Gospel Workers. Session 5 You Can Do it

Transcription

1 Gospel Workers Session 5 You Can Do it 1. Righteousness by Faith 2. The Remnant Church 3. Baptism 4. Steps to Baptism 5. Answering Objections 6. Calling for Decisions 7. Tips for Gospel Workers 8. What Jesus Said 9. A Plan You Can Follow! 10. Have You Heard About Prophecy Sabbaths? 11. Other Christians Need to Know the Truth Too! 12. Take Them to the Cross 13. Fourth Week's Assignment 1

2 Righteousness by Faith Bible Marking Assignment Lesson 10 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJV We receive the gift of righteousness through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. No works we can do can merit our salvation. We are saved by grace through faith alone. It is not our obedience that saves us, but rather, the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ, credited to us, when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. Jesus is the only One who perfectly obeyed God s law, and lived a sinless life! God ordained that He should taste death for every man. Hebrew 2:9, Ephesians 2:8-9, Philippians 3:7-9, and Romans 5:19. When we finally begin to obey God fully, we earn nothing, for we should have been doing that all along! No deeds of righteousness that we have done can ever earn us merit toward salvation. It is Jesus righteousness that saves us. His righteousness must cover us because our righteousness is like filthy rags! Isaiah 64:6, Luke 17:7-10, and Jeremiah 23:6. Jesus has already paid the price for our ticket to heaven; it is a gift! Many are ignorant of this fact, and they, like the Jews in Paul s day, try to earn salvation by their own doings. This is an impossibility. The Lord will cover us with the spotless robe of His righteousness if we are willing to accept it by faith! Romans 9:31-32 and 10:3, and Isaiah 61:10. Salvation by grace does not mean that we can sin wilfully and still go to heaven! If we fall into sin, we are to go to our Advocate and confess and repent. Grace is not a license to sin by breaking God s law! We keep God s commandments because we love Him, not so that we can be good enough to be saved! 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 John 2:1, Romans 6:14-15, and 1 John 5:3. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. The word translated end means goal. The law shows us our sin; and leads us to Calvary where Jesus died for them! Like a mirror, the law can only show us the dirt; it can t wash it away. For washing we need soap, and the soap is the blood of Jesus! However, we don t break the mirror after we wash our face, do we? Neither do we throw out God s law! We still need it to show us what sin is, and how to live right! Romans 10:4, 1 John 1:9, and James 1:

3 Jesus is acting as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary right now. He is ready to forgive us and apply the merits of His blood to our account. God s grace is greater than all our sins. Romans 5:20, and Hebrews 8:1-3. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV 3

4 The Remnant Church Bible Marking Assignment Lesson 11 "Here is that patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12 KJV Jesus said that few would find the way to eternal life. The great majority would be deceived and be on the wrong side! Jesus Christ is the foundation of the true church. His name alone can save. Jesus used a symbol of a woman to represent His true church. He also used the symbol of a fallen woman to represent the fallen church! Paul warned that there would be a failing away before Jesus return. Matthew 7:14, Revelation 12:9, 1 Corinthians 3:11, John 14:6, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3. The true church (represented by the pure woman) would have to flee into the wilderness from persecution for 1260 days (years in prophecy: Ezekiel 4:6). The false church (represented by the fallen woman of Revelation 17) would rule supreme for 1260 years. The Roman Papal Church was established in 538 A.D., and it ruled supreme until 1798 when Napoleon s general Berthier took the pope prisoner, and abolished the papacy. Since then it has been healed from this deadly wound, and is now more popular then ever as the Bible foretold! Revelation 17:3-5, Revelation 12:6, and 13:3-5. The earth would help the woman (the true church) during this time of persecution. In the late 1700s, God raised up the United States as a place for His church to have religious freedom! Thus, the true church would come out of hiding after the 1260 years, in a part of the earth prepared to nurture her, and guarantee religious freedom! Many Bible students believe that the United States was the place where the earth helped the woman and swallowed up the flood sent to destroy her! Revelation 12: The true church in the end of time is called the remnant. One of the chief identifying marks of the remnant church is that it keeps the commandments of God. This remnant must be keeping all of the Ten Commandments because if they were keeping only nine of them, they would be guilty of all! Revelation 12:17 and James 2: The true church also warns the world about the beast and its mark. It will also tell the world to worship the Creator. This means that the remnant church would teach the truth about the seventh-day Sabbath, for this is God s sign that He is the Creator! The remnant church would also have in it the testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of Prophecy. In other words, it would have in it someone with the prophetic gift. 4

