. He loves you for who you are, 00:26:42.099 --> 00:26:47.679 not who you should because nobody is as they should be. So God gives you his undeserved forgiving love 00:26:47.679 --> 00:26:54.740 in Christ Jesus so that your sins could be covered, washed clean. They could be atoned for. The problem 00:26:54.740 --> 00:27:01.079 of sin is that sin needs to be atoned for. It needs to be paid for. No good works can pay for it, but there 00:27:01.079 --> 00:27:07.000 is good news. There is a way for your sins to be paid for. The only way for them to be paid for is if 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:12.559 someone else pays for them. And the only way he could pay for them is if he paid for them with the 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:19.420 perfect sacrifice. He had to be a sinless substitute to endure the wrath of God in our place. 00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:26.779 And thanks be to God in Christ Jesus, we have that. The good news is there is a sinless substitutionary 00:27:26.779 --> 00:27:32.680 atonement in Christ that absorbs the wrath of God and gives us eternal life and we trust in him. 00:27:32.680 --> 00:27:41.920 Then it's as if what he did is now accredited to our account. His grade is put on our report card. 00:27:42.920 --> 00:27:49.820 We got a failing grade, but we all, those who trust in Jesus get the perfect record of Jesus imputed to 00:27:49.820 --> 00:27:56.680 us, the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, which means we're forgiven, which means our sins are 00:27:56.680 --> 00:28:00.600 remembered no more, which means there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:28:00.599 --> 00:28:06.500 This is good news for those who are riddled with sin and are constantly feeling shame as if there's 00:28:06.500 --> 00:28:10.639 nothing they could do to get out of it. The truth is there is nothing they can do to get out of it in 00:28:10.639 --> 00:28:16.619 and of themselves, but Jesus Christ pays the price for our sin so that our sins could be washed clean 00:28:16.619 --> 00:28:23.179 as white as snow and that we could be forgiven, absolved. There is no longer anything that stands 00:28:23.179 --> 00:28:29.559 against us. There's no issue between God and man anymore because of the mediator, the man Christ Jesus 00:28:29.559 --> 00:28:38.599 stood in our place and reconciled us to God made us right. Okay. We were enemies and now he made us 00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:44.339 right. And he didn't just make it so that, okay, you're just good enough. He also adopted us and gave 00:28:44.339 --> 00:28:49.480 us the full rights of sons, the full rights of sons, the right to be called children of God. 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:55.019 That's good news. He's not just seeing as this tolerable. It's not like, okay, now you can get in, 00:28:55.019 --> 00:28:59.779 but God still kind of hates you because you're kind of a screw up. No, it's that we're washed, 00:28:59.900 --> 00:29:05.420 clean, absolved, adopted into his family. Just like the prodigal son, the shame is taken on the 00:29:05.420 --> 00:29:09.940 father. He runs to him, kills the fattened calf and says, my son who was lost is found. 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:17.460 And we receive that through faith. That's the good news that he doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, 00:29:17.460 --> 00:29:25.079 but adopts us into his family, reconciles us in our enemy state and makes us a child of God. 00:29:25.539 --> 00:29:33.120 He redeems us. He justifies us so that it's just as if we had not sinned. The father looks on us and 00:29:33.120 --> 00:29:39.960 he sees the substitutionary atonement of the son. And what he sees is a clean and spotless person, 00:29:40.340 --> 00:29:46.779 washed clean by the blood of the lamb. No longer, uh, any accusations that can stick. We have been 00:29:46.779 --> 00:29:53.519 justified. It's if we, it's just as if we had not sinned. The righteousness of God, of God, 00:29:53.839 --> 00:30:00.579 of G in Jesus is imputed to us and we are made righteous. Not because of our own righteousness, 00:30:00.759 --> 00:30:06.139 despite our own unrighteousness and our own attempts at self-righteousness, the righteousness 00:30:06.139 --> 00:30:13.180 of Christ is imputed to us through the son because of the resurrection. This means we're free. 00:30:13.180 --> 00:30:18.240 We're no longer, uh, under the dominion of sin. Like Seth was sharing during, during the Lord's 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:24.420 table. Okay. He saves us. It's a threefold salvation. We've been saved from the penalty 00:30:24.420 --> 00:30:29.400 of sin. We're being saved