Theme: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Family Affair.”
We are in Lesson 2 of 3 of the School of Evangelism, where we are learning how to effectively and efficiently preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and give our personal testimony of Christ to the lost. Please turn in your Bibles to Luke 6:40. Jesus said these words: (King James Version)
The disciple is not above his master: but everyone that
is perfect shall be as his Master.
NIV Version reads:
A pupil is not above his teacher, but everyone, after he has
been fully trained, will be like his teacher.
As a pastor and teacher, my passionate and intense prayer to God is that every past, current, and future born-again Christian membered to, or partnered with, Exousia Ministries be fully-trained to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and give their personal witness of Christ to the lost. By fully-trained, I mean that every Christian receive detailed instruction and put into practice the preaching of the gospel and witness Christ, with their teacher, in the streets and communities—so they can become “perfect” (Teachers) just as I am.
I would that every Christian put on the mindset of the Apostle Paul, regarding the preaching of the gospel. Paul penned at I Corinthians 9:16 (NIV Version):
For if I [merely] preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast
about, for I am compelled [that is, absolutely obligated to it).
Woe unto me if I do not preach the good news [of salvation].
Notice, the Apostle Paul said he was, “compelled,” “absolutely obligated” to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. For Paul it was not an option, but he was duty-bound (as a bond slave) to preach the good news about Jesus. He saw it as a woeful shame before God, worthy of judgement, if he did not preach the gospel. That is how I am. I have a one-track heart and mind— one agenda, one pursuit, and one goal—and that is to preach the gospel and testify about the goodness of Jesus Christ to all people everywhere. Every Christian should be like-minded.
How can we neglect to preach such a great salvation to the lost, when God commended His love toward us all, that while we were all yet sinners, and on our way to a burning eternal hell, Jesus Christ died for us on the cross. (Rom. 5:8). God’s love did not stop there, but on the third day God raised His son Jesus from the dead in all power and authority; having the keys to death, hell and the grave. (Rev. 1:17-18)
And, then God quickened us all together, raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So that throughout eternity, we might receive the exceeding riches (wealth, money, and possessions) of his kindness through Jesus Christ. (Eph. 2: 1-8) Jesus did all of this for us while we all were most miserable and in the depths of sin. What an act of love, mercy, and grace! Somebody ought to shout right now, that “Jesus Christ did it all for me, because God loves Me!”
So without question or exception, we must learn how to effectively and efficiently preach the gospel and witness Christ to the lost. Forget about your past life, and your old religious ways of serving God. Come on and press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Php. 3:13-14) God has placed five callings in “One,” on your life. He has called you to repentance, salvation, to reap the lost, perfection in Him, and God will call you to glory when Jesus comes to rapture the Church. Christians begin walking in the high-calling of God when they obey the commandment of Jesus Christ and become Reapers of the lost. The preaching of the gospel is the gateway into eternal life— a deeper knowing of God and Jesus Christ, which leads to abundance of life and peace.
When you are compelled to preach the gospel, Jesus Christ will establish and keep you from all evil. (II Thess. 3:3). No longer will you be disturbed or deterred by troubles, trials, persecution, and negative emotions and feelings. Rather, even in your day of adversity, you will be found praying and singing praises to God, like Paul and Silas in the midnight hour in prison. (Acts 16: 25). Instead of trouble troubling you, you will trouble your troubles!
So let’s role-up our sleeves and come quickly and take our seats in class, and learn how to present the gospel and give our personal witness of Christ to the lost. Make it your zeal to take good notes, study, get understanding, ask questions, rehearse presenting the gospel and witnessing; so you will be well equipped to do the work of the ministry and bring forth much fruit for the Lord.
As I mention in the May 16-23 sermon, there are six components to my evangelistic efforts: The Greeting, Love Inquiry, Personal Witness of Christ, Gospel Message, Invitation to Christ, and Work of Discipleship. My presentation is not short. It is detailed because we should give the unbeliever as full as possible an explanation for our faith in Jesus Christ. (Acts 16:31-32 & 2:40) You should approach every opportunity to preach the gospel to an unbeliever as if it were their only chance to hear the good news and receive Jesus Christ.
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, From Lesson 1.)
1. The Greeting: (Shows how to start a conversation about Jesus)
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.
2. The Love Inquiry:
May I ask whether Jesus Christ is your personal Savior and Lord?
(Note: If the person responds yes, the next question to ask is whether the person is actively 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. 10:24-25] 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 tell them: “I have great news to share with you.” As I am directed by the Holy Ghost, I will share my personal testimony and then preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to them, or vice-versa.
3/4. Personal Witness/Gospel Message of Christ
(Notice how I have woven together, both my personal testimony of Jesus Christ, which is shown in yellow highlight, and the preaching of the Gospel shown in green highlight.)
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 over the world, mankind and all things. I worship and serve Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd and as His sheep, I follow after Jesus and observe 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. (Note: If led to do so, you can be more specific about the kinds of sinful behaviors you use to walk in—such as indulging in drunkenness, fornication, and drug addiction. But do not ramble on and on about it, as you are now a saint and not a sinner.)
It was Jesus Christ who bore all of the sins, sicknesses, griefs, and sorrows of the world, including my own, in His own body and died on the cross. But on the third day, God raised Jesus Christ from dead; defeating death, hell, and the grave. As a result, any man that will believe and place his trust in Jesus no longer has to fear death, sickness and disease, and poverty. Jesus said anyone who believes in Him and keeps His words shall never see death. I am truly thankful to Jesus that he has made me free from sin, healed my body, and made me abundantly rich! And, 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 Savior and 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 Lord’s 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, here is 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 everlasting 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. Now is the time to believe on Jesus and be saved. Think for a moment, if you died today, where would you spend eternity? Can you say for certain that heaven would be your eternal destination?
CAN YOU HEAR JESUS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART, CALLING YOU TO HIMSELF?
5. The Invitation to Christ:
Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? Do you want to have a new life in Jesus Christ that is free from the bondage of sin? Let me explain how you can become a Christian.
To become a Christian, you must believe on Jesus Christ and be willing to surrender your life completely to Him. You must search your heart, examine your life and ways, recognize and acknowledge that you are sinner, and in need of Jesus Christ to come into your life. Then 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. Next, invite Jesus Christ to come into your heart and live in you forever, and you will be saved.
Lastly, together, we will ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit to empower you to become a witness for the Lord.
If the person is ready to receive Jesus, lead them in the prayer of salvation. Have the person repeat this simple prayer after you:
“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, I am sorry for my sins and the life I have lived. I ask for your forgiveness from my sins, I invite you to come and live in my heart. I believe you shed your blood on your cross at Calvary, died, and rose again for me. I confess you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you Jesus for saving me. Fill me with the gift of the Holy Ghost so that I may become a witness for you. In Jesus Christ name I pray. Amen!
(If possible and appropriate at the time, I work with the new convert to receive the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues by laying on of hands. I instruct them to open their mouths and believe they can speak in unlearned languages, as the Spirit of God gives utterance. [Mark 16:17])
Finally, I welcome the new convert into the family of God! The person is now born-again and a son of God. (John 1:10-12) I invite them to come to church on Sunday, and to receive water baptism at a scheduled date. I also encourage the convert to go and tell their family and friends about the marvelous things that Jesus Christ has done for them, and commit to bringing their family and friends with them to church to learn more about the teachings of Jesus Christ.
6. 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 convert to help them assimilate into Christian life through receiving water baptism (Col. 2:12), baptism in the Holy Ghost (John 3:5, Acts 2:38, 19:1-7).
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 and blessed.