5 Revelation 14:6-11, Exodus 20:8-11, Ezekiel 20:20, Revelation 12:17, 19:10, and Revelation 22:8-9. The remnant church also has a message to give glory to God. One of the most important ways we can give glory to God is through the way we live, including what we eat and drink. Therefore, they would have a message about health and diet! The remnant church would also teach that the dead rest from their labours and that the dead are asleep awaiting the resurrection. The most important message the remnant church delivers to the world is the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ! No one can be saved without the blood of Jesus! Revelation 14:7, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Revelation 14:13, Psalm 119:17, Revelation 14:6, and John chapter 11. Dear reader, the Seventh-day Adventist Church fills the identifying marks of Revelation! It arose in America after It preaches the everlasting gospel to the world. It preaches a message of diet and health. It teaches the truth about the seventh-day Sabbath. It teaches that the dead rest awaiting the resurrection when Jesus returns. It teaches the world to obey ALL of God s commandments. It has been given the testimony of Jesus through the life and ministry of E.G. White and others. It tells the world about the beast and its mark. God has a message for these last days, and the true, unadulterated Word of God upholds these precious truths! Will you seriously study into the message that God has given the Seventh-day Adventist Church -- the remnant church? God is calling all true believers to come out of religious confusion, and false doctrine. Revelation 18:1-4. 5

6 Baptism Bible Marking Assignment Lesson 12 Steps to Baptism 1. Repent - a genuine sorrow for sin. 2. Believe - an acceptance of Jesus as both Savoir and Lord. 3. Learn - instruction in the essentials of Biblical faith. Baptism symbolizes the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who are baptized put on the Lord Jesus Christ. If you understand the plan of salvation, nothing should hinder you from being baptized. Jesus was baptized as an example for us. He did it to fulfil all righteousness. Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:27, Acts 8:36-37, Matthew 3:13-17, and 1 John 2:6. If a person has repented, and truly been converted at the time of baptism, he or she will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at that time. There are many different gifts of the Holy Spirit. These include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prayer, miracles, discernment, the ability to speak and interpret different tongues (languages), prophecy, teaching, ministry, exhortation, giving, administration, and mercy. Each believer has at least one of these gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, and Acts 2: Jesus said, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Believers are to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is Jesus clear instruction to us. A person should also be taught to obey all things whatsoever the Lord has commanded before he or she is baptized. Also, a person can be baptized a second time upon learning new truths. Matthew 28: 19-20, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, and Acts 19:1-5. There is only one form of baptism that the Lord recognizes, and that is baptism by total immersion in the water. The word baptizo in the Greek means to immerse completely. Jesus, when He was baptized by John the Baptist came up out of the water. The Bible does not recognize baptism by sprinkling, neither does it recognize infant baptism. 6

7 Steps to Baptism 1. Person receives Christ as Saviour. 2. A series of Bible studies are completed. 3. Prospective member encouraged to attend Sabbath school and church. 4. Social contact -- Prospective member is invited to church socials, or dinner in member s homes. 5. Decision for baptism made in the home, or at decision meeting. 6. Review of doctrines before baptism. 7. Baptism and spiritual guardian appointed. 8. New member enrolled in another set of studies, which he or she can share with family, friends, co-workers and neighbours. 7

8 Answering Objections 1. I can t leave my church. Rev. 18:4 John 10: I can t make a living if I keep the Sabbath! Matthew 6:33, Psalm 37:3. 3. It s too inconvenient to keep the Sabbath. Matthew 16:24, Matthew 10: I m too great a sinner for God to forgive me. Isaiah 1:18, 1 Timothy 1: I m not good enough. 2 Corinthians 8: My family will oppose me. Matthew 10: My preacher advised me against the Adventist Church. 1 Kings 13: 1-26, Acts 4:17 and 5: It will cause trouble in my home. Luke 12: I just can t give this up! (Pork, jewellery, etc.) Matthew 19: 16-22, Luke 14:33, Matt. 13:

9 Calling for Decisions 1. Remind the person that the things they are studying are matters of eternal life and death! 2. Relate how the love of God fits into all the decisions you are asking them to make. 3. Show them the danger of delay! Tomorrow is not promised to anyone! Relate an incident or experience illustrating this. 4. Tell them that it is presumption to think God will overlook our sins without us repenting and turning away from them and receiving by faith the atonement. The Lord didn t overlook Adam and Eve s sin, even though their sin meant that one day His beloved Son would be nailed to a tree! 5. Remind them that their actions have an influence for good or for evil upon their spouse, their children, and others they love! 6. Point out that there will be only two classes of people in the end -- the obedient and the disobedient, the believers and the unbelievers. There is no such a thing as a neutral part in the great controversy between Christ and Satan! Jesus said, He that is not with Me is against Me. 7. Remind the person in a loving way that the cowardly will not enter the kingdom of God. (See Revelation 21:8.) It takes courage to follow Jesus all the way! 8. Share your experiences of when you first learned God s truths, and assure them that the Lord will be with them, and will take care of all their needs! 9