from the power of sin and we will be saved from the presence of sin. 00:30:29.840 --> 00:30:35.820 This is all good news to be saved from the penalty of sin, to be being saved from the power of sin. 00:30:35.819 --> 00:30:40.700 The power of sin shall no longer reign over you. We tell people, you know how you feel like no matter 00:30:40.700 --> 00:30:46.779 how hard you try, you can't stop sinning. I got good news for you in Christ Jesus. The power of sin 00:30:46.779 --> 00:30:53.359 is canceled and broken and you are no longer in bondage to sin. Sin shall no longer rule over you, 00:30:53.359 --> 00:31:00.960 but Jesus comes inside and lives in you and exercises his will through you. And you're no longer 00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:08.240 under the dominion and the rule of sin. You're free and your shame is taken away. Your shame was 00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:16.480 taken up on the cross. Jesus took your shame. This means we're made new. Bible says, calls it being 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:22.400 born again, born again to new life. The old is gone. The new has come. The old person, the old way of 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:31.620 thinking, the old man, it's, we are made new. Wash clean. I mean, you could, that's just a little bit. 00:31:32.460 --> 00:31:38.000 That's just a little bit. You keep going. I mean, keep going. There's just so many good implications 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:43.700 of the gospel. And I think, man, I really got this gospel thing down. Really? There's a lot more. 00:31:44.519 --> 00:31:48.640 Like you can never stop studying the gospel and think, oh, there's another good part about the gospel. 00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:52.240 I'm going to use that to reach people. There's another good part of the gospel. 00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:57.360 There's another good verse that describes another good part of the gospel. It's like this never ending 00:31:57.360 --> 00:32:04.200 well of awesomeness. That's what the gospel is. And we have, if we aren't enjoying it ourselves, 00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:09.000 preaching it to ourselves and preaching it to one another, there ain't no way we're going to preach 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:13.540 it to the lost. And you're not going to share something you're not enjoying yourself. And you're 00:32:13.540 --> 00:32:19.259 not going to share something you only have enjoyed 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 40 years ago, but you're 00:32:19.259 --> 00:32:25.379 not presently enjoying now. The degree that you're presently enjoying it now will cause something to 00:32:25.379 --> 00:32:31.440 well up within your soul to want to share it with other people now. So we have to know the gospel and 00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:38.379 enjoy the gospel and give people the solution and avoid incorrect statements like, hey, just ask Jesus 00:32:38.379 --> 00:32:43.379 into your heart. There's not going to find that in the Bible. Just asking people Jesus in your heart. 00:32:43.380 --> 00:32:46.940 There's a lot of people who've asked Jesus into their heart and Jesus didn't come in. 00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:56.900 Because you have to believe. You have to believe that he's God. You have to believe that he's Lord. 00:32:57.720 --> 00:33:04.740 And don't say things like making Jesus Lord either. You can't make Jesus anything. He is who he is, 00:33:04.740 --> 00:33:13.019 and he is who he is before you were. And he always will be. Even after you're gone. God is who he is. 00:33:13.079 --> 00:33:19.900 You don't make him anything. You just either believe he is who he is or you don't. What is the work of God? 00:33:20.980 --> 00:33:28.640 John 6, 29. This is the work of God that you believe in the one whom he sent. Okay. This is the work of God 00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:34.700 to believe. Our job is to point people to believe. Okay. This is the difference. There are people who 00:33:34.700 --> 00:33:41.420 don't believe that Jesus is God. There are people who do. Okay. We have to proclaim the gospel of God. 00:33:41.640 --> 00:33:46.820 And Jesus, when he proclaimed the gospel of God, he said, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and 00:33:46.820 --> 00:33:52.820 believe the gospel. So it's repent and believe. Turn from your sin. Turn from all the things you were, 00:33:52.820 --> 00:33:58.540 the false gods you were trusting in and trust in Jesus. Believe that he is God. Believe 00:33:58.539 --> 00:34:04.559 that he is your only