Gospel Presentation .. . The Cure for Mans Greatest Disease Sermon Text.. Selected Invocation Scripture. . Proverbs 11:30 / Eph 2:8-10 Main Idea :
Jesus came to clarify Gods orginal
intent to reveal Himself to the world through Israel and He fulfilled the required payment for sin through His death, raising to redeem those who believe, living forever to assure their eternal bliss.
Objective : To cause every member to realize the great
privilege and incredible responsibility of sharing the Message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. G.R.A.C.E. Gospel Presentation Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 1:8 Point I :
G - Get Involved!
Point II :
R - Read and Study the Word of God!
Point III:
A - Apply Biblical Truth in Your life!
Point IV: C - Choose Christ and the Bible!
Point V:
E - Engage everyone with the Gospel!
G.R.A.C.E. Gospel Presentation
Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 1:8 Slide 1 Childrens Church Dismissal Fades to Blank Slide 3 auto moves to 2nd image. On December 27, 1822, in Dole France, a little baby boy was born who was named Louis Pasteur. He grew to become one of the preeminent research scientist in the world and is known best for his discovery of pasturzing milk, a sterilization process that he discovered and used in many realms, but he also was one of the foremost leaders in understanding the whole concept of germs of taking strains of deadly diseases weakening or killing them in the lab and then vaccinating individuals. His work virtually eliminated the threat of anthrax, cholera, TB and smallpox! Before his time, countless thousands and thousands of people died of these dreaded diseases! Now you might ask... what in the world does Louis Pastuer have to do with sharing the gospel... Glad you asked... I chose Pasteur as an example because his work so changed the world and yet it was met with such suspicion and mocking from the established scientific and medical community! But now, after 100 years, of PROOF, his discoveries are the foundations for much of the success of modern medicine!! But I discovered something that I had never known before concerning this man... Listen to what his grandson had to say about him... Slide 4 Absolute faith in God and in Eternity, and a conviction that the power for good given to us in this world will be continued beyond it, were feelings which pervaded his whole life; the virtues of the gospel had ever been present to him.
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
(Vallery-Radot 1911, vol. 2, p. 240)
Louis Pastuer and men who based their work on his
like Dr. Lister and others, faced great resistance and hostility for their work and yet today, without that work our world would still be languishing with diseases that now are all but unknown, but which once decimate whole cities and regions. And I pondered the question.... What if he had remained silent?.... (Pause) I submit to you today, that we as Christians, have answers! We have THE solutions to the spiritual, mental, emotional and relational issues of our day.... we have THE answers to the Social, Moral, Economic and Political ills of today! BUT.... BUT regretfully... unlike Pastuer, the vast majority of US remain silent, // allowing our world and those around us to LITERALLY DIE and go to Hell!! Every believer is called by the Lord Jesus Christ to share their faith. This is made abundantly clear in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8. Slide 5 (Mat 28:19-20 NASB) {19} "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, {20} teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Slide 6 (Acts 1:8 NASB) 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."
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
This is a high and holy calling and an INCREDIBLE
privilege granted to us by God! The gospel message of Jesus Christ is the most important message that has ever been given to mankind and it is the ONLY message that has the power, through the truth of Gods Holy Word and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, to change a persons life for etrnity. Tragically, even in view of that incredible truth, researchers tell us that most Christians have never shared the Gospel with another person! (Pause) OUCH... That is sobering... even more.... VERY sad! But I discovered years ago that people didnt share because they didnt know how to share. And thus GRACE was born... here it is in a nutshell. Slide 7 In a Nutshell... G God loves you and wants you to have a full and meaningful life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John 3:16 R Mankind has Rejected Gods lordship and Rebelled against God, and His love and we have pursued own plan which results in death. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rom 3:23 Slide 8 A God, in His love has Atoned for our sin through His Son Jesus Christ and Accepted us as we profess and express faith in Christ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rom 6:23 C We must Choose if we want salvation and in choosing must Confess him before others. . . . . Rom 10:9-10 Slide 9 E Eternal life with Him is the result and as the magnitude of this great gift impacts us, we will
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
Evangelize others! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt 28:18-20 So.. I invite you First to begin to pray that God would help you to grow in your confidence so that you would be able to share the gospel with others. Secondly, that you would pray that God would help you, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Truth of His Word to be able to learn the verses and phrases so well that they become natural for you so that you are able to share the Gospel with confidence, with conviction and with courage. Thirdly, that God would begin to grow in you, a sincere desire to offer everyone you meet an opportunity to hear the message of the Gospel whether they are willing to receive it or not. We know that God desires for every person of every nation, tribe and tongue to hear the Message of the Gospel and have an opportunity to come to faith in Jesus Christ! We read in 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. 2 Pet 3:9 (NASB) I encourage you then, to Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15 Not only does the word GRACE work very nicely to share the message of the Gospel but it also provides a wonderful tool to challenge us TO SHARE the Gospel, to give us reason and direction as we share. So remember the two key evangelism verses in our Bible... We just heard
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
them... Take your Bible and go back to them then.
