Study 1: The Good News

Transcription

1 ) Study 1: The Good News by Mike Shipman Jesus encounter with woman at we is most compete record of how Jesus Himsef shared good news of savation (John 4:25-26). Beside we, Jesus ceary demonstrated pattern for His foowers to use when introducing and procaiming Christ. Athough we wi examine a practica pattern of how to share Good News in next three essons, et s first ook at message of Good News. awaken John 4:25-26 Luke 24:44-49 Acts 10: corinthians 1:17 Read John 4: What is message that Jesus procaimed to Samaritan woman? As you ve noticed, Jesus procaimed certain things about Himsef whie He was sti on earth. A more important question for us is, What message shoud we share when we te ors about Him? After Jesus had risen from dead, He appeared to His discipes and tod m what y must procaim about Messiah (Savior). Read Luke 24: What must discipes (we) procaim about Messiah (Savior)? What woud be resut for those who beieved? Who woud procaim this message? Where woud it be procaimed? The Gospe is simpy this: Jesus died for our sins and was raised from dead. Everyone who beieves Gospe, repents from his sin and surrenders to Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9-10) receives forgiveness of sin. After Pentecost, Hoy Spirit fied Christ s discipes to te His story and pant mutipying churches throughout word. Acts records how this happened. Read Acts 10: What is primary part of Peter s message (vv )? What is resut for those who beieve this message (v. 43)? Mike Shipman is a worker in Souast Asia and author of Any3: Anyone, Anywhere, Any Time. As usua, Peter procaimed death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins. When procaiming Gospe, witnesses in Acts aso affirmed that Gospe was eir prophesied beforehand in Scripture or verified by eyewitnesses. Presentation of Gospe usuay aso incuded fact of coming judgment for those who refuse to beieve Gospe.

2 Read 1 Corinthians 1:17. What is message Pau procaimed? How did He procaim it? What woud happen if Pau reied upon human wisdom or cever speech instead of simpe Gospe? Maximize cross s power The Aposte Pau said, For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach Gospe, not in ceverness of speech, so that cross of Christ woud not be made void (1 Corinthians 1:17, NASB). When presentation of Gospe is deayed or coaked in human wisdom, Gospe becomes one of many points of conversation. Athough some Christians use onger bridges to phase into a Gospe presentation, my partners and I have found that presenting Gospe during first meeting is more powerfu. Orwise, Gospe may become ost among many truths about Jesus, rar than one and ony truth that can save us. Pau s main objective was to communicate Gospe. I have found that most effective evangeists share Gospe, and y do it eary in reationship. The profound and powerfu message of effective evangeism is simpe Gospe. The Gospe is Good News Whie on his way to an assignment, a short-term missions partner met a Musim man named Hussein. Working with his transator, partner was abe to share Gospe with Hussein, who was ready to respond. Hussein tod him, This is what I ve been waiting to hear! Soon afterward, Hussein s famiy and three ors surrendered ir ives to Christ and formed first church in ir viage. These God-prepared peope were gad to hear Good News. Since our team in Souast Asia decided to use a simpe Gospe presentation instead of a more compicated approach, we ve seen thousands of peope come to Christ. Noah, a Musim- background beiever, was first person who came to faith among unreached peope group we were engaging. When I shared Gospe with Noah, he said, This is great news. I have more than 50 friends who need to hear this. Since that time, Noah has ed hundreds of peope to Christ by sharing simpe Gospe. Gospe iteray means good news. When Hoy Spirit awakens ost peope to understand Good News, y grasp how wonderfu it is. It is God s gift of savation. Group discussion questions 1. Simpy stated, what is Gospe? 2. Why is Gospe good news? 3. Why was Gospe good news to you when you first heard it? 4. How has Gospe changed your ife and given you hope? 5. What wi you change, based on this esson, in order to witness more effectivey? 6. With whom wi you share Gospe this week? (Optiona) Digging deeper Read Acts 2:14-41; 3:12-26; 10:34-48; 13:16-43; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 Peter 3:18. These passages emphasize importance of Gospe message. The passages from Acts are extended encounters, which incude Gospe presentations. Look for steps witness went through in each encounter. You wi notice that each account reveas same f ive steps of evangeizing process: 1. The witness made a connection, 2. a transition to a God conversation foowed by a reference to 3. hearer s sinfuness, eading to 4. a Gospe presentation and 5. an appea to respond.

