Tell Someone: The Gospel Is Only Good News If It Gets There in Time

Notes: Tell Someone: The Gospel Is Only Good News If It Gets There in Time

Acts 16

Pastor Greg Laurie

Thursday, July 30, 2015 — 7:00 p.m.

Part two of a four part series.

Greg had decided to start spreading the Gospel about two weeks after he became a believer. He fumbled through a flyer as he shared with a woman. Even though he didn't know much, the lady accepted Christ and he got to see how he can affect the people around him.

Proverbs 11:30 NKJV

[30] The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Daniel 12:3 NLT

[3] Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.

1. We should all be sharing the Gospel.

2. We should be sharing the Gospel with everyone.

Things that we know about everyone:

1. We are all empty inside.

2. Everyone is lonely.

Top words searched at night... Porn. Suicide. Lonely

3. Everyone feels guilty.

Romans 2:15 NLT

[15] They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

4. There is a universal fear of death.

Everyone wants to be happy and everyone will die.

Everyone has to die.

We need to bring the Gospel to all those people.

John 3:16 NLT

[16] "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

That scripture can do some serious damage to the kingdom of darkness.

3. We should share the Gospel wherever.

FRANgelism..Friends, Relatives, Associates and Neighbors should be Evangelized by you.

Jonah was someone that didn't want to evangelize as God commanded. God said go, Jonah said no, so God said oh... So Jonah went!

Esther was called to save her people. She was made queen for "such a time as this."

Maybe you are where you are at this moment for such a time as this.

Is there someone that you need to be sharing the Gospel with right now?

Jonah 4:2 NLT

[2] So he complained to the LORD about it: "Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.

The Old Testament God is the same God as the New Testament God!

God is God! He loves us and doesn't want to judge us.

Many people don't share their faith for the same reason Jonah didn't want to. Fear of success!

We may think it may be an inconvenience if a new believer is around us.

A new believer is good for us and we are good for them.

Are you a bridge or a barrier to people coming to Christ?

You don't have to be a preacher to preach the Bible.

You not only need to preach but be a good example.

We are the only Bible some people see.

Christians are walking epistles, written by God and read by man.

We are to be salt and light in our culture.

Salt in the past used to be valuable. It was used as a preservative.

We aren't always the best representatives of Christ but we need to try to be.

It's a sad thing when a non-Christian knows better what it means to be a Christian than a Christian does.

Salt stimulates thirst also, a thirst for Christ.

Acts 16:23-25 NLT

[23] They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. [24] So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. [25] Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

They were beaten, whipped and put in stocks yet they sang praises at midnight.

Acts 16:28-30 NLT

[28] But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!" [29] The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. [30] Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Paul and Silas earned the right to preach the Gospel by the way they live. We need to earn that right by the way we live.

Romans 10:14 NLT

[14] But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

1 Corinthians 1:21 NLT

[21] Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

We don't know why God chooses to use people to reach people, but He does.

He uses us telling people the Gospel. God uses verbal communication.

We have the cure for death. We need to share it .

Do everything you can to reach everyone you can.

4. When should we share the Gospel? Answer: Whenever!

We aren't in front of people by coincidence, it is called providence.

2 Timothy 4:2 NLT

[2] Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

Share the Gospel: Whosoever, Wherever, Whenever.