Title When I try to evangelize
Contents
When you try to evangelize (1 Corinthians 2:1-10)
We shared the value of the gospel in the expository sermon in Chapter 1. If we really value the gospel, then we should preach it. There is a difference between simply knowing that something is precious and wanting to share and communicate something valuable. And the heart to share and concrete practice are different.
If you think about a business for a few years and then finally quit! That would be a lot of waste. In today's text, Paul confesses his life experience of sharing the gospel in the church in Corinth. In this context, we too must evangelize and show the attitude and secret of evangelism.
1. But above all, our weaknesses are exposed first when we set our minds to evangelism.
If you don't evangelize and stay still, there is nothing to be ashamed of right now.
You can lead a life of faith by taking care of yourself without evangelism.
But the heart of the Lord is to evangelize.
So, when we try to do evangelism, our own weaknesses are exposed, sometimes we get frustrated, and we even face persecution and persecution from others.
There is a lesson to be realized in verse 1, and we try to replace it with something similar to the gospel. That is, there is a heart that wants to speak with beautiful (plausible) words of words and wisdom, and therefore a desire to persuade and win.
Sometimes, as in verse 2, we try to speak without the gospel. I want to gently remove it. This is a heart that does not know the power of Jesus Christ and the cross at all. You can't do this if you know.
Still, if we have the courage to preach the gospel and preach Jesus, even if we invite them to church, the devil attacks us. Because evangelism is actually a spiritual battle.
In fact, the spiritual life is beauty. Blessing. ability. But you are going through a spiritual battle before such beauty, blessings and power. So are we, and so are the first-timers.
See the text. Paul is also spiritually attacked.
(Verse 3) “I was weak, I was afraid, and I was very trembling.” - A heart that wanted to escape - It honestly shows that you are afraid of spiritual warfare. So, some people say that if I succeed next time, I will try to evangelize.
But my success does not mean that others believe the gospel. Whether weak or strong, failure or success, really believe that the Lord I rely on now is a blessing to others.
Also, verse 6 points out that it is wrong to try to make up for the success of the world.
“The wisdom of the world, do not be afraid of the rulers (verse 6)” In these words, it is to realize the wisdom of the world that cannot save and the wisdom of the rulers who cannot solve it. Don't seek the honor of your world too much. Don't fall into a sense of comparison.
The power of faith is only the passion for saving souls. If the early church gave up their passion for evangelism amid persecution and persecution, there would be no church today. The blood of persecution and martyrdom of the early church blossomed in today's church. This will be the same going forward.
With what kind of heart should we really do evangelism? We are sending you out as local missionaries this week. You may or may not come to church, but you must experience what your experience as a missionary was like. So, I will tell you the attitude you should have when you meet people, think about them, and try to evangelize.
In particular, the text teaches and enlightens the evangelist's three postures of conviction. I hope you can keep these words in mind and stick to them.
1. Believe that the Gospel is the solution
Where are people affected? From someone who is confident. Along with this week, we gather next week as Neighbor Invitation Sunday.
As evangelists, what attitude do we need? It must be convinced that the gospel is the solution of life. I am convinced that believing in Jesus is the greatest blessing and blessing for me.
It is not the problem that there are no people to evangelize, and the method of evangelism is not the priority. The most important thing is whether I still have gratitude, emotion, grace, and joy for the gospel of Jesus.
- Everyone, if you have it, set it on fire, if not, own it now, and if you think you are weak, recover that emotion now.
Text) Knowing nothing but Jesus and the cross (verse 2)
Galatians 6:14 “I have nothing to boast about except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 17).
These marks may be outward appearances, but more importantly, the love and power of Jesus on the cross engraved on Paul's heart.
It is also important for us to have a clear conviction of faith. It is the conviction that the gospel is the solution. The saying that the gospel is the solution is not about others regardless of me. The word that the gospel is the solution means that “I have solved everything through the cross and the gospel of Jesus your life can also be solved”.
Believe in the power of your gospel. Please believe that sharing the gospel is the best solution.
2. Believe in the help of the Holy Spirit.
Evangelizing and saving people is a physical, mental, and spiritual work. Among them, there must be a spiritual encounter, a spiritual battle, and a spiritual touch.
In verses 4-5, Paul says that he preached only “by the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and by his power.”
