THE MESSAGE OF THE MISSION

Written By Ryan Coon

One of the most common things I hear from Christians when discussing evangelizing or reaching the lost is not knowing what to say and when or how to say it…These questions seem to stop us before we ever try. We know to be kind, loving, pray for people, and so on, but we don’t feel prepared to share the best news, the good news of Jesus. I believe that we should know and keep refreshing our memory with the Message of the Mission so we’ll be more confident to reach the lost around us. For context and application purposes, I am preaching and teaching for the context of relational evangelism, more than quick street evangelism but all of this can apply in different settings 1 Peter 3:15 says, “...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…”1 Peter 3:15    

Let’s familiarize ourselves with the gospel message. I’ve already started in previous sermons, such as Jesus being the way, the truth, and the life, or Jesus being the living water for the Samaritan woman. Today, we have already started with the Wordless book tool from CEF, but let’s go further. 

Scriptures: 1 Peter 3:15

Notes:

What Is the Gospel? 

The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. But if there is good news, that typically means there is bad news. In the beginning, God created mankind, and we had peaceful fellowship with God. The bad news is that the first man and woman chose to disobey and sin against God. Sin damaged our fellowship, and spiritually, we were not at peace with God. Unfortunately, mankind continued to sin; in fact, sin increased to where we are all guilty of sin. Sin brought brokenness, pain, and death into the world, which have affected us all. Ultimately, the penalty for our sin is death. 

But this is where the good news comes in…God saw we were utterly helpless in our sin. And God, being loving and merciful, showed us undeserved grace when He offered His Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins when He died on the cross. The good news is that on the third day, Jesus rose again, defeating death and sin, satisfying God's requirements for our salvation. We are forgiven and receive eternal life instead of death when we repent or turn away from our sin and believe what Jesus has accomplished for us. 

He did this for me, and He did this for you, not because we are good people. It's not about being good, it's about being holy and righteous as He is holy and righteous. And the only way we are made righteous in God's sight is by believing and receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. If you feel conviction for your sin and believe you need Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, this is the Holy Spirit working in your heart right now. If your heart hears and receives this today, let me encourage you to repent and believe in Jesus for salvation.

We have a life-saving message - The Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:16-17

  • Romans 1:16-17 NIV For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

  • Romans 1:16-17 NLT: For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

  • The gospel is the only remedy for the myriad of issues that sin has wrought on our society and us. Sin has caused so much damage, but the love of God covers a multitude of sins. God’s love through Christ forgives, heals, reconciles, restores, redeems, and overcomes the brokenness we all have experienced because of sin. Sin is at the core of our problems, personally and as a whole. When we see that truth, we have to also acknowledge that the gospel of Jesus is the only cure or remedy that has been offered. We have all these problems, but the cure can be found in the gospel. So there are many ways to relate the gospel, but there is only one gospel. Many ways or journeys that bring people to Jesus, but there is only one way to be saved and to eternal life and that is through Jesus (Acts 4:12) There are a lot of subjects, lessons, and wisdom in the Bible but ultimately at some point the people we are reaching need to hear and know about the good news of Jesus Christ. 

Sharing the Gospel

Romans 10:13-17

  • It is imperative that we know the gospel and learn how to communicate it

  • If this is the primary method people can hear and believe in the gospel, then we must learn the gospel and learn how to communicate it! 

  • “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” Unknown. The impression is that your life can preach the gospel, and if you have to, use words. It’s a well-meaning message to encourage good living, which I agree with, but the reality is, we need to use more than our actions. The gospel requires that we use words.

  • Faith comes by hearing…hearing the gospel!

Tips for gospel conversations…As you go and share…

  • Don’t presume someone’s interest. Every person is different. Some are closed off and don’t want to talk religion, and others are very interested, hungry for truth, and asking sincere questions.  

  • Don’t put gospel conversations in a box. The best method to share the gospel is from your heart. This means keeping yourself familiar with it. I recommend utilizing all the different messages Jesus used, which we all know lead to the one message we all need to hear and believe, the gospel. In other words, you’re connecting who Jesus is, why He came, and what He offers to those you are evangelizing to bring you to the point of sharing the answer for sin and death, and that’s the gospel! Jesus and the apostles in Acts all evangelized in different situations. 

    • Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, who was already reading the Bible. 

    • Paul and Silas are in prison and share the gospel with the jailer and his household

    • Jesus utilized a water well to share the good news.

  • Don’t get discouraged when people don’t believe and receive the gospel

  • Prepare and practice The Gospel According to Scripture. 

How do I bring up the Gospel?

  • Before we talk about the gospel, we typically talk about our lives, our passions, our faith, our church, our God, and our testimony. This way, by the time we speak to them about their faith or the gospel, they aren’t shocked or thrown off. Our everyday example, our everyday talk, has already established a frame by which they see your life. If you’ve already given them the impression that Jesus is important to you and He influences how you live, then they are probably expecting and even wondering what’s taking you so long. 

    • Story: This happened to my family with one of our neighbors. 

  • If Jesus is your passion, you’ll talk about him. When we have a relationship with Jesus, we’ll talk about Him. Out of the overflow of your heart, the mouth speaks. If Jesus is like living water in the well of your heart…Jesus will be drawn out in your everyday actions and words. 

  • Simply ask, “May I share the good news of Jesus, the reason for my hope and joy, with you?”

    • Other leading questions:

      • “What do you think Jesus died on the cross for? What was He trying to accomplish?”

      • “If you could know the way to heaven, would you want to hear it? May I share what Jesus says and what He did to be the way?”

Tools for Gospel Conversations

Sharing the gospel doesn’t have to be a formula or done by using a tool, but there are some helpful tools out there that Christians have made to help. 

Discussion

  • What is one thing from the message that resonated with you?

  • 1 Peter 3:15 encourages us to always be ready to give an answer. How prepared do you feel right now?

  • Has anyone ever asked you about your faith? How did you respond?

  • In your own words, how would you explain the gospel to someone who has never heard it before?

  • What are some ways you can familiarize yourself with the gospel regularly?

  • Have you used any of the tools that Pastor Ryan mentioned today (Wordless book, Romans Road, or The Three Circles)? Are there any you plan to use?

  • Why is it important not to get discouraged when someone doesn’t respond positively to the gospel?

  • What additional notes did you make during the sermon?

  • What can we pray for regarding the sermon? Do you have any prayer needs?

The most important decision you will ever make!

If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life 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 decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.

Pray Together

We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!

Ryan Coon
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FISHING AT THE WELL