Christian Ministry 3 Moving Into a Ministry Lifestyle

Christian Ministry 3 Moving Into a Ministry Lifestyle Week 5: Loving the Lost – Evangelism Turn in your homework in the basket. Pick up a new packet for Week 5.

Opener

Introduction • God’s Plan in taking his Blessing to the World • Promise to Abraham • Israel the nation • Jesus, the Jewish Redeemer • The Church. . . (Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria, end of the earth)

Evangelism & Mission: central to the purpose of the Church • (Matt. 28: 18 -20*) “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying. . . ” • Jesus gave after his resurrection • Known as the GREAT COMMISSION • outreach (evangelism) - getting more people into his Kingdom • discipleship - getting more of his Kingdom into His people • Both are part of God’s Blessing

Evangelism & Mission: central to the purpose of the Church • (Acts 1: 8) “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "

Evangelism & Mission: central to the purpose of the Church • (2 Cor. 5: 18 -20*) “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ”

Evangelism & Mission: central to the purpose of the Church • It’s God’s desire that all people come to know him! • (1 Tim. 2: 3, 4) “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ” • (2 Pet. 3: 9) “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. ”

When a church Evangelism & Mission: central to the adopts a mission purpose of the Church that excludes evangelism as its • It’s God’s desire that all people come to know him! • • central purpose, (1 Tim. 2: 3, 4) “This is good and acceptable in the sight of the clock is ticking God our Savior, who desires all mentoward the to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ” breakdown and destruction of that (2 Pet. 3: 9) “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as church. some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. ”

Evangelism & Mission: central to the purpose of the Church • What’s at stake in having an evangelistic focus? 1. Spiritual vitality, excitement, and confidence in the gospel tend to flourish in an outreaching church

Evangelism & Mission: central to the purpose of the Church • What’s at stake in having an evangelistic focus? 1. Spiritual vitality, excitement, and confidence in the gospel tend to flourish in an outreaching church. 2. Opportunities for new ministry abound in churches that are vigorous in outreach.

• • Add the following to your Exam Review Guide. . . “What’s at stake in not having an evangelistic focus? ”

Evangelism & Mission: central to the purpose of the Church • What’s at stake in not having an evangelistic focus? 1. Relational conflicts often increase in ingrown churches

Evangelism & Mission: central to the purpose of the Church • What’s at stake in not having an evangelistic focus? 1. Relational conflicts often increase in ingrown churches 2. Ingrown churches often proliferate "brass-polishing" and/or an "ivory tower" Bible-club mentality sometimes develops

Evangelism & Mission: central to the purpose of the Church • What’s at stake in not having an evangelistic focus? 1. Relational conflicts often increase in ingrown churches 2. Ingrown churches often proliferate "brass-polishing" and/or an "ivory tower" Bible-club mentality sometimes develops 3. A "ghetto" mentality may develop

• (Matt. 9: 36) “And Evangelism & Mission: central to the seeing the (Eph. 2: 12) multitudes, He felt purpose of the Church “Remember that you compassion for were at that time What’s at stake in not having an evangelistic focus? them, because separate from Christ, they were 1. Relational conflicts often increase in ingrown churches excluded from the distressed and commonwealth of 2. Ingrown churches often proliferate "brass-polishing" and/or downcast like Israel, and strangers an "ivory tower" Bible-club mentality sometimes develops sheep without a to the covenants of shepherd. ” 3. A "ghetto" mentality may develop promise, having no hope and without 4. The church can become calloused to the plight of the lost God in the world. ”

Three Participants in Evangelism

Three Participants in Evangelism • God’s Role

Three Participants in Evangelism • God’s Role • God creates opportunities for us to share our faith. • Colossians 4: 2, 3 -6**

Three Participants in Evangelism • God’s Role • God creates opportunities for us to share our faith. • The Holy Spirit convicts people of their guilt and lostness. • John 16: 8 -10 • Acts 2: 37

Three Participants in Evangelism • God’s Role • • • God creates opportunities for us to share our faith. The Holy Spirit convicts people of their guilt and lostness. God empowers those who share their faith. • Ephesians 6: 19, 20 • 1 Corinthians 2: 2 -4

Three Participants in Evangelism • God’s Role • A practical way to rely on God’s role: • Pray regularly for. . . • God to give you an opportunity to share your faith with someone • the eyes to see these opportunities

Three Participants in Evangelism • God’s Role • What happens if we lose sight of God’s role? • EITHER tend to either push people inappropriately to make a decision • OR withdraw or be too passive because you feel overwhelmed by the task

Three Participants in Evangelism • Hearer’s Role: must choose to believer or not

Three Participants in Evangelism • Hearer’s Role: must choose to believer or not • God gives people the freedom to choose him or reject him. The Bible affirms that the hearer has a very important role to play. • Matthew 23: 37. . .