3 ) Study 2: Procaiming Good News In previous esson, we discovered Good News that must be shared when we te ors about Christ. In review, Gospe is: Jesus died for our sins and was raised from dead. Everyone who beieves Gospe, repents from sin and surrenders to Jesus Christ as Lord (Rom. 10:9-10) receives forgiveness of sins. authority. by Mike Shipman So how do we share this great news? Once again, Bibe, rar than our preferences, is awaken Romans 10:14-17 Acts 8:1-6 Romans 1:16 John 4:4-10 Read Romans 10: What does this passage say about necessity of hearing Gospe in order to be saved? In what way is every Christian a sent one who takes Gospe to ors? What does this passage say about necessity of every Christian being a witness in order for a to hear Gospe? Don t miss opportunity A Musim man named Ai had been reading Bibe and was open to Gospe. One day, Ai met a missionary. During first meeting, missionary shared some spiritua truth with Ai but deayed presentation of Gospe for a ater meeting. Ai met missionary severa times, but each time missionary shared a bit more spiritua truth, intending to share Gospe at a more appropriate time. After severa meetings, paths of Ai and missionary didn t cross again. When Ai tes story today, he excaims with consternation, He never shared Gospe with me. Some time ater, anor Christian met Ai and immediatey shared Gospe with him. Ai beieved and was baptized. He has since ed hundreds of peope to faith in Christ by sharing Gospe first time he met m. Those beievers have in turn shared Gospe with many ors, eading to thousands of new beievers and hundreds of churches. Sharing Gospe eary in reationships aows peope to surrender mseves to Christ and gives m a pattern for sharing Gospe with ors. Read Acts 8:1-6. Who was procaiming Gospe in Acts 8, apostes or ordinary beievers (v. 4)? Pay attention to wher Gospe was being shared during first meeting or a subsequent meeting. If you have time, can you find any witnessing encounters in Acts in which procamation of Gospe was deayed past first meeting? The pattern of evangeism in Acts is that Gospe was aways procaimed during first meeting. There are no instances I know of in which presentation of Gospe was deayed in order to make Gospe more paatabe or friendship deeper so that Gospe presentation woud be more effective.

4 We re finding that sharing Gospe in an interactive, reationa way is hepfu for a good start in reationships. Reveaing your faith in Christ in a natura, noncombative way takes away guesswork of when to share Gospe and frees us to tak about Christ at any future point as we. Read Romans 1:16. Getting connected and getting to point Read John 4:4-10. How ong did it take for Jesus to start taking about spiritua matters with woman at we? How did Jesus make a connection with Samaritan woman (v. 7)? How did Jesus transition conversation to spiritua matters (v. 10)? Read verses How ong woud you say it took for this entire conversation, ending in verses 25-26? John 4:7 shows brief connection Jesus made with Samaritan woman before transitioning to a spiritua conversation. Give me a drink is a that is recorded of this connection, athough Jesus and woman may have had sma tak that isn t recorded by John. Eir way, Jesus made a succinct connection with Samaritan woman before guiding conversation deeper. Aso, it is obvious that Jesus ceary intended to share truth about Himsef with Samaritan woman during ir initia conversation. After Jesus requested that woman give Him a drink of water, He transitioned conversation to spiritua matters (v. 10) by saying, If you knew gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give me a drink, you woud have asked Him, and He woud have given you iving water. Many of us find it difficut to transition from ordinary conversation to spiritua matters. However, having a defaut transition statement or question has heped me to easiy transition to spiritua conversations. I simpy ask, Are you a Hindu, Musim, Buddhist or Christian? When person states his reigious preference, I say something ike, Most a reigions are aike, aren t y? We re a trying to pease God and get our sins forgiven. Reigious peope wi usuay agree with this statement. After making this statement, I discuss fact that we are a sinners and that getting sins forgiven is difficut. By saying that most reigions are aike, my goa is to buid rapport with person so I can show him a few minutes ater why Gospe is different: God Himsef arranged payment for our sins. When taking with a person who might be secuarist, agnostic or or, I sometimes transition by saying, Are you Cathoic, secuarist, new age or Christian? The person s answer tes me where he stands in his spiritua and gives me an opportunity to share Good News, once he has tod me what he beieves.

5 Group discussion questions 1. What is best way to get connected in a conversation with someone? 2. How ong woud be appropriate to tak before transitioning conversation to spiritua matters? 3. What are some ways you have transitioned to spiritua conversations which have enabed you to share Gospe with ors? 4. What are benefits of sharing Gospe with someone during initia conversation as opposed to deaying Gospe presentation for a ater meeting? 5. What must you do in order to put this esson into practice? (Optiona) Digging deeper Read John 3:1-21, 4:35-38; Acts 17:16-34; and 2 Corinthians 6:2.

