ABLE – Live
This morning we continued in our series, “Are We There Yet”. Pastor Alex is walking us through a strategy of making disciples. We will:
Abide in Christ
to Build relationships
and Live the gospel
with Everything.
Pastor Alex defined the gospel as “the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that through faith in Him we can be forgiven and reconciled to God.” The gospel can’t be true without life, death, and the resurrection.
When we speak of living the gospel, it includes both WORD and DEED. Too often, Christians in our city focus on doing kind things for people, but never tell them why they are doing it. It is critical to speak the gospel to them. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Here is an illustration of how to share the gospel using this verse with others:
Another tool mentioned was the 3 circles method. You can watch that here.
Matthew 5:14-15 is part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus reminds us that we are the light of the world. Our actions point to the gospel. We love because He first loved us. BUT, we must share the light with others. It takes 20 seconds of boldness to step into the conversation. “Let your light shine before men SO THAT they may see your good deeds and give GLORY TO YOUR FATHER in heaven.” Make sure people in your life know WHY you do kind things, WHY you serve others, and WHY you have joy.
There is a lot of philanthropy in our city, but only one gospel! If we do not share the message of the gospel, studies in our city show that we will have more “unchurched” than “churched” people in Charlotte in just 7 short years.
CHALLENGES:
1. Know what the gospel is – see definition above!
2. Memorize Romans 6:23
3. Write down 1 name of someone you will speak the gospel to in the next 30 days.