Creekside Church, Sunday, May 7, 2023
Spreading Good News
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
Do we really gotta share the good news? Is that our job?
1 John 1-4
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our[a] joy complete.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[d] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[e] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
“For God’s plan of salvation to reach non-Christians and the world, there is only one option: disciples must function as image-bearers, testifying in word and deed that Jesus is the victorious king” – Matthew Bates
---
“We share the gospel by testifying in word and deed that Jesus is the victorious, rescuing king. We encourage others to become loyal followers of the king through a faith response of trusting allegiance, repentance from sins, and baptism.” - Bates
---
UNHELPFUL IDEAS
“Do we really need to use words? Can’t we just be good people?”
We need both. Words and deeds.
Words alone are hypocrisy.
But there are things that deeds alone cannot communicate.
You can’t tell someone the gospel story of king Jesus without using words.
“I don’t want someone to think they’re my project.”
They’re not your project. You love them and care about them deeply. Which is why you desire for them to know that author of life.
---
5 IDEAS TO HELP YOU BECOME A GOSPEL SPREADER
#1 – FOSTER DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS
You don’t go from talking about the weather to telling them about king Jesus.
Change the depth of your conversations.
Ask questions like:
oHow are you doing?
oIs there anything I can help you with?
oIf you could have three wishes what would you wish for?
oHow’s your family? How’s your marriage?
oWhat’s the most important thing in your life?
oDo you believe in a spiritual side of things?
oHave you ever prayed?
oWhat do you think the meaning of life is?
#2 – EAGER AND PATIENT
Be eager to tell them everything, but patient to let them gradually come to faith.
“Most people respond to the gospel over time with gradual surrenders of the soul.” – Scot McKnight
Looking to create a disciple, not someone who made a one-time decision.
#3 – INTERNALIZE THE STORY
How well do you know the story of Jesus?
Are you in love with Jesus?
Is your life increasingly becoming sacrificial? Does it look like the cross of Jesus?
#4 – PREPARE: ANSWERS AND TESTIMONY
You don’t have to know everything, but there are certain questions that everyone asks. Spend some time thinking about how you’d answer them.
Think about your own testimony. How would you share it in 30 seconds, 5 minutes and 20 minutes?
-Can you frame it in terms of when you wanted to be the king of your life? When you thought you knew better?
-Can you frame it terms of when you let someone else or something else be the king of your life?
-What was it like when you were set free from these things?
If you’re a follower of Jesus, you should get baptized. And when you get baptized, you’ll have a chance to share your story publicly.
#5 – TELL THEM THE STORY OF KING JESUS
The goal is to tell them the story of King Jesus and invite them into his kingdom.
The goal is not to get them to decide that Jesus died for their sins. The goal is allegiance to Jesus as the saving king. It’s about so much more than just accepting God’s forgiveness. It’s about knowing God intimately and following Jesus.
---
Acts 1:8
Jesus says we will receive power to be his witnesses.
So don’t be afraid.
---
Would you commit to spreading the good news this summer?
Imagine what Creekside At The Movies could look like?
Imagine what it’d feel like to bring someone with you?
1 John 1-4
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our[a] joy complete.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[d] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[e] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
“For God’s plan of salvation to reach non-Christians and the world, there is only one option: disciples must function as image-bearers, testifying in word and deed that Jesus is the victorious king” – Matthew Bates
---
“We share the gospel by testifying in word and deed that Jesus is the victorious, rescuing king. We encourage others to become loyal followers of the king through a faith response of trusting allegiance, repentance from sins, and baptism.” - Bates
---
UNHELPFUL IDEAS
“Do we really need to use words? Can’t we just be good people?”
We need both. Words and deeds.
Words alone are hypocrisy.
But there are things that deeds alone cannot communicate.
You can’t tell someone the gospel story of king Jesus without using words.
“I don’t want someone to think they’re my project.”
They’re not your project. You love them and care about them deeply. Which is why you desire for them to know that author of life.
---
5 IDEAS TO HELP YOU BECOME A GOSPEL SPREADER
#1 – FOSTER DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS
You don’t go from talking about the weather to telling them about king Jesus.
Change the depth of your conversations.
Ask questions like:
oHow are you doing?
oIs there anything I can help you with?
oIf you could have three wishes what would you wish for?
oHow’s your family? How’s your marriage?
oWhat’s the most important thing in your life?
oDo you believe in a spiritual side of things?
oHave you ever prayed?
oWhat do you think the meaning of life is?
#2 – EAGER AND PATIENT
Be eager to tell them everything, but patient to let them gradually come to faith.
“Most people respond to the gospel over time with gradual surrenders of the soul.” – Scot McKnight
Looking to create a disciple, not someone who made a one-time decision.
#3 – INTERNALIZE THE STORY
How well do you know the story of Jesus?
Are you in love with Jesus?
Is your life increasingly becoming sacrificial? Does it look like the cross of Jesus?
#4 – PREPARE: ANSWERS AND TESTIMONY
You don’t have to know everything, but there are certain questions that everyone asks. Spend some time thinking about how you’d answer them.
Think about your own testimony. How would you share it in 30 seconds, 5 minutes and 20 minutes?
-Can you frame it in terms of when you wanted to be the king of your life? When you thought you knew better?
-Can you frame it terms of when you let someone else or something else be the king of your life?
-What was it like when you were set free from these things?
If you’re a follower of Jesus, you should get baptized. And when you get baptized, you’ll have a chance to share your story publicly.
#5 – TELL THEM THE STORY OF KING JESUS
The goal is to tell them the story of King Jesus and invite them into his kingdom.
The goal is not to get them to decide that Jesus died for their sins. The goal is allegiance to Jesus as the saving king. It’s about so much more than just accepting God’s forgiveness. It’s about knowing God intimately and following Jesus.
---
Acts 1:8
Jesus says we will receive power to be his witnesses.
So don’t be afraid.
---
Would you commit to spreading the good news this summer?
Imagine what Creekside At The Movies could look like?
Imagine what it’d feel like to bring someone with you?