Evangelism Explosion

Clcms   -   October 16, 2019

Two Questions

  1. Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if you were to die tonight you would go to heaven?

 

1 John 5:13 – NIV

13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

 

(Answer)

 

May I share with you how I came to know I have eternal life and how you can know it, too?

 

First let me ask you a second question which will help clarify the matter.

  1. Suppose you were to die tonight and stand before God and He were to say to you, “Why should I let you into My heaven?” What would you say?

 

(Answer)

Let me be sure I understand what you would say to God. You would say . . . (repeat his answer) . . . Is this what you would say? (Yes.)

When we started talking I thought I might have some good news to share with you, but now that I’ve heard your answer to this question I know I have the best news you’ve ever heard!

Most of my life I thought (or most people think) as you. To get into heaven required (put person’s answer to second question here). Then someone shared with me the best news I have ever heard! I discovered the GOOD NEWS that:

THE GOSPEL

  1. Grace: Heaven is a free gift. It is not earned nor deserved.

 

Romans 6:23 – NIV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 – NIV
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

 

Romans 3:23 – NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 

This can be seen more clearly when we understand what the Bible says about Man.

 

 

  1. Man: is a sinner and cannot save himself.

 

Romans 3:23 – NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 

Romans 3:10 – NIV

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

 

Romans 5:12 – NIV

12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—

 

Proverbs 14:12 – NIV

12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.

 

Matthew 5:48 – NIV
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

This comes into sharper focus when we look at what the Bible says about God

 

 

  1. God: is merciful and therefore does not want to punish us, but He is also just and therefore must punish our sin.

 

1 John 4:8 – NIV

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

 

Exodus 34:5-7a – NIV
5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; …

 

Romans 5:8 – NIV      

8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

God solved this problem in the person of Jesus Christ.

 

 

  1. Christ: is the infinite God-man. He died to pay for our sins and to purchase a place in heaven for us which He offers as a gift.

 

John 1:1, 14 – NIV

 

Isaiah 53:6 – NIV
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

 

1 Peter 2:24 – NIV

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 – NIV

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might

become the righteousness of God.

 

This gift is received by faith!

 

 

  1. Faith: is not mere ‘intellectual assent’ or ‘temporal faith.’ It is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation.

 

James 2:19 – NIV
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

 

Romans 10:9-10 – NIV

9… if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

 

Acts 16:31 – NIV

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

 

 

 

 

THE COMMITMENT

 

  1. Qualifying question: Does this make sense to you?
  2. Commitment question: Would you like to receive the gift of eternal life?

 

John 1:12 – NIV

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

  1. Clarification of commitment: This is the most important decision a person can ever make, so let me clarify it for you again. You receive eternal life by transferring your trust to the resurrected and living Christ. You must receive Him as your Savior and your Lord. You must repent and want to become a responsible member in God’s forever family. Is this what you want?

 

Revelation 3:20 – NIV
20 Here I am! [Behold] I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

  1. Prayer of Commitment: If this is really what you want, we can pray. I can lead us in prayer and we will tell Him what you just now told me. (Pray for him to understand and believe the gospel. Pray with him to repent of sin and trust in Christ alone. [Lead a phrase at a time.] Pray for him for assurance.)
  2. Assurance: I would like for you to read something important that Jesus says about what you have just done.

 

John 6:37, 40, 47 – NIV
37 … and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

 

40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

 

47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

 

Romans 10:13 – NIV

13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 – KJV

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

 

 

 

THE IMMEDIATE FOLLOW-UP:

(5 Keys to Christian Growth …)

 

  1. The Bible
  • Read the Bible every day for spiritual nourishment (food)
  • Begin with the Gospel of John (read one chapter each day)

 

  1. Prayer
  • Pray and talk to God for at least a few minutes each and every day

 

  1. Worship
  • Regularly attend church to worship God and grow in your faith

 

  1. Fellowship
  • Spend time with other Christians to build relationships and gain strength/encouragement from like-minded

 

  1. Witness
  • Tell someone else (others) about the decision that you have just made!