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Ian_Sinclair
This is from an online evangelism course I'm doing that i got from www.wayofthemaster.com God bless i pray you enjoy these lessons as i am. There are 101 lessons in all and i will share a new one every week.
Here is the overview of them.
The Forgotten Key toBiblical Evangelism
“‘I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came,sin revived’ (Romans 7:9). So it is with the work-righteous and theproud unbelievers. Because they do not know the Law of God, whichis directed against them, it is impossible for them to know their sin.Therefore also they are not amenable to instruction. If they wouldknow the Law, they would also know their sin; and sin to whichthey are now dead would become alive in them.”MARTIN LUTHER
This teaching is critically important. To be properlyinstructed in how to effectively reach the lost with the gospel, you mustbegin with the biblical foundation for evangelism. Read this lesson verythoughtfully. Don’t let anything distract you as you discover what CharlesSpurgeon called “our ablest auxiliary”—that is, our most powerful weapon.
Q U E S T I O N S & O B J E C T I O N S“I’m as good as any Christian!”
A Christian, by himself, isn’t good. Jesus said that God alone is good. Theonly “goodness,” or righteousness, that the believer has comes from JesusChrist (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9). The Bible tells us that, with-Kirk’s Commentout Christ, man is corrupt and filthy; “there is none that does good, no,not one” (Psalm 14:3).w o t m w o t m w o t m w o t m w o t m w o t m w o t m w o t m w o t m w o t m w o t mHave you ever thought, “There must be a key to reaching the lost”?There is—and it’s rusty through lack of use. The Bible does actuallycall it “the key,” and its purpose is to bring us to Christ, to unlock theDoor of the Savior (John 10:9). Not only is it biblical, but it was usedthroughout church history to unlock the doors of revival. Much of thechurch today doesn’t even know it exists. The problem is that it was lostaround the turn of the twentieth century. Keys have a way of getting lost.Jesus used it. So did Paul (Romans 3:19,20) and James (James 2:10).Stephen used it when he preached (Acts 7:53). Peter found that it had beenused to open the door to release 3,000 imprisoned souls on the Day ofPentecost. Jesus said that the lawyers had “taken away” the key, and hadeven refused to use it to let people enter into the kingdom of God (Luke11:52). The Pharisees didn’t take it away; instead, they bent it out of shapeso that it wouldn’t do its work (Mark 7:8). Jesus returned it to its trueshape, just as the Scriptures prophesied that He would do (Isaiah 42:21).Satan has tried to prejudice the modern church against the key. He hasmaligned it, misused it, twisted it, and, of course, hidden it—he hates itbecause of what it does. Perhaps you are wondering what this key is. I willtell you. All I ask is that you set aside your traditions and prejudices andlook at what God’s Word says on the subject.In Acts 28:23 the Bible tells us that Paul sought to persuade his hearers“concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets.”Here are two effective means of persuading the unsaved “concerning Jesus.”Let’s first look at how the prophets can help persuade sinners concerningJesus. Fulfilled prophecy proves the inspiration of Scripture. Thepredictions of the prophets present a powerful case for the inspiration ofthe Bible. Any skeptic who reads the prophetic words of Isaiah, Ezekiel,Joel, etc., or the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 cannot help but be challengedthat this is no ordinary book.The other means by which Paul persuaded sinners concerning Jesuswas “out of the law of Moses.” The Bible tells us that the Law of Moses isgood if it is used lawfully (1 Timothy 1:8). For what purpose was God’sLaw designed? The following verses tell us: “The Law is not made for arighteous person, but . . . for sinners” (1 Timothy 1:9,10). It even lists thesinners for us: the disobedient, the ungodly, murderers, fornicators, homosexuals,kidnappers, liars, etc. The Law was designed primarily as anevangelistic tool. Paul wrote that he “had not known sin, but by the law”(Romans 7:7). The Law of God (the Ten Commandments) is evidently the“key of knowledge” that Jesus mentioned in Luke 11:52. He was speakingto lawyers—those who should have been teaching God’s Law so that sinnerswould receive the “knowledge of sin,” and thus recognize their needof the Savior.Prophecy speaks to the intellect of the sinner, while the Law speaks tothe conscience. One produces faith in the Word of God; the other bringsknowledge of sin in the heart of the sinner. The Law is the God-given“key” to unlock the Door of salvation.The Bible says in Psalm 19:7, “The law of the Lord is perfect convertingthe soul.” Scripture makes it very clear that it is the Law that actuallyconverts the soul. To illustrate the function of God’s Law, let’s look for amoment at civil law. Imagine if I said to you, “I’ve got some good newsfor you: someone has just paid a $25,000 speeding fine on your behalf.”You’d probably react by saying, “What are you talking about? That’s notgood news—it doesn’t make sense. I don’t have a $25,000 speeding fine.”My good news wouldn’t be good news to you; it would seem foolishness.But more than that, it would be offensive to you, because I’m insinuatingyou’ve broken the law when you don’t think you have.However, if I put it this way, it may make more sense: “While youwere out today, the law clocked you going 55 miles an hour through anarea set aside for a blind children’s convention. There were ten clearwarning signs stating that fifteen miles an hour was the maximum speed,but you went straight through at 55 miles an hour. What you did wasextremely dangerous; there’s a $25,000 fine. The law was about to take itscourse, when someone you don’t even know stepped in and paid the finefor you. You are very fortunate.”Can you see that telling you precisely what