SHARING THE GOSPEL TOOL

Transcription

1 SHARING THE GOSPEL TOOL We are called to share the Life-Saving, Life-Changing Message of Jesus Christ! As followers of Christ, this is His command to us: 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[b] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1 Remember this: Often, people don t care how much you know until they know how much you care! That is why building a relationship with others is so very important when sharing the Gospel we earn the right to share with them. There are several ways to build relationships with others. When on Mission whether in you school, on a local mission day project, or on a mission trip we often do service projects to serve others and build relationships in order to earn the right to share the Gospel with them. This is usually the easy part! Finding the right time, place, and words to say can often intimidate us. This short workbook is designed for you to study to prepare yourself to share the Gospel with others 1

2 PRAY Jesus said the He will be with us and that the Power of the Holy Spirit will come upon us in order to share His message with the world. Therefore, we need to pray and pray a lot! We need to ask the Holy Spirit for help: To give us an opportunity to share the Gospel. To direct us to the right person and the right time. To give us the words to say. When on mission, be sure to spend time praying as a group and individually as often as possible! HOW TO BEGIN A CONVERSATION Taking the first step and starting a conversation with a stranger can be intimidating. Using the acronym FIRM is often an easy conversation starter we can use to engage people we meet throughout this week. F- family (Tell me about your family. Do you have any brothers or sisters?) I- interests (What hobbies do you enjoy/what do you do for fun? What do you do for work? Do you play sports? If so, which ones? What is your favorite thing to study in school?) R- religion (Do you celebrate Christmas/Easter? If so, how? Do you attend church?) M- message (Share your story and the gospel.) So how do we get to the M of FIRM in our conversations? This is often the most awkward kind of transition. We find comfort in staying in the FIR part of FIRM and never get to the most important part. If we are going to be a people who are unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will be people who are not scared to have awkward transitions and conversations for the sake of the life change the gospel brings. CREATION TO CHRIST The gospel is the big story of how God has worked from the beginning of time to bring salvation to man. It begins with the creation of the world and goes through the resurrection and rule of Christ. Creation to Christ storying involves telling smaller Biblical stories in the order in which they happened as part of the connected narrative of Scripture. Activity: Take a blank piece of paper and divide it into 12 equal squares, 3 across the top by 4 down the side. The Creation to Christ story has 12 parts, as you read the 12 sections below - draw pictures or symbols or write words in each square to help you remember each part of the 12-part story 1. The Most High God: I want to tell you a story. This story is from a book called the Bible. Men did not make up the Bible. It is the word of the Most High God. These stories are true and reliable because they are God s words. There is only one God, and He really is the Most High God. He is more powerful than any ancestor, person, government or false god that people worship. This story is true and reliable because it is the word of the Most High God. 2. Creation: The Most High God is the Creator. He existed before there was anything else. He created everything on earth and in heaven and is all powerful over everything. When God began to create things, He just used His words. He spoke and everything came into being. He also created the sky, land, water, mountains, oceans, sun, moon, stars, all plants and animals. Finally, He created man and woman according to His image. God created man to be in relationship with Him. God created us to be in His family. He is our Father, Father God. God created everything and saw that it was good. 2

3 3. God and Man Together: God placed the man and woman in a beautiful garden to live. They had a very good relationship with Him and with each other. He told them to take care of the garden and enjoy everything. He gave them a special command: they could eat from every tree in the garden except one. If they ate from that one tree, they would be punished and die. At first, the man and woman listened to God and had a wonderful relationship with Him in the garden. We were designed to worship God. Only God deserves worship and to be served. 4. Sin and Separation: God has an enemy. His name is satan or the devil he is evil he is a liar and a trickster he lures us with temptation to do bad things to serve our self instead of God. One day, Satan tempted the woman (while the man stood with her) to eat the food from the tree that was forbidden. The woman listened to him, ate the fruit and then gave it to her husband to eat. Both of them disobeyed God s command. Disobeying God s command is known as sin. God is good, righteous, and holy. Because He is perfect, God cannot be with sin. God cast the man and the woman out of the garden, and their relationship with God was broken. Human beings and God were now separated and there was nothing man could do to end that separation. We are experiencing the consequences of sin. Like the first man and the woman, all people since then have sinned by not listening to God s commands and are separated from God. The result of sin is eternal punishment in hell. We cannot live forever with God as we were designed. 5. Commandments: Over time, the number of people on earth multiplied. God loved them very much and wanted them to have a relationship with Him. He gave them commandments to follow. Remember, God is perfect and holy, so we must be perfect and holy to live with Him. The Ten Commandments teach people how to relate to God and how to relate to other people. Some of the commands were: do not worship other gods or make idols; honor your parents; do not lie, steal, murder or commit adultery. However, no one was able to obey all of these commands. People were still separated from God. We cannot come back to God on our own, no matter what we do. 6. Sacrifices: So, when they sinned, God allowed people to turn away from their sins and offer a blood sacrifice. However, this was only temporary as God was teaching and preparing His people about the right way to live and about a sacrifice that would eventually take the place of our consequences of sin and allow us to be reunited in a relationship with God. 7. God Sends Jesus: God loves people and wants a relationship of love and trust with them, so the time came when He sent man a perfect way to reconnect to Him. God sent Jesus to show us the way back to Himself. Who is Jesus? Jesus is God s Son, His one and only Son. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. God in the flesh. 8. Jesus, God s Son: Even though Jesus lived as a man, He resisted temptation. He never sinned, and He remained obedient to God. Jesus had great compassion for people, especially those who had no hope. He was a wise teacher. He performed many miracles proving He was God s Son. Jesus had power over nature, over disease, over evil spirits, and even over death. 9. Jesus the Sacrifice: Many people loved Jesus. They believed Jesus and followed Him. However, some leaders hated Jesus and they were jealous of Him. They made plans to kill Jesus. Jesus willingly allowed Himself to be arrested, tried, and condemned to die. Soldiers nailed Him on a cross. A cross is made from 2 large pieces of wood formed together. They took His hands and His feet and nailed them to the cross. His blood flowed from His hands, feet and body. He suffered much pain and He died on the 3