10 Tips for Gospel Workers 36. When visiting someone in a jail or correctional facility remember to obtain church endorsement and contact the prison officials for proper authorization. 37. Don t overdress. Be neat. Bring nothing into or out of the prison that is not approved by prison officials. 38. Be a good listener. Prisoners are told what to do 24 hours a day, so let them speak. But remember, prisoners are experts at getting over on someone -- that is, they will say what you want to hear, or what will benefit them. So be careful here. Let the Spirit lead you. 39. Keep the visit short, and always leave on a note of hope, and with a prayer. Present the gospel whenever you can and lead him or her in the prayer of F.A.T.E. if they don t know Jesus! 40. Don t try to impress the prisoner with sordid tales of your past. Talk about King Jesus! He will reach into the heart! 41. Use the church address rather than your home address when sending Bible studies or correspondence. 42. The following people are especially In need of visits from the church pastor or gospel workers. They would include those going through a divorce, the sick, the new member, the backslidden member, those who have lost a loved one, those making a hard decision, those who have been physically, sexually or emotionally abused. In fact, all could use an encouraging visit! 43. Remember when a person reveals a hurt to you, it means they trust you. Never violate their confidence in you. 44. Always report to the pastor when you have evidence that physical or sexual abuse is present. 45. Don t tell people I know how you feel. No one really knows how a person feels. Say, rather, I can only imagine how you feel. But I do know that Jesus knows how you feel, and He is here to help! 10

11 46. Don t let the person become dependent upon you. The enemy would love to completely absorb all your missionary time with just one person. Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves as the Bible says! 47. When making a visit to a teen in trouble always try to strengthen the communication between the teen and the parents. Never take the teen s side, for the teen will use this against his parents. But you must take the child s side if there is evidence of sexual or physical abuse. 48. Give the young person some options to choose from -- options that are in agreement with the Word of God. 49. Make a list of agencies in your town that could be really helpful to a teen in trouble. There are special ministries for this. Find out where they are. Take note if the young person talks of suicide or gives evidence he or she is thinking of that. 50. Assure the teen that Jesus loves him or her and that He will help. Nothing is too hard or impossible for God! 51. Never overreact. Be a cool hand Luke! Teens will try to say or do things to shock you. Stick to Jesus and His love! 52. Never write a young person off! God loves the teenagers! 11

12 What Jesus Said 33. When hearts sympathize with hearts burdened with discouragement and grief, when the hand dispenses to the needy, when the naked are clothed... angels are coming very near, and an answering strain is responded in heaven. Every act, every deed of justice and mercy and benevolence, makes sweet music ring in heaven. The Father from His throne beholds and numbers them with His most precious treasures. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, when I make up My jewels. -- That I May Know Him, p The faithful Gospel Worker will be numbered among the jewels of the Lord in His kingdom! There is no higher work on the earth than soul winning. 34. Labour by the fireside, brethren. Come close to hearts. Let unbelievers see that you care for their souls; search the Scriptures with them; weep and pray with them. In your earnest efforts, represent the love of Christ. Oh! This love, if we have it, is too much enclosed in our hearts, and does not appear in words or deeds, as it should. How will you meet your relatives, your friends? And your neighbours in the judgment, if you have not laboured in every way possible to bring them to the truth? My prayer is that the Lord may so impress the minds of men and women... that they cannot rest until they commence in earnest to labour for souls. -- Review and Herald 11/20/ Men are needed who pray to God for wisdom, and who, under the guidance of God, can put new life into the old methods of labour, and can invent new methods of awakening the interest of church members in reaching the men and women of the world. -- EV, p In this program you are learning some new, and some old methods to win souls. The good news is that these methods you re learning work to save souls! 12

13 36. When Jesus went away, He left to every man his work, and nothing to do is an unwarrantable excuse. Nothing to do is the reason of trial among the brethren; for Satan will fill the minds of idlers with his own plans, and set them to work... Nothing to do brings evil testimony among the brethren, and dissension into the church of Christ. Jesus said, He that gathereth not with Me, scattereth abroad. -- CS, p Idle hands are the devil s workshop! When the church is not working for souls, trouble, dissension, and evil testimony thrive in the body! Training and encouraging each other to be successful and bold in the work of soul winning will reverse the devil s work and spark revival in the church! 37. God expects personal service from everyone to whom He has entrusted a knowledge of the truth for this time... all can be home missionaries in their families and in their neighbourhood. -- CS, p. 9. If not now, when? If not you, then who? You re the one! And now is the time! 13

