Lesson # 11 Evangelism & The Believer (Fundamentals of the Faith by John MacArthur)

This is number 11 lesson number 11 on the subject of evangelism and the believer. So the verse the memory verse first Peter 3 15, this is out of a different translation from how I memorized it. So I'll just read what the book says first Peter 3 15.

But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to make a defense. To everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you. Yet with gentleness and reverence, so the idea is to give a response tell people when they ask you tell people what you believe and Also be ready to let them know why you believe it.

So evangelism and the believer it says the word evangelism Brings many thoughts to mind. Some people think of tents and famous speakers. Others envision weekly visitation and the terror of witnessing.

This lesson will introduce the biblical concept of evangelism and the role the Believer plays. Okay. So why do you think it says that? The terror of witnessing. Yeah, I think there are some people that.

Yeah, they don't want someone to come up and and have that what do they call it come to Jesus talk or whatever but but then going to others and talking that to them about Christ it can be a sort of an intimidating thing because you know in the Culture we live in we're told two things don't talk about Politics and religion.

So these subjects are just off the table. You shouldn't talk about it. So when you try to talk to someone about Jesus. Even though many modern Evangelicals don't even like to use the word religion. That's still how people think of it right or wrong.

So Should we witness to people? Yeah, yeah and witnessing can be more than you know, you're at the supermarket and you pull someone aside. Excuse me, sir. You know Jesus as your Lord and Savior like most people don't Take that approach.

But you can witness in a variety of different ways. So we talked about that in the sermon last week. So we're going to cover some of the same subject matter. But the call of evangelism, this is number one.

The Great Commission and the Call to Preach to Everyone

The call of evangelism according to mark 16 verse 15. What were the disciples to do? It says they were to go into all the world and preach the gospel. To all creation or as I'm familiar with the translation go and preach the gospel to every creature.

So our philosophy of preaching the gospel, it should be hey, we are willing to tell anyone who will listen. There's no group that's off-limits. In the day and age we live in a lot of ministries said do not evangelize Jews.

Because you know, they don't want to be evangelized. They think they'll find it offensive or Some preachers have said they have their own covenant with God don't evangelize the Jews. Which I disagree with obviously or don't don't evangelize people of other religions.

That's proselytizing. Proselytizing is about you know, if they ask you that's fine, but do not go and try to convert them well that that directly contradicts the command that Jesus gave to the church to go out and preach the gospel to everybody.

Yes, Larry. Is there any difference between Disciples and.

Christians yeah. Yeah, well, so I you probably picked up on what I said in the sermon last week I said because we were talking about Matthew chapter 4 how Jesus called Peter and Andrew James and John into full-time ministries.

He called them to be what what were they called the twelve were called his. Yeah, he said I'll make you fishers of men but they were the twelve were called disciples so they were Following Jesus daily.

They had committed their lives to Learning it was full-time Learning and then full-time Christian service. So what I had said is if Okay, if if there is a difference between a disciple and a believer it would be that That a disciple is somebody who is in full-time Christian or at least part-time Christian ministry, whereas a believer, you know, they work at a bank.

They're a contractor. They're a doctor. They're a dentist. They have whatever secular job, but they still believe and they still Contribute but they're not a disciple in the sense that they're you know full-time in Christian ministry I said that would be the difference if there is one but I think that every every believer is called to Discipleship like every believer is to be a follower of Jesus.

We should all be learning and we should all be Serving to whatever degree as God has gifted us. So I can't I guess I can't give a set yes or no that there is is a difference or that there isn't. The difference it would depend on how you Define it one thing I would oppose is this the idea that a disciple is a Christian who you know is really Committed to God and they obey God but a believer just kind of does their own thing and they're not really that.

That should not be the case that a believer might Kind of live how they want but a disciple someone who really takes it seriously that distinction should not exist. So I would object to that if that's how you define it.

So, I don't know if that answers your question, but that's that's my answer Marcus. Okay, well let me know if you got it back. Okay. All right, but mark 1615 this is Mark's version of what the Great Commission, oh, that's it.

Yes, so we therefore and teach all nations. That's that we're all taught to go and I have heard it said though I'm not a Greek scholar, but I think the person that told me this was a Greek scholar said that the correct Grammar there is as you are going right?

