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How to Reach Our Culture with the Gospel | Sunday Message

A New Beginning / Greg Laurie
The Cross Radio
March 6, 2022 3:00 am

How to Reach Our Culture with the Gospel | Sunday Message

A New Beginning / Greg Laurie

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March 6, 2022 3:00 am

These days, many people claim to be spiritual but not “religious.” In this Sunday episode, Pastor Greg Laurie shares why an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ is better than mere religion. Listen in!

Notes

As Christians, we have all been called to share the gospel.

We live in a unique time in American history. The days of “cultural Christianity” are largely over.

Epicureans believed in the pursuit of pleasure.

Stoics believed that “God was in all things.”

Effective communication begins with a burden.

Sinners are not the enemy, sin is.

Effective communication should be culturally relevant.

Paul’s message arrested the interest of his listeners.

Effective communication should build a bridge not burn one.

We must preach a biblical message. 

Our message must focus on Jesus, crucified and risen!  

Paul trusted God for the results.  

People reacted differently to Paul’s message: 

Some mocked 

Some delayed 

Some believed 

Effective communication is summed up by the acronym, S.H.A.R.E. 

S: Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit 

H: Honor and respect others 

A: Arouse the interest of the listener 

R: Reveal sin 

E: Explain the way of salvation 

Scripture Referenced

2 Timothy 2:26

Isaiah 55:11 

2 Timothy 3:15–17

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Hey there, thanks for listening to the great glory part just a ministry supported by harvest partners on Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries.

To learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org. Let's grab our Bibles were in acts chapter 17 in the title of my messages how to reach our culture with the gospel when we start with prayer father.

We know that you've called us to go into all the world and preach the gospel but we will honestly admit we don't always do that is much as we should.

Lord help us to fulfill this great commission. Give us a passion and a concern for those that don't know you and speak to us as we look at the men who did this so well Time a Bible study. We pray in Jesus name we have this immense, so I heard the story of a meeting that was being held in a preacher was asked to come in and say a few words. A challenging thing for a preacher. I might add.

So the preacher got up he had like five minutes he he filled he went to his five minutes immediately. Now is it eight minutes nine minutes, the moderator clears his throat kind of hinting to the preacher.

Okay, let's let's wrap it up. Now it's 12 minutes a preacher is still going.

The moderator clears his throat again. The preacher continues to drone on. So the moderator taps his gavel down trying to get the preacher's attention. The preacher won't stop. It's 20 minutes now, the moderator takes a couple pounds.

It really hard still. The preacher is speaking in complete frustration. Moderator takes his gavel and throws it at the preacher barely misses them and hits an elderly man who is sitting in the front row would fallen asleep.

The old guy woke up, saw the preacher was still speaking and said to the moderator hit me again.

I can still hear, that's a Billy Graham joke by the way that I've heard him use many times but I think there's something about the way some people articulate their faith that remind us a little bit of that preacher that something that grates on the person listening. They go to long they they speak too loudly.

There is something about it that bothers people years ago we used to go to this restaurant for breakfast with our youngest son Jonathan. It was very little still about my chair and said there was one waitress that does love Jonathan love to shower him with affection, sometimes kissing them on the cheek and one somewhere in this restaurant we noted she sort of hovering around them in the 80s muttering something under his breath. These things move over, above, but she continues oh Jonathan you're so cute.

He keeps saying global book.

Finally she leaves. I said Jonathan what are you saying to that lady. He says I'm saying go bye-bye.

That's all. Some people feel when you come to them and you talk to them about Jesus. We don't want to be the person like that.

We don't want to be the person that someone says hit me again. I can still hear now we all know that as Christians we been called to preach the gospel but if you're honest will admit we don't do it as often as we should. So I want to look now at the first century because there are some first century principles that are very relevant to help us reach people in the 21st century.

You might say this was the secret sauce of the early church.

They knew how to do what they did very well.

They turned their world upside down. As we have pointed out many times we want to learn how to pray like they prayed to love like they love and share the gospel like they shared the gospel so were going to take a master class from one of the best communicators around a master communicator. The apostle Paul. Let's Tara page out of his playbook and by the way the principles I'm in and share with you. There's going to be six principles all share and how to better communicate your faith. These six principles I've been using for over 50 years of preaching that I've seen that they work because there biblical so let's see what we can learn together. Acts 17 is basically the story of the apostle Paul bringing the gospel to the city of Athens. Normally we find Paul preaching in synagogues route in the open air to Jewish people, but in this case he is not speaking to the Jewish people.

