One Question Outreach: Carrying the Fragrance of Christ

He says, such confidence as this is ours, through Christ before God. Not that we are confident in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence comes from God. Our competence comes from God. Sure, we're not worthy, but Jesus is. He has claimed us for his own. We are his captives, and we are his carriers of the gospel. Our worth and our identity, our purpose comes from him. We are his instruments in carrying the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. Amen. [01:19:25] (42 seconds)  #CapturedByChrist

So much so that he helped lead the football bible study that very next year, and he did it even for the all four years that he was in college. And can you imagine when all his football buddies heard him make the announcement for bible study, that first team meeting? Did James say bible study? He did. Because James was under new management. He was a captive of Christ, and it revolutionized every aspect of his life. The new identity gave him a new purpose. [00:56:34] (32 seconds)  #NewIdentityNewPurpose

Can I also just say that evangelism not only is worship to God, but that it is a huge catalyst to our own growth and and our own walks? It's like a performance enhancing drug, but totally legal. Because when I get the opportunity to share with someone and they understand the gospel and get it, then I am praising the Lord so much so that he's able to use me, and my worship is amplified. When I have a tough conversation and I see their confusion and brokenness, I am broken, and and and I'm in fervent prayer on my knees for them. [00:59:37] (35 seconds)  #EvangelismAsWorship

Because you you can know all the details about the car. Shoot, you can learn how to take the car apart and put it back together again, but all that knowledge won't replace the feel of being behind the wheel. You have to have that first awkward hit of the gas and slam on the brakes moment, and then do it again and again. And eventually, it becomes smoother and more gentler and more comfortable. Evangelism is the same way. You can sit in a million classes, learn all the theological answers, but it doesn't replace just getting out and driving and doing it. [01:03:12] (37 seconds)  #EvangelismPractice

Successful evangelism is taking a step of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to present the claims of Christ in leaving the results to God. Leaving the results to God. That ultimately, we need to celebrate the faithfulness of taking that step and sharing, but the the results category is slow solely God's, that only he can change hearts and minds. And with that, I want to help you in being faithful in the process of bringing up and starting these spiritual and gospel conversations. [01:10:38] (31 seconds)  #LeaveResultsToGod

And when someone's eternity is on the line and I'm asking you to be a representative of Jesus and so close that deal, to speak, it can seem just incredibly overwhelming. So let's talk about how we can overcome this. And I think we need to think of evangelism not as this monumental event, but a series of moments and conversations with people. On the screen, you'll see a bunch of dots. The the one side is the white dots represent conversations in which you don't talk about spiritual matters, but the red ones do. [01:01:17] (33 seconds)  #MomentsNotMonuments

I knew it was a long shot, but I pitched a ten week long missions trip to Ocean City, New Jersey, and the mission trip was only two weeks away. Now, told you that James was crazy, and he is. And so, he actually did it. He actually did it in two weeks' time. He joined 60 to 70 other Christian college students and staff. He was in daily fellowship. He was in weekly bible studies. He even went sharing multiple times a week on the beach with other students and staff, and it transformed his life. [00:56:02] (31 seconds)  #MissionTripTransformation

Looking back at verses fourteen and fifteen, you would see in verse 14, the fragrance is mentioned, and and that points to the incense of the triumphs that we talked about. But notice in verse 15, the English changes from fragrance to aroma. The words in Greek also change, and Paul moves from one powerful image to another. This word for aroma attaches itself to Old Testament sacrifices, which are described as a pleasing aroma to God. [00:58:12] (30 seconds)  #FragranceToAroma