hope. Believe that he is the only way. And it must be that, that Jesus is the 00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:12.239 only way. You can't just say, well, they have faith. So what? The devil has faith. Right? Who do they have 00:34:12.239 --> 00:34:19.480 faith in and what do they have faith in? Well, I believe in Jesus. So what? The devil has faith in 00:34:19.480 --> 00:34:25.800 Jesus. He believes in Jesus. Do you believe the right thing about Jesus? Do you believe that he is who he 00:34:25.800 --> 00:34:29.800 says he is? Do you believe he's the way, the truth, and the life? Do you believe he's Lord? Do you believe 00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:35.380 he's God? And do you believe it not just with your mouth, but it shows forth in your life in such a way 00:34:35.380 --> 00:34:42.220 that by believing he's God, you show that you believe that he's God by obeying him? John 14, 6 says, 00:34:42.320 --> 00:34:47.360 I'm the way, the truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through me. There's no other way. 00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:52.519 People say to you, well, I believe that all religions lead to God. Well, what if one of those 00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:57.739 religions says there's only one way, then they can't all lead to God, the same God? Because one 00:34:57.739 --> 00:35:03.360 of them is very narrow, and the other one are universal. So either that one is wrong and all 00:35:03.360 --> 00:35:08.739 the rest are right, or he's right and all the rest are wrong. Well, the Bible says he is the, 00:35:10.179 --> 00:35:15.360 there's no one comes to the Father except through him. It says in Acts 4, 12, there is salvation in no 00:35:15.360 --> 00:35:20.619 one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. 00:35:20.619 --> 00:35:28.519 In 1 Timothy 2, 5, it says there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 00:35:29.819 --> 00:35:34.500 It's not enough for people just to say they believe. Who do they believe in? What do they believe in? 00:35:35.279 --> 00:35:41.039 There are many people who will spend eternity in hell who said that they believed, but they did not 00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:49.719 believe in Jesus, that he is God, that he rose from the dead, that he's their only hope. If we don't 00:35:49.719 --> 00:35:54.659 believe in Jesus, you don't have saving. This is why the Bible talks about not just faith, but saving 00:35:54.659 --> 00:36:00.439 faith. James talks about a kind of faith that doesn't save, and a kind of faith that does save. 00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:06.159 So we're not just looking for the presence of faith, it has to be saving faith. If it's not saving faith, 00:36:06.279 --> 00:36:11.439 it's not the right kind of faith. Make no mistake, there is another kind of faith, but it's not saving 00:36:11.439 --> 00:36:19.579 faith. We have to believe that Jesus is the only way. It has to be heart and mouth. Some people say it 00:36:19.579 --> 00:36:24.159 with their mouth, but do they believe it in their heart? And again, that will be shown. Romans 10, 00:36:24.219 --> 00:36:29.239 9 to 10 says, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God 00:36:29.239 --> 00:36:33.819 raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Notice that, that you believe in your heart that God raised 00:36:33.819 --> 00:36:38.799 him from the dead. I've heard of people asking Jesus in their heart that don't believe that Jesus 00:36:38.799 --> 00:36:45.860 really rose from the dead. That's a problem. That's a problem. If you believe in your heart that God 00:36:45.860 --> 00:36:50.539 raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. It doesn't say if you ask Jesus into your heart, 00:36:50.579 --> 00:36:55.320 no matter what you believe, you'll be saved. No. It says that you believe in your heart that God 00:36:55.320 --> 00:36:59.400 raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, 00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:09.059 and with the mouth one confesses, and is saved. So we got to get this right. We have to know what it is, 00:37:09.059 --> 00:37:15.799 the true gospel. We don't want to be sloppy with this and preach things that aren't true. We have 00:37:15.799 --> 00:37:22.820 to point people to Jesus. And the thing that people needed to believe when he was on this earth, 00:37:22.940 --> 00:37:27.019 the same thing they believe now. What was the problem back then? People just thought he was 00:37:27.019 --> 00:37:31.639 another guy. They just thought he was a prophet. Some people didn't even think he was that. 00:37:32.380 --> 00:37:37.059 Okay. But the problem and the obstacle for most people, including his own family, 00:37:37.059 --> 00:37:43.779 was believing whether he was God. Because if he's God, it changes everything. And if he's not God, 00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:49.759 then he can't save you. It's like people who say that they believe that, yeah, so-and-so believes 00:37:49.759 --> 00:37:55.619 that God's their savior. He just hasn't made him Lord yet. It's like, what? How can he save you if 00:37:55.619 --> 00:38:03.159 he's not Lord? How can he save you if he's not God? The only person who could ever save you is God alone. 