He's speaking to the Gentiles in these telling them about Jesus in this time. In particular, Athens was still in its glory. But feeding the bit, but it had been up to this point the intellectual capital of the world.

This is the base of the great philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle mentioned that broad philosophies that are still in many ways, influencing people to this very day. So Paul's there in Athens and he does would any tourist would do. He went sightseeing on the web in the Athens Greece. I preached on this very spot where Paul is preaching, you can still see the Parthenon in the ruins of ancient Greece so he's looking around. He is taking things in the one thing that was unique to Athens was how many idols there were altars are directed to various gods. One commentator said there were over 30,000 altars in Athens are directed to the various deities and they had all kinds of gods that they worship.

First of all the resumes affected will be the king of the Grecian gods. Then there was Athena, the goddess of heroic behavior. There was a proper diet, the goddess of love and lust.

There was Morpheus the God of dreams.

There was Poseidon the God of sinking ship so that center that was a movie about the sinking of the Poseidon.

Actually, Poseidon was the god of the sea and storms and earthquakes. And finally there was the goddess Nike, which of course is the goddess of shoes back to the goddess Nike was a goddess of speed.

But here's all these gods that these people worship and Paul's, taking it all in, and his heart is getting really stirred and now he delivers this message so read with me now from acts 17 I'm reading, by the way, from the new living translation and I'm starting in verse 16. While Paul was waiting for them in Athens. He was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city, went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews of the God-fearing Gentiles in the spoke daily in the public square, square, 12, and happen to be there any other debate with the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. You might underline the word Epicurean install, go, come back to that in a few moments. Then he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, and they said this babbler is picked up some strange ideas. Others said he's pushing some foreign religion.

Then they took him to the Council of philosophers that also known as the Areopagus come and tell us more about this new religion. They said you're seen some rather startling things that we want to know what it's all about. Here's a very insightful statement.

Verse 21.

It should be explained that the Athenians and the foreigners there spent all their time discussing the latest ideas so Paul's standing before the Council address them as follows man about things I perceive that you are very religious, but I was walking among your many altars and one of them had this inscription on it to an unknown God you been worshiping him without knowing who he is. Now I wish to tell you about him stop there. Okay so were living in the unit unique time in American history. I would say that the days of cultural Christianity are over, and by that I mean there was a time in America when most Americans would say they were Christian, even if they were not far more people would go to church even if they didn't really want to, they would still go that's over with.

Cultural Christianity is effectively dead. We are living in an increasingly secular society with little to no knowledge of Scripture. As I mentioned, they've been preaching for 50 years in the biblical illiteracy among people today is mind blowing people low know very little about the Bible and there was a time when Elisa Bible Lewis was taught as literature in our schools. But today all my that you won't find any classes. Teaching the Bible in any way.

And so, so many people are completely ignorant about God and about Scripture.

So I bring this up to point out that our audience today or America today or the culture today would be very similar to the crowd that was gathered at this place called Mars Hill, the new their Greek philosophers but they knew nothing about this is a ported new religion that Paul was proclaiming, so there were two primary groups of Paul was addressing here in Athens. They were the Epicureans and the Stoics, the Epicureans and the Stoics and people still in effect believe in these philosophies today though they would not necessarily call them that.

Let's start with the Epicureans, the Epicurean philosophy was the pursuit of pleasure. Basically, hedonism on steroids. The Epicureans did not believe that there was any order to the universe. It was no God, there was no absolutes, no judgment, so their philosophy was amen limp for the moment, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die our modern equivalent of the Epicureans might be the Playboy philosophy, which is the pursuit of hedonism just kind of abandon all absolutes pursue whatever pleasure you want in people still live this way today and here's the problem. When you live a life pursuing pleasure you're going to be a very empty person pursuing pleasure is one of the least pleasurable things a person can do Joy David Menon who was the wife of CS Lewis made this insightful statement and I quote living for your own pleasure is the least pleasurable thing a man can do you know the Bible says that there's pleasure in sin for a season but then death will come in sort of like going to an amusement park and you're waiting in line and in your waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting often in the hot sun. You get on the ride.

It's here shaking upside down all the fun. And then you're off the ride. Now go get into another line that sort of like the person to produce pleasure.

They live for the weekend.

They live for the buzz.

They live for the moment, they have the experience. Then they get back in line ineffectively waste their life.

You don't want to live this way because the Bible says, she that lives for pleasure is dead while she is living in sin of this living a life for pleasure is in reality a pleasure free life.

