Authentic – Part 2 – Evangelical Passion

WARM-UP

There is a story about a little boy who returned home after his first Sunday school class. His mother asked, “Who was your teacher?” The little boy answered, “I don’t remember her name, but she must have been Jesus’ grandmother because she didn’t talk about anyone else but Jesus.” Do our conversations reflect our love for Jesus? Would our words give away our relationship with Him? Is it possible that we don’t share Jesus to others because we’re not passionate about Him? 

ONE BIG  IDEA

THE THINGS WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT WILL BE THE THINGS WE ACT UPON.

 STUDY (Romans 10:14-15 ESV)

“14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!””

LEARN

You are PASSIONATE about what you TREASURE the most. You can easily tell what a person is passionate about. Just listen to what they usually talk about. Check how they spend their time, treasure and talent.  For the REAL Christian, Evangelical Passion is a MUST! What we talk about the most, will define what we are passionate about. Evangelical Passion is the sign of a true believer, because he is busy telling everybody about his faith.

PASSION’S REASON

A.Salvation Received (Ephesians 6:17a)

More than anybody on the face of the earth, we who are truly saved have a reason to be passionate.

Until we really understand what SALVATION means, we will never understand its IMPORTANCE. When we talk about Salvation, we are not talking about some intellectual knowledge of who Jesus Christ is. We are talking here about a SAVING experience.

1. Souls to Save! (John 3:16)

In this passage, God shares His passion for souls. Lost souls matter to God!  If this were not the case, God would have just wiped the slate clean after Adam and Eve sinned. He would have started all over. But His love for sinners, His love for every soul, compelled Him to passionately do something to save them.

We all know people in our lives who are lost. They matter to God, they should matter to you. Matthew 16:26 – “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul (ESV)?”  There are many reasons why we should be passionate, however, if it were only because of the lost souls out there, that should be enough.

PASSION’S RECOURSE

A.Passion for Obedience (Acts 8:26,29)

Philip was not only a faithful preacher, evangelist; he was also an obedient personal worker. Like his Master, he was willing to leave the crowds and deal with one lost soul. The angel could have told this Ethiopian official how to be saved, but God has not given the commission to angels: He has given it to His people. Angels have never personally experienced God’s grace; therefore, they can never bear witness of what it means to be saved.

It is every Christian’s business to share the Gospel with others, and to do it WITHOUT FEAR OR APOLOGY. God uses people, DEDICATED men and women, who will obey the Spirit. How many times have you heard the Holy Spirit say, “Go tell that person I love him!” “Go give that person a Bible, a meal, or some clothes? It is much easier to be obedient, when you are living a Righteous life. When you “Live by the Spirit,” you will be obedient to the Spirit. We need to look for DIVINE APPOINTMENTS. Ask God to assign a person to whom you can share your faith with.

1. Passion and Enthusiasm (Acts 8:30a)

A lot of us may reluctantly decide to obey God when He tells us to go to someone. So, what should we do? Have you ever asked your kids to do something? (clean their room, pick up some trash, do the dishes. Don’t we just love it, when they say, “Oh, do I have to? Can’t it wait till tomorrow? Or better yet, “Why me? Why not her?” They take more time complaining about it, use more energy, trying not to do it, than if they did what you asked them to do in the first place.) How do you think our father in Heaven reacts when we do the same thing when it comes to evangelism? When we react in obedience to God, is it because we are trying to set God up? Or are we obedient out of passion? Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is. Delayed obedience is disobedience.

1. Passion for Knowledge (Acts 8:30b-31)

One of the greatest fears Christians face is their lack of confidence in knowing how to share their faith. . If your faith did not mean anything to you, you most likely would not be here today. Your faith does matter.

Satan would like us to believe that NOBODY cares about God or His word! That our friends and family could care less about spiritual matters. It is a Lie from the enemy. People are more concerned about spiritual matters today, than they were in the Bible times. You don’t have to wait for you to get a Doctorate degree in Theology before you can share. Your TESTIMONY is the easiest thing to share. Some people can argue the interpretation of Scripture. But one thing they cannot argue about is your testimony. It is your story of what God did in your life. Just remember two things when sharing: 1) I am a great sinner; and 2) Christ is a great Savior.  A passionate Christian will always increase his knowledge of the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He fought off that temptation with His knowledge of the Word of God.

1. Passion for Message (Acts 8:35)

Philip understood what he was passionate about. It was JESUS! Philip’s Message was Jesus! We can never go wrong if we keep our message simple, keep our message on the main topic – Jesus! Philip did not preach his experiences. He did not preach about the disciples. He did not preach about his latest revival meeting. He did not try to preach some hyped-up emotion. He preached only about Jesus! Jesus is the Answer. He is the hope. In Him is where we find our salvation, our forgiveness, our hope. He is what the world is looking for.

Jesus is our Message! A Christian who doesn’t SHARE is a Christian who doesn’t CARE. Evangelism is the only thing God tells us to do here on earth that we cannot do in heaven.

 Grow:

Application Questions:

1.Think about a friend or member of your family who has not accepted Christ at this stage in his or her life. Which characteristics of God(His unfailing love, mercy, grace, care) do you think would be attractive to him or her? What do you think is the most effective way of sharing the gospel of Jesus to nonbelievers in a nonthreatening way?

2.‘What fears or struggles are keeping you from sharing your faith? What truths about God can you meditate upon to fight against those fears?

3.What are some of the obstacles today that stand in the way of people believing in Jesus and following him? How can they be removed?