Evangelism: Sharing the Gospel Boldly and Authentically
Summary
### Summary
Today's sermon focused on the theme of evangelism, specifically how to evangelize like Jesus. We began by emphasizing the importance of being unashamed of the gospel, as highlighted in Romans 1:16. This means being unafraid to identify as Christians and share the gospel, even if it means facing persecution or hatred. The world without Jesus is a fallen, sinful place, and it is our duty to bring the light of Christ into it.
We then delved into the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well from John 4. This story illustrates several key points about evangelism. First, Jesus broke social norms by speaking to a Samaritan woman, showing that the gospel is for everyone, not just those who are easy to reach. Second, Jesus had a hard conversation with the woman about her sin, demonstrating that true evangelism involves addressing sin and calling for repentance. Lastly, Jesus treated this act of evangelism as an act of worship, showing that sharing the gospel is not just an obligation but a form of worship that honors God.
We are called to share the gospel with everyone, even those who are difficult to reach or who may be hostile to our message. This includes having hard conversations about sin and repentance, which are essential for true conversion. Evangelism should be seen as an act of worship, done in spirit and truth, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us the words to say.
### Key Takeaways
1. Be Unashamed of the Gospel: Romans 1:16 reminds us that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. We must be unafraid to identify as Christians and share the gospel, even if it means facing persecution or hatred. Our faith should be bold and unashamed, knowing that it is the truth that brings salvation. [35:25]
2. The World Without Jesus: The world is a fallen, sinful place, as described in Romans 1:18-32. This reality should compel us to share the gospel more urgently. We can either hide from the world or boldly proclaim the truth of Christ to it. The choice is clear: we must engage the world with the gospel. [38:18]
3. Evangelize Everyone, Not Just the Easy Ones: Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman, breaking social norms to share the gospel. We are called to do the same, reaching out to those who are difficult or hostile. True evangelism means sharing the gospel with everyone, not just those who are easy to reach. [52:26]
4. Have Hard Conversations: Jesus addressed the Samaritan woman's sin directly, showing that true evangelism involves hard conversations about sin and repentance. We must be willing to point out sin and call for repentance, as this is essential for true conversion. [56:43]
5. Evangelism as Worship: Sharing the gospel is an act of worship, done in spirit and truth. It is not just an obligation but a form of worship that honors God. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us the words to say, trusting that God will work through us. [01:03:02]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[30:10] - Opening Prayer and Offering
[35:25] - Unashamed of the Gospel
[36:54] - Persecution and Hatred
[38:18] - The Fallen World
[39:31] - Natural and Divine Revelation
[40:17] - Sinful State of the World
[41:41] - Responding to a Sinful World
[43:23] - Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
[44:47] - Jesus' Journey Through Samaria
[46:18] - Historical Context of Samaria
[47:51] - Jesus' Route to Galilee
[49:23] - Jacob's Well
[50:51] - Jesus' Interaction with the Samaritan Woman
[52:26] - Evangelize Everyone
[54:04] - Loving Confrontation
[55:24] - Hard Conversations
[56:43] - Addressing Sin
[01:00:05] - The Need for Repentance
[01:03:02] - Evangelism as Worship
[01:05:27] - Spirit and Truth
[01:08:57] - Time of Response
[01:10:00] - Closing Prayer
[01:12:59] - Announcements and Dismissal
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
2. John 4:1-26: The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.
3. John 15:18-25: "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you..."
### Observation Questions
1. What does Romans 1:16 say about the power of the gospel and our attitude towards it?
2. In John 4, why was it significant that Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well? [43:23]
3. According to John 15:18-25, what should Christians expect from the world when they share the gospel? [36:54]
4. How did Jesus address the Samaritan woman's personal life and sin during their conversation? [56:43]
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to be unashamed of the gospel, even in the face of persecution or hatred? [35:25]
2. How does the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman illustrate the inclusivity of the gospel message? [43:23]
3. What does it mean to have "hard conversations" about sin and repentance in the context of evangelism? [56:43]
4. How can evangelism be considered an act of worship, according to the sermon? [01:03:02]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt ashamed or afraid to share the gospel. What was the situation, and how did you handle it? How can you prepare yourself to be bolder in the future? [35:25]
2. Think of someone in your life who might be considered "difficult" or "hostile" to the gospel. How can you approach them with the love and truth of Christ, as Jesus did with the Samaritan woman? [52:26]
3. Have you ever had a "hard conversation" about sin and repentance with someone? How did it go, and what did you learn from the experience? [56:43]
4. How can you incorporate the idea of evangelism as an act of worship into your daily life? What practical steps can you take to make this a reality? [01:03:02]
5. Identify one person in your life who is living in sin but may not realize it. How can you lovingly and truthfully address this with them, following Jesus' example? [56:43]
6. How do you rely on the Holy Spirit when you feel afraid or unsure about sharing the gospel? Can you recall a time when the Holy Spirit guided your words or actions in an evangelistic conversation? [01:06:57]
7. What specific actions can you take this week to engage with someone who is different from you, just as Jesus did with the Samaritan woman? How can you show them the love of Christ? [43:23]
Devotional
Day 1: Boldly Proclaim the Gospel
Description: Romans 1:16 reminds us that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. We must be unafraid to identify as Christians and share the gospel, even if it means facing persecution or hatred. Our faith should be bold and unashamed, knowing that it is the truth that brings salvation. [35:25]
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a situation where you felt hesitant to share your faith. What steps can you take today to be more bold and unashamed in proclaiming the gospel?
