SB#5
15 October
Acts 9
Saul's conversion:
God's work in conversion, our work in evangelism and witness
I. Acts 9:1-31.
A. Introduction.
Read the passage. Reflect on when and how you first became a Christian. How did God use others, and how did God work directly on you?.
B. Saul's conversion
Describe Saul's spiritual state before his conversion. Was he religious? How helpful was it?
Despite his highly advanced intellectual and spiritual training, did he know God at all? [v5]
What was necessary for him to learn the spiritual realities?
What kinds of people today are similar? What is the nature of their "spirituality"?
(e.g., religious people, whether Protestant, Catholic, professing Christian, or sincere people of other religions)
In what ways do they believe they know God?
What is needed for them to come to Christ? How can this happen?
Did God convert Saul thru theological debate or lecture? How did He convert him? How does this affect how we witness?
Discuss: What is God's role in conversion, and what are our roles and responsibilities?
Do we feel inclined to witness to those who are opposed to the gospel? Would God want us to witness to them? How? (cf. Ananias, v10-19)
See also: 2 Cor 11, Phil. 3, 1 Tim. 1
C. Our response
-
Share: How often do you witness? In what way?
-
What hinders us from witnessing? How should we respond to and overcome these hindrances?
-
Aside from witnessing itself, how do we live as a witness? Why is it a necessary part of witnessing? (1 Peter 2:12)
-
Do you know how to share your testimony? If not, practice how you would share it in a way that is relevant to others and glorfies God.
-
Do you know how to share the gospel? What are the main elements of the gospel that you need to communicate? How do we communicate it clearly, without a lot of Christianese jargon?
-
How can we share the gospel with others that we know?
How can we help others come to faith?
How can we be more involved in the fellowship's outreach?
How can we help the EBS groups in their work? -
What are common objections from non-Christians? How do we handle them? (see also section F)
II. Sharing the gospel
Discuss the difference between 'being a witness' and sharing the gospel. In what ways are they necessary for us, and why?
D. The content of the gospel: Key elements of the gospel message to share.
These are the basic elements of the gospel that we need to communicate.
This more or less follows the four spiritual laws;
however, the particular method that you use is not so important as sharing the essential content of the gospel.
-
God's character
-
human sinfulness
-
Christ as redeemer
-
our personal response required
1. God's character: who He is
-
God is our creator (Gen. 1-3, Col. 1:16), which gives Him right and authority over us. He created us for His purposes and glory.
-
God is love (1 Jn. 4:10-12, 16, 3:1-3)
-
God is just and holy (Hab. 1:13, Mt. 5:48)
-
He wants to have a relationship and fellowship with us.
(especially for those totally unfamiliar with Christianity, this may be a primary focus in presenting the gospel, before presenting the remaining points)
2. human sinfulness and meaninglessness
-
All have sinned (Rom. 1:20-25, 7:7-13)
-
All are sinful (Is. 64)
-
All possibility of relationship and fellowship is lost
-
Spiritual death (eternal separation from God) is the logical result (Rom. 6:23)
-
Though we may seek to fill the spiritual vaccuum or even seek God, we can't get it right we can't do it ourselves (Rom 7:14-26)
-
We fill the spiritual void with false gods or religion; this doesn't solve the problem, but only gives a cosmetic fix (2 Tim 3:5)
3. Christ as redeemer
-
Jesus himself took the penalty of our disobedience (Jn 1:1-14, Acts 2:22-24, Is. 53)
-
Because he is completely God (Jn 1:1) and completely man (Jn 1:14, 1 Jn 1), he and only he can serve as a guilt offering for all of us.
-
His death makes it possible for us to take part in his righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24)
-
Jesus claimed to be the only way to God, and the Bible is very clear about Jesus being the only way.
-
He can make such an exclusive claim, because he himself is God and the mediating sacrifice between us and God.
4. our response required
-
We are made in God's (spiritual) image, so we have free will to accept or reject Him. (Gen. 3)
-
Not accepting him and his claims is tantamount to rejection.
-
Accepting him entails faith. Faith is not just intellectual assent (James 2:19-20), but believing with one's whole being
mind, soul, will, intellect, emotions, etc.
Biblical faith entails total commitment, and a life of discipleship. (Mt. 10:38, 16:24)
-
Jesus calls all to be his disciples, and to respond to his call.
Following Jesus requires giving up everything else. (Lk. 14:26, 27, 33)
See also: 2 Tim. 4:2; Rom. 10:13; Jn 3:17-18, 3:36, 5:24, 12:47-48; 1 Jn 2:12
E. Sharing your testimony and your faith
1. Guidelines. Discuss or explain the following (from 1 Peter 3:13-18 and today's study):
-
Be sanctified, set apart Christ as Lord in your heart, i.e., be holy, know God, be close to God
-
Be gentle
-
Be respectful
-
Be ready
-
Avoid too much "Christianese" religious jargon that most non-believers won't understand; explain things clearly, simply, and explicitly so they can understand the important concepts.
-
Trust in God and prayer to change people. It doesn't depend on you, so you don't have to go to extremes to make a person convert.
2. Sharing your testimony
You may want to share your testimony as a part of witnessing at times.
In sharing your testimony, it is good to follow the following guidelines:
-
Keep it Christ-centered. Focus on God and what He has done. Don't focus on yourself too much.
-
Keep it reasonably brief.
-
Don't just focus on the events leading up to your salvation, but also on what God has done since then.
-
Avoid unnecessary sordid or dramatic detail. This focuses attention on yourself and not on God.
3. Practice
Think about how you would present the gospel to your non-Christian friends, and how you would explain it to them in a way that they can understand.
Now role-play and practice sharing the gospel as you might share it with your friends.
F. Handling common objections.
As a final activity, have your group brainstorm and come up with common objections that non-Christians give,
and ways of handling or responding to them.
[If you or group members have difficulty with handling objections and other problems, consult with a pastor for advice, or refer to some well balanced apologetics resources.]
G. Prayer.
Pray for: opportunities to witness; for witness to specific individuals; for salvation of specific persons; for sharing the gospel; and for strength, courage, wisdom, and readiness to share the gospel.
H. Further resources.
-
gospel tracts:
the four spiritual laws by Campus Crusade in various languages,
including Chinese versions in traditional and simplified characters,
www.ccci.org. -
books:
Manning, Brennan. The Ragamuffin Gospel. Multnomah Books, 1990.
Pippert, Rebecca Manley. Out of the Saltshaker. InterVarsity Press, 1979.
Stiles, J. Mack. Speaking of Jesus. InterVarsity Press, 1995.
Wimber, John, and Kevin Springer. Power Evangelism. Harper & Row, 1986. -
Bible studies:
Witness (Matthew 28, 1 Peter 3), a similar study from last spring at ICCF.
Pippert, Rebecca, & Ruth Siemens. Evangelism: A Way of Life. InterVarsity Press. Downers Grove IL: 1985.
[like such study guides, this presents brief intro and survey studies of biblical passages on evangelism, though nothing in-depth]