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April 5-6, 2003 IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE! 1 Peter 3:15, Selected SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE! *** 1 Peter 3:15-16 “You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” [New Living Translation] *** Mark 16:15 “Jesus said to his followers, "Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.” [New Century Version] *** Luke 4:16-21 “Jesus went back to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the meeting place on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the…book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read, "The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say, 'This is the year the Lord has chosen.” Jesus closed the book, then handed it back…and sat down. Everyone in the meeting place looked straight at Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, "What you have just heard me read has come true today." [CEV] *** HOW CAN I SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE? 1. BY A LIFESTYLE THAT LEGITIMIZES OUR TESTIMONY! *** 1 Peter 3:16 “But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” [NLT] *** Matthew 5:13-15 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.” [NLT] $ BELIEVERS WHO REPEL AWAY FROM CHRIST! A. THE “IN YOUR FACE” BELIEVER! *** Acts 2:47 “They praised God and were liked by all the people. Every day the Lord added those who were being saved to the group of believers.” [NCV] B. THE “HOLIER-THAN-THOU” BELIEVER! *** Matthew 23:23 “You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required.” [The Message] *** 1 Cor. 9:22-23 “When I am with the oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this to spread the Good News….” C. THE “COSMETIC” BELIEVER! $ WALK THE WALK AND TALK THE TALK! *** 1 Peter 2:12 “Be careful how you behave among your unsaved neighbors; for then, even if they are suspicious of you and talk against you, they will end up praising God for your good works when Christ returns.” [Living Bible]
2. BY A CHURCH THAT CONFIRMS OUR TESTIMONY! *** Eph. 3:10 “Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about….” [Msg] *** John 1:43-46 “Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Come, be my disciple. "Philip went off to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. Can anything good come from there?" "Just come and see for yourself," Philip said.” $ COME AND SEE EVANGELISM! *** Romans 10:14-15 “How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news.” [Contemporary English Version]
3. BY WORDS THAT WITNESS TO OUR TESTIMONY! *** 1 Peter 3:15 “Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.” [CEV] $ HP (High Potency) + CP (Close Proximity) + CC (Clear Communication) = MI (Maximum Impact) $ HOW TO GET ON BASE WITH GOD! · Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior! · Admit that your sin has separated you from God and ask His forgiveness! · Surrender your life and will to God making Him the boss of your life! · Express your faith in Christ through Christian Baptism! *** Acts 2:36-38 “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart [BELIEF] and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" [ADMIT] Peter replied, "Repent [SURRENDER] and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins [EXPRESS]. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” [NIV] $ Recommended books: More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell (ISBN: 0842345523) A Case For Christ by Lee Strobel (ISBN: 0310209307) The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict Fully Updated To Answer The Questions Challenging Christians Today by Josh McDowell (ISBN: 0785243631) The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel (ISBN: 0310220157) Letters from a Skeptic by Gregory A., Dr. Boyd, Edward K. Boyd (ISBN: 1564762440) *** Romans 1:16 “It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him…!” [Msg]
“Don't be ashamed to speak for our Lord. Use the power that comes from God and join with me in…telling the good news.” 2 Timothy 1:8 [CEV] |