Becoming A Contagious Christian
The Power of Clear Communication
2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV)
2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.
I) Overcoming Barriers To Belief
1) Misconceptions
Following Christ means giving up our freedoms.
This is The oposite of what the scripture teachers
John 8:30-32 (GW)
30 As Jesus was saying this, many people believed in him.
31 So Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you live by what I say, you are truly my disciples.
32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
From Fear
1 John 4:16-18 (NIV)
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
From Worry
Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
2) Intellectual Roadblocks
To Follow Christ means I have to give up thinking
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Historical Accuary of the Bible - More evidence for the historical accuracey of the bible than any other piece of classic greek literature which is accepted as accurate.
The Problem of Evil
Christianity - vs - Science - More and more scientist are coming to faith each year.
3) Moral Misgivings - I am too bad.
Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
II) Making A Clear Gospel Presentation
1) Do - vs - Done
Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:15 (NIV)
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
1 Corinthians 15:3 (NIV)
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
Hebrews 9:15 (NIV)
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
2) The Bridge
Romans 3:23 (NIV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
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,
John 1:12 (NIV)
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--
3) The Roman Road
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
- Romans 3:23 (NIV)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- Romans 6:23 (NIV)
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
- Romans 5:8 (NIV)
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
- Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
"Or don’t you know that all of us who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
-Romans 6:3-4 (NIV)
4) Evangecube
