OPEN: There’s a true story about a church down south where the preacher had been preaching about the importance of witnessing to people about Christ. One particular person took this to heart – a mentally handicapped young man – and he began telling everyone who would listen about Jesus and asking if they’d like to become Christians.
One particular Sunday a skeptic came to visit the church. He didn’t want to be there. His family had invited him and it was more out politeness than anything else that he was there. And then this boy approached him and asked if he wanted to become a Christian.
"NO!" the man responded.
The slow witted boy looked at him for a moment and then responded:
"Well, then you can go to hell,"
And he turned away and left.
(PAUSE)
For the next few weeks we’re going to be looking at several unique Christian Words.
“CHRISTIANEZE” is what we’re calling this series, and the first of those Christianeze kind of words we’re going to examine is “Evangelism”.
Now, when many people in the world hears this word “Evangelism” what they often hear Christians saying is “You’re Going To Hell”.
And there’s a reason they would think that. Many Christians believe that they NEED to talk about HELL if they’re going to witness properly. On Facebook I read this statement:
“Hell is not solved by Stop, Drop and Roll. In Hell There Is Weeping, Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth.”
http://skepticalavenger.tumblr.com/post/41036130455/quotes
On the internet I also found a Gospel tract that had this on its cover:
“Heaven Or Hell? You could die today”.
And on the inside of the tract was this phrase:
“Are You Going To Hell? Do you care for your soul?”
Then it went on to ask if the reader had ever lied, stolen, taken God’s name in vain, basically explaining that all this made it so the reader deserved to be in hell.
http://www.knowyoureternity.com/pages/popups/bcpopup.html
It’s because of statements and tracts like these that people of this world that believe that the main focus of evangelism is to tell folks “You’re all going to hell… and I just thought I’d let you know!”
HOLD THAT THOUGHT FOR JUST A MOMENT
The first thing I want to do this morning is answer a question:
What DOES Evangelism mean?
The Greek word is “eu-anggelion”
“Eu” means “good” (as in “Eulogy” where the preacher says “Good Words” about the deceased)
And “Angeelion” (a similar word “angel”) that means “message”.
Literally, Evangelism means “Good Message” or “Good News”
I examined a number of Bible translations and found that “eu-anggelion” was never translated “Evangelism/ Evangelistic” in any of them. Every time that word “Eu-anggelion” shows up in the New Testament the English word they use is GOSPEL.
So… both “Evangelism” and “Gospel” are translations of the same Greek word, and they both mean “Good News”
Now (pause) is there a real Hell? YES
Are there people who are going to go to hell when they die? YES
Is telling people they’re going to hell “Good News” NO.
ILLUS: Some time back I read an interesting observation by someone.
He noted that Jesus DID talk a fair amount about hell.
For example, Jesus said “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Matthew 5:29
So, Jesus talked about Hell… but He never seemed to use hell to convert anyone.
For example, when Jesus met the woman at the well, He never mentioned hell.
And the woman caught in adultery about whom Jesus said “He that is without sin…” – Jesus never mentioned Hell to her either.
The closest I could find to Jesus mentioning Hell was when He healed the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. Afterwards Jesus said to this man “… Stop sinning or SOMETHING WORSE may happen to you.” John 5:1
Hmmm… so Jesus never used Hell as part of His message to convert folks.
Now that makes sense when you remember Jesus’ ministry was recorded in GOSPELS.
Do you remember what the word Gospel means? (“Good News”)
What is the “Good News”
Well, we all know John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
You know that verse don’t you?
But many people don’t know the NEXT verse that says:
“For God DID NOT send his Son into the world to CONDEMN THE WORLD; but to save the world through him.” John 3:17
The Good News is that Jesus did not come to this world to condemn us to hell.
He came to save us from it.
When Jesus talked about Hell, He was generally talking to His followers.
But why focus on Hell with them?
I mean – they’re “followers” --- they should be shoe-ins for heaven.
Why tell THEM about Hell?
Well, I believe He did that because WE - who are the followers of Christ - need to realize what is at stake. If we just play at church… people will go to hell.
This is not game!
This is literally a matter of life and death!
ILLUS: How many of you have ever heard of the team of magicians called “Penn & Teller”?
Penn is the tall talkative man, and Teller is portrayed as being a Mute (he never talks).