We are all going to be going so I and I I'm just impressed with how Important or how often the term wholehearted is is urged in in the Bible and so. The reason we're not all professional. We don't make our living from it.

But the whole idea is that we are all going. We're going into our workplaces. We are going to it into our marketplaces. We're going we're going anywhere and when you're sitting in a waiting room or if you're sitting in a bus stop or.

Anytime. So when anytime anywhere, so when you're talking about going out into all the world for every believer, you know. You're going into the world. That is you're going into the doctor's office. You're going into the workplace.

So there is a sense where the Great Commission has given to all of us to bring our Christian witness. Wherever we go in the world. Obviously Jesus gave the command to the disciples to where they were what we would call Evangelists or missionaries that they were literally to leave their home country and to just go out and that's the overall mission for the church.

That we should all be. You know because in order to have missionaries people have to give people have to pray people have to support them. And you know, we're all in it together. We have different roles.

Okay, but that is the Great Commission in Mark 1615 just said a little differently. All right be. What are the three aspects of making disciples according to Matthew 28 19 and 20? Number one is what? Well, yeah go go and make disciples.

So first of all you have you have to convert people make disciples then the second thing you are supposed to do is To baptize them, right? So make disciples. Baptize them and then number three is to teach to teach them all that Christ commanded and where does that happen?

The teaching happens within a local church. So this is kind of the most basic thing of all you you bring the gospel to people. You call upon them to believe it once they believe it then they get baptized once they get baptized.

Then they join a local church and that's where they learn and grow and hopefully serve. You know, the problem is. Sometimes we go to people and they will say yes. They'll say the sinner's prayer. They'll they'll profess Christ then for whatever reason they want.

They won't or they don't get baptized. I don't know why that happens, but it happens. Then then even for those sometimes they'll get baptized, but then they won't join a church or they won't be committed.

Learning and serving in a church. So obviously we want the whole package. Just because things happen doesn't mean that it's fine or it's just the reality, but we want to make disciples baptize and then teach.

Okay, see. What did Jesus say should be proclaimed to all the nations. Luke 24? 46 and 47. That God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Declare it to all nations. No repentance for Forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations.

So yeah, sorry. I had a little fun with that. I heard a sermon by RC Sproul and it's called back to basics. I would encourage you to listen to it. If you if you watch sermons online back to basics by RC Sproul.

They're just talking about that God loves you. You know, what is the gospel? He said God a lot of people say God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life that much that might be true. Yeah, but his point is that's not the gospel your testimony may be powerful it may be important to you.

It is important, but your testimony is not the gospel and then he got into what the gods so those things are all fine just to say God does love the world, but. What is the gospel. And the gospel is as I've been stressing on Sunday morning part of the gospel message is what what's the word that begins with R?

That so often gets left out. Repentance repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Okay good so far, all right anything from you hell-fired and brimstone. I Mean that's that that is part. That's what you're being saved from right you remove that part and all of a sudden Salvation becomes sort of unnecessary.

If there's nothing to be saved from okay D. What was Paul to tell the people in Acts 22 15? That he would be a witness for Christ to all men of what he had seen and Heard and that whole idea of giving your testimony.

And I don't want to make it sound like it's not important because it is. I think Paul really was the one who set that Pattern of giving. What is it in the book of Acts? He gave his testimony what four times?

I think at least Four times. So telling people what God has done for you, and what he has done in your life or things that you have seen. That is very very powerful very Important. All right on the next page.

It says 1st John chapter 4 tells us that we only love God because he first loved us. And John 316 tells us that God so loved the world that he gave. The greatest work in the heart of God the greatest concern in the mind of God is evangelism.

Winning the lost is God's great concern. It is also Christ's great concern. Luke 19 verse 10 says for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. The work of winning the lost is God's concern and Christ's concern and Also the greatest concern of the Holy Spirit for it is the Holy Spirit who comes according to John 16 to convict men of sin and righteousness and judgment.

It is the Holy Spirit who comes upon the church and after we have received the Holy Spirit. We are made witnesses. Jesus said unto him in Jerusalem. In all Judea and Samaria and even to the remotest parts of the earth the great concern of God is what?