Slide 10 Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 Slide 11 (Mat 28:19-20 NASB) {19} "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, {20} teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Slide 12 (Acts 1:8 NASB) 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." Slide 13 Point I: Get involved! Matt 28:19 Christ calls us to action! So.. The first letter of the word GRACE... G... This letter represents a call to GET INVOLVED!! Go therefor and make disciples of all the nations! Listen my friends... From the Old Testament call to Noah to build an ark to carry those who believed God through to safety, a man that Peter tell us in 2 Peter 2:5 was a preacher of righteous. I have to imagine that the crowds gathered regularly to see the work of this man as it rose up, becoming a massive structure... Many surely would come and Noah, just as surely would apparently preach to them, and yet... they must have been unwilling to heed! His call then to Abram, to be the father of Gods
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
chosen people, through whom God would reveal Himself
to the World and provide His Holy Word! Or as he called out through his Judges and then His great Prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah and many others.... God has consistently called upon those of us who believe in Him and Love Him today! The words of Isaiah the prophet ring in our ears... Isa 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I, send me... Later in Isaiah 52:7 we read... (Isa 52:7 NASB) How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Jesus Himself calls upon His 12 Apostles in Matt 10:7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' And then Paul exhorts the early church in (2 Cor 5:18-20 NASB) 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.
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
Listen my friends... The call to Get Involved is Clear!
We know we are suppose to, and the fact is, that learning to share the Gospel and then ACTUALLY sharing the Gospel, and inviting others to believe that Jesus Christ, are two VERY different things. There are many people who have gone to training after training but then never followed through to share their faith. I mentioned earlier that few Christian share their faith, it is said that perhaps as few 10% of Christians share their faith... That would indicate to me that there may be many so-called Christians in the church. Why do you say that Pastor... I say it because anyone who has truly experienced the life changing power and presence of Jesus Christ WILL want to share that!! I can only hope and pray that each of you here today have taken seriously Gods call to be witnesses and to share the Gospel, that is the ONLY thing that will change us, our family, friends and coworkers... It is the ONLY thing that will change Fairfield! But look at the next thing... The letter R stands for Read... and I would add to that Read and study the WORD of God!! Look back at your text Matt 28:19 go therefor and make disciples, teaching them Slide 14 Point II: Read and study the Word of God. Matt 29:19 Listen friends... you cant teach what you dont know. Further, you cant teach what you havent experienced first hand with any real passion and fervor. It is absolutely CRITICAL for us to Read and Study
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
the Word of God! There is nothing that will more change
and reshape us than the Word of God! I cant help but think of those verses that I memorized as a child... This is what we have been learning on Wednesday night from the books of Timothy.. (2 Tim 2:15 NASB) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. And I remember many verses from when I was a child... Psa 119:11 NASB) Thy word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against Thee. (Psa 119:105-106 NASB) Thy word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path. One of the most frustrating things in our world today is trying to get help with something you have purchased when you have a problem with it. It is often very hard to find someone at the store or on the phone who really knows the product. You can tell, pretty quickly that many of the technical support people dont know what they are doing with the product. So it is important beloved, that in our faith, we have first hand knowledge of God through His Word so that we can answer the questions that WILL come from those with whom we share. I would also say, that given the vast number of false religions in the world and the growing number of denominational groups that are abandoning the Bible, we would also do well to have a good grasp of our own
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
denominational beliefs. You need to get a copy of the
Baptist Faith and Message and read it. Perhaps we will do this as our next series. Lets move on.. Not only should we teach them... but we should teach them to observe... to obey, to put into practice all that Jesus commanded. Isnt that the next thing that vs 20 says? Mat 28:19-20 "(20) teaching them to observe... Slide 15 Point III: Apply the Biblical teachings to your life. Listen friends, we cant ask them to do what we arent already doing, or what we dont know how to do! Surely you have heard the old axiom... Practice what you preach! Perhaps more than anything else, the world desperately needs to see, real, authentic examples of true Christian living today! They need to see how TRUE Christians respond to crisis, struggles, pains and problems as well as how they respond to success, affluence and blessing!! Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Paul exhorts the Church at Ephesis... (Eph 2:10 NASB) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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And Peter challenges all of us in 1 Peter 2:12...
Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. This is very clear! We are to Apply Biblical teaching to our lives, so that we can live Biblical Truth before others, so that they can see the peaceable fruit of righteousness in our lives and desire it for their own! I can not, in good conscience ask another person to do what I am unwilling to do myself! Let me ask you friends... Are you living the Christian life? Can anyone tell from your actions that you are a Christian? We all heard that question... If you were put on trial for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?... Sobering questions.... You see my friends... these verses here in Matthew 28 and in Acts 1:8 can be summarized with one thought.... Slide 16 Point IV: Choose Christ in everything! Yes... Choose Christ in everything. I am convinced that most of us here in this room today we know when we are willfully choosing wrong and when we are willfully choosing Christ. According to Genesis, every human being was made in the image of God, and thus the essence of His truth is clear... add to that the truth that the Book of Romans makes it clear that by the truth of Gods power,
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
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presence and creative ability, we see His hand in all of
creation and so we are without excuse... we read in Rom 1:20 NASB For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Listen beloved... I dont think that it is a question of knowing what to choose, as much as it is a question of wanting to choose what we KNOW is RIGHT!!! That is the dilemma that mankind faces!! And as James, the half brother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ warns us in James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Or as the NASB more plainly states... Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin. We must Choose Christ over anything and everything if we have any hope to live a life on this side of heaven that has meaning, purpose and fulfillment. Easy to say.... So VERY hard to do at so many choice points of life! And yet... we MUST learn to choose WISELY!!! One final thing then and this is found in the Acts passage this morning... turn to Acts 1:8... < < < Read Acts 1:8 > > > Slide 17 Point V: Engage and your world with the Gospel!
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
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Point V: Engage and your world with the Gospel!
(Acts 1:8 NASB) 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." Each of us has a family, friends, coworkers and associates. They need to know the truth! They need the cure for sin! They need the message of the Gospel if they are to find eternal healing!! Now listen to me... Listen You may encounter individuals that few other Christians would meet. As a result, we must take responsibility for OUR world, the one that we have ability to DIRECTLY influence! We MUST engage them in every venue we can, in word, and deed so that they might come under conviction of the Holy Spirit and thus, come to faith in Jesus Christ! To reach the world, we have to engage the world on their turf. Thats what Jesus did. The woman at the well, the lame man at the pool of Saloam, the lepers in the field, teaching and feeding the 5000 and the 4000. Jesus was constantly going to where the people were. When people approached Him, He carefully accessed the situation, accepted them where the were but loved them far to much to leave them where they were. He always moved them to a point of decision.... some would choose wisely, others... well... like the rich young ruler, turned and walked away... That is our call... that is exactly what we are to do and guess what... some will hear and head... but others.. The will turn and leave....
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G-Get Invovled. R-Read the Bible. A- Apply the Bible . C-Choose Christ. E- Engage Everyone
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Pray! Pray that God will give you wisdom, patience
and discernment! Pray that God will honor His Word and that in every encounter you can either plant a seed of the Gospel, water one that is already planted, or that He might grant that your reap the fruit of those who came before you doing what you where doing! Listen friends... Its not hard, // a little scary... sure... but once you know how, if you REALLY know Him, its as easy as talking about your children or your grand children... And you actually will WANT to!! Listen my friends... By the power of God, WE CAN CHANGE THIS TOWN!! WE CAN REVOLUTIONIZE THIS COUNTY!! We just need to G et involved! Go Therefore and make disciples R ead and study the Word of God. Teaching them A pply the Biblical teachings to your life. To observe C hoose Christ in everything all that I commanded you E ngage our world with the Gospel! be my witnesses We have the cure for mans eternal disease... It IS the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Lets commit ourselves to learn how to share it and then... TO DO JUST THAT!! WE CAN DO IT!!! We can do it!!! Let us pray