Okay so in contrast to the Epicureans, we have the Stoics there were more disciplined, more intellectual.

They believe that God was in all things. You know he was in nature and and he was in people and he was in everything basically sort of a New Age belief before we called it UH billionaire Elon musk was asked the question, do you believe in God and his response was quote as Einstein would say I believe in God. I believe in the God of Spinoza and does so Spinoza's God so called I was a God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists but he's not a God.

According to Spinoza who concerns himself with the feeds and actions of human beings that very that's very close to the Stoics. It just sort of disengage. God doesn't really bother himself with what were going through course that is so unlike the God of the Bible, the God of the Bible who knows all things, the God of the Bible who loves humanity the God of the Bible who longs for a relationship with them, but the goddess Spinoza or the Stoic view of life was completely different. So here now is Paul addressing people who are effectively party animals and another group are sort of like new wagers and intellectuals and these can and I'll bring the gospel to them so question how do you reach a culture like that answer with the message of Jesus Christ. How do you reach a culture like ours with cutting-edge technology.

Same answer with the message of the gospel. Paul writes in Romans 116. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God and the salvation to everyone who believes that were the Paul uses. Therefore, power is the power of God comes from the Greek word Doon, a minister we get our English word dynamite from Paula saying there's explosive power in the message of the gospel. So let's look now at six principles on how to bring the gospel to our culture. Principle number one effective communication of the gospel begins with the burden it begins with the bird and let me put it another way, you have to care because caring will result in sharing okay so look at verse 16 of act 17. While Paul was waiting for them in Athens.

He was greatly distressed to see the city was full of idols word that is used here for distressed can be translated seizure spasm or outburst, he was upset. You know sometimes if someone gets irritated or overly upset someone will say hey don't have a seizure man. Paul was having a spiritual seizure if you will not physically but there was something deeply stirred inside of him. He was grieved to see the absolute absence of the living God.

It was as though the people of Athens had an ABC religion ABC anything but Christ, we have the same in our culture today, all people will be in to all kinds of philosophies sometimes sort of interweaving them and coming up with the do-it-yourself religion but that it's anything but Christ you bring the message of Jesus to them and they don't even want to hear it so this is what Paul is dealing with and as we look at our culture I mean when I read the newspaper or I read the news feed. There are so many distressing, heartbreaking things happening in our world today. The conflict over in Ukraine were innocent people are losing their lives within you come to our own nation and the horrible things that happen in homes and the murders on the streets in the things that happened to young children and it breaks your heart and you see all these crazy things that we give our attention to all of the celebrities that live in my view, such empty lives and people idolize them and put them on pedestals or modern-day idols, and this really bothered Paul to see this, but I want to remind you about something sinners are not the enemy.

Sin is people are not the enemy, Satan is because sometimes we get mad at the center.

Why does this sinner say that's why there's this rockstar do that.

Why does this TV talk show host say this other thing father so bad I can't stand them. Why is this politician such a horrible person and we get out there in social media and insult them.

They're not the enemy. The enemy is the devil listen to this second Timothy 226 is pray that nonbelievers come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap for they been held captive by him to do whatever he wants is either caught alive by the devil there. It's a very spiritual POW, a prisoner of war, and then it's interesting because the phrase of Paul uses their that there caught alive is the idea of their thereunder bondage that they can't free themselves and the only other time this particular phrase is used is when Jesus said, follow me and I'll make you a fisher of men are literally you'll catch men alive.

So here's our choice.

Either the devil's going to have them or crisis going to get that's were we come in with our message of the gospel. Don't be mad at sinners be mad at sin. The enemy is the devil.

So Paul wasn't happy with this and he wanted to reach these people and I think we need to come out of our bubbles and out of our comfort zone and enter the real world with the message of Jesus Christ. The problem is where sometimes as believers very disconnected from culture.

All I don't want to watch any television. I don't want to go to any movie. I don't want to listen to any music because it's all evil.

Well, there may be some truth in that, but how McKenna reach a culture. I know nothing about because my objective is to bridge the gap. Paul the apostle went into their world.

