How Shall We Preach The Gospel?

by Dustin Shramek

I. Summaries of previous weeks.

A. Why Did God Create the World?

1. Summary:
   1. God's goal in creation was and is to glorify Himself (Genesis 1:26-28, 31).
   2. The ultimate purpose behind all of God's acts is to make His name known (Psalm 86:9; 66:4; Malachi 1:11; Habakkuk 2:14).
2. How does this truth impact the way we share the gospel?
   1. When we are sharing we can know that we are part of God's master plan of spreading His glory throughout the earth.
   2. Our motivation in evangelism must be God's glory.
   3. Our message must be centered on God's glory rather than man's response.

B. Human's Attack God's Glory.

1. Summary:
   1. We have attacked God's glory by seeking our satisfaction apart from God (Jeremiah 2:13).
   2. Adam's sin and guilt was imputed to us (Romans 5:12-21).
   3. We are born with a sinful nature (original sin).
   4. Our sinful nature is so depraved that we will never seek God, we will never want to turn from our sin to Him (total depravity--Romans 3:10-12; 8:6-9; Ephesians 2:1-3).
2. How does this truth impact the way we share the gospel?
   1. We must remember that we are sharing the gospel to a dead man. In and of himself he is incapable of coming to Christ.
   2. Christ is his only hope. We must convey that to him. Apart from the truth of total depravity we cannot fully see how desperately in need of Christ we are.
   3. Why would someone want Christ as their savior if they don't understand why they need to be saved?
   4. It humbles us when sharing because we know that we don't have the power to raise them from spiritual death to spiritual life.

C. The Greatness of God's Electing Love.

1. Summary:
   1. God chooses who will be saved (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:4-5, 11; Acts 13:48; John 1:12-13)
   2. His choice for them is completely unconditional, not owing to anything of themselves, including foreknowledge of faith in Christ.
2. 2. How does this truth impact the way we share the gospel?
   1. Evangelism is the means by which God saves people, therefore we can have great joy in being used by Him in His sovereign plan to save His church.
   2. We can have hope knowing that God is able to save the worst of sinners.
   3. Encourages us when the sowing is difficult and we see little or no fruit.

D. Election, Non-Election, and Romans 9.

1. Summary:
   1. Just as God unconditionally chooses who will be saved, He also unconditionally chooses who will not be saved (Unconditional Reprobation).
   2. Romans 9:1-24 clearly teaches this when we understand the problem that Paul is addressing in verses 1-6. The problem is concerning individuals and their eternal destination. The solution He gives is that it is God who unconditionally elects people to salvation or reprobation.
2. How does this truth impact the way we share the gospel?
3. It frees us from guilt when we accurately and loving share the gospel and yet they reject Christ.
4. Unconditional election and reprobation free us from the thoughts that people's eternal destinies are in our hands. This takes away a lot of stress.

E. Successful Grace.

1. Summary:
   1. The Holy Spirit is always successful in bringing a person to faith. If God wants to save someone, He always will, for His purposes can never be thwarted (Job 42:2). See Romans 8:30; John 6:37, 39, 44-45, 61-65.
   2. Regeneration precedes faith. You are not born again because you believe. Rather, you were born again so that you will believe (John 1:12-13; 3:3, 19-20).
2. 2. How does this truth impact the way we share the gospel?
   1. It gives us hope because we know that God is able to save anyone He chooses. His hands are not tied behind His back.
   2. We can pray that God would cause their heart to believe. Our prayers can be more focused and much more effective.
   3. We must stress their need to trust Christ and not their own ability to choose Christ as they please.

F. The Nature of the Atonement: Definite Atonement.

1. Summary:
   1. On the cross, Christ actually purchased salvation for His elect. He gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 9:11-15, 26), this sacrifice was substitutionary in nature (He died in our place--1 Corinthians 15:3; Romans 5:8), propitiated the wrath of God (Romans 3:25-26; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 4:10), thereby reconciling God to man and enabling God to extend His favor toward us (Romans 5:8-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21), He redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:10-14; 4:4-5), and paid the ransom for our sin (Mark 10:45).
   2. The atonement is complete. Our sins are atoned for and through His death, Jesus has bought our salvation, including our faith (1 Corinthians 15:3).
2. 2. How does this truth impact the way we share the gospel?
   1. It gives us hope because we know that there are people out their that have been purchased by the blood of Christ (Revelation 5:9).
   2. It is the ground of hope for the person considering Christ. If they come to Him they can be assured that Christ did in fact pay for their sins and He is the one who purchased their salvation.

