SHARING THE GOSPEL

HOW TO SHARE THE GOSPEL - "INTRODUCING OTHERS TO CHRIST"

OUR PURPOSE - "HELPING PEOPLE ENCOUNTER THE LOVE OF GOD."

We do this by living out the Gospel: reaching the lost by sharing God's word, mentoring people and helping them become disciples of Jesus, serving in our community, and being in fellowship with others in the body of Christ.

A research study asked multiple participants the deciding factor for them to come to Christ and get established in a local church. Seventy-nine percent of them claimed a good friend or relative had shared the Gospel with them.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation... (Isaiah 52:7).

The Bible states the feet of those who bring the Gospel are beautiful and that the "good news" is a treasure given to every devoted follower of Jesus. May the Lord use these study guides on sharing the Gospel to correct us and to produce in us a passion and a determination to do His will.

Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. (Psalm 126:6).

 

IThe act of sharing the Gospel with someone can be an intimidating experience. Even the apostle Paul, who was exceptional at spreading the good news of the Gospel, had experienced moments where he felt faint of heart. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:3, I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.

Research studies reveal that public speaking is the number one cause of fear and anxiety. In this case, sharing the Gospel with non-believers would be most likely at the top of that list. Fear of sharing the Gospel can produce feelings of anxiety grounded in anticipation that the person you are thinking of speaking to will reject you personally or become angry. This fear stops us in our tracks and keeps our mouths closed. We then try to excuse ourselves from verbally sharing the Gospel by rationalizing that we will just let others observe the good things we do in life to be a testimony of the Gospel. This, however, is pawning off our own responsibility as believers to share God's word. We hope those around us will just "get it" by watching how we act. Although living a life following Jesus is a very good example for others to observe in us, we are still called to share the Gospel and "make disciples of all nations," as stated in Matthew 28:19.

To be successful at sharing the Gospel, read the study guides daily and set aside time to meditate on them and put what you learn into practice. It is recommended that you save the study guides on your electronic device for easy reference. Find instructions here.

 

INTRODUCTION TO SHARING THE GOSPEL

STEP 1: SHARING - PREPARATION FOR DEVELOPMENT – CHAPTERS 1 TO 7
STEP 2: SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY – CHAPTERS 8 TO 14
STEP 3: SHARING THE GOSPEL (THE GOOD NEWS) – CHAPTERS 15 TO 21

Step 1: Sharing - Preparation for Development
Step 1 is the most important preparation for soul-winning. A new baby starts by drinking milk, then baby food, then vegetables, etc. Babies do not start on meat and potatoes. This is the same analogy as sharing the Gospel with someone. Preparation is step 1 followed by sharing your testimony (step 2) and sharing the Gospel (step 3).

If you skip step 1, you may not be successful in sharing the Gospel.   You may get discouraged and feel as though you simply are not good at sharing; thus, you end up not trying anymore. Over the next few days, we will be reviewing step 1.

 

These three steps can be compared to climbing a mountain.
Step 1 Preparation is like getting physically prepared for a long hike on a scorching day.

Step 2 Sharing Your Testimony is getting organized with all the gear and food.

Step 3 Sharing The Gospel is the joy of the accomplishment of reaching the top of the mountain.

STEP 1 – CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO SHARING THE GOSPEL

The study guides will provide an insightful and straightforward training program for effective evangelism. Significant barriers to evangelism will be reviewed in the study guides including fear, anxiety, and lack of knowledge about how to witness to someone.

This will not be easy, and it takes hard work and effort. We recommend and encourage you not to skip ahead to the other study guides so that all of your attention is exclusively focused on learning the 21-day guide.  

To be successful at soul winning, you will have to be committed. Set a specific time each day to think, meditate, and put into practice what you learn each day. If you have a busy schedule, we recommend that each daily study guide be saved on your device so that you can come back to it in order to refresh your memory. Soul-winning is not something you want to do half-heartedly. 

We are living in an age where people want instant success and instant gratification. It is embedded in us to want good things and to want them now. One illustration is buying a box of cake mix versus making a cake from scratch. Making a cake from a box can taste good and quick, but taking the time to make a cake from scratch is more delicious and feels more satisfying because you put in more effort in putting in all the ingredients and mixing them just right. You may fail a few times in the process, but you learn each time how to make the cake better. With this course or any other soul-winning course, instant success and gratification are impossible. Like constructing something, it takes time and effort. In conclusion, it will be hard work but gaining souls for Christ is an indescribable feeling.

SHARING THE GOSPEL "ONE LIFE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD"

Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to use you and help you in sharing the Gospel. 

The Title, "One life can change the world," came from many years of seeing God's grace change lives. I have witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit transform people from very little into something incredible. One example is about a man in India named Tamil. He had a brain injury that paralyzed his one arm and one leg, and he could not talk. Tamil did not know anything about who God was until a neighbor suggested he read "the Jesus book." Tamil received a free Bible, and after a few months, he began to speak slowly. He can now talk normally and he has full use of his arm and leg.

Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. (Jeremiah 17:14).

Tamil accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, got water baptized, and attended a caring church. On weekends Tamil and his pastor went to villages preaching the Gospel. A while later, Tamil borrowed money to build a Christian church in his village that is made up of mainly Hinduism religion. He had strong resistance from the local government and the town. He started with only four people attending his church services. More on Tamil's story on how "One Life Can Change The World" here. Over the years, I have acquired many stories of how miraculously lives can be changed by someone sharing the Gospel with them.

Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation... (Mark 16:15)

I believe that if someone takes "Sharing the Gospel: One life can change the world," study guide seriously, they will be comfortable with and will be able to share the Gospel successfully. It does not matter if you are rich or poor, intelligent or foolish, introverted or have the gift of gab, young or old, or had a rough life. If you are committed to stepping out of your comfort zone, these study guides can help you be that person dedicated to "one life can change the world."

Sharing our faith is among our urgent calls as followers of Jesus. Utilizing the exciting techniques in the study guides will not only help you reach others for Christ but you may also discover you have genuinely developed a heart for evangelism.

When you hear the phrase, "sharing the gospel," what is your response? Possibly something like:
"Oh, that is too scary," or
"Only missionaries and evangelists do that," or
"That's too much for me."

As followers of Jesus, most of us are aware that we are called to share the Gospel with neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family. Although it may seem scary at first, ordinary Christians can share the Gospel just like missionaries and evangelists. How do we go about sharing the Gospel? I will tell you. 

 

Let's start with:
How not to present the Gospel.
A significant number of Christians deliver the Gospel message incorrectly. However, it is not deliberate. Here are some examples of negative Gospel presentations: (Later, we will discover how to properly share the Gospel)
"God loves you, and if you give your life to Jesus, you will go to heaven,"
or, "If you ask Jesus into your heart, you will certainly come to be a Christian. Simply ask Him to be your Savior," or
"Jesus loves you so much that if you trust in Him, He will save you."

Let us look at an additional presentation that is wrong. Consider this misrepresentation of the Gospel message:
"If you ask Jesus into your heart, your life will get better."

First and foremost, Jesus never said a person's life would get better if they ask Him to enter into their lives. He did promise He would be standing by us through rough seasons in our lives and bring us strength and hope to endure.

Secondly, our lives may even feel worse for a while as people in our lives may reject us and desert us because of our decision to follow Jesus.

Thirdly, in our attempt to follow Jesus, if we do not see situations in our lives improving, we may give up on Him altogether and reject Christianity. Jesus did not come to promise us a good life. He came to die on the cross that we may no longer live for ourselves but to live for Him. He came to save us from our sins by allowing Him to "put the axe to the root of the tree." The root of sin is self-centeredness, seeking our own will over the will of God. Jesus came to save us from this mindset, and by His Grace, we can overcome.

Jesus's sacrifice allowed us to escape the righteous judgement of God. So let us respond to our Lord and Savior by being God-centered instead of self-centered. Teaching people this truth of the Gospel is very important in order to not mislead people into believing a false gospel message. How we can grow in delivering the Gospel message will be discussed in the next study guides.

The definition of Sharing the Gospel is introducing someone to Jesus Christ. He is the "Good News." Our word evangelism comes from the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον - Eu- good - Angelion – angel, message.

To get excited about sharing the gospel message, believe you will see results when sharing your faith. It is necessary to have a plan of action when it comes to identifying your circle of influence and sharing God's Word:  Start each day by asking God to make you an instrument for divine encounters during the day, always be in prayer, write down how you would go about engaging someone in a spiritual conversation, think about questions others may have for you and how you would go about answering them.

Come follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people. (Matthew 4:19).

 

Choosing your focus and approach:
Christians living in anticipation of being used by God are like cats on the lookout for mice. They never lose their focus with their eyes and ears alert and ready to pounce at any second. When you stay ready, you are actually living by the faith you claim to exercise. You have a mission field at the coffee shop, work, school, neighborhood, mall, gym, sports events, etc., where your focus is all about people and sowing seeds.

One of the best misconceptions is the idea so prevalent among Christians that men and women do not wish to know God. I find sufficient evidence that simply the opposite is true. The Holy Spirit has developed a hunger for God in the hearts of multitudes. I am persuaded that most non-believers worldwide are ready to receive Christ when correctly approached with a clear and straightforward presentation of the Gospel by a Spirit-filled witness.

Tragically, most Christians have never presented a single individual to the Lord Jesus. There are two good reasons for this.

First, some Christians live a defeated, fruitless, worldly (carnal) life. They are not walking in the fullness and control of the Holy Spirit.