He checked out their views and philosophies in their false ideas and understood them. And now he can bring an appropriate message to the people that was desperately needed. You know we can be in our Christian subculture we listen to Christian radio and then we get home and watch Christian television and we sleep on Christian pillows and we have Christian slippers and things like that and sometimes I've seen some Christians find themselves more passionate about politics than they are about Jesus and so will we come walking down the road. People say hit me again. I can still hear them. Don't be that person be a friend of sinners. Jesus was called that, not as a compliment. I might add. Sinners knew they could approach Jesus sinners knew that Jesus cared about them. The same should be said of every follower of Jesus, but listen, whatever you do, and need to start with our burden from God to me ask you a question. What is the last time you personally share the gospel with someone where you went out of your way to engage in what I would call an evangelistic conversation. Let it start there with your heart being moved by people that don't know the Lord. Paul's spirit was stirred point number two to reach our culture, we must be culturally relevant. Another way to put it is read the room adapt yourself to the person you're speaking to Paul says I become all things to all men, to the joy became like a Jew to the non-Jew of the Gentile.

I become like a gentle but not doing the things that the Gentiles do I become all things to all men rights. Paul and I might reach them for Christ. So Paul begins by quoting a secular philosopher, did you notice that he doesn't start with the Bible. He starts by quoting one of their own philosophers letting one of the problems that Christian spaces we try to bring the gospel to people but we don't even speak in their language we speak in a cryptic Christian. These dialect that only Christians understand. Let me go straight you go to a nonbeliever think you he then let me talk to you for a second question, are you washed in the blood. Are you sanctified.

Are you justified and are you part of the body. Let me some good to us. We know what all those terms mean but do you realize how bizarre that sounds and you walk up to someone and ask him if there washed in blood. And if they're part of a body. I mean you have to define your terms. I'm not suggesting we not use biblical terms but please do not assume your listener understands.

As I said earlier, we become an increasingly secular culture people. People don't know what these words mean anymore. So we have to meet them where they are point number three.

Paul's message arrested the interest of his listener, Paul's message arrested the interests of his listener. It's called chummy you know when you go to fish and maybe no fish are biting so you chum the waters up a little fish in the water. Things to get the fish coming your way. So charming is finding a way to start a conversation that would arouse the interest of your listener. Jesus did this perfectly remember him with the woman at the well.

This is a woman that's been ostracized by her own community. She's been married and divorced five times and she's living with some dude and so she comes to the well to draw water in the heat of the day because she went when everybody else was done. No one wanted to hang out with her and there sitting at the well was Jesus. What is he say to work hey you a moral woman living in sin. No know he starts by saying that I have a drink of water. She says why would you would you ask for a drink of water for me, a Samaritan, don't you know the Jews have no involvement with Samaritans.

And Jesus said if you knew who it was who is speaking to you would ask him and he would give you living water. Water that is alive and on the conversation went. He started by affectively chumming the water if you will. He started with arresting her attention. Paul does the same look in verse 22 about 17 standing before the Council.

He addressed them as follow as follows. Men of Athens, I perceive that you're very religious. That's an interesting he could visit your pagans which would've been true your idol worshipers.

Also to your very religious and we were to see this today. We might say men of Athens. Or how about people of America. I can see you're really into spirituality. Men of Athens, I perceive your very religious, for I was walking along and I saw your many altars are one of them had this inscription on it to an unknown God you been worshiping him without knowing who he is.

I want to talk to you about him brilliant beginning its diplomatic it's building the bridge instead of burning the bridge. This is something I often do in our Crusades will often start with humor or I might start with a story or a quote from someone that people know and I'll sort of find common ground with them and then I bring the message of the gospel. I have a new book coming out soon and the title of it is Lenin, Dylan, Alice and Jesus and basically it's a spiritual journey of rock stars.

My co-author Marshall, Terrell and I unearthed some really interesting information about some rock icons that I don't think a lot of people know about exploring the story of Lenin himself, who, of course, famously said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, but there was a change in John Lennon later knows life and even a profession of faith. Granted, it didn't last very long with their some things there.

You didn't know, probably about Bob Dylan people of Soto.

He became a Christian and then renounced it actually is. You'll see when you read this book, or if you read this book. Dylan is never renounced that I would call him a work in progress and we have the story of Alice Cooper who came to Christ years ago and is been walking with the Lord and in other people in the rock world.

Some are in process. Some are growing.

Some have rejected this out right but why did I write a book like this because these are people that are known by people. These are icons eased for summer. The idols of our day, so I'm using this as a bridge to communicate with an audience and ultimately this book says this, no one is beyond the reach of God so you may have a husband or wife or a son or a daughter or a mom or dad or someone you know that you cannot imagine ever becoming a Christian and agile.

