Outgoing – Session 12
24 November 2011
Problems of the heart
What stops us from being an outgoing people?
Discuss!
We want to feel ok with the world
But Jesus hits a conversation like a sack of bricks.
.
We want to feel ok with God
So I don’t want to get too involved with ‘the world’
.
We want to feel ok with ourselves
But frankly we’re spiritually dry and it feels like a duty.
.
How would the Apostle Paul handle these objections?
2 Corinthians 5
V1-4 – Our bodies are from Adam, our Spirit is from Christ
Therefore we groan! But...
.
V5-9 – We have confidence through the Spirit
We look forward to seeing Jesus
.
V10 – Humanity will appear before Christ’s throne.
.
Therefore...
.
V11-13 – We persuade people
V14-16 – We are driven out by the love of Jesus
We see the world in the light of the cross.
.
V17-19 – To be saved is to be scooped up into His mission
His mission is proclamation.
.
V20-21 – We implore people.
We make an appeal to people
“Be reconciled to God.”
This has happened cosmically
But it must happen personally
.
So how would Paul answer our fears?
We want to feel ok with the world
We want to feel ok with God
We want to feel ok with ourselves
.
What can we do to share Jesus in our everyday lives?
Pray
Be human
Love them
Speak of Jesus
Open the Bible with them
Invite them into the community of Christ’s people
COMMON OBJECTION: “You don’t really want to be my friend, you just want to gain converts!”
"What can we do to share Jesus in our everyday lives?
Pray
Be human
Love them
Speak of Jesus
Open the Bible with them
Invite them into the community of Christ’s people"
Excellent. Catch them when they are hurting (it's an expression of the law). Then speak about your own hurts and disappointments. Then speak about the hurts and disappointments that Jesus went through...for you...and for them.
That's one way.
I've greatly enjoyed this series, and am very eager for the conclusion. Hoping for some discussion then of the "Common Objection" cited here. I think this is key, as most evangelism seems like a veiled effort to establish and begin to exert power, which segues into discipleship, where the authority becomes concrete and transparent. Many who would be reconciled to God, sense that the visible church uses and manipulates the Gospel to build *itself* up. Like Pac-Man running away from the ghost who wants to eat him, the sense that there may be an ulterior agenda stops us from being an outgoing people, at least among those who have observed the feeding of ghosts.
Hi John, Unfortunately the recording ran out before the end of the second half. I'll have to re-record it when I have time - possibly next week.
In short my asnwer to that question is basically to point to the outgoing nature of God (naturally!). In this way evangelism is not "gaining converts" it's "offering Christ." The church has indeed been guilty of exerting power in evangelism. But I hope that if we get our doctrine of God right we'll be those who give away power. So essentially it's about giving not taking. Of course the world won't always be convinced! (And often it has a right not to be), but I hope that offering Christ will pervade our evangelism, not getting converts.
Gotta dash
:)
I totally appreciate the way to tel about to share Jesus in our everyday lives.i think prayer is the most applicable way to share with Jesus.prayer has the power to connect us with that higher power.its a straight communication to the God.The other ways also must be follow.overall an excellent post glen..
Blessings
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