Evangelism. The great concern of Christ is evangelism. The great concern of the Spirit is Evangelism saving the loss. Now, do you agree with this statement? Now how many of you listen to the sermon that you know at the beginning of each lesson it gives you the go to Gty dot o RG forward slash fo F and it gives you a sermon each lesson as the sermon.

I Listened to the sermon last night. I was a long sermon if you ever think I preach for a long time. You ought to listen to that. It's like an hour and seven minutes. It was well worth it. But John MacArthur he started his main point that he came back with at the end really making the distinction between a church and a social club a Church that does not have a desire to reach the loss where the people in the church.

Like I'm not going to share my faith or I'm not going to talk to someone about why would I do that? Or God forbid if a church had the attitude that proselytizing was wrong or you shouldn't do it, you know if we all just gather here and pat each other on the back and Have our own thing going and we're not trying to reach anybody or we're not supporting missions overseas a church like that is what?

Yeah, it's dead it's yeah, it's a social club. So the great heart of God is evangelism. I mean, that's why. That's why we preach that's why you hand out tracts or that's why you talk to people about you.

That's why you're ready to share a give a defense to anyone who asked you because that's what we want to do. I Mean if a church didn't reach anyone. Obviously over time. And we live in New England. This is a time and our nation said because I don't want you to get discouraged as I know many of you have.

Try talking to people and you know, how is it? How are New Englanders about the gospel? Cold right. This is a cold area it's a heart it's hard packed ground and Just the day and age we live in is a cold time but that's no excuse not to do it and Then the person who actually responds and then comes into the church.

It's just that much more glorious when it happens, but don't get discouraged. It's I don't think it's you doing anything wrong. So if you're witnessing don't get discouraged feel like you're I'm just it's me.

It's not you it's it's. It's the climate that we're in. So there's been times in history where people have just flooded into the churches and then there's times where that's not happening and Really? It is more of a sign sign of the times kind of a thing in my opinion, I guess but okay number two the good news of evangelism the gospel and everyone in this church knows that the word gospel means good news.

The Gospel, Repentance, and the Great Concern of God

A According to 1st Corinthians 15 3 4. What is the good news that Paul preached? Christ died for our sins. He was buried and he was raised on the third day. And then if you read this passage it says according to the scriptures they rose again according to the scriptures.

So there's three elements and I would say that this is the most clear definition of the gospel anywhere in the Bible. 1st Corinthians 15 3 4. Why does it say he was buried why is that part in there?

Is that what you're gonna? Okay, good. There's actually four things. It says Christ died and That he was buried. The fact that he was buried proved that he died. Yeah, and it says and that was according to the scriptures and I says and then he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.

But then the next verse says. And he appeared. Yeah, so being buried proved that he died and bit that he appeared proved that he was raised.

So there's no that's good points good. I like that. Thank you for that. Yeah, cuz there's that you know these theories if anyone went to Bible College I'm sure you've heard of the theory that the swoon theory of the resurrection or something that Jesus just fainted or he didn't run.

Unbelievable, but no he was dead. He was buried. He was Fully dead and that he rose again and people saw. People were I over 500 eyewitnesses. And obviously this is what sets Christianity apart from any of the world religions that the founder of our faith Died.

Yes, he did die, but he rose again. All the founders of every other religion. They all died and they all stayed dead. Okay of what did Paul say that he was not ashamed Romans 1 16? I'm not ashamed of The gospel why.

Okay, it is the power of God. Do we believe the power is in the message. Often and I'm not saying that this is always wrong. But a lot of times churches try to figure out new strategies new ways to reach people.

Well, I mean, okay, we can we can look at new strategies and new approaches. But the the message the core message cannot change because the power is not in your approach the power is in the gospel without God the Holy Spirit convicting someone's heart and Then responding to the actual gospel itself.

You're just doing. You have a social club. You're maybe doing social work, but it has to be the true gospel. Marcus.

I'm grinning like this, you know what that means, right? Tell me you were talking about approach and I just had. I had one and I had a Example. Our verse of the week is to do it with gentleness and reverence.

I think is new Kings James that in. But in old King James, it's meekness and fear, but I do like gentleness and reverence. But anyways, I Approach in a parking lot and a pickup truck was coming towards me.