See if you read this book, God's read some pretty unexpected people in unexpected ways. Again, no one is beyond the reach of God. We've done movies like Steve McQueen, the salvation of an American icon another film. We did called a rush of hope when working on the occult think all of them take cultural situations people that others know and use it as a bridge to tell our world. Jesus is the answer and were now going to be filming the feature film Jesus revolution when it's done and it's released next year it will be the biggest thing harvest is ever been a part of it will have a global reach and the message of the Jesus revolution movie is God did this once and he can do it again. Were hoping this movie will inspire another generation to pray for their own revival because stories of revival, spark revival, the theme of revival sparks the flame of revival were praying this will not just be a movie but something that will inspire young people today to say all Lord we need another Jesus movement.

Let me ask you question. Do you think Jesus still wants to move today. I do do you and then if the answer is yes then understand God says in James 48. Draw near to God and he'll draw near to you. So Paul build a bridge to his listeners and having build that bridge and made that connection. He then brings them the message of the gospel. Here's what happened.

Sometimes people say well I don't really believe in preaching the word preaching is negative. Don't preach to me man had only the sermon. Okay, so, but we are called to preach. Jesus said don't all the world and preach the gospel but understand preaching does not mean yelling right you can preach quietly you can see it conversationally preaching this effectively. Communication is just communicating truth to a person in the right way and so we have to understand that God is called us to reach people in this way I the Bible says it's of the foolishness of preaching, or literally, the preach thing that people will believe what is the preach thing.

It's the message of the death, resurrection of Jesus Christ. You see, that's our primary message that we need to communicate but some will say well you know what I would like to preach the people I like to be a good example. Okay: I'm good with that. It's better than being a bad example but having said that Jesus did not say gold all the world to be a good example. He said: will the world and preach the gospel so you want to be a good example. Don't create a false dichotomy of saying that's better than preaching. Know the ideas you good example is a follower of Christ, which will then earn you the right to share the gospel. As we saw in our last message as Paul and Silas give glory to God in the middle of a prison cell and opened up the heart of the jailer ultimately said to them, what must I do to be saved.

Point number four. We must proclaim a biblical message. We must proclaim a biblical message wasn't going to make a cultural connection we gotta read the room. We have to speak in a language they understand.

But having established all that we gotta bring them the message of the Bible. The Bible this is where the authority is. This is where the power is God says in Isaiah 5511 social my word be that goes forth from my mouth.

It will not return to me void, it will accomplish what I please. Paul reminds us in second Timothy 315 all Scripture is inspired by God and it's profitable to teach us what is true in the make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right that that's the Bible. So this is the book we want to bring into the conversation coming over the church for a moment. I read an interesting article in Christianity today. The pointed out people in church want to hear messages from the Bible. Imagine that. Of this article's" people who show up on Sundays are looking for the same thing they want preaching centered on the Bible. The article concludes sermon, said teach about Scripture are the number one reason Americans go to church. I read recently that people were polled and what they thought and they were asked what they thought about the link of sermons and more people said we want longer sermons. Imagine that, so the church sometimes are trying to be so cool and so culturally relevant and entertaining in all of our topical messages on every topic under the sun.

Here's what our people are think teach us the Bible, by all means address the cultural issues of the day.

By all means answer the questions people are actually asking, but by all means answer them with the word of God.

Point number five.

Our message must focus on Jesus Christ crucified and risen. Paul closes the deal here in verse 31 of acts 17. He says he's appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man.

He has ordained these given assurance of all of this by raising him from the dead. Jesus, that is our answer to the culture, not morality per se, not politics or a political solution, not some new philosophy. It's Jesus it's a relationship with Jesus and that's what Paul did and that's what Paul said one last point after preaching this message. Paul trusted God for the results.

He trusted God for the resulting case on the day of Pentecost.

After Peter preached 3000 people believed right. That's a lot of people on the Mars Hill that the Areopagus, the apostle Paul preaches and only a handful response look. My job is not to can hurt people. That's God's job. Jesus said, no man comes unless the father draws them. So ultimately this is the work of God, but sometimes you have a lot of response. Sometimes you love no response sometimes will share the gospel is someone and though respondent asked Jesus to come in of their life and other times they'll laugh in your face and walk away. But you know Jesus said the harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Pray that the Lord would send more laborers into his harvest.

Notice it's his harvest is not my harvest is not your harvest, it's his harvest so my job your job. Our job together is to proclaim the gospel and leave the results in the hands of God, no.

Look at what happened. This is the great apostle Paul preaching, but it wasn't a arousing response acts 17 verse 32, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some months while others said will hear you again on the matter.

So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believe. Among them the Odyssey as the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with so now we see the response of the people.

