Gospel workers. Session 3 You Can Do it

Transcription

1 Gospel workers Session 3 You Can Do it 1. The Seventh-day Adventist 2. The Locomotive is Jesus! 3. Keep a Gospel Perspective 4. What Jesus Said 5. Focus on the Gospel Part 1 6. The Second Coming of Jesus 7. The Holy Law of God 8. The Seventh-Day Sabbath 9. Don't Argue! 10. Recognize Conviction! 11. Tips When Giving Bible Studies 12. Breaking the Ice with F.O.R.T. 13. Focus on the Gospel Part The Laodicean Message and Witnessing 15. This Week's Assignment 1

2 The Seventh-day Adventist He s too tired to ask his friends, neighbours, family members, and co-workers to do him a favour and allow him to share a set of Bible studies with them. He s so tired! I hope he wakes up soon, before it s too late! A serious and perhaps unsuspected hindrance to the success of the truth is to be found in our churches themselves. When an effort is made to present our faith to unbelievers, the members of the church too often stand back, as if they were not an interested party, and let all the burden rest upon the minister -- Gospel Workers, p. 196 The Locomotive is Jesus! And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus -- Acts 5:42. The disciples talked about Jesus; they didn t cease! They also did house to house labour. That formula still works today -- talking about Jesus in the homes of the people. Let none ever say that Adventists talk more about the Sabbath than they do of Jesus. Let s not cease to mention His glorious, saving name. Jesus is the Locomotive! All the other cars (the other doctrines) come in His train. If a locomotive came though the wall of this room, you d KNOW the rest of the cars were coming behind it! Praise God! Jesus is the Locomotive! Let s not try and push the doctrinal cars apart from the Locomotive. It s hard work, and we won t get too far. Look out! The Jesus Express is coming through! 2

3 Keep a Gospel Perspective Always remember that the sole purpose for the church on this earth is to save perishing souls. No program in the church is truly effective if it fails to lead toward that goal. If we have programs merely for the sake of programs, we are a dismal failure. If we help people stop smoking, or cope with stress, or eat better, and do not lead them to Jesus Christ, then they will be healthy, well adjusted people in the Lake of Fire one day! Their good health will help them live a few nanoseconds longer in the fiery lake! Many have a particular burden to share health or coping techniques, or prophecy, or doctrinal subjects such as the Sabbath, but they sometimes forget to keep the proper perspective. Jesus Christ received into the heart as Personal Lord and Saviour alone can save! This must be the ultimate goal of the gospel worker, and indeed all converted Christians! The church needs to ask this question about every small group, social, educational, humanitarian, or children s program: Does this program have a specific plan to lead people to accept Jesus Christ as Lord? If the answer is no, the program, as good as it is, needs to be changed to make it evangelistic in nature! What Jesus Said The careful training of new converts was an important factor in the remarkable success that attended Paul and Barnabus as they preached the gospel in heathen lands. -- Christian Service, p.60. The best help that ministers can give the members of the churches is not sermonizing, but PLANNING WORK FOR THEM. -- 9T, p.82 Many who possess real ability are rusting from inaction because they do not know how to set themselves at work in missionary lines. -- 6T, p.432. If the people are not taught how to work... how to reach people successfully, the work will be nearly a failure. -- 5T, p

4 Now Is The Time! If not now, then when? If not you, then who? You're the One! Now Is The Time! The Plan! There should be a well organized plan for the employment of workers to go into ALL our churches, large and small, to instruct the members how to labour for the up building of the church, and also for unbelievers. It is training, education that is needed. Those who labour in visiting the churches should give the brethren and sisters instruction in PRACTICAL methods of doing missionary work." -- 9T, p Church leaders, did you hear? 4

5 Focus on the Gospel Part 1 The word Gospel means good news. But what exactly is the gospel? The Word of God tells us. 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 states: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. The gospel is the good news about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yahweh, our heavenly Father gave us the gift of salvation when the plan to send His Son was conceived in His mind. When you buy a gift for someone, that gift belongs to the person as soon as you purchase it. God has already given mankind the gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ! True, we must accept it, but it has already been given to the world that God so loved! We cannot earn it. It is given freely. If we needed to earn it, it would no longer be a gift, but rather our wages. The only thing we have earned, according to the Bible is death, for all have sinned, and the wages of sin is death. But praise God that the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus has already saved us. Our work is one of faith to accept what He has done. In 2 Timothy 1:9-10, it is written: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and race, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 5