14 A Plan You Can Follow! Every Church should be a training school for Christian workers. -- CS, p. 59. This is clear instruction from the testimony of Jesus. Is your church a training school? Your church can purchase this manual for its active members, and they can learn to be gospel workers at home, or you can lead a small group through it and train your brothers and sisters to be successful soul winners! The formation of small companies as a basis of Christian effort has been presented to me by One who cannot err. -- CS p. 72. Start a small group (a company) and go through this manual with them! It can t fail! 14

15 Fishers of Men Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. -- Matthew 4:19. Fear not, from henceforth, ye shall catch men. -- Luke 5:10 These are promises we can claim regarding soul winning! Jesus will keep His word! Do you dare to believe? People Want the Real Thing Remember that training is important. It is a delicate art to win souls for Christ. And you need to be prepared. But no amount of preparation in techniques of presenting Christ can possibly make you a success until you know Christ for yourself. If your presentation is mechanical, simply something you have learned; people will be quick to detect it. If your life really reflects Christ, then men and women will be drawn. If it does not, then they will quickly decide that you have nothing to offer them. People are turning away from cold formality. They want a religious experience that lives and breathes. If people see Christ in all His beauty they will gladly follow Him into all truth. Jesus said, And I, if I be lifted up will draw all men unto Me. George Knowles, Witnessing For Christ, p

16 Have You Heard About Prophecy Sabbaths? Want to be a part of something exciting in your church? Ask the pastor if he would hold a PROPHECY SABBATH one Sabbath of the month. On that special Sabbath, the pastor or visiting speaker would preach an evangelistic message on Bible prophecy. The church would invite those in their interest file to come and enjoy a FREE VEGETARIAN BUFFET (your church fellowship dinner). Have nice invitations printed, and put an ad in the local paper like the one on the following page. On prophecy Sabbath, have special afternoon programs after the buffet dinner. These programs could be a baptism service, a testimony service, or a sacred concert. Give the visitors a free book when they visit, and have your trained gospel workers ready to ask the visitors to do them a favour and let them share Bible studies with them! The word will get around, and you will find that prophecy Sabbath will be your best-attended worship service of the month! It will also prove a blessing to the members as the great prophetic truths are preached with enthusiasm from the pulpit! This program makes evangelism a year-round event! 16

17 Prophesy Sabbath Invitation You re Invited to Prophecy Sabbath & Vegetarian Buffet Dinner at the Columbia First Seventh-day Adventist Church 243 Riverchase way (Exit 61 off 1-20) Lexington, SC on Saturday (Sabbath), December 19, 2001 at 11:00 a.m. Pastor/Evangelist?????? Will present the exciting message Christmas in Prophecy Followed by a delicious vegetarian meal and afternoon program (for information call Come and bring a friend to this special service 17

18 Other Christians Need to Know the Truth Too! And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in the Spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquilla and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and explained unto him the way of God more perfectly. -- Acts 18: Notice that Priscilla and Aquilla were not intimidated because Apollos was a well-known and mighty preacher. They took him on the side and said, Hey, Apollos, we want to share some things with you from the Word! They then taught him the way of God more perfectly. This is the work of the gospel worker, too. Preachers and teachers of other faiths need to know God s last day message, too. Share it with them! Let the Fire Come! When Divine power is combined with human effort, the work will spread like fire in the stubble. -- 1SM, p

19 Take Them to the Cross- Glenn Coon told the following story in his book Path to the Heart, on page 29. A little girl was lost in the great city of London. Finding the little girl in this sad plight, the police tried to help her. What is your name, little girl? They asked. Patsy, the little girl responded. What is your last name? I don t know, cried the little frightened girl. What s your daddy s name? the police officers asked. I don t know, wailed the little girl. Where do you live? asked the officer again. A teary I don t know was all they could get as a reply. Then one of the police officers thought of the big cross on top of the church steeple. He pointed to it and said, Can you see that cross from your house? Yes, the little girl cried, Take me to the cross, I can get home from there! This is the work of the gospel worker. Take the lost ones to the cross. They can get home safely for all eternity from there! God bless and keep you! Keep your courage! Be not afraid of the face of man. Don t grow weary in well doing, for your work shall be rewarded! 19

20 Fourth Week's Assignment 1. Make another personal visit to the home of a former member, or a new interest. Ask the one you visit to help you out by letting you share a set of Bible studies or videos with him or her. 2. Memorize the following Scriptures: John 14:15 Galatians 2:21 Hebrews 5:9 3. Do the Bible marking assignments. 4. Finish reading the book Steps to Christ by Ellen White. 20