Number one, some mocked, they monk Paul a better translation would be, they laughed in his face or burst out laughing. Are you serious you actually believe the story about Jesus dying in rising again from the dead. This is absurdity. Are you one of those people you know before my conversion. I was quite the marker.

I was in the North Carolina some years ago, driving along the road and I saw city called Marksville.

I thought I should have been born in Marksville because I was always mocking people and I mocked Christians and I left at Christians. But one day I just took the time to hear what they were actually saying God's Holy Spirit got a hold of my heart that's the day I believed in Jesus. But the Bible says the preaching of the gospel is to those who are perishing, foolishness. But to us who believe it's the power of God. So you're listening to me right now. This is a joke to you. This makes you laugh, that's an indication you're perishing.

Not a good thing.

It means you're far from God. Don't be a marker.

Some mocked others. The late they said will talk to you about this another time they they kick the can down the road. Not now. That was the situation with my mother who reminds me a bit of the woman at the well and so my mom was married and divorced seven times so she had two more marriages on the woman at the well and whenever I would talk to my mom about Jesus, she would say I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about it.

I don't want to talk about one day I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit will my mom was 70 to go see her and have the conversation, she didn't want to have and I said mom I want to talk to you about your relationship with God. She said I don't want to talk about it. I said today were going to talk about it. Thankfully, that conversation resulted in my mom coming to Christ. But some people don't want to talk about it. So some mocked, some delayed, but some believe they repented they change their minds. One is called beyond the CS the Areopagite, so he was one of the judges of Athens and intellectual ruler of his day, who became a Christian and there was a woman name Demarest and she, like many of the Greeks was disillusioned with their empty gods and she put her trust in Christ. So this is a powerful example of how to reach our culture. Let me sum it up with an acronym share SHARD these are the principles Paul applied to reach his culture. These are the same principles that we can apply to reach our culture share stands for.

Be sensitive to the leading of the holy spirit. You never know when the Lord can a prompt you to share the gospel with someone that for the Bible says be instant in season and out of season as another translation puts it be on duty at all times.

Just a Lord I'm open. Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit H honor and respect others don't come off as holier than thou. When you speak to people. Don't be a know it all.

Be humble and be approachable, be sensitive to them, honor and respect others say arouse the interest of your listener course.

Paul did this, Jesus did this, you can do that say something to get them interested. So many things we could talk about today are reveals sin.

So when you have that conversation, you need to point out to the person that they're a sinner who needs a savior because you could very easily talk about Jesus as though he were the greatest additive to one's life. Jesus came into my life and I'm so much happier. My marriage is better, and I have more spring in my step. My goodness, my teeth are even a little bit wider know they aren't. But here's the thing. Jesus is not in additive. He doesn't just help you live a better life. He saved you from your sin so you have to tell a person the Bible says you've sin you're separated from God by your sin in Christ died for your sin and then finally he explained the way of salvation, break it down for them. Tell them how to come. Did Jesus don't just tell them they should come to Jesus show them how Paul did this we can do this. This is where breaks down for a lot of people. Sometimes preachers and pulpits sometimes just Christians sharing their faith each and every day. Close the deal pop of the question.

What's the question.

Would you like to accept Jesus Christ in your life right now so share be sensitive H honor and respect others say arouse the interest of your listener are reveals sin E explain the way of salvation. So let me close with that I want to explain the way of salvation do you write how can a person know their sin is forgiven. How can a person be certain that the go to heaven when they die. Here's the answer you need to admit you're a sinner you've broken God's commandment you fallen short of God's standards. You need to recognize Jesus Christ the son of God died on the cross for your sin. It was a nail that held under that cross 2000 years ago.

It was love for you.

Jesus said for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish without ever lasting life, you need to believe in Jesus used a bit. How do you do that you put your faith in him you ask him to come into your life. You see, being a Christian isn't just reading the Bible and going to church or listening to Bible studies and praying those are all great things but being a Christian simplify this. Having a relationship with Jesus who lives inside of you. Jesus says behold I stand at the door and I knocked and if you hear my voice, and open the door, I will commit.

Would you like to open the door of your life right now. That's Jesus Christ to come in. Would you like to know you'll go to heaven when you die. Would you like to fill that big hole in your heart. It can happen for you right here right now song and to pray a simple prayer and I would ask if you want Christ to come into your life to pray this prayer with me and it's a prayer we are asking Jesus to come into your heart and life. Just pray this prayer. You can even print out loud after me right now. Pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. I turn from my sin. Now I choose to follow you from this moment forward Jesus name I pray, amen.

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