Three Participants in Evangelism • Hearer’s Role: must choose to believer or not • God gives people the freedom to choose him or reject him. The Bible affirms that the hearer has a very important role to play. • Matthew 23: 37. . . • John 7: 17. . .

Three Participants in Evangelism • Hearer’s Role: must choose to believer or not • What happens if we lose sight of the hearer’s role? • We will take on more responsibility than we should. Symptoms: 1. tying up all your time with a few reluctant people 2. resorting to pressure or manipulation, or 3. withdrawing from evangelism.

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • (Rom. 10: 14) “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ” • The message of the gospel is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1: 16). So. . .

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Realize that pre-evangelistic steps (good deeds, general spiritual conversation, etc. ) are important and may even be necessary before explaining the gospel, BUT they are NOT evangelism. We have not evangelized until we have shared this good news!

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Assume people don’t understand the gospel, that they have misconceptions of this core issue in Christianity. One of our main jobs is to identify these misconceptions and explain what the Bible really says.

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Most common misconceptions: • We must earn God’s acceptance by good works vs. we receive God’s acceptance as a free gift by faith in Christ (Galatians 2: 16; Philippians 3: 9).

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Most common misconceptions: • God wants us to relate to him impersonally through ritual observance and with fear-threat-guilt vs. God wants a personal love-trust relationship (Revelation 3: 20; John 1: 12).

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Most common misconceptions: • We must change ourselves morally before we can come to God vs. We can come to God the way we are by receiving Christ (Luke 23: 43) and then God begins to change us (Romans 12: 2).

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Most common misconceptions: • We must change ourselves morally before we can come to God vs. We can come to God the way we are by receiving Christ (Luke 23: 43) and then God begins to change us (Romans 12: 2). • We must rely on the power of God’s Word. . .

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Six practical ways to enhance our role in evangelism: 1. Write a short testimony. • Summarize how you came to have a relationship with Christ in 3 minutes or less • Describe what you were like prior to becoming a Christian, what led you to place your faith in Christ, and how Christ has changed your life.

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Six practical ways to enhance our role in evangelism: 1. Write a short testimony. 2. Personally invest in the people around you.

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Six practical ways to enhance our role in evangelism: 1. Write a short testimony. 2. Personally invest in the people around you. 3. Start spiritual conversations.

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Six practical ways to enhance our role in evangelism: 1. 2. 3. 4. Write a short testimony. Personally invest in the people around you. Start spiritual conversations. Adorn the gospel.

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Six practical ways to enhance our role in evangelism: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Write a short testimony. Personally invest in the people around you. Start spiritual conversations. Adorn the gospel. Utilize the Body of Christ (Jn. 13: 34, 35)

Three Participants in Evangelism • Our Role: to present the message in a way that the hearer can understand • Six practical ways to enhance our role in evangelism: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Write a short testimony. Personally invest in the people around you. Start spiritual conversations. Adorn the gospel. Utilize the Body of Christ (Jn. 13: 34, 35) Be willing to challenge people to make a decision.

Share • Share a time when you shared the gospel with someone else or someone else shared with you. Reflecting back, how did you see each person (God, you, the other person) play out his/her role?

Audio Recording of Bill Hybels Copy this link into your browser to listen to Bill Hybels (listen from 0: 00 – 17: 16) http: //services. media. xenos. org/teachings/xsi/2005/XSI 2005 -Bill. Hybels-1. mp 3

Audio Recording of Bill Hybels Copy this link into your browser to listen to Bill Hybels (listen from 17: 17 -30: 03) http: //services. media. xenos. org/teachings/xsi/2005/XSI 2005 -Bill. Hybels-1. mp 3

Harvest vs. Search Theology

Harvest vs. Search Theology

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Definition: Searches for lost people through the faithful proclamation of the gospel, leaving results between God and the hearer. • Examples: Go door to door or hand out tracts (OR ANY OTHER METHOD). If it doesn't yield, you don't question it because “results are up to God. ”

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Flaws. . . • It does not go far enough because it neglects analysis of results. • The Great Commission provides a command which includes results that we can measure (“MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL ETHNOS”).

