Evangelism: Receive, Believe, Be Born of God

The last message in another great series! I hope you are seeing that our main purpose as a church and as individuals is vital to all of life. The impact we make in this world for Christ, influences EVERY fiber of our lives for now and for all eternity.

Text: There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:6-13

1.) Live your life with a Purpose!

Check out verses 6-7. “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.” John was sent by God with a purpose, and that purpose was to be a witness. John had a calling on his days, and had a stirring in his heart. John not only lived with passion, but with purpose: To point people to Jesus.

We all have a God given purpose and we need to constantly endevour to live it out.

2.) Knowing your Position!

Not only did John live life with a purpose, but he also knew his position. “He himself was not the light, he came only as a witness to the light.” (POSITION) John understood his position – He was not the light, but was a witness to the light. Our message is Jesus.

John submitted his will to Gods. He submitted his person to Gods. He submitted his spirit to God’s. John wanted God to be seen in all His glory. And so he submitted any power or position he may have been able to attain to point people to Jesus.

Dictionary.com difines submission as, "the act of submitting; usually surrendering power to another." Surrendering is a key word. Surrendering takes into account that you have a God-given right to do whatever you want, but you decline that right in order that the other party’s rights come before yours.

3.) Revealing the Path!

Once we are living with a purpose and we know our position, the rest is actually the easy part. The icing on the evangelistic cake is revealing the PATH. The path to salvation is spelled out in verse 12 – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

So what does it mean to Receive Christ? The Bible tells us that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, but that gift must be received.

This is our message and we must share it. We must keep first things first. We need to take this message across the room. We must remember to share our stories of grace. We must let them know that they can be born of God by receiving and believing the One who came to die for their sins and show us the way to live.

New Members

We are so happy to welcome Tobias, Ashley and Reed Brockus to the West 8th Street Wesleyan family. We are looking forward to many years of ministering together with them! Welcome!!

God's Grace is our Gospel Text

Scripture text: Acts 5:17-42 (esp. v. 42) "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."

Dictionary.com defines gospel as the teachings of Jesus and the apostles; the Christian revelation; the story of Christ's life and teachings, esp. as contained in the first four books of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Pastor Dan gave the challenge that all of us have the ability and the means to share the gospel, we need just to find what expression best fits us.

1.) You can share the Gospel with you LIFE! (non-verbal)
*People are constantly watching us and looking for proof of Christ in our lives. Continually we are the light of the world for the kingdom. (Matt. 5:14) We see in scripture, many examples of people living life according to God's will, and making a huge impact on history. Look first at Abraham and Isaac. Abraham had every intention to go to the top of the mountain and sacrifice his son on the Lords behalf. Isaac following his fathers instruction and was prepared to lay down his life in obedience. Abraham's obedience to his Father made him favorable in God's eyes and he was made the father of an innumerable nation. (Gen. 23) Next we see Daniel, who King Darius threw into a lions den, had faith that God would save him, praised God in his time of danger and the lions mouths were made shut.(Dan. 6)
Gods hands are working in lives. What story is God telling in your life to the world? What story does your life tell?

2.) You can share the Gospel with your LIPS! (verbally)
*Romans 1:16 says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...". Your spoken testimony will change lives, the righteousness from God will be revealed. No one has lived an entirely honorable life, Romans 3:23 tells us that we have all fallen short of the glory of God. But directly after this verse, we find redemption through grace. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." People want to know they can be made right.

3.) You can share the Gospel with LEAD! (if necessary, write it down)
*Draw it out, practice it, put scripture in it if possible, and then execute.

People are visually attracted. Build a bridge to do whatever it takes to reach them.

"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." Psalm 34:19 - 20

Fred Johnson experienced a miracle! He is doing well, with minor injuries. The doctors expect him to be released in a matter of a day or two. I know he appreciates your prayers.

Evangelism: Just walk across the Room

Text: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stnad, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

In this sermon we were challenged to Live Life 3 Dimensionally or "3D". Here are the 3 "D"'s from Pastor Dan's Sermon.

1. Develope Friendships. We might be sent to befriend those who don't know Jesus, those with no hope; to be the one the Holy Spirit uses to reach and save the lost. We need to shine on their lives like a city on a hill. We need sometimes, to walk across the room, establish personal relationships; to share our stories. Be intentional.

2. Discovering stories. Share where you've been, how God got ahold of you, and share what God is doing in your life, and around you. People don't want to know how much you know until the know how much you care. 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 says that in order to reach people, we have to become all things to all men that we might save some. We need to relate with people. Seek what others have to say and listen. Don't be anything you're not, be yourself.

3. Discern next steps. What are you going to do with this info you have sought out. Do not ignore opportunities set forth by the Lord. He will lead you to people that need what you have to offer. He will also stretch you to equip you with what you need to reach the lost. What you have to offer feeds their needs, not their wants. Be a resource for God to channel through.

Do whatever it takes. Will you be the one!?!