May 16-23, 2021
Theme: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Family Affair.”
In Lesson Two of “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Family Affair,” we will learn how to effectively and efficiently preach the gospel and witness our faith in Jesus Christ to the lost. Two vitally important tools that the Christian Reaper uses to bring unbelievers to Christ, and into discipleship, are “witnessing” and “evangelism.”
Essentially witnessing is a subset of evangelism—even though many times these words are used interchangeably. Witnessing involves boldly and truthfully telling the story of one’s personal experiences with Jesus Christ, and the difference Jesus has made in their lives with the intention of encouraging the lost to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
I cannot emphasize enough that every born-again Christian is called to be a witness for Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:8) Look at this example of a man who was possessed with a legion of devils and healed by Jesus at Mark 5:1-20. These verses tell us that Jesus encountered a man who was possessed with a legion of demons. After receiving his healing, the man wanted to follow Jesus. But instead, Jesus told him, “go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” The man didn’t just go to his friends with the good news, but witnessed to people throughout Decapolis—a group of 10 cities southeast of the Sea of Galilee—witnessing to everyone about the great things Jesus had done for him, and all the people were amazed!
Many other scriptures command God’s people to boldly standup and speak the truth to the people of the world about the greatness and goodness of the only true and living God. (Isa. 43:10, 12, Prov. 14:5, Ps. 22:22, 89:1, Acts 2:32, 4:20, II Cor. 4:13, I Pet. 3:15, Php. 2:15, & II Tim. 1:8)
Evangelism on the other hand, is the bold and truthful communication of the gospel message of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection from the dead, and ascension to the right hand of God. There are many ways to preach the gospel of Christ, but the speaker will always include these elements in their presentation. Check out I Corinthians 15:3-8. When we preach to the lost the story of Jesus’s life, death, burial, and resurrection—the power of God is released to bring about salvation to all those who will believe the report. (Rom. 1:16-17 & Isa. 53:1). In other words, the “Gospel Cycle” is turned on as I have taught in prior sermons.
Evangelism also includes warning people about sin and its consequences, an explanation of God’s solution for sin, and clarion call for all people to repent, and believe in Jesus Christ. Notice the Apostle Peter’s preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the Day of Pentecost, recorded at Acts 2:14, 21-24, 32, 36-39.
Observe how Peter preached about the life of Jesus doing marvelous miracles, how the Jews had crucified Jesus, how God raised Jesus from the dead and highly exalted Him to the right hand of God. Notice Peter’s call for all men to repent of their sins, to receive Jesus Christ as Lord, along with receiving baptism with water and the fire of the Holy Ghost. Also, see how Peter while preaching the gospel, called the crowd to repentance at the porch of Solomon’s Temple, after the healing of a man who was lame from birth. (Acts 3:19-21)
Witnessing and evangelism are both essential strategies for churches, and Reapers individually, to use in ultimately making disciples in carrying out the Great Commission. (Matt. 28:16-20) Often times Reapers use these tools hand-in-hand to win the lost to God. At times, while Reapers are telling people about what Jesus has done for them, the opportunity will present itself to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers as well. Conversely, when Christians are sharing the good news about the finished works of Jesus on the cross, the Reaper may also have the opportunity to give their personal testimony.
The Apostle Paul’s witness of Christ before the Jerusalem Council is an example of how his personal testimony and the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ were presented together to unbelievers. (Acts 22:1-22) Some of the points Paul made in his speech are as follows: In verses 3-5, Paul openly talked about his life before he knew the Lord. In verses 6-16, he testified about how he met the resurrected Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus, and was called to be a witness to all men of what he had both seen and heard. In verses 17-22, Paul talked about his experiences after his conversion and preached the gospel to the Council, and thereafter was judged by the Council worthy of death.
Remember, as Reapers our mission is not just to win the lost to Christ, but to fulfill the goal of the Great Commission—that through witnessing and evangelism—we bring the non-Christian, from sinner, to born-again Christian, and from born-again Christian into full and mature discipleship.
So let’s continue with a discussion of how to preach the gospel and give your personal testimony of Jesus Christ to the lost. The presentation shown below is one example of many I have used to win the lost to Christ, while ministering in the streets. Never worry about failing at witnessing and preaching the gospel to people. The only failure you can experience is not putting forth the effort to witness and preach the gospel to anyone.
To maximize effectiveness at ministering to others, you need to spend time in the Word of God and communing with God. You need to have a working knowledge of scripture. (II Tim. 2:15) You need to pray daily in the Holy Ghost to keep yourself built up in the love and mercy of God. (Jude 20) Ask God to talk to you about the lost and their needs. You are God’s witness—God’s mouthpiece—who He desires to use to bring a message to the lost, and to exceed their needs with miracles and other great manifestations of the Spirit!
Most importantly, you should meditate on the finished works of Jesus Christ on His cross and remember your personal testimony about what Jesus has done for you. This will keep the spirit of faith—the gift of God—stirred up in you, such that you will go forth boldly and without fear to proclaim the gospel to everyone you encounter.
When I perform ministry outreach, there are six components to my witness and preaching. It roughly takes about 5 minutes of presentation time. The components are: The Greeting, Love Inquiry, Personal Witness of Christ, Gospel Message, Invitation to Christ, and Work of Discipleship.