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Flaws. . . • The example in Acts: Luke includes numbers and ethnic progress in his report of the early church (2: 41; 6: 7, 9: 31; 12: 24; 16: 5; 19: 10, 20) • It can lead to a wooden or mechanistic approach to evangelism and therefore its adherents may not persuade (Acts 17: 2 -4; 18: 4; 2 Cor. 5: 11, 20), persist (Acts 17: 17), or adjust (1 Cor. 9: 19 -23 -CULTURAL FACTORS).

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Flaws. . . • Search theology has been used to justify failure in evangelism.

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Flaws. . . • Search theology has been used to justify failure in evangelism. • Reasons for failure: • Sin (including sin of omission such as lack of outreach effort) • Focus on unresponsive field

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Harvest Theology • Definition: Finding and winning receptive people (harvesting) through faithful proclamation of an understandable gospel, keeping an eye on results to determine effectiveness and future methods.

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Harvest Theology • Examples: • Friendship evangelism vs. door-to-door witnessing in a lowcommunity culture; • moving adult workers from adult field to help with the harvest in college; • analyzing a culture to communicate the gospel more effectively

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Harvest Theology • It’s Biblical because. . . • It does reflect on results • It is dynamic • It focuses on the responsive field (while also initiating into new fields)

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Harvest Theology • Dangers in Harvest Theology • Results are not always immediate

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Harvest Theology • Dangers in Harvest Theology • Results are not always immediate • God's part may be minimized, resulting in problems

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Harvest Theology • Dangers in Harvest Theology • Results are not always immediate • God's part may be minimized, resulting in problems • Taking your identity from results

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Harvest Theology • Dangers in Harvest Theology • Results are not always immediate • God's part may be minimized, resulting in problems • Taking your identity from results • A numbers-focus can lead you to take your eyes off the serving task at hand

Harvest vs. Search Theology • Harvest Theology • Dangers in Harvest Theology • Results are not always immediate • God's part may be minimized, resulting in problems • Taking your identity from results • A numbers-focus can lead you to take your eyes off the • serving task at hand You could cheat to get more decisions/numbers

Building & Maintaining an outreach focus in House Church

Building & Maintaining an outreach focus in House Church 1. Communicate and celebrate conversions.

Building & Maintaining an outreach focus in House Church 1. Communicate and celebrate conversions. 2. Pray for the lost corporately.

Building & Maintaining an outreach focus in House Church 1. Communicate and celebrate conversions. 2. Pray for the lost corporately. 3. Be an example.

Building & Maintaining an outreach focus in House Church 1. Communicate and celebrate conversions. 2. Pray for the lost corporately. 3. Be an example. 4. Do outreach events together.

Building & Maintaining an outreach focus in House Church 1. Communicate and celebrate conversions. 2. Pray for the lost corporately. 3. Be an example. 4. Do outreach events together. 5. Praise others’ evangelistic efforts.

Building & Maintaining an outreach focus in House Church 1. Communicate and celebrate conversions. 2. Pray for the lost corporately. 3. Be an example. 4. Do outreach events together. 5. Praise others’ evangelistic efforts. 6. Share what you've learned about evangelism.

Building & Maintaining an outreach focus in House Church Maintai n evang elism as an im portant “family value!” 1. Communicate and celebrate conversions. 2. Pray for the lost corporately. 3. Be an example. 4. Do outreach events together. 5. Praise others’ evangelistic efforts. 6. Share what you've learned about evangelism.

Summary • Evangelism and Mission are central to the purpose of the church • Many negatives in church that are missing an evangelistic focus • • Thre participants: God, Hear, You Search vs. Harvest Theology

Questions?

Next Week • Week 6: Loving the Lost – Answering Objections • QUIZ on verses from Weeks 1 -5. : )

Memory Verses • Please note: the last page of your notes gives a description of the verses, not the actual wording of the verses • 2 Cor. 5: 18 -20* • Col. 4: 3 -6**

Assignment • Talk to a non-Christian and record their answers to the following questions: • Do all religions basically teach the same thing? Why do you think that? • What does it mean to be a tolerant person?

Assignment • Write a full paragraph response to each of these common objections to Christianity: 1. "Why should I regard the Bible as God's Word? What about all of the other scriptures? " 2. "How can your religion consign people to hell if they have never even heard about Christ? " HINT: There are really two distinct issues in this objection—God's judgment and whether he judges all people who didn't have access to the Bible.

Corporate Prayer