I had my directional on to turn in. He had his on so I flashed my lights. He was obviously a professional driver because he knew when you flash your lights. That means I see what you want. Go ahead and do it.

Yeah, so he just wait banks and went in and I parked down below him and we ended up walking into the grocery store together. I forget what kind of pleasantries we might have exchanged but I'll always try and then of course, you know It isn't a grocery store.

You keep Going back and forth and seeing the same person over and over. Well, not only that we finished through our checkup lines the same and we're walking out the same thing and I'm Thinking to myself.

Oh Be ready always to give an answer to that. He didn't he never asked me but he was walking away towards his truck. And so I said, hey I Says can I give you something to read? He says sure. Thanks. Yeah, and took it and I think gee that wasn't very gentle.

I hope that I'll see him in heaven, right? I'm gonna have a great time up there a.

Lot of people if you just hand them a track. Hand them something to where they can decide if they want to read it or not. A lot of people even if they don't respond, they'll. They'll see that you care enough a lot.

A lot of people will appreciate that much. Very rarely. Will somebody tell you where to go and how to get there? I mean that might happen, you know, but. That's probably not gonna take place. They might take it and throw it away.

But a lot of people will take even if they don't respond, you know, you don't see them next week in church or something. They do see that you care enough to reach out to them so.

Larry. And Isaiah 55 It says that God God's Word will not return to him void. But it will accomplish what it was sent out to do. Yeah, and I've heard so many times different testimonies. Well being a Gideon.

You know the little pocket New Testaments that they pass out a lot of times. Somebody will take it and throw it in their backpack or put it away in their dresser drawer. In years later We'll pull it out and they're going through something and say And open it up or end up in a motel room or something, you know and find the Bible.

You know God's Word will accomplish what it was.

Sent out to do. Yeah, and God's Word sometimes has the opposite effect I forget who said it but the same Sun that melts the wax Also hardens the clay, you know, sometimes God's Word does Come to a person and it and it has the opposite effect.

It makes them More against it. Well, that's not what we want. Well, but That's all God's job. This is all what God is doing. You know. We're called to do our part and we leave the rest of it to the Lord.

All we can do is be faithful what he's called us to do. Marcus and then that does bother me.

But this whole this whole issue of the fact that most people are lost or brought is the way they Leads to destruction that most people are lost that bothers me and it has to bother God, too. But we're like Larry said it will accomplish the purpose where with it will it is sent and the purpose might be that it will be evidence against them at the final judgment and.

So you just say oh, man.

Right and that you know and that leads some people say well if that's true then we shouldn't. Then we shouldn't bring it to them because you're no wait stop stop rational eye. We need to not rationalize things and say well, I shouldn't do this because or therefore.

We just need to do what?

What the Lord says? Well to two other things that you mentioned that I? Have comments about. One is that you said well, it's just the climate in which we live. Well, it's time we had climate change the right kind of climate change and this.

Yes, it's true that Lot of the seeds fall on stony ground or they fall on shallow soil or they fall amongst the weeds. But some fall on that. So the more seeds you spread the better chance you're gonna do it.

It's up to the Lord. Okay here the soil. Okay.

The Essentials of Evangelism: Who Jesus Is and Why the Gospel Is Exclusive

The next section is Number three the essentials of evangelism, so we looked at number one the call to evangelism number two the good news of Evangelism and then number three the essentials of evangelism here.

This is something that I don't know if this is really stressed. Because the way it's being presented here in the book is that hey, this is part of the gospel, too. This is something people need to understand and I think this is where a lot of churches You're gonna start dropping off number one.

What must someone believe about Jesus Christ for salvation number one? They must believe Jesus is God. You have to believe that otherwise. Your gospel or the gospel someone is saying they believe in is not the true gospel.

Let's turn to Matthew chapter 16. So you a person must realize that Jesus is God. We've talked about these other groups on Wednesday nights that do not believe Jesus is God, right? The Mormons don't believe Jesus is God.

Therefore. They have a False gospel. The Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that Jesus is God. Therefore their gospel is a false gospel. They have a different Jesus. So in order for the gospel To be effective you have to have the right gospel the right Jesus and I would argue that this this is the profession of faith that saves.