6 The Second Coming of Jesus Bible Marking Assignment Lesson 4 No one can know the exact day or hour of Jesus return, but we are told to watch for it, and to pray that we will be accounted worthy on that day. Matthew 24:36 & Luke 2 1:36. Jesus said that deceptions, famines, earthquakes, wars, pestilences, and moral decay would be some signs of His soon return. He also said that the gospel would go to all the world before the end. We are close to seeing that fulfilled in our day! Daniel the prophet said that knowledge would increase in the last days, and that men would run to and fro at a rapid pace. Knowledge has increased dramatically in the last century -- more than all the centuries that preceded it combined, and men are travelling to and fro at blinding speed! Matthew 24:3-14 & Daniel 12:4. According to the Bible, people in the last days would be heady, high-minded, fierce, disobedient to parents, and lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. All the people in the world will be called to make a decision for the Lord and His truths before the end. The apostle Peter warned of scoffers in the last days who would ridicule the doctrine of the second coming of Jesus. Jesus has given His own personal promise that He would return, and when He does return every eye will see Him! 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Joel 3:14-16,2 Peter 3:3-4, Matthew 24:30, and Revelation 1:7. The angels said that Jesus would return in the same way He ascended up to heaven after His resurrection! Jesus Himself compared His return to lightning! There will also be plenty of noise and glorious tumult when Jesus returns. At that time, the dead in Christ will be resurrected and taken to heaven with the redeemed of all ages. The living righteous will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and they will ascend to heaven with the resurrected righteous. Acts 1:9-11, Matthew 24:27, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, Revelation 16:18-21, and 1 Corinthians 15: Before the Lord s return, many will be believing that an era of peace and safety will come. But the real peace needed is heart peace; and that comes when one receives the atonement made by Jesus. Only those who are converted will be saved for all eternity! 1 Thessalonians 5:3, Matthew 18:3, and Acts 3:19. "Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him..." Revelation 1:7 6

7 The Holy Law of God Bible Marking Assignment Lesson 5 Sin is the transgression of the Law. The devil sinned from the beginning. He is opposed to God s law, and angry with those who keep the commandments of God. The law of God, and His Ten Commandments existed long before they were written on the tablets of stone in Moses day. The Hebrew's were reminded of the law because they had been in bondage in Egypt for 400 years! The principles of God s law are eternal, and they are a transcript of God s character. His law is holy, just and good just as God Himself is! 1 John 3:4, Revelation 12:17, Genesis 26:5, Psalm 119: , and Romans 7:12. If we truly love the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ then we will obey their commandments because grateful and converted hearts will motivate us. Loving obedience is never partial. Those who love God keep all of His commandments; they don t pick and choose which ones they like! If we break one of the Ten Commandments, we are guilty of being a law-breaker regardless what one we break! It is the carnal, sin loving mind that is against God s law. The person who claims to love Jesus should love to obey the Lord! John 14:15, 1 John 5:3, James 2:10-12, Romans 5:7, and 1 John 2:4. Jesus said that those who taught others to disobey even the least of His commandments would be called least in the kingdom of heaven. The word translated least in Matthew 5 literally means as nothing or non-existent. The Ten Commandments were part of both the old and the new covenants. In the Old Covenant the law was written on tables of stone. In the New Covenant the law is written on the heart of the believer! The New Covenant does not do away with the law; rather it establishes it because, through the Holy Spirit, the converted one is given power to live the law by faith! Matthew 5:15-19, Hebrews 10:16, and Romans 3:31. Circumcision and other sacrificial rituals were part of the law of Moses. These laws were abolished at the cross. But the Ten Commandments are a transcript of the character of God, and they are moral principles that will exist forever! Acts 15:5 and I Corinthians 7:19 in a modern translation. Because we are under grace, and are no longer under the law, does not mean that we now have a license to Sin -- transgress God s law! A prisoner under arrest for law breaking is under the law. Because a merciful judge releases him by grace does not give him a license to go out and break the law. In fact, because of grace, he is doubly indebted to live a lawful life. Romans 6:

8 Once we repent, and are forgiven of our sins, we are to go out and live a life of obedience to God s commandments. We are to go and sin no more. Those only who are obedient to God s commandments will have the right to eat of the tree of life, and to enter into the gates of the New Jerusalem! John 8:11 and Revelation 22:14 (KJV). If you love Me, keep My Commandments. John 14:15 8

