Talk 3: How to Give a Basic Gospel Presentation Evangelism Series Lamb of God Wellington Branch

Introduction Evangelism Series: Series of 3 Talks: Why Evangelise? How to share your Personal Testimony How to share the Basic Gospel Presentation Notes: - [2] and [3] go hand in hand. - We should be ready to share both our personal testimony and the basic gospel presentation.

When Do We Share the Basic Gospel Presentation? When people ask us about our faith. When people inquire for more information on how to become a Christian. When people are receptive, willing to consider what you are saying, and move closer to becoming a Christian. We do not share the gospel message to prove others wrong; it is an opportunity for them to respond to the ‘invitation.’ Note: we need to prepare to and be ready for some questions about the gospel.

What is the ‘Gospel?’ ‘Gospel’ means good news. So, when we share the gospel, we are sharing the good news: Of God’s love and forgiveness. Of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Of a new life for those who follow God. Of our eternal hope to be with God forever. Note: the way we live our lives should reflect our faith in the gospel; are we joyful? Hopeful?

What Are the Basic Elements of the Gospel? Introduction: 1. The basic elements of the gospel are the same for all Christians regardless of denomination. 2. It may be stated somewhat differently, but the essence is the same. 3. These are basic elements – what is needed for the person to be a Christian. If he or she is willing to follow Christ, we need to give him or her more information/support.

What Are the Basic Elements of the Gospel? Four Points: 1. God loves us. • God intended the best for us. Genesis 1 and 2, describing creation, makes clear that God had a wonderful plan for the human race. He knows us from the time we were born [Psalm 139], and he has a wonderful plan for us [Jeremiah 29:11]

What Are the Basic Elements of the Gospel? Four Points: 2. All have sinned and are separated from God. • Romans 3:23: “All men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” • By wilfully breaking God’s commandment, or by passive consent, we have all sinned.

What Are the Basic Elements of the Gospel? Four Points: 3. Through Jesus Christ, God has provided us a means of being reconciled with Him. • Through Jesus’ death and resurrection we can have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16] He is inviting us to a new life. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. [Revelation 3:20]

What Are the Basic Elements of the Gospel? Four Points: 4. We need to respond to God. Our response? “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:14). • All of us need to turn from sin and give our lives to Jesus Christ for salvation.

What Are the Basic Elements of the Gospel? Four Points Summary: God loves us, Man sins, God sends Jesus, Man needs to accept Jesus.

Three Models for Presenting the Gospel 1. Allegory [Story telling] • Begin with a story containing an allegory of the Gospel, and from it explain the basic elements of the Gospel. • Example: “There was once a king who loved his people and ruled them well. But he was thwarted by a usurper who instigated a rebellion, deceiving the people into joining forces with him. The king sent his son, who successfully freed the people, although at the cost of his own life. The king granted amnesty to those who would swear loyalty to him once more.”

Three Models for Presenting the Gospel 2. Illustration Present the basic elements of the Gospel in a drawing or diagram. A good example is the “Bridge/Barrier Diagram”, which shows sin creating an insurmountable chasm between God and man. Because man’s efforts could not possibly bridge the chasm, God had to send Jesus Christ to be the bridge, enabling us to be reunited with God.

Three Models for Presenting the Gospel 3. Your Personal Story • Present the basic elements in personal testimony form. • Example: “When I was growing up, I perceived Christianity to be simply a set of rules. Later on, a friend of mine, a committed Christian, showed me that in fact God desired to have a personal relationship with me. That’s what Christian life is: a relationship with God who loves me. At the same time, I knew that I was unworthy of a relationship with him because of sin in my life. But once I expressed sorrow for my sins and asked for God’s forgiveness, I experienced his love, friendship and acceptance. This, in part, is what the Bible means by salvation.”

How to Give a Basic Gospel Presentation: Your task is to share the basic gospel message – avoid confrontations and arguments. - Share that this is what you believe, not “this is what you should believe.” - It should be shared with people who show genuine interest in following Christ, not shared for argument’s sake or to “prove other religions/beliefs are wrong.”

How to Give a Basic Gospel Presentation: 2. Lead questions can help before presenting the gospel message. Examples: If you died tonight and stood before God, and He asked: "Why should I let you into heaven?" what would you say? If you died right now, do you know with absolute certainty that you would go to heaven? Have you thought about why were you born and what is the purpose of your life?

How to Give a Basic Gospel Presentation: 3. Present the basic gospel message as a choice they have to make at the end, whether to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour or not. 4. Avoid using clichés or jargon expressions such as “saved”, “justified”, etc., or words which could be misunderstood such as “born again.”

How to Give a Basic Gospel Presentation: 5. Be loving and caring as you share the basic gospel message. - You are there to win them to Christ in love, not by preaching over them. The gospel has power in itself to change the hearts of men. For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. [1 Thessalonians 1:5]

Conclusion: The basic gospel message and the personal testimony are two weapons of conversion. Together with Christian witnessing, you are equipped to win others for Christ. Are we ready to share the basic gospel message to anyone we meet? Prayer is very important; we are only messengers of the gospel; it is only God who can change a person’s heart. Practice makes perfect.

Any questions?