Basic Truths: Witnessing #4

- we're talking about using our tongues to tell others about

the Lord

- last week we said that one of the most effective ways to

tell others about Christ was to simply share our testimony

- "testimony" - using the story of your personal salvation

to convey the biblical truth of the gospel

- we wanted to be sure that we understand the

relationship between our testimonies and the Bible

itself

- What is that relationship? (not one instead of

the other)

- last week we assigned some homework. INPUT? (write out your

testimony) Did you do that?

- I've asked a couple of our class members to share

their's with us.

- Let me ask you - Did you take time to write your testimony

out this week? (many involved in VBS - may have to take

another week)

- but are you serious about growing in this area?

- are you serious about using the witnessing

opportunities God gives you even this summer?

- Parable of the Fishless Fishermen

- today we're going to look at a simple way to share the

essential points of the gospel

(hand out bridge tracts)

- we're talking about the "Bridge to Life"

- this is a tract put out by the Navigators that has been

used for many years as a "simple and organized way of

explaining to someone how to be saved."

- we probably need to make a coupld comments about this plan

right from the outset.

1) Praise the Lord that the salvation plan can be presented

in a simple and organized way.

- thats not the way I would have desgned it.

- If I were the Lord, you would have to take the

hardest test you ever took in your life.

- a cross between the CPA exam, medical boards.

PE license, and any other hard test you can

think of

- but God did not design salvation to be based on the

wisdom of man, or the fortitude of man

- point is - we ought to praise the Lord that the

salvation story can be told so easily.

2) We don't have to use this plan, but we do have to have a

plan.

I Peter 3:15 - (READ)

cf. girl in Elkhart - grandpa dying

I. God Created Man For His Fellowship, Praise, and Glory

- INPUT - why is it so important to begin a presentation

of the gospel with a discussion of Who God is?

(because folks have such distorted views)

- INPUT - like what?

- cross between Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny

- the "man upstairs"

- mean man with hammer in hand poised and ready to

smash you when you mess up.

- we need to be able to show folks from the Scripture Who

God is and that begins with talking about why He

created man.

A. Gen. 3:8 - God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of

the day

- not that He was lonely, or that He needed man

- but our Lord created within man the need for

fellowship with Him

- our Lord is pleased when that fellowship

takes place

B. Isa. 43:7 - to glorify Him

C. Rev. 4:11 - praise

- this is all a development of the first sentence in

the booklet.

- I'm not saying you should go through each of these

verses with the person--

the summary thought is this:

- God has created man for fellowship, glory, and

praise--and He's prepared a place where that

fellowship, glory, and praise can be perfect--

it called heaven.

Rev. 21:3-4

- but there's a problem

II. Man Is Separated From God and His Love

I Tim. 2:5 - READ

- the verse teaches that God and man are separated

- God is one side and we are on the other

- the word "mediator" in that verse is an important

one

- literally means "arbitrator"

- some of you know what an arbitrator is

- you've been involved in a dispute bewteen labor

and management (or labor and the owners)

- you know that an arbitrator is only called in

when there are two clear sides that cannot get

together

- and that's the case between men and God

- Man is separated from God and his love

III. This Separation is Because of Sin

- Rom. 3:23 - all have sinned and come short of the glory

of God

- Rom. 3:10 - There is none righteous, no not one

- Isa. 53:6 - All we like sheep have gone astray

- Isa. 59:2 - Your iniquities have separated you from

your God

- it's going to very important for us to get this message

accross because of the world's wrong view of sin

INPUT?

- something to be laughed at

- everybody's doing it so it's okay

- the benefit outweighs the punishment

- God will just overlook it in the end

IV. This Seapartion Leads To Death and Judgement

- Heb. 9:27 - it is appointed unto man once to die, and

then the judgement

- II Thes. 1:8-9

- INPUT - misconceptions about hell?

- a person can believe what they want, but their

belief does not determine reality.

- we must evaluate (and encourage others to evaluate)

our beliefs with the truth of God's Word

- Rev. 20:14-15

- I think a good question to think about on this point

is:

- If your friends and loved ones don't hear it from

you, where are they going to hear it?

- TV?, other neighbors?, co-workers?

- Bible says that hell is a real place of real

judgement and real separation from God.

V. Works Cannot Bridge The Gap

- a good question to ask when witnessing is:

- What determines whether a person goes to heaven or

not?

- INPUT - how will the majority of folks answer

that question? (works - cf. heavenly

scales)

INPUT - what can you say to help people think about

this?

1) Why did Jesus have to die?

2) swimming illus. - Rom. 3:23

- Eph. 2:8-9

- Titus 3:5

VI. Jesus Christ, Who Died On The Cross, Is The Way To God

- I Peter 3:18

- II Cor. 5:21

- need to emphasize the "substitutionary" aspect of

our Lord's death

- maybe you have an illustration of where someone

took your punishment for something you did

VII. You Must Receive Christ To Have Eternal Life

- Rom. 10:9, 10, 13

- John 1:12

- illus - Judge and jury