9 The Seventh-Day Sabbath Bible Marking Assignment Lesson 6 "Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them." The seventh-day Sabbath was made holy at the end of creation week -- eighteen hundred years before there were any Jews (descendants of Abraham) on the earth. It is never called the Jewish Sabbath in the Bible. It is always called the Sabbath of the LORD. Genesis 2:2-3 and Exodus 20:8-11. Ezekiel 20:12 NKJV The Sabbath was made for man; this included all mankind. Jesus made everything that was made ; therefore, it was Jesus who made the Sabbath day! He called Himself the Lord of the Sabbath day. The women who followed Jesus ministry observed the Sabbath day even after Jesus death. John 1:1-3, Mark 2:27-28, and Luke 23: The reason Yahweh is worthy to be worshipped is because He is the Creator of all things. The seventh-day Sabbath is the sign He gave us to remind us each week that He is the One who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water. To honour the Creator, we must honour His seventh-day Sabbath day also, for it is the memorial of His creative work. Even in the new earth, which the Lord will create after His return, after sin and sinners have been destroyed, all flesh will observe the seventhday Sabbath throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity! Revelation 4:11 and Isaiah 66: In the last days of earth s history, God s remnant people will remind the world that they must worship Him who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water. Thus, there would of necessity be a message to all people, of all denominations, to keep holy the seventh-day, the fourth of the Ten Commandments! For this commandment was given to remind the world who the Creator is! Revelation 14:7. Jesus went to worship services on the seventh-day Sabbath. The Jewish calendar records every Sabbath from before the time of Christ. If the day had been lost in history, Jesus would have told the Jews in His day. But He went to worship services on the same Sabbath as the Jews of His day. The day was never lost as some contend. Luke 4:16. After the Jews left the synagogue in Paul s day, the Gentiles wanted to hear Paul preach 9

10 again. He told them to come back the next Sabbath day. He didn t tell them to come back the next day for Sunday service! There was no Sunday worship in Bible times. That came into the church many years after the death of the apostles. It was a carry-over from pagan sun worship, hence the name, Sunday. The Roman Church fathers brought it into Christianity by tradition. Paul and the New Testament believers kept holy the seventh-day Sabbath. Acts 13:42-45 and 16:13. The seventh-day Sabbath is God s sign or mark that He is the One who sanctifies us. The seventh-day Sabbath is the fourth of the Ten Commandments and forbids secular work on the Sabbath day. Failure to keep the Sabbath is sin, for the Bible says, sin is the transgression of the law. We show our love for the Lord by obeying His commandments. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday night and continues till sundown on Saturday night. This is Biblical time. Exodus 20:8-11, Ezekiel 20:20, 1 John 3:4, James 2:10-12, and 1 John 5:3. There were ceremonial Sabbaths that involved sacrifices. These ceremonial Sabbaths were a shadow of the cross, and therefore were abolished when Jesus died on the cross. But we must not confuse these ceremonial Sabbaths with the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The seventh-day Sabbath was made before sin entered the world, and was a memorial of creation. For this reason, the seventh-day Sabbath will never be done away with. Leviticus 23:24-32 and to understand the difference between the ceremonial Sabbaths and the Sabbaths of the Lord. Daniel the prophet predicted that the little horn power (the fallen religious system) would think to change times and laws. This is how the holy time of God s Sabbath was changed! God told us about it in advance. Daniel 7:25. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days thou shalt labour and do thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor the stranger that is within thy gates, for in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, and rested the Seventh-day. Wherefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:

11 Don't Argue! There is great truth to the saying, A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still! Here s some inspired counsel for gospel workers. Seek to awaken their interest in the great things of eternal life. Their hearts may be as hard as the beaten highway, and apparently it may be a useless effort to present the Savoir to them; but while logic may fail to move, and argument be powerless to convince, the love of Christ, revealed in personal ministry, may soften the stony heart so that the seed of truth can take root. GW, p Work Like Paul Did! To the Gentiles Paul preached Christ as their only hope of salvation, but did not at first have anything definite to say upon the law. But after their hearts were warmed with the presentation of Christ as the gift of God to our world... he presented the law of God as the test of their obedience. This was the manner of his working -- adapting his methods to win souls." EV, pps Let s lead them first to Jesus as Paul did. Then we can teach them about the law. Paul was pretty successful! Let s work like he did! 11