6 ) Study 3: Good News for Sinners by Mike Shipman In two previous essons, we ve concuded that decision to beieve Gospe through repentance and surrender to Christ as Lord guarantees forgiveness of sins. Furr, we ve earned that bibica pattern of evangeism is sharing Gospe during first meeting with someone. Study three shows necessity of reaizing that one is a sinner in order to recognize need for beieving Gospe. awaken John 4:15-18 Romans 3:10,23;6:23 John 16:8-11 Read John 4: What did Samaritan woman ask for (v. 15)? Why do you think Jesus didn t immediatey give her what she requested, given that is what Jesus had hoped she woud answer? Instead, what did Jesus say in response to woman s request (v. 16)? Why did Jesus te her to ca her husband, since He aready knew that she didn t have a husband at present time? Jesus reaized need for Samaritan woman to be convicted of her sin before sharing Good News of forgiveness with her. She had five previous husbands and was iving with anor man. As a resut of Jesus question, woman reaized that she was a sinner and in desperate need of Savior. Read foowing verses: Romans 3:10, 23; 6:23. What is one thing everyone has in common? What is resut of sin? When on earth, Jesus coud expose sins of ors, because He was 100 percent righteous. We can t expose ors sins; however, we can empathize with ors because of our common sin probem. If a person wi agree that we are a sinners and God is hoy, we have a good basis for sharing Good News of forgiveness of sins through Christ s sacrifice. Read John 16:8-11. What are three things of which Hoy Spirit convicts ost peope (v.8)? Specificay what does each of se things mean (vv9-11)? Based on Gospe, Hoy Spirit convicts ost peope of ir primary sin, which is ir unbeief toward Jesus ( Gospe). He aso convicts m of ir unrighteousness, because Jesus is no onger here as visua exampe of righteousness, of which we a fa short. The Hoy Spirit aso convicts m of judgment. Just as Satan has been judged, ost peope are under God s judgment now and throughout eternity. Therefore, Hoy Spirit continues to say three things to ost peope once y ve heard Gospe:

7 Three convictions of Hoy Spirit: 1. Unbeief toward Jesus is sin. 2. Jesus is righteous, and we re not. 3. Apart from Christ, we face God s judgment. In witnessing to reigious peope from various reigions, I find foowing question hepfu, as Hoy Spirit convicts. After agreeing that we re a sinners, I ask, What are you doing to pay off your sins? I isten and ask questions as he taks about his reigious activities. Next I ask, Are your sins forgiven yet? to which he usuay answers, Not yet. Then I ask foowing rhetorica question, When wi your sins be paid off? and te sin is ike a debt iustration (beow). Sin is ike a debt Our sin is ike a debt. Each time we sin, our debt grows arger. When we have borrowed money, we more or ess know how much we owe and when it wi be paid off. In same way, we try to pay off our sin debt with our good deeds. If you keep paying at rate you are paying now, when wi your sins be forgiven? After this iustration, I ask, On Judgment Day, wi your sins be fuy paid off? Usuay person expresses uncertainty. He is doing reigious activities to atone for his sins but doesn t know if it is working. Basicay, he is admitting that he is ost. Admitting ostness After person admits ostness, it is time to procaim Gospe! Having mentioned earier simiarities between most reigions, now I say, What I beieve is different. I know my sins are forgiven, not because I m a good person, athough I do try. My sins are forgiven, because God Himsef made a way for our sins to be forgiven. This statement sets stage for me to share Gospe. The Gospe is unique The Gospe is indeed good news for a person when he reaizes that he is a sinner. Most reigions teach a system of works as a way of getting to God. Ony Gospe of Christian faith shows how God Himsef, not man, took initiative to redeem sinfu peope. When a person surrenders to Christ and beieves Gospe, his sins are fuy forgiven. Group discussion questions 1. What is benefit of heping someone admit that he is a sinner before sharing Gospe? 2. How does agreeing that we re a sinners buid a deep bond between person sharing Gospe and one hearing Gospe? 3. What are some ways you ve found hepfu to get a person to admit that he is a sinner? 4. What is a good question to ask a reigious person for him to begin reaizing that he is ost? 5. Once a person begins reaizing that he is ost, what is a good transition statement that aows you to share Gospe, according to what you ve earned in esson? 6. What must you do in order to put this esson into practice? (Optiona) Digging deeper Read Acts 2:36, 3:14-17, 13:21-28; Romans 3:9-20, 5:18-21, and 6:23. Notice how topic of sin is emphasized in se passages in conjunction with Gospe message.