The tall man’s full name is Penn Jillette, and he is not only a gifted magician and superb showman… he is also an outspoken atheist. He has nothing for Christianity or God.
A couple of years back, this video showed up on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6md638smQd8
(start about 0.10 and go till 4:53 and fade out on sound).
Now notice what impressed Penn.
What was it about the businessman’s approach that impressed him?
That’s right – the man cared enough to share his faith with him.
But I also want you to notice that this businessman didn’t try to frighten Penn into salvation by threatening him with hell. It wouldn’t have worked.
But because this businessman was respectful, complimentary and earnest in his faith, Penn gave this man respect.
Penn saw that this man CARED for him.
You see I believe Jesus never intended us to frighten or browbeat anyone into salvation.
As Christians we DO need to know that there is a hell.
And we’ve gotta believe there’s a lot riding on people’s decision about Christ.
BUT we’ve got to win people by our faith and by our caring attitude… not by fear!
ILLUS: Years ago when my Mom and Dad were alive, Dad didn’t go to church much. He wasn’t an atheist exactly… he was just a guy who was comfortable keeping God at arm’s length. God was over there, and Dad was over here and that was just alright with Dad.
But Mom went to church religiously, and that bothered Dad.
He didn’t like the idea of her sharing her affections with anyone, let alone God.
He tried talking her out of going, but she said she went to make sure she got to heaven.
In the course of that conversation, Dad asked Mom:
“Would you be happy in HEAVEN if I were in hell?”
And Mom responded “Would you really be happy in hell if I were there with you?
That simple phrase hit its mark, and it wasn’t long after that that Dad went forward at the invitation. On the way home from Church that day, Mom said Dad pulled over to the side of the road and wept and wept and wept.
It was her compassion and love for him that won Dad over to God.
Now just because we don’t scare people into hell in doesn’t mean we should ignore sin.
Jesus reminded the woman at the well of her 5 husbands, and the man she was living with she wasn’t married to.
And there was no ignoring the fact that the woman caught in adultery was an adulteress.
Repeatedly Jesus would tell people - go and sin no more.
Now, Penn Jillette is a man who believes he’s ok just the way he is.
He believes he’s good enough without God.
And until he is brought face to face with his own sinfulness he’s going to remain an atheist… because he doesn’t think he needs God.
That’s the barrier, the wall, that Penn Jillette has built in his life to keep God out.
Because he doesn’t want God to get in.
So… do you think that maybe I could convince this mighty magician that he is a sinner?
MAYBE…
If he knew me.
If he liked me.
If he would listen to me… maybe
But odds are against it.
He’s a powerful, wealthy, accomplished entertainer.
I don’t fit in his circle.
The fact of the matter is… he is a sinner
And he will go to hell if he doesn’t turn to God.
And I DON’T like that.
So how will Penn Jillette EVER accept the fact that he’s NOT good enough as he is?
Well… here’s the secret
Jesus said that the Holy Spirit had a job… and that job was to “… CONVICT the world OF GUILT in regard to SIN and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8
Now you or I MIGHT get an opportunity to talk to Penn Jillette.
We MIGHT get the opportunity to talk with him about the sin in his life
But it would only be the Spirit of God who could convict him of that sin.
And that’s good news for me, because I really don’t like giving people a hard time.
And here’s the deal:
I don’t have to shame him into salvation.
I don’t have to guilt him into heaven.
I don’t have to scare him into repentance…
That’s the Spirit’s job!!!
MY JOB is to present the Good News to him.
So, what is the Good News?
The good news is the Gospel.
And the Gospel has a power all of its own.
Paul wrote: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is THE POWER OF GOD unto salvation to everyone that believes” Romans 1:16
In other words every time you or I present the Gospel – the Good News of God - that Good News has POWER.
In Hebrews 4:12 we read “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
And in Isaiah 55:11 God tells us that His Word “…will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
So, when I’m talking with someone, quoting Scripture is a much more powerful tool than telling them my opinions and theories and ideas, because Scripture has a power my mere words will never have. That’s because God’s Word - especially the His Words about the Good News - has power. It has power to reach into the very heart of the sinner and bring them to repentance.
You don’t have to be particularly smart or clever or Bible College trained to witness about Jesus. All you have to do is BELIEVE that this Good News is TRUE and then share it with others
And then God will take it from there.
