Lesson 6Outline of God S Word and God S Scientists 21
Contents
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Lesson 1The Good News1
Lesson 2Bridge to Life6
Lesson 3Repentance9
Lesson 4Jesus13
Lesson 5Who is Jesus Christ16
Lesson 6Outline of “God’s Word and God’s Scientists”21
Lesson 7How Do We Know the Bible is True23
Lesson 8The Bible is the Word of God32
Lesson 9Real Happiness: An Abundant Life39
Lesson 10Sharing Our Personal Testimony and the Gospel 43
Lesson 11Effective Evangelism49
Lesson 12Important Questions55
Lesson 13Rejoice in God’s Relationship with Us58
LESSON 1
THE GOOD NEWS
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is an important key in witnessing to nonbelievers. Our personal testimony often helps people become interested in the love of Jesus Christ, but we need to lead people to accept Christ by sharing the main content of the gospel which is the good news that Jesus Christ loved us so much that He was willing to be crucified and die for our sins. There are 5 steps in presenting the gospel.
1. Telling about God's character (By giving an illustration)
1.1He is the Creator and Almighty
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
1.2He is holy and just
Isaiah 6:3 And they were calling to one another. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Isaiah 57:15 For this is what the high and lofty One says--he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
1.3He is love
Psalm 103:17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children
Psalm 108:4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
1.4He is powerful
Luke 1:37 For nothing impossible with God.
2. Telling about men's sinful nature
By describing that God, who is the creator of men, gave us the freedom of choice. We can choose to do good or evil. But men decided to do their own will (or sin) by making choices apart from God's ways.
2.1God's character
He is the Creator.
Colossians 1:16-17 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
2.2He created men
God gave us freedom of choice (to do good or evil). But men choose to commit sin.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
3. Telling about sin
Give an illustration to show that God is righteous, holy and just, and that sin can not dwell in His presence. Because of men's choice to commit sin, they are automatically separated from God. The penalty of sin is eternal death.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
1)God's character ------> Holy and just
2)Men ------> Choose to commit sin
3)Sin ------> Death ------> In eternal lake of fire
Revelation 21:7-8 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
The Bible says, "The wages of sin is eternal death." In other words, the payment of our sin is eternal death in hell. Men are therefore in a hopeless situation and they can not save themselves to be free from the penalty of sin.
4. Telling about salvation through Jesus
Besides being just, God is also full of love. He does not want men to go to hell. He therefore has provided the way of salvation for them by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in order to redeem us from the punishment of sin.
1)God ------> Full of love
2)Men ------> Choose to commit sin
3)Sin ------> Death ------> Hell
4)Jesus ------> Died for men's penalty of sin (Romans 5:8).
1 John 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-8)
Men can not be saved from the penalty of sin by any other means except by putting their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus who died for them (Acts 4:12).
5. Telling about what men will receive after they believe in Jesus
5.1Eternal life
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
5.2The right to be God’s children
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
5.3Peace
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
5.4New life
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
After explaining the 5th step of the good news, we should challenge those listeners, who seem to be interested to make a decision to accept Jesus Christ as their savior (Romans 10:9-10, Revelation 3:20). Read the four Bible verses in step 5 for them so that the Holy Spirit will convict them through God's word. We should emphasize that these four blessings can not be bought by credit we earned by good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). God would like to give His love and blessings as free gifts to those who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we mention about having a new life in Christ, we should share our personal testimony of how God has changed our lives. If they are ready to accept Christ, we should persuade them to accept Him. We should give an illustration while we are explaining the gospel so that the listeners will not be confused with its content.
Note: We should memorize every step of witnessing so that we will not forget some important part of the personal testimony and the gospel.
Conclusion
In Romans 1:14-15 the apostle Paul said, "I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at...Seattle."
Witnessing the good news of Jesus is not a choice but it is what we should do with eagerness because of what we owe Jesus since He died for us. Jesus commands us to preach the way of salvation to others after we receive salvation. As Christians, we all have the responsibility to witness for Christ and share the gospel with others. Therefore, learning how to witness and to share the gospel helps us to be productive in serving God.
MEMORY VERSES
Please memorize the following verses because they are very important Scriptures that you can mention while witnessing.
John 3:16; John 1:12; John 14:27; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23
Lesson 2
BRIDGE TO LIFE
GOD LOVES US AND WANTS TO OFFER A WONDERFUL PLAN FOR OUR LIFE
1.God's love is revealed
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
2.God has a wonderful plan for us
John 10:10 "Jesus said, 'I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.'"
God loves us and all mankind. He wants to bless our life and make it full and complete. He offers us not only an abundant life here and now, but a life which is eternal.