The second reason is lack of training. They have never learned how to start a conversation about Christ and explain the Gospel simply and lead an individual in their decision to receive Jesus Christ by faith.

The first step in sharing your faith is establishing a burning desire to do so. We can depend on the Holy Spirit to spark this desperate desire within us, for this is precisely what He wishes to do.

 

Presenting the Gospel takes much thought, great effort, and lots of practice.

THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR MEN AND WOMEN TO DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO THE IMPORTANT TASK OF BECOMING SOUL WINNERS!

These study guides places at your fingertips practical, precise, effective methods to reach people for Christ in a loving way. It will provide you the know-how to give comfort and assurance to those who can be saved for eternity. We all know the destination of people who do not accept Jesus as the way to God. We do not want to see anyone reject our Lord and Savior and find themselves in hell, a place of total separation from God.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. (2 Corinthians 3:12).

These study guides are written to guide a Christian in their personal witnessing to present a plan of salvation clearly and straightforwardly so that the lost can understand. We must give the message in words people can understand.

A doctor cannot communicate effectively with their patients using complicated medical terminology. Patients will have a difficult time understanding. Thus, this is true when sharing the Gospel with others. Using language or terms not familiar to someone will confuse them. This is why it is important to learn how to share the Gospel simply and use words that match the person's level of understanding.

As we prepare ourselves to reach a person for the Lord, we must always bear in mind how our words will come across to the lost. Remember, the average person cannot quote two Scriptures from memory. We do the lost a great injustice to speak in ecclesiastical terms that do not convey the proper meaning to the unsaved, and this defeats our whole purpose in witnessing.

Many people testify that before they were saved, terms used by pastors or ministers such as "born again," "redemption," "justification," and "propitiation" were confusing. It was never explained to them that Christ died on the cross to pay the price for their sins.

They did not understand the Gospel. They completely overlooked the fact that to make something understandable takes much thought and work. As you strive to make the message plain, you will discover that "simplicity" is not simple... but it will significantly increase the fruit in your ministry.

Sharing The Gospel Challenge
As stated in this study guide, sharing our faith is among our urgent calls as followers of Jesus. God has called us to bear good fruit.

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:8).

Today all kinds of people have become skillful at doing church or reading books or doing worship and praise, but to see a soul come to Jesus — that's another entire thing, isn't it. How many of you honestly want to see more people get saved through your church? Unfortunately, some are content to go to church and live their life. I believe by you wanting to do these Share the Gospel study guides, you at the very least are on the right track. You get to the point where you won't accept being unfruitful. No one can make this happen to you. It is your choice! 

God likes to use people who have an attitude of, "I'd sooner not live if I can't see fruit." God mightily uses such people for soul-winning who first comes to this desperation of wanting to see their life produce good fruit.

We all can provide our ideas on the church's future or the mark of the beast. We can go off into faith talks, Christian daydreams, or positional theology to the point of losing connecting with life's experiences. So who's going to get the alcoholic and drug user off of drugs? Who's going to see Jesus change the hurting and the sinful person? This is why we still speak about famous evangelists like D. L. Moody and Wesley, not because of their compelling theological positions but because they produced fruit.

Hopefully, you are getting excited on your new journey as I believe God can use you in ways you have not imagined. God has used various kinds of people from all sorts of backgrounds to further His kingdom because they're faithful and obedient to God's call and command to bear good fruit. So let's start genuinely living out the Gospel today.

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. (Romans 1:16).

Download Sharing The Gospel Introduction PDF

Tomorrow's Study Guide will be - Chapter 2: WHY EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE A SOUL WINNER?

 

STEP 1: SHARING - PREPARATION TO DEVELOPMENT
Chapters: 1. Introduction | 2. Why Every Christian Should Be A Soul Winner |3. Right Motivation In Sharing The Gospel | 4. Courage In Sharing The Gospel | 5. Prayer Is The Catalyst In Soul Winning | 6. The Holy Spirit And Our Responsibility | 7. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit | 8. Baptism And The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

STEP 2: SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY
Chapters 9. ABCs Of Sharing 10. Presenting Your Testimony 11. Creating Your Story 12. Developing Your Testimony 13. Be Relatable - Build Relationships 14.Your Story Is God's Story

STEP 3. SHARING THE GOSPEL
15. What Is The Gospel In A Nutshell? 16. Sharing The Gosple Using Gospel Tracts 17. Fear In Sharing The Gospel 18. Sharing The Gospel Using Romans Road 19. 3 Circles Gospel Presentation 20. Creative Ways To Share The Gospel 3. | 23. Sharing Using One-Verse Evangelism 24. Follow-Up After Sharing 25.

 

Home < Sharing The Gospel Next Chapter 2 - Why Be A Soul Winner >  

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