This Is No Time To Be Quiet Series

THIS IS NO TIME TO BE QUIET!

II Corinthians 5:16-6:2

S: Evangelism

Th: Seeing the Unseen Christ: How His Presence Transforms Life

Pr: WHEN WE PRACTICE CHRIST’S PRESENCE, WE DELIGHT IN INTRODUCING HIM TO OTHERS.

?: Why?

KW: Convictions

TS: We will find in our study of II Corinthians 5:16-6:2 three convictions we have that causes us to introduce Jesus to others.

The ____ conviction we have that causes us to introduce Jesus to others is…

I. WE WERE LOST (16-17)

II. WE WERE CHANGED (17-19)

III. WE ARE AMBASSADORS (19-2)

RMBC 4/08/01 AM

INTRODUCTION:

Drama: “Undercover Christians”

Does anybody know that you are a Christian?

You know, we laugh at that drama…but perhaps we laugh because we see more of ourselves than we want to.

Me included…

Sometimes, when I am at a soccer practice and talking to parents, the subject of what you do for a living inevitably comes up.

When I say I am a pastor, it usually gets some interesting responses—usually it is a smiling stare—and they say, “Oh, that’s nice…”

I try to lighten the tension with humor by saying something like, “I was trying to keep that undercover,” or “I am paid to be good.”

Usually something like that defuses the situation and they discover I am credible and rather normal.

Then, it is neat to observe how the doors open up…

TRANSITION:

We are on Sunday 7 of 8 and day 43 of our 50-day adventure.

Our theme this year has been: Seeing the Unseen Christ—How His Presence Transforms Life.

It has been my prayer that we as a church would be growing during this time, dedicated to experiencing and knowing God’s renewal in our lives.

If you have fallen behind in your journal, this is a good time to get back on track and finish with a flurry.

Give it your all and finish well.

Jesus is here!

When we are aware of this fact…

1. Christ’s Presence impacts each of us and renews our convictions to live for His glory.

And the results are great!

Our worship comes alive and becomes powerfully real.

Loving each other becomes a priority, so much so that Christ’s love routinely marks our interaction with each other.

We also have a new motivation to live righteously because we hunger for greater holiness.

We have a newfound zeal that is eager to serve the Lord.

Scripture comes alive and takes on added authority.

And as we learned last week, with the realization of Christ’s Presence, prayer becomes more personal, authentic and integral to everyday matters of life.

Prayer becomes the language of our heart.

Today, it is our goal to see that when we realize His Presence, we have a renewed interest in seeing others meet Him.

Now…

2. The E-word is an essential to the fabric of the Christian life.

Evangelism…I hope that my saying the e-word didn’t make you twitch and shake like Gary and Jon.

Most of us are probably familiar with this concept.

Many of us have taken courses in evangelism or attended special classes.

With all the focus we have on it, what is interesting is that in the typical church, only a minority actually do it.

This means that we need a major adjustment when it comes to this subject.

For…

3. WHEN WE PRACTICE CHRIST’S PRESENCE, WE DELIGHT IN INTRODUCING HIM TO OTHERS.

When was the last time you felt compelled to do something?

There was an inner pressure, a strong urge…an oughtness that you needed to respond to?

When we have genuine conviction, it always prompts action.

You know, I want to see all of us move beyond just interest in seeing others meet the Lord, to having a conviction so intense we are compelled to take action.

This is my goal for us as a church family.

That we will stop smiling around the word evangelism, but instead have a conviction that we must do something about it.

Today…

4. We will find in our study of II Corinthians 5:16-6:2 three convictions we have that causes us to introduce Jesus to others.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first conviction we have that causes us to introduce Jesus to others is WE WERE LOST (16-17).

(16) So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

ILL Notebook: Lost (Wyoming)

A local hunting guide got himself into a real fix. His party became hopelessly lost in the mountains and they blamed him for leading them astray. "You told us you were the best guide in Colorado!" they asserted. "I am," he said, "but I think we’re in Wyoming now."