8 ) Study 4: Leading to a Decision Previous essons in The Message of Mission affirmed Gospe message, aong with when and how to share it. Now et s ook at what to do once Gospe is shared. In or words, how do we ead a person to a decision? by Mike Shipman awaken John 4:13-14, 28-30, Acts 2:37-40, 3:19, 13:38-41, 16:30-32, 17:27-29 Read John 4:13-14, 28-30, Did Jesus expect Samaritan woman to respond to His message? Why did Jesus stay in Samaria for two days after He shared Gospe? How did Samaritan woman invite those with whom she had shared news about Messiah (v. 29)? Jesus urged woman to respond to His message (John 4:13-14). Once she had heard news of Jesus as Messiah, she urged ors to beieve it as we. Indeed, Jesus remained in Samaria for two days after He procaimed Himsef as Messiah in order to ead ors to beieve and to foow-up with those who were beieving in Him. It is not usua to intuitivey know who is open or cosed to Gospe upon a first meeting. Uness a person says so, ony way to know wher a person beieves Gospe is to communicate Gospe to him and ask him wher or not he beieves it. God sti draws peope to Himsef through a simpe presentation of Gospe and invitation to respond, just as He did 2000 years ago. The goa is for every person to hear Gospe ceary and have an opportunity to surrender himsef to Christ. Read Acts 2:37-40, 3:19, 13:38-41, 16:30-32, 17: What does each passage affirm about need to invite peope to foow Christ rar than simpy sharing Gospe? During my first severa years as an overseas missionary, I shared Gospe often but sedom gave person an opportunity to foow Christ. Later, I reaized that evangeism was more than sharing Gospe; it aso incuded eading a person to make a decision. Witnessing isn t compete unti person who has heard Gospe is given an opportunity to respond. Now I ead a person to a decision once Gospe has been shared. Many peope decide to foow Jesus when given an opportunity.

9 Sharing Gospe is vita, but we rarey see peope come to faith who ve heard Gospe but haven t been given an opportunity to respond. However, when we share Gospe with expectation and invite peope to surrender mseves to Christ, many of m say, Yes. He simpy asked Our team s aggressiveness in eading peope to a decision was shaped by testimony of a Musim man named Noah. Noah tod us of his excitement as his friend, Adam, ed a devout Musim to faith, a man who had aready participated in Musim pigrimage to Mecca. Noah tod us, Adam simpy shared Gospe with man and asked if he beieved it. He said, Yes. Because of experiences ike this, we ve come to expect many peope to respond positivey. Even though many sti aren t ready to foow Christ, we find those who are ready to foow Him and ead m to faith. When short-term missions partners come to work with us, we train m to do Any3 evangeism (Anyone, Anywhere, Any Time). With this approach, y buid rapport and n share Gospe. After sharing Gospe, y invite peope to beieve Gospe and foow Christ. These stateside partners usuay and aggressivey ead peope to a decision, because y ve prayed and sacrificed to come overseas. Lost peope reguary profess faith because se partners do more than share Gospe; y expect peope to respond. Even in difficut areas where re are very few Christians, se partners often ead peope to faith in Christ. Leading one to a decision must be intentiona. If we rey on our feeings or our impressions about wher or not person is open to Gospe, we might not ask person to respond to Gospe. Satan usuay wins when we don t aow a person opportunity to choose to foow Christ. Throughout evangeism conversation, enemy urges us to stop or wait unti a better time. There are three occasions, in particuar, when we try to evangeize in which Satan tries to convince us to stop: 1. when transitioning from sma tak to spiritua matters, 2. when transitioning from tak about sin to Gospe and 3. when asking person wher or not he beieves Gospe and is wiing to surrender to Christ. I ca se sticking points. However, Spirit urges us to continue unti Gospe has been shared and person has been given an invitation to beieve Gospe and surrender to Christ. Sometimes our desire not to offend ors or uncertainty about how to proceed causes us to refrain from asking person, who has heard Gospe, to respond. We ve earned that after we ve shared Gospe, we simpy ask, Do you beieve what I ve shared with you or not? If he says, Yes, we read Romans 10:9-10 toger. If he is wiing to repent of his sins, confess that Jesus is Lord and surrender to Him, we ead him in a prayer to confess beief in Gospe and Jesus as Lord. Once he has professed faith in this way, we seek to immediatey baptize him according to pattern of baptism found in Acts.

10 Group discussion questions 1. Did Jesus persuade peope to foow Him or simpy share truth and eave it up to m to decide? 2. Does Jesus expect us to invite peope to respond to Gospe or simpy share Gospe? Cite bibica exampes. 3. What is difference between persuasion and manipuation? 4. Why is it important to ead peope to faith in Christ rar than ony sharing Gospe? 5. What are some good ways to persuade peope to receive Christ without being highy offensive? 6. What must you do in order to put this esson into practice? (Optiona) Digging deeper Read Matw 11:25-30; Luke 14:16-24; Romans 10:9-10, 13-15; and 2 Corinthians 5:11, Discover what se passages indicate about responsibiity of eading peope to beieve Gospe and foow Christ. Scripture taken from NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968, 1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Excerpts from Mike Shipman s book, Any-3: Anyone, Anywhere, Any Time (Monument, CO: WIGTake Resources, 2013) are used with permission. For information about book Any3: Anyone, Anywhere, Any Time, go to imbresources.orgindex.cfmproductdetaiprodid4101page1.