That you recognize that Jesus is divine. Okay. Why do I say that look at Matthew chapter 16? Let's see here Matthew 16.

What am I?

Help me out here. Where's the Caesarea Philippi confession? First mention, okay. Yeah. Okay. There it is Matthew 16 verse 13. When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi He asked his disciples saying who demands say that I the Son of Man am.

So when Jesus trying to get them to make that profession of faith, he starts out with who am I? See it all comes down to this who is Jesus. And They said some say John the Baptist some Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets and he said to them.

But who do you say that I am? And this is something that we could do when talking with oh, yeah there's all sorts of beliefs about yeah, but what do you believe. And Simon Peter answered and said You are the Christ The Son of the Living God.

And by saying Son of God that meant Jesus was equal with God. Okay, so Jesus then responds and said to him blessed. Are you Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven?

This is the profession of faith that Christ. Jesus is the Christ. He is the Son of God. So Son of God is saying that Jesus is divine, you know, we're all sons of God through adoption. Jesus has the same nature as the Father.

So if somebody I believe Jesus died and rose it. But you you need to recognize he is he is God. Yes. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Right. Shallow misdirected. Yeah.

That's something of Satan. Is that something that is Used by him to. Yeah, yeah, it's. Because I maybe it is in here. I mean you get the Romans wrote the other things. But I've never come across it where it says Repeat after me say this and you'll be safe, right?

All right, okay, so this we're getting into some serious territory here. Now, let me say this as far as the sinners prayer goes If you're giving them the words to say No, I mean you they need to say it from their heart.

They need to say what they believe. So you shouldn't be giving them the words. Can a person say a prayer and be saved. The Bible says call upon the name of the Lord and thou shalt be saved so everyone who's a true believer has made some sort of profession of faith and it may have come in.

Something like the sinners prayer. So I want to say that up front, but yeah I mean there is this concern that obviously. Especially if someone's given the words to say hey repeat these words and you're saved.

I mean, yeah that the Apostles never did that Jesus never did that. So that's a good that's a good point what people need to realize. Because we're used to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusades come down to the aisle.

Billy Sunday was a well-known Evangelist and I from what I understand Billy Sunday, of course, he was a famous baseball player known nationwide. He would go and he would preach and He would preach the gospel, but he would say this come up and shake my hand for salvation so if you came up and that that was your way of if you believe in Jesus if you want to make a Profession of faith come down and shake my hand and and that's your way of showing that you accepted Christ.

What's the problem with that? He's a celebrity. Everybody wanted to come forward and shake his hand even people who maybe didn't really understand the message. They're still coming forward and then they chuck chalk up the numbers that you know, 800 people last week got saved at their crusade.

So you just have to be very careful about that. Making a profession of faith is not what saves a person. Possessing saving faith is what saves a person. So all the people that may have come forward and Legitimately been saved at a Billy Graham crusade.

I think even the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association recognized that you know five years later only Five four to eight percent of people were in a baptized in a church Serving the Lord. So yeah, we just have to be careful in how we present it up until that error era of the big evangelistic crusades Evangelism was done differently.

That you yes, you you do make a profession of faith. You get baptized and you become part of the church and You're saved because you are part of the church. You've been baptized and you have a testimony but as You're alluding to in the day and age we live in there's just millions of people all over the world That have not been baptized they're not part of a church they're not serving God.

They're not showing any spiritual fruit in their life, but 30 30 40 years ago I said the sinner's prayer that one time so I'm saved and the guy told me I'm eternally secure. All I'm saying is that it's never the way it was done throughout history so we just have to kind of back balance this but Yes, you have something.

It's important I think that also add because you say do this get baptized do this join the church do this do this. You need to understand that it is what Jesus did and that is what you're placing your faith.

And you're placing your faith and what Jesus did and your part in that. He did that because you broke those 10 Commandments and even a child can understand That it's wrong to lie. It's wrong to steal a child will do that.

It's wrong to be selfish. And so so I mean and in some ways we do complicate it, but the gospel is Easy enough that a child can believe it and I think when a child says Yes, Lord Jesus. I am sorry Please forgive me.