00:38:03.159 --> 00:38:11.839 If he's not God, he sure didn't save you. He can't. If he's not God, then we have no hope. 00:38:12.299 --> 00:38:17.440 If the man Christ Jesus, in claiming he was God, if that wasn't true and he was just a man, 00:38:17.639 --> 00:38:25.179 then we're all doomed. The only hope we have is that he was God, is God, because him being God means 00:38:25.179 --> 00:38:29.440 that he can save us. He's the only one who has the authority. He's the only one who lived a perfect 00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:34.559 life. He's the only one who paid the price, fulfilled the atoning work of the cross, and then 00:38:34.559 --> 00:38:39.539 rose from the dead. If he did not raise from the dead, then we are all still in our sins. 00:38:40.220 --> 00:38:46.480 So it's got to believe in the resurrection. When people say, oh, I believe in Jesus, but I don't 00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:53.780 believe he rose from the dead. It's like, whoa, what? No, that's not saving faith. You have to believe 00:38:53.780 --> 00:39:04.420 that he rose from the dead. Number six, last one, be bold. We got to be bold. What did they say about 00:39:04.420 --> 00:39:10.820 the disciples when they looked at him and said, whoa, these guys are bold? They took note that they 00:39:10.820 --> 00:39:15.900 had been with Jesus. They were uneducated men. You might say, well, I'm not educated. You don't have 00:39:15.900 --> 00:39:21.560 to be educated to be bold. You just need to have been with Jesus and have the Holy Spirit. Okay? 00:39:21.559 --> 00:39:27.119 Acts 1.8 says, you will receive the power. You receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon 00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:32.779 you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. 00:39:34.340 --> 00:39:41.460 When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we'll be his witnesses. We'll be his witnesses. And so we need 00:39:41.460 --> 00:39:47.900 to continually be praying, God, fill me up. I want to be filled. I want to preach the gospel in the 00:39:47.900 --> 00:39:51.180 power of the Holy Spirit. I don't want to just try to convince people's minds. 00:39:53.420 --> 00:40:00.599 It's not our job to save people. It's God's job. And that's a super freeing thing. Okay? 00:40:01.119 --> 00:40:06.099 We need the Holy Spirit. Acts 4.31 says, when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered 00:40:06.099 --> 00:40:10.519 together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And then what was the result? 00:40:10.880 --> 00:40:16.720 They continued to speak the word of God with boldness. We need to be filled with the Spirit 00:40:16.719 --> 00:40:22.739 so that we continue to speak the word of God with boldness. Well, weren't these guys already 00:40:22.739 --> 00:40:26.339 filled with the Spirit? Why would they have to be filled again? These are the same people that got 00:40:26.339 --> 00:40:31.119 filled earlier. They got filled again. We need to be continually filled with the Spirit so that we 00:40:31.119 --> 00:40:36.000 might speak the word of God with boldness. Do you believe that God wants to give you boldness to 00:40:36.000 --> 00:40:42.219 preach his word and to speak the gospel? Do you believe that he can? Do you believe he can fill you and 00:40:42.219 --> 00:40:47.699 cause you, even if you're a timid person, even if you're someone who has a hard time with your speech, 00:40:47.980 --> 00:40:52.379 even if you're someone who's not typically one who's confident in speech, do you believe the Holy 00:40:52.379 --> 00:40:58.779 Spirit can make the timid confident? The Bible says the righteous are as bold as lions. Do you believe 00:40:58.779 --> 00:41:04.480 that you can be as bold as a lion? Are you righteous? Then of course you can be as bold as a lion. The 00:41:04.480 --> 00:41:10.559 Bible says it. Do we have that kind of boldness? It comes from the Holy Spirit. It also comes from 00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:16.079 knowing that God is the one who does the saving. Romans 9.16 says it depends not on human will or 00:41:16.079 --> 00:41:24.579 exertion, but on God who has mercy. When you're trying to evangelize someone, do you think it's on 00:41:24.579 --> 00:41:29.259 you? Do you think it's on you to do everything perfect? Do you think it's on you to make sure 00:41:29.259 --> 00:41:35.380 that they get saved and you talk them into it? No. It's our job to give them a hearing. It's God's job 00:41:35.380 --> 00:41:44.660 to give them a saving. Right? We give them the hearing. God does the saving. 