Evangelism God's Way, Part 3

Driving home: And it is our conviction that no better work can be found than the work of seeking to bring sinners to the knowledge of Christ through the proclamation of the Gospel, and surely the Scriptures ought to be sufficient to e…

The entire series is organized around the metaphor of a tree rooted in healthy soil, with taproots and branches, representing different aspects of evangelistic endeavor.

I began by stating that I would seek to organize this series of messages around the metaphor or the imagery of a tree. A tree rooted in healthy, nourishing soil. A tree composed...

0:47 - 1:05 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And it is our conviction that no better work can be found than the work of seeking to bring sinners to the knowledge of Christ through the proclamation of the Gospel, and surely the Scriptures ought to be sufficient to e…

Martin reflects on how young Christians once saw everyone as either going to heaven or hell, a perspective he feels is lost, illustrating a decline in seeing people as 'hell-deserving sinners'.

My own heart was convicted that it's so easy to move away from that perspective that many of us had as young Christians when with Paul we could say, wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh. And we saw everyone we contacted as either on his or her way to heaven, or on his or her way to hell. They don't talk that way much anymore. People are hell-deserving sinners.

5:08 - 5:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Begin to take seriously God's description of who and what you are, for only then will the Gospel be good news.

Martin imagines putting an arm around someone and saying, 'I assumed you were savable' despite their depraved life, and then seeing God's transformative work, illustrating the hope and expectation this perspective brings.

You are saved. You are savable. And I'm out to bring that message which with God's blessing will prove that my assumption was right. Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing to put your arm around someone and say, you know what I assumed about you when I first met you?

8:36 - 8:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Begin to take seriously God's description of who and what you are, for only then will the Gospel be good news.

For the unconverted, the sermon's description of humanity is presented as a mirror, reflecting who they truly are according to God, in contrast to self-deception.

This is a mirror. This is who you is. This is what you really are. Not what you see when you look into the mirror made of the stuff of your own self-deception and your own flattering opinions of who and what you are.

10:12 - 10:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Communicate threads of gospel truth by word of mouth, tract, or other means whenever and wherever possible, even in short interactions.

An example of a short plane ride is used to illustrate situations where there is little opportunity for long-term lifestyle demonstration, but still a chance for verbal witness and common courtesy.

I am not saying by articulating this second taproot that there is no place for communicating the gospel in settings where you have little or no opportunity to manifest the transforming power of that gospel in your life. You go in, you take your seat on the plane. Someone is next to you. You've got an hour and a half flight.

18:16 - 18:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Communicate threads of gospel truth by word of mouth, tract, or other means whenever and wherever possible, even in short interactions.

Helping someone with an overhead bin on a plane is given as a small, immediate way to manifest a transformed life through common courtesy.

And you're sitting there praying, Lord, give me wisdom to know how to engage them in conversation and somehow to turn the conversation to spiritual reality. How much living can you do before them in an hour and a half? Now you can do some things. When there's someone struggling to get a bin, get something in the overhead bin, you be the first one on your feet.

18:42 - 19:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Communicate threads of gospel truth by word of mouth, tract, or other means whenever and wherever possible, even in short interactions.

Sitting in a barber's chair is another example of a short-term interaction where verbal witness might occur without extensive prior lifestyle demonstration.

Christian woman, you'll have your ways. Yes, we can begin to drop, but very little opportunity. But we may get a good opportunity to give our testimony, to share a piece of literature. You're sitting in your barber's chair.

19:14 - 19:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Expounding Matthew 5:13-16, Martin explains that believers are inherently 'salt of the earth' and 'light of the world' due to the inwrought character traits of the Beatitudes. He…

Examples of men hiding Sports Illustrated swimsuits or women stopping gossip when a Christian enters the room illustrate how believers function as 'salt' by checking evil.

In any and perhaps all of the ways that our Lord had in mind. Some of you know what it is in terms of checking evil. People are in the lunchroom at your place of business and the guys are passing around their sports illustrated swimsuits and you walk in the door and somebody puts it behind their back. You're being salt.

28:29 - 28:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Make a conscious effort to let your light shine before men, displaying the kingdom grace that God has made you to be.

Believers are compared to the moon, having 'derived light, reflected light' from Jesus, who is the ultimate source of spiritual light.

The Lord says His people, His kingdom subjects are the light, of the world. Derived light? Yes. Jesus said, I am the light of the world.

30:12 - 30:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Live and function as children of the light, allowing your distinct life to prompt questions about your peace, balance, and independence from worldly pleasures.

A lengthy quote from Martin Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that unbelievers are watching Christians and that a distinct, peaceful life can lead them to ask about the source of their difference, opening doors for sharing the Gospel.

I think the issue could rest on that text alone but at the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be confirmed. Text number two is Philippians chapter two. Oh by the way let me just give you this quote from Martin Lloyd-Jones in his Sermon on the Mount after dealing with this text he closed this way. Christian people you and I are living in the midst of men and women who are in a state of gross darkness.

37:48 - 38:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Do all things without murmurings and questionings, in every circumstance and relationship, with sweet resignation to God's will, to be blameless and undiluted in your Christian profession.

The example of a Christian mumbling or looking sour after an unpleasant assignment from the boss illustrates how inconsistency can negate the witness of being 'blameless and harmless'.

blemish doesn't say without sin but without blemish this is the very apostle of the next chapter says look I've not yet attained I've not yet reached the goal forgetting the things that are behind I'm pressing on he's not teaching sinless perfection but that when I would open my mouth no one can legitimately say he's a Christian and look at that in his life man I see the way he goes out of the boss's office when he's been given an unpleasant assignment and I don't know that he's cursing under his breath but he's sure mumbling and he looks like he just sucked on ten lemons and he's a Christian ...

49:52 - 51:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Do all things without murmurings and questionings, in every circumstance and relationship, with sweet resignation to God's will, to be blameless and undiluted in your Christian profession.

Believers are called 'luminaries,' like the sun or moon, whose consistent, counter-cultural behavior (e.g., not grumbling) makes them impossible to ignore.

you're in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation and you're being watched and being watched you are seen as what as lights in the world beautiful commentary on Matthew chapter 5 in verse 14 you are seen and when you are seen as one who does all things without murmuring and disputing that is so counter human nature that is so counter cultural that is so counter to the context in which we are called upon to carry out our lives we then are seen as luminaries the very word used in Genesis chapter 1 for God made the greater light and the lesser light we are seen as luminaries we can no m...

51:21 - 52:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Determine by the grace of God to consistently manifest the transforming power of the gospel, embodying it first and then displaying it, so that people know what a Christian looks like even before they become one.

A true story of a prodigal son who, despite rejecting the Bible and his training, could not 'get rid of the life of my mother and my father,' illustrates the enduring and powerful witness of a consistent, transformed life.

nothing wrong with that I just don't have that many stories this is a true story it's a Christian couple that poured themselves into the lives of all of their children and one of them became the classic prodigal at age 19 he left that home abandoned the profession that he once had of belonging to Christ a profession born witness to in the waters of baptism and church membership went off into the far country and utterly abandoned himself to every single form of sensuality and debauchery a couple of years later he came back home there seemed to be evidence that God was working in his life where ...

61:38 - 63:07 Read in full sermon