Have you ever had anyone ask you how they could become a Christian or if you could explain to them what it meant to be a Christian? Have you ever wondered what you would say to someone that was wanting to understand what it meant to become a Christian?
We need to know what we would tell someone if the moment ever came and we were called to witness to someone who was lost and wanted to know more about Jesus. 1st Peter 3:15 tells us to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who ask you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.
One thing is for sure whatever your answer is to someone it must be clear and simple. One thing we need to know about declaring the truth of Christ is that we must strive to declare the truth with clarity!!! Your message should be clear & simple enough for anyone to understand. As believers we need to be careful not to send a confusing message to those who are seeking.
Have you ever attended a class, or maybe heard a lecture or speech and left the building and thought “what did I just hear? What was the point? Did they say anything at all that I could take with me?”
The Christian message when presented as it should be is simple, straight forward and easy to grasp. God certainly doesn’t want people to be confused about His love or His plan for our life. So this morning I am going to share the Gospel with five simple statements.
1. Life is short
? James 4:14 we are told life is like a vapor
? 1st Chronicles 29:15 says that Life is like a shadow
? Job 7:6 says that life is like a swift messenger.
In other words life is fragile and uncertain it is here today and gone tomorrow! No one here knows when this life will end and eternity will begin. I have been on my way to visit someone in the hospital and they died before I got there. I have seen people live when the doctors had given them no hope. I have been to wrecks and accidents where I have seen those that should have lived die and those that died that I thought would have lived.
I’ve seen children and infants die when older folks lived on, Life is short.
We all know or have heard of people living into their 90’s and even over 100 years and think, Wow they have been around a long time, some people when they get up in age say “my goodness where has the time gone, it seems like only yesterday when I was young. Life sneaks up on us and it is short. Methuselah lived to be 969 years old but even that amount of life is short compared to eternity.
2. Eternity is Long
? Suppose a sparrow took a drop of water in its beak from Kemper Lake and flew to Brandon and deposited it in the Ross Barnett reservoir. Then suppose that little sparrow repeated the process until it had emptied Kemper Lake. When this task was accomplished that would just be the beginning of eternity. We cannot fathom the length of eternity in our human mind, eternity is Long, its forever.
? Scripture is clear that our souls will spend eternity either in heaven or hell. In the presence of God or away from the presence of God. The description of heaven is wonderful and we know it will be so beautiful. It will be so great that even the best things we can imagine don’t do justice to how great it will be. The picture of Hell is quite the opposite, it’s a desolate place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
? The good news is that God has provided a way for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven, and that way is through faith and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our savior.
3. Sin is Black
? The world is full of sin and we have all been contaminated and there is only one antidote. Sin is rebellion against God, Sin is breaking Gods law. Sin is doing wrong when we know we should do right.
? If we could journey through the halls of hell and talk to its inhabitants we would find all kinds of folk there. Thieves, murderers, good people and bad people, even respectable people. We would wonder why some were there at all. If you asked they would tell you we are here because we did not repent and receive Christ into our lives, we ignored our salvation.
? The wages of sin is death, and it separates us from God. But it doesn’t have to. We are told in 1st John 1:7 that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
? Sin is black but there is a remedy, Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow. Jesus is the cure.
4. Hell is real
? Some will tell you that Hell is a made up place that only backwoods country folk would believe in a place like Hell. Some say that thinking educated people don’t believe in that fairy tell of Satan and Hell. In today’s world we even have theologians that question the existence of Hell.
? I want to share one example found in Luke 16:22-24 (NKJV)
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
? I believe that scripture warns us of this place of torment and I believe the Bible speaks of its existence so that we would know it was real so that we could avoid it.
? Hell is real and the atoning blood of Jesus Christ is our only option of escape.
5. Heaven can be yours if you accept the invitation
? A wealthy American went to London and was overwhelmed when he saw Buckingham palace where the king lived. So one morning he decided to go to Buckingham palace and visit with the king. He went up to the gates expecting to go right in, but two of the guards stopped him in his tracks with their bayonets and asked him simply “where do you think you’re going?” So he took out a thousand dollars take this and let me in. But they told him “Sir you can’t buy your way into the palace, you have to be invited and your name must be on the list.
? Heaven is like that, you can’t buy your way in, you can’t work your way in and you can’t sneak your way in. Only by accepting the invitation given by Jesus Christ does your name get on the guest list. That invitation is given to everyone.
? What’s so great about heaven? God is there, loved ones are there, the great saints of the Bible are there, and Angels are there. There is no dying there, no suffering, no pain, no disease, no Satan, no sin. Why wouldn’t anyone want to be there?
Five things that make a for a simple witness to the Gospel
Life is short --- Eternity is long -- Sin is black-- Hell is real -- Heaven can be yours
There was a church where every day at noon a man by the name of Jim would stop by and sit in the front row for a few minutes then he would quietly slip out. One day the pastor asked Jim why he did this and Jim answered, “The world wears me down, and I sit here and bow my head and say, Jesus this is Jim, I need your help today, and he always pours new strength into me.” One day the pastor was called to the hospital, Jim was dying, when the pastor entered the room Jim asked everyone else to leave. Jim told the pastor that when they brought him there everyone thought he was unconscious but he had heard them say that he was dying. Jim said they left him alone for a few minutes but he continued to feel the presence of someone near and he looked around but didn’t see anyone, and then he heard a voice saying “Jim this is Jesus, I’ve come to take you home, don’t be afraid I will lead you through the dark valley with you.” Jim told the pastor don’t worry I’m not afraid and I’m ready to go and within minutes Jim was gone, his soul had departed.
Jim had accepted the invitation, have you?
