“Outsider” issues part 2

“Outsider” issues part 2

GRACE & PEACE-  The truths of scripture given to us by God’s GRACE inform and motivate the commands of Scripture that lead us to God’s PEACE.

  • Created us, knows what’s best.
Other Issues, Relationships are hard
Review– Pray, How? Continual, steadfastly, watchful, & Thankful
  • Pray for who?
    • 1. vs. 2-For the Church, written to the church in Colossai
    • 2. vs. 3-Pastors, church planters, missionaries
    • All points to… Praying for the lost!
    • God may open a door for the word, to declare Christ.”
    • 3. vs. 5- Outsiders

Prayer- It is the preparation & foundation of our witness & testimony.

Last week– Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
  • -Jesus as a friend of sinners. Holiness redefined.
    • Hung out with unchurched, de-churched, sinners, heathen, Heavy Dirty Souls of his day.
    • “He mostly hung out with the disciples”.   Have you seen their resume’? They became disciples, followers of Jesus, by doing so.
So let’s say you did everything you heard from the scriptures, which by the way, as followers of Jesus we ‘follow’ what he says. (Simon says)
  1.   You have prayed
  2.   Reached out and re-connected with some people outside the faith.
  3.   Now what? What do you say and how?
Please turn to Colossians 4:2

“71 percent of the respondents said they believe Jesus ‘makes a positive difference in a person’s life’ and 78 percent said they would ‘be willing to listen’ to someone who wanted to share what they believed about Christianity.”

“We think religion is a topic that is off-limits in polite conversation, but unchurched people say they would enjoy conversations about spiritual matters”

Other findings showed that 44 percent said Christians “get on my nerves.”

What do we say?  &   How do we say it?

1. WHat do we say /  vs. 3 “to declare the mystery of Christ”

The Gospel. 

SLIDE-For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… Romans 1:16

  • -This message is what makes us distinct.
  • –We don’t make claims to a better life. We make claim to a redeemed relationship with God through the cross.  

What is the Gospel?

SLIDE- Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1–4

  1.  Simple
  2.  Repeated, “I would remind you”
  3.  Received
  4.  Foundational
  5.  Continual “by which you are being saved”
  6.  Declared “preached”
  7.  Priority “First importance”

How do we say it? “proclaim” , vs. 4

1. Clearly

  • -Why water it? It doesn’t make sense to me either!
  • -Say it out loud. Jesus’ life, death & resurrection- believe it.
  • -Mystery, I’m not ashamed of it.

2. With Wisdom, vs. 5

  • –Towards
  • -Understand, empathy, compassion, patience
  • -incarnational, missional,
  • -Wilfred
  • – Whats the best use of our time? Making disciples out of non-disciples. Jesus followers out of non-Jesus followers.

3. Grace; Unmerited and unlearned love, vs. 6

  • -Jesus, Full of Grace & Truth.
  • -Ambassadors of truth
  • -Kind-  Overal worldview of Grace.
  • -Do we expect people outside the faith to act like people of faith when we can barely walk in obedience ourselves. GRACE!

SLIDE-..in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.. 1 Peter 3:15

4. Salt

  • -Few uses of salt, but this use is, seasoning your conversation with intelligent wit.
  • -Like Jesus.
    • -Did Jesus laugh? Did he say extreme and rather funny things for his day? Yes.
    • -If your son asks for ice cream will you give him cyanide?
    • -Do we pay taxes? Let me see a coin.
    • -James & John as “sons of Thunder”
      • -Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them? (Luke 9)
  • -Laugh, don’t take yourself so seriously.
  • You are forgiven and free.  If people don’t see that how are you going to lead them to forgiveness & freedom?
  • The opposite of salt? Pretentious & Prideful, Rigid and Reactive.

SLIDE- But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:17

5. Answer  “each person”

  • -Relationship. It’s the same message but with different methods of delivery!
    • “How do we witness?”,  “Who are you witnessing to?”
    • The message is the same, the method changes.
  • How God introduces himself

-Lead into Communion

SERMON SLIDES

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"Outsider" Issues
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