I. Introduction
The importance of pointing people to Jesus
The role of the church in sharing the gospel
II. The basis of the gospel.
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
1 Corinthians 15:3-4: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins following the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day following the Scriptures."
III. The exclusivity of the gospel.
John 14:6: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
Acts 4:12: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
IV. The power of the gospel
John 8:32: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes."
V. The responsibility of sharing this message
Matthew 28:18-20: "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"
2 Corinthians 5:20: "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you, on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God."
VI. Conclusion
The importance of pointing people to Jesus and the role of the church in sharing the gospel
The call to action to share the message of Jesus with those around us.
Here is a summary of the message :
As Christians, getting caught up in trying to do things with our power and strength is easy. We may think that it's up to us to bring people to Jesus, to convince them of the truth of the gospel, and to help them grow in their faith. But the truth is, it's not about us - it's about Jesus.
John 15:5 says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing." This verse reminds us that we can only bear fruit for God's kingdom when closely related to Jesus. It's not about what we can do but what He can do through us.
We also see in Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." It's not about our power or strength but the power of the Holy Spirit working through us. We are simply vessels for Him to use.
It's important to remember that it's not about us but about Jesus. Our job is to share the gospel's message and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. When we focus on Jesus and not ourselves, we will effectively point people to Him.
Practical application: Instead of convincing people to believe or force our faith on others, let's focus on living a life that reflects Jesus and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. Let's trust that He will work through us and bring people a saving knowledge of Him.
In conclusion, remember that it's not about us but Jesus. He is the one who saves, He is the one who transforms, and He is the one who brings people to eternal life. Our role is to point people to Him and let Him do the rest.