Sample Presentation of Preaching the Gospel to the Lost (Using the Answers to the Three Basic Questions Every Christian Must Be Prepared to Answer of Unbelievers.)
The Greeting:
Good Day kind Sir/Madam may I have a few moments of your time?
My name is Darryl Joyce, and I am Christian, who serves at the pleasure of Jesus Christ, the Anointed One and His Anointing.
The Love Inquiry:
May I ask whether Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior?
(Note: If the person responds yes, the next question to ask is whether the person is membered to a local church? If they respond no, then I invite them to visit Exousia Ministries to fellowship with other Christians of like precious faith. I remind them that our New Covenant with God commands us not to forsake the assembling together of ourselves and to love one another. [Heb. 10:25] I remind them that they are a vital part of the body of Christ—the church—and that when Jesus returns, He is coming to rapture His glorious church. [Eph. 5:23-27])
If the person says Jesus Christ is not their Lord, then I share my personal testimony and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to them.
Personal Witness/Gospel Message of Christ:
Let me first share with you why I am a Christian. I am a Christian because Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is Lord. God has highly exalted Him above all things, in all places, for all times, and I worship and serve Him alone. Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd and I follow after Jesus and observe all of His teachings.
I owe Jesus Christ my life because He brought me to God and now I have eternal life—an intimate relationship with God and Jesus forever. But for His great grace and mercy, as a sinner, I would have died and gone to hell for all eternity.
It was Jesus Christ who bore all my sins, sicknesses, griefs, and sorrows in His own body on the cross. And, with His resurrection from the dead; defeated death, hell, and the grave. As a result, I no longer fear death, sickness and disease, and poverty. Jesus has made me free from sin, healed my body, and made me abundantly rich!
When I take my last breath on earth, in an instant, I will be present with the Lord in Heaven. But I have more good news. Jesus Christ is coming again in the clouds to rapture His church—comprised of all those who have received Him as their Lord, called Christians—and we all will receive glorified bodies like unto His body, and be with Lord forever. No one knows the day of the Lords return, it could be any time now, so I go about doing the Lord’s business.
Moreover, God has given to me the same Spirit that resides in Jesus Christ. I have the same mind, love, peace, power, joy, and so much more that Jesus has. I have been called to bear witness of Christ to all the people of the world so that they may also come to know Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior.
Now, let me share with you why you should become a Christian. You are a sinner and separated from God due to the sin of the first man Adam. Except you believe on Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of the World, you will die in your sins, and spend all eternity in hell.
By no fault of your own, you were born and shaped in iniquity from the womb of your mother. The first man Adam sinned against God in the Garden of Eden. Adam’s rebellion separated us from God and brought sin, death, hell, and destruction on every person born into the earth.
But because God so loved the world, He gave to us Jesus Christ so that anyone who would believe on Him should not perish but have ever- lasting life. Look at the love God has toward us all, that even while we were all trapped in sin, He sent Jesus to die for us all. There is no other way to God, but through His son Jesus Christ. For by one man’s (Adam’s) disobedience death came on all of us, so by the obedience of Jesus Christ came righteousness on all of us.
God does not want you, your family, nor any other person on earth to die without believing on His Son Jesus Christ and coming into relationship with Him. Sin does not guarantee a person an eternity in hell, rather refusing to believe on the name of Jesus Christ guarantees eternal damnation. This is why God has been calling and so patiently waiting for you to come to Him through Jesus. The end of this world is coming and God does not want anyone to perish.
CAN YOU HEAR JESUS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART, CALLING YOU TO HIM?
The Invitation to Christ:
Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Do you want to have a new life in Jesus Christ that is free from the bondage of sin? Let me explain how to become a Christian.
To become a Christian you must believe on Jesus Christ and be willing to surrender your life completely to Him. Right now, search your heart and examine your life and your ways. Recognize and acknowledge that you are sinner, and in need of Jesus Christ to come into your life. Repent of your sins. Confess from your heart and with your mouth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that God has raised Him from the dead. Invite Jesus to come into your heart and live in you forever, and you will be saved.
Ask the Lord to fill you with the Holy Ghost, and you will be born-again and reconciled unto God. Next, receive water baptism, which symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus has saved you, He also desires salvation to come to your entire family. Go and tell your family about the marvelous things that Jesus Christ has done for you, and commit to bringing your family with you to church to learn more about the teachings of Jesus Christ. Enjoy your new life in Christ.
Welcome into the family of God in Jesus Christ!
Work of Discipleship:
New Believers do not automatically become followers of Christ, and there is much more to making disciples than winning people to Christ. In a spirit of love, the Reaper, and the local church, must work with the new convert to help them assimilate into Christian life through receiving water baptism (I Pet. 3:21 & Col. 2:12), baptism in the Holy Ghost (John 3:5, Acts 2:38, 19:2).
Also, the Reaper must work to ensure that the convert regularly attends church services, and assist the new member in fostering relationships with fellow believers in the church. (Heb.10:24-25, Col. 3:16, & Acts 2:42).
The Reaper must assist in teaching the convert about the commandments of Christ, and modeling the Christian life before them so they may grow. (Matt. 28:19 & I Pet. 2:1-2). Jesus said that all people will know we are His disciples if we have love one to another. (John 13:35) Last, the Church and Reaper must work with the convert in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the convert’s family so that the entire family is saved. This is the will of God that all families of the earth be saved.