Making an Eternal Difference in Someone's Life

M= aking an Eternal Difference

In Someone’s Life

&nb= sp;

introduction=

You can play an essential part in someone’s eternal destiny!

You can be the instrument God uses to bring them to Christ!

It’s easier than you think!

It= ’s far more exciting than you can imagine!

Evangelism=

<= /p>

The word comes from three Greek words in our New Testament:

<= /p>
            1)         = eu= aggelizw &nb= sp;        euangelidzo

            = ;            = “to proclaim good news; to prea= ch the gospel; to evangelize”

<= /p>
            2)        eu= aggelion &nb= sp;        euangelion

            = ;            = “g= ood news; the gospel”

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'>        &= nbsp;   3)&nb= sp;       eu= aggelisthV        &= nbsp;        euangelistas

            = ;            = “t= eller of good news; an evangelist”

<= /p>
Acts 8:1, 4=

On that day a severe persecution broke out again= st the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout = the land of Judea and Samaria

So those who were scattered went on their way proclaiming (euangelidzo) the message of good n= ews.

=

1.   &nb= sp;   Evangelism Is Confrontational

(in Substance But Not in Style)

John 4:7-26

A.        &nb= sp;        IN SUBSTANCE

1.        &nb= sp;         It Invades the Unbeliever’s Private World

Jesus invaded the private world of this Samaritan woman

2.        &nb= sp;         It Creates an Awareness of a Lack of Knowledge

(Cau= sed by suppression of the truth)

She = had no idea that a spiritually life-giving source was available

3.        &nb= sp;         It Uncovers the Unbeliever’s Sinfulness

(Thus stirring up guilt and shame and reacting with defense mechanisms)

The Samaritan woman was obviously convicted of her sinful lifestyle<= /span>

4.        &nb= sp;         It Points the Exclusive Way to God

(Thi= s is offensive to the post-modernist thinking that all religions are equally val= id)

Chri= st told her that there is only one acceptable way to God, not many<= /span>

5.        &nb= sp;         It Demands Total Faith in Christ

Jesus told her that he himself was the Messiah!

Know= ing Old Testament teaching about the Messiah, she knew the implications and dem= and for total trust this meant

B.        &nb= sp;        IN STYLE

1.        &nb= sp;         The Approach Is Natural Not Forced

We should speak out of compassion not coercion.

Jude 21-23<= /o:p>

Keep yourselves in the love of God, expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ= for eternal life.
Have mercy on some who doubt; <= /span>
save = others by snatching [them]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. from the fire; on others have mercy in fear, hating even the garment defiled by = the flesh.

We should tell them how to have peace with God because we believe they really = need to know, not because we really need to check off "evangelized a lost person today" from our Christian checklist.

2.        &nb= sp;         The Approach Is Gentle Not Combative

This= can be difficult when the people we speak with begin using their defense mechan= isms to avoid acknowledging their guilt.

Reme= mber, only the Holy Spirit can open a heart, He just uses us to deliver the messa= ge.

3.        &nb= sp;         The Approach Is Relational Rather Than Imperso= nal

We're not just trying to "get a scalp" for our belt.

4.        &nb= sp;         The Approach Is Compassionate Not Judgmental

We are sinners too, sin clings to us also

We remember our old slavery with compassion toward those who are still in chai= ns

We should strive to stay off our high horses

5.        &nb= sp;         The Approach Is Truthful Not Hurtful<= /o:p>

We want to smash the chains of slavery with the truth, n= ot the slaves themselves.

2.       Evang= elism Is Compelling

        &= nbsp;       A.        &= nbsp;   It Is Compelled by the Love of Christ in Us=

2 Corinthians 5= :14

For C= hrist’s love compels Or = For the love of Christ impels, or For the love of Christ controls us, since we have reached this conclusion: if One died for all, then all died.=

B.   &n= bsp;        It Is Compelled by the Power of Its Message

Romans 1:16

For I= am not ashamed of the gospel, Other mss = add of Christbecau= se it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes=

3.       Evang= elism Is Conceptual

The Greatest Question Ever Asked=

If you were to die today, do you know for sure that you would go to heaven?

In the next two minutes, I promise you that you will h= ear the best news you have ever heard in your life!

The Good News

<= o:p>

# 1         It Is Possible To Know= For Sure That You Are Going To Heaven!

     &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;     This is the best news anyone could pos= sibly ever hear!

1 John 5:13

I hav= e written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.=

# 2         Heaven Is a Free Gi= ft – We Cannot Earn It!

     &nbs= p;                  Romans 6:23

            = For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of G= od is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

     &nbs= p;                  Ephesians 2:8-9

  &nbs= p;         For by grace Rm 3:24; 6:14; 11:6; Gl 2:21; 2 Tm 1:9 you = are saved through faith, Rm 3:28; 5:1 and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— <= /span>
not from works, so that no one can boast.=

     &nbs= p;                  Galatians 2:16

  &nbs= p;         = yet we k= now that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. Or by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ= And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by fait= h in Christ Or by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human b= eing will Lit law all flesh will not be justified.=

There is = twice as much good news as bad news.

But before we finish looking = at the good news, let’s look at the bad news.

Looking at the bad news will = make the good news even better!

The Bad News

<= /p>
            = ;    # 1       =    We Have All Sinned and Broken God’= s Laws

<= /p>
            = ;            &n= bsp;       Romans 3:10, 19, 23

  &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;        as it is writte= n: “ Paul constructs t= his charge from a chain of OT quotations, mainly from the Psalms. There is no one righte= ous, not even one”

= Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and <= span class=3DGramE>all the world may become guilty before God. For all have sinned and fall short of the Or and lack the glory of God.

<= /p>
<= /p>
            = ;    # 2       = The Payment for Our Sin Is Severe

<= /p>
            = ;            &n= bsp;       Romans 6:23

     &nbs= p;          = = For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of G= od is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
<= /p>
<= /p>
            = ;            &n= bsp;       Revelation 20:14-15

Death= and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. Isaiah 25:7–8; 1 Co 15:26 This= is the second death, the lake of fire. Other mss omit the lake of fire
And anyone not found written in the book o= f life was thrown into the lake of fire.

<= /p>
The Rest of the Good News=

<= /p>
            = ;    # 3       = The Son of God Paid the Payment for Our Sin!

<= /p>
            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;           Isaiah 53:6

We al= l went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord= has punished Him for Lit with; or has placed on Him the iniquity of us all.

<= /p>
            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;           1 Peter 2:24

&n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;          He Himself bore our sins in His body Isaiah 53:4–5,12; Heb 9:28 on the tree

<= /p>
            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;           1 Peter 3:18

For C= hrist also suffered for sins once for all, Other mss read died for sins on our behalf; other mss read died for our sins; other mss read died for sins on your behalf&nbs= p; Rm 6:10; Heb 9:28; 10:10; 1 Pt 2:21; 4:1 the r= ighteous Isaiah 53:11 for the unrighte= ous, Or the Righteous One in the place of the unrighteous many that He might bring you Oth= er mss read us to God

            = ;    # 4       =             &nb= sp;     We Accept God’s Free Gift of Eternal Life by Repenting

            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;           Of Our Sin and Trusting in God’s Son and His Death for Us

<= /p>
            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;           Acts 17:30-31

There= fore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent,
because He has set a day on which He is go= ing to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provid= ed proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;           John 3:16

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His = ;One and Only Son, so that eve= ryone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9-10

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your h= eart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.