you’ve done wrong firstactually enables the good news to make sense? If I don’t clearly bringunderstanding that you’ve violated the law, then the good news will seemfoolishness and offensive. But once you understand that you’ve broken thelaw, then that good news will become good news indeed.In the same way, if I approach an impenitent sinner and say, “JesusChrist died on the cross for your sins,” it will be foolishness and offensiveto him. It will be foolishness because it won’t make sense. The Bible saysthat “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness” (1Corinthians 1:18). And it will be offensive because I’m insinuating he’s asinner when he doesn’t think he is. As far as he’s concerned, there are a lotof people far worse than him. But if I take the time to follow in the footstepsof Jesus, it may make more sense. If I open up the divine Law, theTen Commandments, and show the sinner precisely what he’s done wrong—that he has offended God by violating His Law—then when he becomes“convinced of the law as a transgressor” (James 2:9), the good news of thefine being paid will not be foolishness. It will not be offensive. It will be“the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).With that in mind, let’s look at some of the functions of God’s Lawfor humanity. Romans 3:19 says, “Now we know that whatsoever thingsthe law says, it says to them who are under the law that every mouth maybe stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.” So onefunction of God’s Law is to stop the mouth, to keep sinners from justifyingthemselves by saying, “There are plenty of people worse than me. I’mnot a bad person, really.” No, the law stops the mouth of justification andleaves, not just the Jews, but the whole world guilty before God.In Romans 3:20 we read, “Therefore by the deeds of the law thereshall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge ofsin.” So God’s Law tells us what sin is. First John 3:4 says, “Sin is transgressionof the law.” In Galatians 3:24 we learn that God’s Law acts as aschoolmaster to bring us to Jesus Christ that we might be justified throughfaith in His blood. The Law doesn’t help us; it just leaves us helpless. Itdoesn’t justify us; it just leaves us guilty before the judgment bar of a holyGod.Charles Spurgeon, called the Prince of Preachers, stated, “I do not believethat any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law.The Law is the needle, and you cannot draw the silken thread of the gos-pel through a man’s heart unless you first send the needle of the Law tomake way for it.”
Q U E S T I O N S
1. How did Paul seek to persuade his hearers concerning Jesus? Why did hedo this?
2. What is it that actually converts the soul? (See Psalm 19:7.)
3. Why do you think the preaching of the cross seems foolish and offensiveto an unregenerate sinner?
4. Therefore, what should someone be told first, before he hears the goodnews of his fine being paid?
5. What does it mean that the Law “stops every mouth”? (See Romans 3:19.)
6. What are four functions of the Law? (See Romans 3:19,20; 7:7; Galatians3:24.)
7. What is the biblical definition of sin? (See 1 John 3:4.)
P R E A C H E R’ S P R O G R E S S
I, Christian, am waiting at the bus stop when Stan Doffish approaches;apparently he too is waiting for the bus to arrive. My heart begins topound, as I know this is my opportunity to witness to him. The bus is insight; I have about two minutes until it picks him up. The dialogue beginswith me starting in the natural and quickly swinging over to the spiritual.Christian: “How’s it going?”Stan Doffish: “Okay.”Christian: “Nice day.”Stan Doffish: “It’s all right.”Christian: “Do you live around here?”Stan Doffish: “No.”Christian: “Did you get one of these?”Stan Doffish: “No.What is it?”Christian: “It’s a gospel tract. Do you have a Christian background?”Stan Doffish: “Sort of. I went to church when I was a kid, but drifted awayfrom it.”Christian: “Do you know what it was that got me thinking seriously aboutthe things of God?”Stan Doffish: “No.What?”Christian: “It was the Ten Commandments. Jesus said that if you as muchas look at a woman with lust, you have committed adultery with her alreadyin your heart.”Stan Doffish: “Wow. . .”Christian: “And that’s just one Commandment. It leaves us all guilty, huh?”Stan Doffish: “Yeah.”Christian: “So you’ve broken that Commandment too?”Stan Doffish: “Many times.”Christian: “God doesn’t want you to go to hell. That’s why you must repentand trust Jesus. He took the punishment for your sins on the cross.Do you have a Bible at home?”Stan Doffish: “Yes, I do actually.”Christian: “I encourage you to read it. Here comes your bus. Thanks forlistening to me.”Stan Doffish: “Thank you.”MemoryVerse“Wherefore thelaw was ourschoolmasterto bring us toChrist, that wemight be justifiedby faith.”GALATIANS 3:24
Martin Luther, the monk God used to shake the world, was spared the agonyof a torturous death. When he came to die, his lips were laden with Scripture. Ashe breathed his last, Luther repeated John 3:16 and this verse from Psalm 68:“Our God is the God of whom cometh salvation. God is the Lord bywhom we escape death.”With his hands clasped together, and without a finger or a feature being disturbed,this mighty man of God ended his pilgrimage.
OK now we have room to add comments here so feel free to read and add anything you feel is good for us all. Or if u have any questions on the lessons by all means add that too.
You will have noticed that the other lessons are under B.E.C. so check them out if u want as u have time.
How To Treat Non-Believers
by Ian_Sinclair 4 days ago
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by bishopson 6 days ago
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by BirdBrain 6 weeks ago
The New Testament Documents and the Historicity of the Resurrection
by BirdBrain 2 months ago
02-27-12 - Ye Are Few In Number
by BirdBrain 3 months ago
02-26-12 - They Are New Every Morning
02-25-12 - Praying Through Anger
02-24-12 - The Depths of Sin
Christian Evangelism Team