MAKING JESUS KNOWN - REACHING ONE, REACHES MANY
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion. CLICK HERE to find a discussion group. Enjoy!
Sermon Title: REACHING ONE, REACHES MANY
Main Scripture: John 4:43-54; 1 Thessalonians 2:8
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
Summary:
Pastor Ryan shared with us how the gospel flows from one person to many in what the Bible refers to as “Oikos.” We see in multiple places in scripture that if we reach one, we essentially reach many people with the Gospel because the good news spreads from person to person. We were challenged to answer the call then to invest and invite just one person to salvation in Christ and be ready for the “Oikos” to follow soon after. Pastor Ryan assured us that this is a natural flow that God uses through relationships, but it won’t be easy. In fact, this is the hardest part of evangelism for us as “sent ones”: building relationships with the lost so you can earn a place to share the gospel.
Notes:
John 4:43-54
Context: Jesus had spent two days in Samaria. After reaching the woman at the well, a revival broke out in that city and many believed in the message of Jesus. Jesus reached the one who went and reached the many.
Jesus knew that in order to save these communities He had to go where they are. He had to go into their communities and invest in them His time, love, compassion, and the message of His kingdom.
What took place in this story is one man’s belief in Christ affected his entire household.
“Oikos is the Greek word for “household.” Particularly, in the Greco-Roman culture, Oikos not only described the immediate family in the house but included servants, servant families, friends, and even business associates. An Oikos was one’s sphere of influence, his or her social system composed of those related to each other through ties of kinship, tasks, and territory.” -Win and Charles Arn
This is not an isolated event at all. This is how the gospel spread from life to life, household to household.
John 4-The Samaritan woman immediately went to her community (Oikos)
Mark 2:14-15 Levi (Matthew) invited his friends (Oikos) over to have dinner with Jesus.
Mark 5:19 Jesus tells the man who was delivered from a demon to go home to his (Oikos) and tell them what God has done.
John 1:41 Peter came to Christ because his brother Andrew brought him.
John 1:45 Nathaniel came to christ through his friend Philip
Acts 10:24; 44 Cornelius’ entire household (Oikos) believed
Acts 16:15 Lydia, a business woman and her household believed and were baptized
Acts 16:31-34 The jailer and his entire household were saved after the miracle with Paul and Silas being set free from prison.
Win Arn says, “You probably think the phenomenal growth of the early church took place because of a few dedicated apostles (such as Paul and Peter). Absolutely not! It grew explosively because of the laity–ordinary men and women telling their friends and family about Jesus Christ and the Good News of Salvation.”
This is how the church was built and grew. One life believing in Jesus Christ and that salvation led to many more in their circle of influence.
It’s the most natural way for the good news of Jesus Christ to flow from one life to another. Webs of family, friends, work associates, and common interests are still the paths most people take in becoming Christians today.
Illustration:
The Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Carrollton, Texas, where Dr. Steve Wagner is pastor, is typical. Two members of the church, husband and wife, invited a non-Christian neighbor couple to their church's family enrichment program. The couple enjoyed a pleasurable and positive experience. Later the husband and wife invited these non-Christian friends to a Sunday morning worship service, and the couple continued to attend together. Soon the wife made a commitment to Christ. She enrolled their four-year-old boy in the church's preschool program. A few months later her husband came to Christ, and they joined the church. Following their commitment, the new Christian mother encouraged a friend to enroll her four-year-old in the church's preschool program. And at the next family enrichment program, the new Christian couple brought a non-Christian friend and the wife's brother. The brother began attending a Sunday morning worship service, enrolled in a church membership class, and has since become a Christian. He in turn is sharing his faith with his parents. This natural web of relationships has quickly resulted in eight people making professions of faith and becoming responsible church members. And the web of growth is just beginning.
Illustration: *Oikos chart about Free Methodist Church in Bellingham, Washington
This is encouraging and such a relief because it feels like all the pressure is on one person to reach many but when we reach one that person helps reach many, naturally.
Why the gospel travels so positively through the Oikos? From Win and Charles Arn’s book, “The Master Plan for Making Disciples.”
Why do people respond so positively to the gospel as it travels over natural webs of relationships?
Oikos relationships are a natural network. There is a natural connection, frequency, and communication.
Oikos members are receptive. They know and trust this person.
Oikos relationships allow for natural sharing. Everyday conversations allow for open dialogue about our passion for Christ.
Oiko’s relationships support the new Christian. When a friend or relative comes to faith there is an immediate source of support and encouragement.
Oikos relationships effectively assimilate converts. The new Christian naturally attends the church his or her friend or family member belongs.
Oikos relationships tend to win entire families. One salvation often begins a process where entire families come to faith in Christ.
Oikos relationships provide new contacts. Research shows that on average each new Christian has twelve people in his or her Oikos who are non-Christians.
Here’s the call to evangelize: We have to be invested in reaching one and inviting one in order for the gospel to spread to the many.
As pastor coon said last week we must be the “sent ones.” We must go to the unsaved and unchurched. Jesus invited and created His own Oikos with the disciples. Jesus went to the one lost person who would go reach their Oikos. The Apostles’ Peter and Paul invested in a few and in a community and the Oikos did the rest of the reaching.
The gospel spreads through the Oikos, through the family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors because someone reached the first one. That’s the call and challenge for us to apply.
Paul practiced this in 1 Thessalonians 2:8: We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.
**Oikos may be the most natural flow for the gospel but in order for it to begin someone has to go share the gospel and convert one. This is the hardest part of evangelism for us as “sent ones”: building relationships with the lost so you can earn a place to share the gospel. It will be worth it but it won’t be easy!
There are mountains to overcome and a cost to scale these mountains:
We’ve been saved and in the church for years so our circle is primarily made of Christians. We don’t have relationships or have not built relationships with the lost around us. We have to do the hard work of building new connections.
Our lifestyles don’t make room for including and investing in others. We have to make some serious sacrifices and reorient our lives to be more available and intentional in building relationships with the lost.
Our society and culture have become increasingly guarded and closed due to the breakdown of marriages, family, friends, division, and unreconciled differences. We ourselves aren’t opening and sharing our lives as much as we should and we’ll be reaching into a culture where this is also occurring.
Include and invite one into your life. Invest your time and energy to care for and love one. Invite to weekly coffee, to your small group, and to church. Watch what God does.
Be ready for the results because the household, the Oikos will get saved and they’ll need guidance and discipleship.
Discussion:
What was a big takeaway for you from this sermon?
What’s our role in evangelism according to this sermon?
After hearing this sermon, why are building relationships with the lost critical?
What are some mountains we’ll have to climb that Pastor Ryan mentioned? What would you add to that list?
How will you start to apply this sermon to your everyday life?
The most important decision you will ever make!
Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed? We encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!