I'm glad to know that I can be forgiven. Please come into my heart. Yeah, my guess is Jesus says you met your life I'll come on in and he when he comes in he doesn't leave. You can tie him up and get him and put him in the cellar.

Yeah, but he isn't only.

Yeah, if they meant it. Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved if they meant it. But sometimes people don't and sometimes people don't understand it, so. That's that's the issue I think.

Honestly, I think this we're touching on. What is the greatest divide in evangelical Christianity. It may be the most serious issue and I can just say with meeting with pastors for the past 10 years I'm convinced that there are pastors with different Gospels within Evangelicalism that do not believe the same things.

And what it means to be saved. And this really yeah, so I I my heart aches over this and. But the opposite can be true where somebody gets they make a profession of faith they get baptized they join a church.

And we've all heard of the people. Oh, I'm I'm a member of this church, and they're they're trusting their salvation is based on the fact that they're a church member. We get it right. You're not saved because you were dunked in water.

You're not saved because you've got your name on a membership list, but these are things that save people do. So I yeah, I don't know if that.

Well, it's just something that's you know. Been there I guess. Yeah right. Because I think of the cross at the time of Christ's death and the other. One hanging to his right. Yeah.

Right and that thief on the cross did profess faith in Jesus, and he was saved without any good works or and of course he died that day, but so a person can be saved by professing and actually possessing faith and just saying the words, but.

This is why it's so important the Great Commission, right? Make disciples baptized and then what's the third one? This is why there's so much confusion within the body of Christ because people are not taught.

Whether it's the church that's dropped the ball to teach them all that Christ commanded or whether it's people that just don't Commit themselves to learning, but this this is the problem why there's so much confusion, so we need to teach with sound doctrine.

What the scripture says so if there's any more comments on this it's an important subject but. Okay number one what must someone believe about Jesus Christ for salvation. John 1 1 Jesus is God they must believe Jesus is God you say well.

Did the thief on the cross really understand the doctrine of the Trinity and all the well? I don't think he I don't know that he understood the doctrine of the Trinity. But he knew that Jesus was gonna die and that he wasn't gonna stay dead.

He knew that he had a kingdom law he called him Lord. Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom. So just because he couldn't articulate it or maybe he would have failed a theology exam that that's not the issue he believed.

Believe that Jesus is God number one and that's based on John 1 1 number 2 the essentials of evangelism. John 14 verse 6 we must believe that Jesus is the way the truth and the life. No man comes under the Father except through me Jesus said but we must believe that Jesus is the only way to God.

Okay, so if somebody said well, I believe in G. I believe the gospel. But you know I mean you can still get to heaven through Hinduism. I mean Buddhists can still get to heaven by Meditating and You know you didn't get it.

You didn't understand Jesus is the only Savior. He is the Lord and This is closely associated with Acts 4 verse 12 Jesus is the only way of salvation. So a person must believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation otherwise they haven't really understood the gospel because he is the Savior.

See this is something that the early church didn't really have a Problem with. I mean nobody oh well I mean, how do I prove this I guess but on the day of Pentecost when 3 ,000 people came to Christ I can guarantee you none of the saved people in that crowd thought that bail worship could get you to heaven.

I Mean that's absurd right. Isn't it absurd? Well, it's just as absurd to think that Islam or some other religion can get you to heaven. So but again, it's the day and age we live in where the one thing as a Christian That's just frowned upon is Having these exclusive beliefs that the whole Bible is true and that Jesus is the only way of salvation.

You start talking to people like that. And the word the world does not like that they want a plurality of gods a plurality of ways to get To God or the gods or whatever like that's the that's the climate.

We're we're in okay, so Number three the essentials of salvation. What must someone believe about Jesus Christ for salvation number one Jesus is God. He's the way the truth and the life and that he's the only way of salvation.

And is that a new idea to anyone and again You don't want to make it sound like we're in order for you to truly be saved. You need to understand these 50 different things. I mean, it's a simple faith in Jesus Christ the simplicity of the gospel, but I would just argue somebody who truly believes the message Isn't going to think that bail worship can get you to heaven to like that's just not.

The Holy Spirit isn't going to lead somebody into that into that mindset.