Sermon Central
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Share The Good News Series
Contributed by Jon Miller on Mar 1, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: This sermon is part of a series on the book of John and was preached in order to encourage the church to share the Gospel with friends and family.
Share the Good News
Today I want to address the topic of evangelism. This is one of the areas that the church in America is lacking in. We have the tendency in our business thinking to count bodies in the pew and if that number is higher this year than last we think that things are going well. Church growth has become the focus in many churches in America rather than Kingdom growth. Evangelism is the only way to have kingdom growth because it brings people and their souls into the kingdom of God not just their bodies into the church
The word Evangelism means the taking of the Good News, the gospel to the world. The word evangelist is used three times in the New Testament
2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Act 21:8 And the next [day] we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was [one] of the seven; and abode with him.
The principle of taking the good news to the lost world is found throughout the New Testament. We are actually commanded to do it by our Lord Jesus Christ
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Now let's look at this passage from John this morning.
In this verse John tells the whole reason that he wrote this book. In verse 31, “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
There is always a motivation behind the things that we do. Some books are written for profit. I heard about about a TV preacher who required a $500,000 advance from a publisher before he would write another book its clear that his motivation was profit
some people are motivated by a political agenda which is why they write books to try to convince you to follow their political party.
But look at John's motivation in writing- He wrote down the evidence about Jesus so that we might believe and have life in his name. He wasn't seeking fame or fortune, his interest was for us to know Jesus Christ and have eternal life
John was doing the work of an evangelist. We are all called to do the work of an evangelist. Its not just the job of the elders or pastor its something that we all need to know how to do because we have been commanded by our Lord to tell the world that Jesus saves.
Let's break this down this morning.
The first thing that John did was point the people to the signs of Jesus
John selected some key things to write about.]; But these are recorded [That’s a big “these.” The miracles, the signs, the resurrection, the changed lives. John told us about how Jesus changed water into wine (2:1-11); how He healed a royal official’s son (4:46-54); how He healed a lame man (5:1-18); how He fed the five-thousand (6:1-15); how He walked on the water (6:16-21); how He healed the man born blind (9:1-41); and how He raised Lazarus from the dead (11:1-57). What purpose did he have for doing so?] so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name [The gift comes from Him.].
He wanted us to see that Jesus was not just any ordinary man, that he was God in Flesh. That the fullness of the godhead dwelt in the body of Jesus
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Jhn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jhn 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
This is hard for some people to grasp that Jesus was 100% God, he was not a lesser God he was literally God in Flesh
and this is the starting point of evangelism, the world must know that there is no other God and that Jesus was who he claimed to be
So John says look at the evidence. Can a man change water into wine? Can a man make the lame walk? Can a man raise the dead? Can a man feed five thousand with one boys lunch? The evidence points to the truth that Jesus was God in Flesh
