This week at Eight Days of Hope 20 in Amory Mississippi we have been loving and serving this community that was hit by a huge tornado last year. We are rebuilding homes, including 7 complete rebuilds and serving over 100 families during these 8 days.
Every morning and evening we have worship and devotions for all the volunteers well over 1,000 every day. I had the honor of sharing a devotional about Jesus and how to share the Gospel.
Jesus gave us a clear mission. Right before He went into heaven he said these words, which are found in Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
A witness is someone who shares Christ with their lips (words) and with their lives (actions) in the power of the Holy Spirit wherever they go.
Listen to this story of Philip being a witness
In Acts 8:30-31,35
“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”
What I love about that interaction was first Phillip was obedient. He was looking for an opportunity to share the Gospel. Then God brings this person across his path and he goes. We are called to do the same every day.
Also notice what he didn’t do. He didn’t force his way in or smack him upside the head with the Bible. He didn’t tell him he is going to hell or use fear to get his attention.
He simply asked a question. He asked do you understand what you are reading? And that led to a much deeper conversation about Jesus, and how Jesus was who he was reading about. That person ends up believing in Jesus and getting saved and then baptized.
How can we have genuine gospel conversations where people don’t feel like they are targets or projects, and communicate that we genuinely care?
- Ask great questions. About them and their lives, about what they believe about God, or spiritually. You might not get to God in the first conversation, but as you get to know them look for times to ask questions about God, the Church, their faith.
- Admire what you can about what they believe. Find ways to connect with them and find some agreement.
- Admit that you need Jesus too. Share how you came to realize that you were a sinner that needed a Savior.
If that door opens and they seem ready to hear more you can use something like the 3 circle method to share the Gospel.
THE FIRST CIRCLE REPRESENTS GOD’S DESIGN
I believe God has a perfect design for every area of our lives. God has a plan for our families, our marriages, our money, our work life. God has a design for every area of our lives.
The Problem is Sin
In our selfishness and rebellion we leave God’s design and go our own way and do our own thing. Sin simply means missing the mark. Falling short, ignoring God and rejecting His ways.
THE SECOND CIRCLE REPRESENTS BROKENNESS
Sin always leads us to brokenness. This is tragic because brokenness really hurts. The brokenness of human life is real and is something that every person can relate to.
Whether you go to church every Sunday or whether you have never gone to church your entire life, you probably know what it is like to experience brokenness either because of your own choices or because of the choices of someone who has hurt you.
THE CROOKED LINES COMING OUT OF THE BROKEN CIRCLE
When people find themselves in a place of brokenness, they look for ways to fix themselves or for a solution for the pain we feel.
We go on a search for a way to numb the pain, to escape the depressed feeling, and to get out of the place of brokenness. The problem is that we just get more and more broken.
Repent & Believe
The Bible actually has a word for change and the Bible word for change is the word “repent.” When we come to a point where we realize we cannot change ourselves, we realize we need God’s help. This feeling drives us to our knees to ask God to help us change.
THE THIRD CIRCLE REPRESENTS GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION
The Bible has a solution for the problem of brokenness and its called, “The Gospel.” Gospel is a Bible word that means “good news.” This is the good news, that God loves us so much that when He sees us in our brokenness he does not leave us there. Two thousand years ago, He sent His own Son Jesus to come and live a perfect life.
Jesus never sinned. He loved people. He cared about people. He healed people who were hurting, and He spoke up for people who were broken.
Jesus went to the cross for us. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, God put the sins of the whole world on Jesus, including your sins and my sins. His body was broken so that our broken lives could be fixed.
Jesus died on the cross, but He did not stay dead. The good news is that after three days, Jesus rose from the dead. This miracle resurrection proved that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has the power to forgive our sins.
Recover & Pursue
So, if we truly want to experience change, we have to believe in Jesus. The Bible word for believing in Jesus is the word “faith.” We have to believe that Jesus rose from the dead and we have to put our faith and trust in Him. By faith, we believe that Jesus is our Savior and that He can rescue us from our brokenness.
When we turn away from our sins and turn to Jesus, God does a miracle in our lives. He restores us to His original plan for our lives and we become whole. When we cry out to Jesus, He fixes everything that is broken and gives us the ability to pursue God’s perfect design for our lives.
No matter what you have done or what mistake you have made or how broken your life is, God is waiting for you. Once you become a believer in Jesus, you come full circle all the back to God’s perfect design for your life.
- Does that make sense?
- Is there anything holding you back from trusting in Jesus right now?