Series: “How to be a
Contagious Christian
The W Question About the E
Word
September 9, 2007
I. Introduction
A. Expectations
1. Excited, improve
evangelism skills, learn new approaches
2. Neutral, don't know
what to expect, open to Word, teachable
spirit, willing heart -
“school is still out”
3. Negative, dreading,
“E word” makes your face flush, feelings of fear with
maybe some guilt mixed in; “6 weeks on evangelism? Not
me!”
B. Objectives (“Becoming
a Contagious Christian”)
“In-flu-ence” - creating a pandemic, (Ephesians 4
culture that results in an Acts 2 church/a small bunch
of people with the flu infecting a whole community
without really trying!) Weapons of Mass Construction
The “W” Question
about the “E” Word
1. I have a
stockpile of blessings (2 Kings 6:24 - 7:9)
Famine in Samaria due to
a siege by the King of Syria
EXPERIENCE: “If only God
would scare the resistance out of people” NOT ABOUT THE
SYRIANS. ABOUT SHARING THE GOOD NEWS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO
NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT!
DEVELOP A SENSE OF
WONDER AND GRATITUDE
My daily prayer:
“Again this morning, I am living in a miraculous
relationship with the God of this universe! I'm a child
(of God)! I'm a saint! I'm an heir with Christ! I'm
blessed! I'm saved, I'm adopted, I'm being sanctified, I
have a spiritual gift. I have a wonderful future, I have
heaven waiting for me!”
2. I'm an agent
for God!” (Acts 1:8)
“You will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
A. We are
God's agents (Plan A with no Plan B)
B. Want to
hear “Well done, good, faithful, servant”
C. Will
receive power from the HS
D. Requires
“tuning in” to the HS purpose
Conventions for Mr. Hurok - sit at my booth or “work
the room”; convention exhibit hall or all the
parties and hosted hospitalities.
I
was motivated to think that Hurok would entrust his
great message to somebody like me for the purpose of
spreading it to others!
I'm motivated to
think that God would entrust His greater
message to somebody like me for spreading it to others!
3.
Hell is real!
Plain truth: hell
is real and real people go there for eternity!
The reality of
hell was a major theme in the ministry of Jesus.
a. rich young
ruler refused to receive spiritual wealth
b. Jesus wept over
the city of Jerusalem,
c. Jesus
confronted the Pharisees, scribes, tax collectors,
politicians.
d. Confronted
anybody and everybody with the basic message: unless you
put your faith in him you would die and face
condemnation in eternity.
It's eternal life
and eternal death that hang in the balance.
Jesus on the cross, asked by a common criminal if there
is room in heaven for just one more sinner. And Jesus
says, “Sure there's room. Today you'll be with me in
paradise!”
The reality of hell
should move all of us to develop a contagious faith.
Luke
16:19, Rich and poor man (Lazarus); tormented - great
chasm fixed
“Then I
beg you … send Lazarus to my father's house, five
brothers…warn them, so that they will not also come to
this place of torment.”
Five minutes in hell
turned him into a committed evangelist!
My Determination:
Christianity is the greatest way to live and the only
way to die!
4. The reward of
leading somebody to Christ.
Two factors: 1.
Inherited our experience with the church; 2) never had
the experience of leading someone to Christ.
Just
one time, have one person look you in the
eye and say, “You know, I was heading down the road to
hell, and God used you to bring me to himself.”
Just have somebody say, “You know, I needed an
ambassador! a credible witness, someone whose life
matched his message, and you were that
person for me! Thank you! Thanks for being
contagious with your faith for reaching out to me, for
helping to answer my questions, for putting up with my
cynicism, my colorful language! Thanks for loving me at
a time in my life when I wasn't very lovable.
Jesus saved me, but you
led me to the cross where I found his grace!”
Hear that once and watch
what happens. You will be a motivated agent; you will
feel a kind of spiritual adrenalin flowing in and
through you; you will walk away saying, “I may have just
experienced the greatest spiritual high ever!”
Why develop a contagious
faith? Why share Christ with others? Why?
Because we've been
honored and empowered by God to participate in this
grand endeavor to bring people to faith.
Why share our faith?
Because, it's the greatest contribution you could
ever make to someone's life and the most fulfilling
and rewarding thing you'll ever do!
VIDEO