MEN HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD AND ARE SEPARATED FROM HIM
1.Man is sinful
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
2.Man is separated from God; Sin brings death and judgment
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you."
Man was created to have fellowship with God; but he chose to go his own way, and fellowship with God was broken. To continue in sin will result in spiritual death, which is separation from God forever.
Hebrews 9:27 "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power."
JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S ONLY PROVISION FOR MAN'S SIN
1.Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
We do not have to lead a "good" life and do charitable acts so that God will love us. God loves us even in our sin. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die in our place and to pay the penalty for our sin so that we can be reconciled to God.
1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
1 Timothy 2:5-6 "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men."
2.Jesus rose from the dead
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 "Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..."
3.Christ is the only way to God
John 14:6 "Jesus said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'."
SALVATION IS A FREE GIFT AND WE MUST INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD
We are saved by God's grace
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
We receive Christ through faith. Grace means undeserved favor. God graciously offers to us what we could never do for ourselves. God's gift to us is free. All we need to do is to receive it and believe with all our heart that Jesus Christ died for us to provide deliverance from our sins.
LESSON 3
REPENTANCE
Goals of this lesson
To help the new believers to:
1)Repent or turn away from sins
2)Follow Jesus Christ as Lord of our life.
Jesus' command
Mark 1:15 "The time has come." he said, "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news! "
Additional Bible verses that support this command are: Matthew 16:24, Matthew 18:3-4, Acts 17:30
The early church in the book of Acts
Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, 'Repent...' "
Introduction
It is Jesus' desire for us to have a new spiritual life.
1)God wants to bless us and wants to change our life.
2)God wants to use our lives to touch and to bless other people.
Teacher prays with the group and starts the lesson.
Read Luke 19:1-10. Explain the story of Zacchaeus and the command of Jesus Christ for Christians to repent.
JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS
Luke 19:1-10 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’” 8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
1.Before Zacchaeus met Jesus Christ, what kind of person was he?
1.1He was a tax collector and a very rich man (verse 2)
Zacchaeus spent his life cheating people and being corrupt; he was a sinner (verse 7, Romans 3:23).
1.2What is sin?
Sin is when we do everything according to our own will, not according to God's will (Isaiah 53:6). Sin is not giving honor to God (Romans 1:21). Some examples are lying, being proud, stealing, etc. Sin separates us from God and eternal life (Isaiah 59:2).
2.How did Jesus greet Zacchaeus?
2.1Jesus called his name
Jesus knows our names.
Each one of us is a special person to God. He has a wonderful plan for each one of our lives.
2.2Jesus accepted Zacchaeus just as he was
Jesus loved Zacchaeus and was willing to stay in his house even though he was a sinner. Zacchaeus was valuable enough that Jesus would die for him on the cross. Jesus took the punishment for our sins when he died on the cross. Jesus is the way that we can have reconciliation with God (1 Peter 3:18).
3.How did Zacchaeus respond to Jesus Christ?
3.1Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus with a joyful heart (verse 6)
3.2Zacchaeus showed repentance by action
He proclaimed that he would stop sinning in his life and he returned back to people four times more than he had taken from them.
This action showed that he had true repentance. This action showed that he had turned away from his old life and wanted to walk according to God's will. Sin separates us from God. When we repent of our sin, we can have a renewed fellowship with God.
4.When Jesus saw that Zacchaeus repented, what did he say?
Luke 19:9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too, is the son of Abraham."
In the same way when we repent of our sins, Jesus is ready to embrace us and to give us eternal life (Romans 6:23, John 1:12).
There are two parts to renew our fellowship with God:
1)The first part is done by God: God sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.
2)The second part is done by us: We have to repent and turn away from sin and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and our Lord.
BRIDGE TO LIFE
1.God
He is holy. He loves his creation and He has the excellent goal for everyone.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1 Peter 1:4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you,
2.Mankind
Man lives in his sin according to his own will and disobedience to God.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
3.Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ died for sins and to bring us reconciliation with God.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
4.Our human response
we have to repent and accept Jesus Christ into our lives as our Savior.
Acts 17:30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
When Jesus calls us to repent from sin and start a Christian life, what does it mean?
1)Instead of walking our life according to our desire and our will, we turn toward Jesus and follow His will. We let Him have lordship in our lives. When we want to make any decision, we turn to Him and find out what He wants us to do.
2)We ask Him to reveal to us sins in our lives. God wants us to stop sinning, repent of our sins and receive forgiveness from Him. Christian brothers and sisters must teach the new believers how to read the Bible and pray to God daily. The teacher should encourage the new believers to spend personal time with God daily by praying and reading the Bible.
LESSON 4
JESUS
THE GOAL OF THE LESSON
To know about Jesus' live that He is God and He humbled Himself to be born in this world in a human form to take away our sins.
Introduction