1 Corinthians 3.6-7, 00:41:44.780 --> 00:41:52.579 Paul says, I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither who plants nor he waters 00:41:52.579 --> 00:42:02.440 is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Okay? I love Isaiah 63 verse 1. God is mighty to save. 00:42:02.440 --> 00:42:09.360 The devil will tempt you when you get in front of a lost person to think that God is not mighty to 00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:16.119 save. It's so important for us when we get in front of lost people to think, I am holding the most 00:42:16.119 --> 00:42:26.240 powerful message on the planet. My God is mighty to save. When I speak the words of life, God saves 00:42:26.239 --> 00:42:32.599 people. God saves people. I don't save people. It's not my job to save people. It's not my job to 00:42:32.599 --> 00:42:38.419 convert people. That is God's job. It's my job to give them a hearing. There's a certain level of 00:42:38.419 --> 00:42:44.939 freedom in evangelism when you know, I don't save anybody. God does. And he doesn't, he doesn't just 00:42:44.939 --> 00:42:52.599 do it sometimes and kind of, like he's mighty to. He's mighty to save. Yes, he doesn't do it every time, 00:42:52.599 --> 00:42:59.259 but man, we have to trust that he is mighty to do it. Second Timothy 1.12 says, I'm not ashamed 00:42:59.259 --> 00:43:05.360 for I know whom I have believed. When we know our God, we're not ashamed of him. And I fear that 00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:11.059 maybe sometimes the reason we're not bold is because a subtle ashamedness comes in there. Like, 00:43:11.360 --> 00:43:15.579 do I really have to tell them that their deeds are evil? Do I really have to tell them that they're in 00:43:15.579 --> 00:43:21.139 sin? I'm kind of embarrassed by that. I mean, I thought Jesus was all about love. Like, do I really have 00:43:21.139 --> 00:43:27.960 to tell them that what they do is wrong? Yes. And the only way we can do that is when we know the God 00:43:27.960 --> 00:43:33.639 who did the same thing to us and loved us in the midst of our sin, died for us in the midst of our 00:43:33.639 --> 00:43:40.139 sin. He didn't wait for us to be good, to get good so we could get God. He gave us his mercy and grace 00:43:40.139 --> 00:43:47.759 while we were yet sinners. He died for us. And that causes us to be compelled to speak to other sinners 00:43:47.760 --> 00:43:52.880 that God, although they are wicked and evil in their works, God loved them in the midst of their 00:43:52.880 --> 00:43:58.360 sin and died for them while they were yet sinners. And that's good news. That causes us to not be 00:43:58.360 --> 00:44:04.740 ashamed. The other thing that causes us to not be ashamed is Romans 1.16. I'm not ashamed of the 00:44:04.740 --> 00:44:10.600 gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. It's the power of God. Sometimes 00:44:10.600 --> 00:44:14.380 we feel like, well, I can't share the gospel because I just don't know how to do it powerfully. 00:44:14.380 --> 00:44:23.019 You don't have to. The gospel is power. Lord, make it powerful. Too late. Already did. You don't have 00:44:23.019 --> 00:44:29.920 to pray that. It's always powerful. The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of those who believe. 00:44:30.619 --> 00:44:35.440 Like, hey, if I evangelize people, wouldn't it be awesome if there was some like powerful thing I 00:44:35.440 --> 00:44:44.220 could like bring with me that would get people saved? Yes. It's the gospel. It is the power of God. 00:44:44.219 --> 00:44:52.339 For what? For the salvation of those who believe. That's what it's for. It's potent power for belief. 00:44:52.819 --> 00:44:58.519 That's what the gospel is. When you present that, do you believe that? It causes you to be unashamed 00:44:58.519 --> 00:45:01.779 and know there's nothing that can stand in the way of this. And you can look at me and you think, 00:45:01.879 --> 00:45:07.519 you are the last person on earth who I thought could be saved. I was convicted of this the other 00:45:07.519 --> 00:45:17.840 day. I was watching a video of a woman. She had, uh, she had, uh, she just, uh, had the short purple 00:45:17.840 --> 00:45:24.619 hair, looked really angry, had tattoos all over herself. And she was a really angry person. And I 00:45:24.619 --> 00:45:30.960 saw a video of someone, uh, going up to her, preaching the gospel to her. She was narrating this 00:45:30.960 --> 00:45:36.679 video and she was talking about how much she hated God and how God saved her because somebody preached 00:45:36.679 --> 00:45:43.760 for the gospel. And I was immediately convicted and just saw how even, uh, her whole demeanor changed, 00:45:43.820 --> 00:45:48.800 her whole appearance changed over time. And she just became a new, she was a new creation. Totally. 