Therefore, when we want to evangelize, we must long for the “appearance of the Holy Spirit.” And we must earnestly hope for the “power of the Holy Spirit” to come upon us. The work of the Holy Spirit is the strongest tool to move people's hearts and souls.
Only when we rely on the Holy Spirit can we become co-workers and partners with God. In verse 10 of the text, “the Holy Spirit is the deep things of God” and we are told to master them. It is said that “spiritual things can be discerned by spiritual things.” (verse 13)
Spiritual discernment means knowing well what God wants and what God plans. Only then can we become co-workers in God's work. You must be able to discern God's will and plan.
That's why Paul says in verse 13, "It was taught by the Holy Spirit." We too must always rely on the help of the Holy Spirit. You still have to rely on it. We have to rely more on it for next week as well.
If you believe in the help of the Holy Spirit, what you do so naturally is constantly seeking prayer and help from God.
John 14:26 “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, who will teach you all things and will remind you of all that I have said to you.”
Confessions of a businessman. It is said that his life and business have been said in two words. One says, “If you die, you will die,” and the other, “If you perish, you will perish.” "If the Lord will do it!" That faith was filled with amazing testimonies and blessed by God.
Those two sayings, however, are different before and after believing in Jesus. Before believing in Jesus, they were worried and struggling with their evil spirits, but after believing in Jesus, they became words of prayer, trusting and trusting in the Lord with joy and peace. “I leave it to God. If I die, I will die. We believe in God's guidance. If you ruin it, I will destroy it.” But living with the Lord is better. It's peaceful and it'll be fine. This is life in the Spirit.
Paul's conclusion in Chapter 2 today cannot be done without the help of the Holy Spirit. So, I trusted the Holy Spirit, and it became possible! Believe in the help of the Holy Spirit. Believe, meet, communicate, and guide.
3. Believe in the transformation of the soul.
Someone from church: Why did I come to church? When I was a kid, I went to church to get a candy and ate it, and that keeps coming to mind. Maybe that's why I came to church. Ladies and gentlemen, there are many people who believe in Jesus well now, but in the past did not live their faith at all.
There are people who persecuted believers and their family members a lot. Why? It's because I don't know. It is because they do not know the secret of God's salvation, the secret of love.
Because they do not know the secrets of God (verses 7-9)
Not one of the rulers of the world knew (verse 8)
So Jesus was crucified. (Verse 8)
That's why we can't see or hear properly, and we can't even think with our hearts. (verse 9)
But! Once you know, you will never change once you realize! Amen.
There are many such people here too. say it all : “It was stupid at the time. I was proud. I was mistaken. I was sick. He was possessed by the devil.” But now I know. I knew the love of God and the gospel. They knew salvation and knew the kingdom of heaven.
We must preach the gospel to people purely. Paul preached the gospel of the cross purely, not the wisdom of people or rulers, and it is said that it has become the amazing fruit of missions so far.
However, there is one thing that the Apostle Paul must have attached to it while preaching the gospel. It is “his transformed testimony.”
In Acts 22 and 26, the Apostle Paul testifies of the gospel of salvation to people and kings by believing in Jesus who has changed him.
If there is this conviction, there is one thing that is automatically created by the evangelist. It is patience for the soul. Evangelism really requires patience. You have to be persistent, never give up, and be tenacious.
And when we believe in the possibility of this very transformation of the soul, we have the patience of love.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 speaks of the work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in Jesus Christ. These are the words we should have.
The jailer in Philippi, who did not know Jesus and persecuted those who believed, began to believe in the living Jesus when the earth shook and his spiritual eyes were opened. In the end, the vicious jailer gets baptized with the whole house and believes in Jesus. Why? It was because they knew the mystery of salvation that God had given them.
A young man who went on a gold rush from east to west bought land and searched for gold, but failed. I sold it to someone else, and when he bought it and dug 1 meter, a lot of money came out. Of course, the heart of the young man who dug the ground and labored in vain was so heartbreaking. But he was optimistic. And I have always kept that experience in my heart. This is the lesson of "Let's dig 1M more". After that, he confessed when things were difficult in his business. His "Let's dig one more meter" attitude eventually gave him a successful entrepreneurial career. Ladies and gentlemen, our faith, our service, and especially our evangelism! Bless you with "the patience to dig 1 m more"!