G. The Extent of the Atonement.

1. Summary:
   1. In light of the efficacy of the nature of the atonement (that salvation was accomplished at the cross), it must follow that Jesus did not die for all people in the same way.
   2. Christ did not come to make salvation possible, He came to actually save people (Matthew 18:11; Like 19:10; 1 Timothy 1:15; Galatians 1:4; Titus 2:14; Ephesians 1:7; 5:25-27; Romans 3:25; 5:10; Hebrews 9:12).
   3. All for whom Christ died for, will be saved (Revelation 5:9; Ephesians 5:25-27; John 10:15).
   4. Christ died for all the sins of some men and women.
2. 2. How does this truth impact the way we share the gospel?
   1. We must never say to an unbeliever, “Christ paid for your sins at the cross so now all you must do is believe.” That statement is totally inaccurate. If they are the elect, He did in fact pay for their sins and their He also bought their faith.
   2. When sharing the gospel we should use phases like, “Christ died to pay the penalty of sin for all those who believe in Him.” It doesn't sound any less loving (because its not) and it more accurately represents the true nature of His atonement.
   3. Keep in mind that when you are exhorting a person to come to Christ, they are not saved by Jesus plus their faith.

H. Imperishable Salvation.

1. Summary:
   1. God will save all of those whom He has chosen, none of them will be lost.
      1. We know this because God's glory is at stake (1 Samuel 12:22).
      2. God does not change, nor do His purposes (Numbers 23:19; Malachi 3:6).
      3. Christ intercedes on the behalf of His people, asking God to keep them until the end (John 17:11-12, 24; Romans 8:34).
   2. The elect are eternally secure (Romans 8:28-30, 35-39; John 6:37, 39-40; 10: 26-29; 1 Peter 1:3-5).
   3. Our faith must endure to the end if we are to be saved (1 Corinthians 15:1-2; Colossians 1:21-23; Mark 13:13). Obedience is necessary for salvation (James 2:14-17; John 8:31; 1 John 2:3-6).
   4. God will cause us to persevere to the end. He will keep us in our faith (Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 1 Corinthians 1:8-9).
2. How does this truth impact the way we share the gospel?
   1. When sharing with someone who is unsure of their salvation, we mustn't exhort them to put their faith in a past act of faith. We must exhort them to trust Christ now!
   2. When praying for new converts we can and should pray that God would cause them to continue to believe.

II. Why is an accurate view of the gospel so important?

A. Romans 1:16.

1. What is the power of God for salvation?
2. If we change the gospel, will its power be as effective?

III. What is the gospel?

A. What is the starting point of the gospel (Romans 3:20)?

1. Why is it important to preach the law (Romans 7:7)?
2. What must someone know about their sin (Romans 6:16)?
3. What is total depravity essential to the gospel?

B. The consequences of sin; is it important to talk about hell (Romans 6:23)?

1. Did Jesus talk about hell (Matthew 8:12; 13:37-43, 47-50; 22:1-14; 24:48-51; 25:31- 46)?

C. Romans 1:1-3.

1. Who is at the heart of the gospel?
2. What act is at the heart of the gospel?
3. How does the nature of the atonement give the gospel power?
4. What happens to the power of the gospel when we teach universal atonement?

D. How should we exhort them to come to Christ (Romans 10:1-15)?

1. Acts 16:30-31.
2. For what reason should someone come to Christ? What should be their motivation (Romans 6:23)?

E. What is Peter's focus in Acts 3:11-26?

F. What is Philip's focus when he preached to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:25-39; especially verse 35)?

G. What was Paul's focus when he preached (Acts 9:20; 13:16-43; 17:22-32)?

“Nobody has seen what sin is until he has learned what God is.”--J.I. Packer

“But we preach Christ crucified...” 1 Corinthians 1:23

IV. Should we share the doctrines of God's sovereign grace with others, including new believers?

A. Acts 20:20-28.

1. Verse 27 says that Paul “did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” Should we be any different?

B. We must be rooted in sound doctrine.

1. So that we are not deceived (Colossians 2:8; 2 Timothy 4:3).
2. Sound doctrine nourishes us (1 Timothy 4:6).
3. Sound doctrine enables us to grow up in all aspects into Jesus (Ephesians 4:11-16).
4. So that we may be able to refute those who oppose it (Titus 1:9).

C. We are commanded to teach sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).

D. If we don't share these doctrines what are we saying about God?

V. What we believe about these doctrines will greatly influence how you pray and how you evangelize. It will also affect your joy and hope in the Lord.

A. How does it affect our prayer life?

B. How would false doctrine affect our evangelism?

C. How might false doctrine affect our joy and hope in the Lord?

VI. How should we share these doctrines?

A. 2 Timothy 2:24-26.

B. John 1:14.

Go back to Contend for the Faith.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page