4 cross. Because Jesus never sinned, Jesus is the perfect blood sacrifice. He did not deserve to die, but God sent Him to die on the cross and take the punishment for the sins of man, all people. He died on the cross in our place. 10. Resurrection: Jesus death demonstrates God s love for us. However, this story doesn t end here. After Jesus died, He was placed in a secure tomb. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and showed Himself to His followers! He proved that He has the power over death. Then He returned to His Father in heaven. Jesus took our punishment and now provides a way for us to come back to God! 11. Repentance: God wants you and your whole family to return to Him and to have a relationship with Him. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, and He is the only way to restore our relationship with God. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. You must go through Jesus to return to God. How can you go through Jesus? You must admit to God that you have sinned against Him. You must believe that Jesus died in your place. You put your trust in Jesus to bring you back and give you eternal life as God s son or daughter. From that point on, you let Jesus be your Master and obey His word. Do you want to let Jesus bring you back to God? Would you like to begin a friendship with God today through Jesus? 12. Kingdom: Jesus continues His work in the world through His Spirit and through His followers. God has set a day for Jesus to return to earth in all His glory and to judge all people. He will welcome His followers and turn away those who oppose Him. His kingdom will have no end. Until then, His followers are to pray and work together to love other people, serve them, and share the message of Jesus with them. We are to carry the good news of Jesus to others and serve Him in all that we do. ROMANS ROAD The Romans Road to salvation is a way of explaining the good news of salvation using verses from the Book of Romans. It is a simple yet powerful method of explaining why we need salvation, how God provided salvation, how we can receive salvation, and what are the results of salvation. The Problem Romans 3:23 (NLT) 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God s glorious standard. Romans 3:10 (NLT) 10 As the Scriptures say, No one is righteous not even one. The Consequences Romans 5:12 (NLT) 12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Romans 6:23 (NLT) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. The Choice Romans 1:20 (ICB) 4

5 There are things about God that people cannot see his eternal power and all the things that make him God. But since the beginning of the world those things have been easy to understand. They are made clear by what God has made. So people have no excuse for the bad things they do. Romans 1:20 (NLT) 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God The Solution Romans 5:8 (GNT) God has shown us how much he loves us it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! The Response Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. The Assurance Romans 10:13 (NLT) Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The Result Romans 5:1 (NLT) Therefore, since we have been made right in God s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 8:1 (NIrV) Those who belong to Christ Jesus are no longer under God s judgment. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 5

6 GOSPEL DRAWING HOW TO PRAY WITH SOMEONE TO BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST God, I want a relationship with you. I confess that I am a selfish person. I think and do bad things to others and to you. I am a sinner. Most of my life has been about living selfishly, my own way. God, thank you for sending your son Jesus to be my Savior. I believe he lived, died, and rose from the grave to forgive my sins, conquer death, and give me new life and hope. I place my trust in Jesus and thank you for loving me so much that you would make that sacrifice for me. God, I ask that you would now be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you. Please send your Holy Spirit into my heart and help me as I now choose to follow you. I want you to be in charge of my life. Please God, help me to find others who know and love you. Help me to confess that Jesus is my Lord and Savior without being ashamed. Help me to love and serve others and tell them about Jesus as you have loved me. God, thank you for your amazing grace! 6