12 Recognize Conviction! When persons who are under conviction are not brought to make a decision at the earliest period possible, there is danger that the conviction will gradually wear away. -- Evangelism, p Many are convicted of sin, and feel their need of a sin-pardoning Savoir; but they are merely dissatisfied with their pursuits and aims, and if there is not a decided application of the truth to their hearts, if the words are not spoken at the right moment, calling for decisions from the weight of evidence already presented, the convicted ones pass on without identifying themselves with Christ, the golden opportunity passes, and they have not yielded, and they go farther and farther away from the truth, farther away from Jesus and never take their stand on the Lord s side. -- Evangelism, p The following signs might indicate that a person is under conviction: tears, joy, anger, excitement, sharing what they have learned with others, uneasiness while doing the lessons, stopping the lessons, etc. Let the students know that the Holy Spirit is dealing with them, and that it is not you or the church, but the Lord that is speaking to them through His Holy Spirit! 12

13 Tips When Giving Bible Studies 1. Keep good eye contact, especially when calling for decisions. 2. Never criticize their church; even if they do, don t you join in! Let the Word of God do the job of pointing out error. 3. Always leave on a spiritual note. Do your small talk and visiting before the lessons begin, not after. 4. Pray earnestly for your students every day. The devil does not like it when one of those in his grasp is being plucked out! 5. Turn the pages of the Bible slowly, and talk to yourself the books of the Bible as you turn the pages. This will help your student not feel inadequate in finding the books of the Bible. 6. If you don t know the answer to a question, say so! Remember, you re learning together. Just tell the student you ll look it up and bring the information next session. 7. Invite everyone in the home to join in the study. Even if they refuse, you have made a friend, and they ll not suspect you of trying to steal a loved one's affections! 8. Stick with the subject. If a question is asked about a topic you will cover in a future lesson, say, We have a study coming up on that topic soon. Then get back to the study at hand. Don t let the devil get you sidetracked. 13

14 Breaking the Ice with F.O.R.T. F.O.R.T. is to be used when visiting someone who has NOT YET agreed to do a series of Bible studies with you. It is a way to break the ice and lead the conversation, smooth as silk, to spiritual things, and to your own testimony! F = Talk about their FAMILY. Is that a picture of your children on the television set? O = Talk about their OCCUPATION. What kind of work do you do? R = T = Ask them about their RELIGION. Do you go to the beautiful Methodist Church I passed on my way here? Give your brief TESTIMONY. I grew up a but I didn t really know Jesus... Two Important Questions to Ask To find out if a person understands the gospel, you would ask them: In your opinion, how does a person get saved? Any answer besides by receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savoir, or something to that effect indicates that the person does not understand the gospel, and that you need to present it to him or her. Use your booklet. The second question you use after you have presented the gospel. This helps you know if the person understood the gospel presentation or not, and whether he or she has assurance. If you were to die right now, would you know for certain that you would have eternal life? If they answer, yes, then you can assume that they understood your gospel presentation. If they answer no, then go over 1 John 5:9-12 with them. 14

15 The Outpouring of the Holy Sprit will be When... When we have entire, whole-hearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure, but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not labourers together with God. Christian Service, p.253. More from the Testimony of Jesus Not once should we even think of failure. We are to cooperate with One who knows no failure. -- COL, p The work of God in this earth can NEVER be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work, and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers. -- Gospel Workers, p All can do something in the work. None will be pronounced guiltless before God unless they have worked earnestly and unselfishly for the salvation of souls. -- 5T p No one will be able to resist temptation, to answer the purpose of God, and to live the life of a Christian unless he shall take up his work. -- 6T, p. 90. A kind, courteous Christian is the most powerful argument that can be produced in favour of Christianity. -- GW, p If you fail ninety-nine times in a hundred, but succeed in saving the one soul from ruin, you have done a noble deed for the Master s cause. -- 4T, p Your duty cannot be shifted upon another. No one but yourself can do your work. If you withhold your light, someone must be left in darkness through your neglect. -- DA, p

16 Focus on the Gospel Part 2 Jesus Christ has already paid the price and deposited all the righteousness that will ever be required in the bank account of every human being ever born! But they cannot benefit from this deposit unless they make a withdrawal by faith by going to Christ and receiving the atonement! Hebrews 2:9 says that Jesus has already tasted death for every man. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). When you fall short, it doesn t matter how short you fall! Jesus didn t fall short. As the second Adam, by faith, Jesus life of perfect obedience, and His death, and His resurrection can be accounted as ours! We didn t commit Adam s sin, but the results of it passed on to us a sinful nature. In the same way, by faith in Christ, although we did not literally live His life, it can be accounted to us as if we did! By one Man s obedience, the many shall be made righteous (Romans 5:19). For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). If obeying the law alone could have saved us, then Jesus would not have needed to die on the cross. (See Galatians 2:21.) Sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). We all have sinned. We therefore have earned the wages of sin which is death. But praise God we have been given the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). 16