00:45:49.179 --> 00:45:52.840 And I think that there's sometimes there's people that I see with my eyes that I think, 00:45:52.920 --> 00:45:56.840 you know what? They're probably not going to get saved. They're probably not going to want to hear 00:45:56.840 --> 00:46:02.620 what I have to say. They're probably going to be pretty angry if I share it to them. I mean, 00:46:02.900 --> 00:46:07.780 it's almost like, can you imagine like going up to someone who was someone who was killing Christians 00:46:07.780 --> 00:46:12.860 and holding coats for people while they stone Christians and thinking that guy's probably not 00:46:12.860 --> 00:46:19.240 going to get saved. He's a terrorist. How in the world could he get saved? And then he goes and 00:46:19.240 --> 00:46:26.480 writes half the new Testament. You know what I'm saying? Like it's, it's, we can't look at people's 00:46:26.480 --> 00:46:31.639 external appearance. You can't look at even their attitude or even their hatred towards God and 00:46:31.639 --> 00:46:37.039 their outspokenness in hating God on their social media posts, or they're in their conversations with 00:46:37.039 --> 00:46:41.900 us. We have to look at the God who saves and say, God, you're mighty to save anybody, no matter where 00:46:41.900 --> 00:46:47.940 they are. And maybe the reason they're not saved yet is just because they haven't had a hearing. 00:46:49.199 --> 00:46:53.119 Like, well, surely they had a hearing because they really hate God. Maybe they haven't. 00:46:53.119 --> 00:47:00.579 I wouldn't assume it. What if someone came to them and lovingly shared the gospel with them? 00:47:00.960 --> 00:47:03.739 Yes. Told them that their deeds were evil, but then they told them the good news. 00:47:04.679 --> 00:47:09.079 And you guys say, well, that's not going to work. They hate God. Guys, it's the power of God. 00:47:09.859 --> 00:47:16.299 Do you realize the most God hating person on planet earth can hear the gospel? And if God opens their 00:47:16.299 --> 00:47:21.659 eyes, there's nothing they can do to resist it. That power just busts through and breaks through all 00:47:21.659 --> 00:47:26.480 their resistance and all their hatred and all the things that they put up against God. And he saves 00:47:26.480 --> 00:47:31.259 people. He's mighty to save. Do we believe that we have that potent of a message and we're giving 00:47:31.259 --> 00:47:39.500 it to people? If we do, cause us to not be ashamed. I wrap up with two verses. 1 Corinthians 9, 16 says, 00:47:39.619 --> 00:47:44.960 if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting, for necessity is laid it upon me. 00:47:45.460 --> 00:47:50.940 Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. Has necessity 00:47:50.940 --> 00:47:55.639 been laid upon you to preach the gospel? Are you saying, I got to get in front of lost people? 00:47:56.159 --> 00:48:00.220 I got to talk to them. I got to give them the bad news. I got to give them the good news and I got 00:48:00.220 --> 00:48:05.619 to do a bowl. Or are you saying, eh, it's not that big of a deal. Kind of like my comfortable little 00:48:05.619 --> 00:48:11.039 Christian pocket of society where my kids get to grow up together and enjoy a good life together. 00:48:11.460 --> 00:48:15.079 I don't want to have anybody hating me. I don't want to have anybody being violent against me. 00:48:15.079 --> 00:48:19.780 I don't want anybody getting mad at me. I just want to enjoy Christianity with a group of people 00:48:19.780 --> 00:48:24.440 that are nice that my kids can grow up with and I can live a selfish, comfortable life. 00:48:25.040 --> 00:48:32.000 God help us from that life. May the God who saves put the necessity of preaching the gospel on each 00:48:32.000 --> 00:48:35.920 and every one of us so that we could all say, woe to me if I don't preach the gospel. 00:48:36.780 --> 00:48:41.860 Woe to me if I don't preach the gospel. Paul said it best in Acts 20, 24. He said, 00:48:41.860 --> 00:48:48.280 I do not account my life of any value nor is precious to myself. If only I may finish my course 00:48:48.280 --> 00:48:54.800 in the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 00:48:55.460 --> 00:48:57.700 Amen. Amen. Let's stand. 00:48:57.699 --> 00:48:58.699 Amen.