Day 2: Engage a Fallen World
Description: The world is a fallen, sinful place, as described in Romans 1:18-32. This reality should compel us to share the gospel more urgently. We can either hide from the world or boldly proclaim the truth of Christ to it. The choice is clear: we must engage the world with the gospel. [38:18]
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." (Romans 1:18, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one area in your community where you see the effects of a fallen world. How can you engage this area with the truth of the gospel today?
Day 3: Reach Out to Everyone
Description: Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman, breaking social norms to share the gospel. We are called to do the same, reaching out to those who are difficult or hostile. True evangelism means sharing the gospel with everyone, not just those who are easy to reach. [52:26]
"And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph." (John 4:4-5, ESV)
Reflection: Think of someone in your life who might be difficult to reach with the gospel. What practical steps can you take to share the love of Christ with them this week?
Day 4: Have Loving Confrontations
Description: Jesus addressed the Samaritan woman's sin directly, showing that true evangelism involves hard conversations about sin and repentance. We must be willing to point out sin and call for repentance, as this is essential for true conversion. [56:43]
"Jesus said to her, 'Go, call your husband, and come here.' The woman answered him, 'I have no husband.' Jesus said to her, 'You are right in saying, "I have no husband"; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.'" (John 4:16-18, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you avoided a hard conversation about sin with someone. How can you approach such conversations with love and truth in the future?
Day 5: Worship Through Evangelism
Description: Sharing the gospel is an act of worship, done in spirit and truth. It is not just an obligation but a form of worship that honors God. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us the words to say, trusting that God will work through us. [01:03:02]
"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." (John 4:23, ESV)
Reflection: How can you view your efforts to share the gospel as an act of worship? What changes can you make to ensure that your evangelism is done in spirit and truth?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "We need to be unafraid of being canceled. We should actually be prepared to be mistreated and hated for what we believe. It says here in John chapter 15 verses 18 through 25, if the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hates you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own, but because you are not of the world, you are not of the world." [36:54] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Basically, what that is saying, what that means is that when you go outside and you look at the trees and you look at the stars and you look at the mountains, you look at the beautiful country that we live here in Maryland and Pennsylvania, you look at that, and there is no way you see that and think that that is somehow the God that is the God." [39:31] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We can choose to do one of two things in response to the fact that the world has gone nuts. We can try to hide away, hide our heads in the sand, stick our heads in the sand and try to insulate ourselves and our kids from the world, or we can do what God has called us to do and that is to boldly go out and proclaim the truth of Christ to anybody and everybody who will listen." [43:23] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We are called to share the gospel with everyone, not just the easy ones. And this means it's already hard enough, I understand, to do this evangelism thing. This is something that we're, that for a lot of us, we're just starting to learn to do, right? We're just starting to figure out how to do this. And now Pastor Justin is saying, yeah, listen, and God calls us to the hard ones, not just easy ones." [52:26] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is look at somebody and say, hey, that's bad for you. You've got to stop that. If we see one of our kids, one of these precious kids that are out here, and they start running out into the street, we may scream and yell at them. We may scare them. They may not understand why they're being yelled at. They may feel threatened and hurt and upset and may need to find a safe space." [01:01:36] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "The first thing that we have to keep in the front of our mind as we're learning this morning is that we are to be unashamed of the gospel of Christ because it is the faith that we place in that gospel that brings us to salvation. That means that we're to be unafraid to identify as Christians, unafraid to share the gospel with people." [35:25] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "There are two types of ways that God reveals himself to us. He reveals himself to us naturally, and he reveals himself to us supernaturally. Right? So naturally and divine. And the one that we're reading about here is natural revelation. It says, For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." [38:18] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We are called to have hard conversations with those we are sharing the gospel with. Now you don't think that Jesus in talking to this woman at the well could have just done a miracle or said other things or done other things to give her the gospel and to see her say you. He didn't have to have that hard conversation about her husband, right? About how many husbands she had had, about the fact that she was now living with a man that was not her husband." [58:17] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We must worship in spirit and truth and I tell you that everything God tells us to do through scripture is an act of worship. That means our evangelism is an act of worship, our discipleship is an act of worship, our singing of hymns and praises is an act of worship, our devotional time in the bible is an act of worship, our prayers are an act of worship, our giving are an act of worship." [01:04:33] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "It's not about how good we are or how good we present the gospel or how smart we are or how good we look or how well we dress. It's not about that. Because the Bible's clear that God does the work so that we don't get the credit for it, right? So that we can't boast. God does the work. All we have to do is be faithful to open our mouth. He will speak through us." [01:07:27] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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