17 The Laodicean Message and Witnessing 1. The message Jesus gives to His last day Laodicean church is vital in order for its members to truly be as effective soul winners as the Lord intends them to be! The Lord will bless all efforts to share the gospel with others, but the real soul winning power of the latter rain will come upon all those who, while working for souls, also heed the message of the True Witness to the Laodiceans! Let s read through this message now. 2. Revelation 3:14: And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; these things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God. 3. This message is from Jesus, and it is for the last era of His church of which we are a part! The True Witness sees things as they really are! 4. Revelation 3:15-16: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth. 5. The Laodiceans are lukewarm. They are neither cold, nor hot. They are satisfied in taking the easy road, but the True Witness KNOWS what they need! He offers them wonderful, FREE heavenly wares, but first He must tell them some badly needed news. 6. Revelation 3:17: Because thou saith, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. The Laodiceans think they are rich in faith and love. They don t feel they need anything in the area of spiritual growth! Rut Jesus says we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked! Yet we don t know it! So if we deny that this applies to us personally, then it only proves that what Jesus said is true! We don t know! But He does know! He wants us to see our great need, and this applies to the work of soul winning too! 7. It is wonderful when programs work to win souls, and the Lord blesses serious efforts to share the everlasting gospel with others, but so far we have just touched the tip of the iceberg! The Lord wants to do so much more! 8. When we truly understand our condition, and our great need, and go to the heavenly Merchant to buy the wares He has for sale, we will see a work of revival and soul winning like we have never seen before in God s remnant church! What 17

18 are these heavenly wares we need, but don t know we need? Let s allow the heavenly Merchant to tell us! 9. Revelation 3:18: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. 10. The True Witness has counsel for us! Will we heed it? He wants us to have the gold of faith and love. This will make us spiritually rich. When we have that heaven-sent faith, and agape love, we will be tremendously more effective as soul winners too! 11. The white raiment is Christ s righteousness. He alone is our righteousness! When we truly understand this, and repudiate our own righteousness, we will have a deep experience with Calvary love, and we will understand better what it means to be clothed with the garments of Christ s righteousness! This experience will give us a deep and satisfying inner joy that cannot be contained -- but must be shared! 12. The eye salve Jesus refers to is that spiritual discernment that allows us to see our need, and to distinguish holy things from the common and the manufactured. Brothers and sisters, now, as we are gathered together to begin a work of soul winning, let us go to Jesus in humbleness of heart, and freely buy the heavenly wares He is offering. 13. Revelation 3:19: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 14. It is because Jesus loves us that He gives us, His last day church, such strong rebuke. As many as He loves He chastens. He loves each of us, and He knows what we need. Let s buy today what He is selling. The sale price is FREE! Let's be zealous for the Lord s work, and let's repent and ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with His power and grace. That is how we will become HOT for the Lord and His work! 15. Revelation 3:10: Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if ANY man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with Me. 16. Let's pray now for the Holy Spirit, and ask the Lord for the heavenly wares! Let's throw the door wide open for Jesus to enter in! Let's be zealous and repent! Let's now pause to pray in groups of two or three. 18

19 Witness and Roll Away the Curse! God s servants must, by labouring together with Christ, roll away the CURSE that has made the church so LUKE WARM. -- 7BC, P We don t need more study committees or theological debates. We need people labouring together with Christ to save the lost and roll away the Laodicean curse! If all those writing so much about the Laodicean message would go out in earnest to share the gospel and win some souls, they would do more for the Lord s cause than all their sermons or theses! 19

20 This Week's Assignment 1. Make a personal visit to the home of a former member, and take a spiritual partner with you. Ask the person you visit to help you out by letting you share a set of Bible studies with him or her, either in person or by mail. 2. Memorize the following Scriptures: Romans 10:9 Romans 5:1 and 5:19 Hebrews 10:16 3. Do the Bible marking assignments. 4. Read chapters 2 and 3 in the book Steps to Christ. 1. Have prayer. 2. Share witnessing experiences. Session III 3. Have the designated persons give their testimony in seven minutes or less. 4. Go over the pages in Session III. 5. Give out the assignment for this week. 6. Close with a circle of prayer. 20