So, what is the Good News?
What is this Gospel?
Well, let’s look at what the Bible says:
“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the GOSPEL I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this GOSPEL you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
1. that Christ DIED for our sins according to the Scriptures,
2. that he was BURIED,
3. that he was RAISED on the third day according to the Scriptures,
4. and that he APPEARED to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles” I Corinthians 15:1-7
That’s the Gospel.
Jesus DIED.
He was BURIED.
And He ROSE from the dead… just like Scripture said he’d do.
AND His resurrected body was seen by 100s of witnesses.
Why is that the “Good News”?
Because it drives home the fact that God CARES about what happens to us.
It tells us that God stepped down out of heaven… became like us.
He took off His Godhood and came down to die on the cross for our sins so that we could be freed from sin/guilt/self-hatred.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
And this wasn’t done in a dark room someplace…
ILLUS: A few days ago I saw this intriguing video some time back that told about “How Other Religions Began” and this is what it said:
• Someone had a private idea about God
• Or someone had a private dream about God
• Or someone had a private encounter with an angel
• Then that single someone told the rest of the world
• This makes other religions impossible to verify because there are no eye-witnesses of the prime event.
BUT Christianity was different. Christianity started because:
• Jesus spent 3 years doing miracles and teaching – publicly
• Jesus was executed – publicly
• Jesus was buried and rose from a public tomb – publicly
• Jesus showed that he was alive – publicly
• Then it was the public that told the rest of the world
• Christianity is the world’s most testable religion.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLcCY1mapgQ)
That’s why they call the Gospels the Gospels because they tell you all about Jesus’ death/burial/ resurrection. And it was done PUBLICLY with 100s of eye witnesses. SO, you and I can be assured that what we believe has been verified and trustworthy.
ILLUS: As I was working on this sermon my mind drifted to an imaginary conversation I might have with Penn Jillette. I play out how the debate might go between us and I became distressed by the fact that it would soon become a bloated unwieldly conversation.
Then it occurred to me that Penn’s argument against Christianity had one fatal flaw.
Did you notice in the video where he said “religion has done a lot of bad stuff”?
Do you know what he was saying?
Penn was saying that a lot of Christians had messed up.
Well, that’s a no-brainer.
All Christians mess up. In fact, some of us are better at messing up than others.
Have you ever messed up?
Do you think I’ve ever messed up?
The argument has legs because the church is always going to have someone in it that will embarrass us.
But notice that Penn didn’t say anything against Jesus. And that’s because Jesus is at the core of the Gospel. He is the power of our faith. Our witness is most forceful when we stay on point with Jesus crucified, buried and risen from the dead.
But now - there’s One Last Thing
Without this One Last Thing… the Gospel isn’t the Gospel.
If you leave out this One Last Thing when you tell others the Good News… it’s not good news.
What is this One Last Thing?
Paul wrote: “and LAST OF ALL he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
I Corinthians 15:8-10
Now… here’s the deal:
If you come across to others as “holier than thou” and “ultra-righteous” and condemning you’ve missed the point of the Gospel. The Gospel is that Jesus died for you when you didn’t deserve it. Unless you realize that you didn’t earn your salvation - that you weren’t qualified to get into heaven - you will have failed to share the true Gospel.
You see, when you became a Christian… (I walked over to the baptistery)
You were buried with Christ
And you went down into the water A SINNER
And you came up out of that water A SAVED BELIEVER
In that single act you declared you believed in the GOOD NEWS.
In that single act you declared that Jesus died/ buried/ rose from the dead, because that’s what you just did (DIED/BURIED/ ROSE).
You believed the Good News.
And the good news was this – you did not deserve to be saved.
In that single act of allowing yourself to be baptized, you were declaring that it was ONLY by the GRACE OF GOD that you’ll ever have the promise of heaven.
You and I were not saved because we were better people that Penn Jillette.
You and I were not saved because we haven’t sinned like some sinner and prostitutes.
And we were not saved because we didn’t end up in prison/ or on death row
We were saved because the good news is this:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
You’ll only win people to Christ if you put yourself on their level and point out that you care for them and that you want them to have the same forgiveness and healing in their lives that you’ve experienced in your own.
INVITATION
