MISSION CRITICAL - Part 1 - Notes from our Midweek Series on Evangelism and Outreach

MISSION CRITICAL - Sharing Our Faith With Others - WEEK 1 - The Call

KEY TEXT: 1 PETER 3:15 (NLT) - “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”

-Mission Critical (def.) - a piece that is vital to the functioning of an organization.

-What are the KEY parts of our Christian Faith? What are the pieces and practices that are MISSION CRITICAL? 

-Sharing our faith (what we commonly call “evangelism”) might be the piece that you could say “keeps the MISSION in MOTION.”

-It is the vital, driving force that keeps the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus Christ’s death/burial/resurrection) spreading to others who have not received it.

-Evangelism (def.) - the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.

A DYING ART

-the statistics tell us that a majority of Christians BELIEVE sharing our faith with others is a vital part of their personal faith, but we’re increasingly unsure of the PRACTICE of actually DOING IT! 

SHARE THIS: Like most of the RIGHT things in life, we KNOW we need to do them, but they’re the HARDEST things TO DO! 

Ready—but Not Willing—to Talk About Faith - Barna Group February 5, 2019
Almost all practicing Christians believe that part of their faith means being a witness about Jesus (ranging from 95% to 97% among all generational groups), and that the best thing that could ever happen to someone is for them to know Jesus (94% to 97%). Millennials in particular feel equipped to share their faith with others. For instance, almost three-quarters say they know how to respond when someone raises questions about faith (73%), and that they are gifted at sharing their faith with other people (73%). This is higher than any other generational group: Gen X (66%), Boomers (59%) and Elders (56%).

Despite this, many Millennials are unsure about the actual practice of evangelism. Almost half of Millennials (47%) agree at least somewhat that it is wrong to share one’s personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in hopes that they will one day share the same faith. This is compared to a little over one-quarter of Gen X (27%), and one in five Boomers (19%) and Elders (20%). (Though Gen Z teens were not included in this study, their thoroughly  post-Christian posture will likely amplify this stance toward evangelism.)

2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-7 (NKJV) - (read) 

-we have to come to an understanding of our PLACE in this world as believers…we are LIGHT to those in darkness. 

-the word LOST should send a shiver down your spine and a powerful thought into your mind that YOU are called to reach the LOST! 

-you have the ANSWER, you have the MESSAGE, you have the CURE, you are the LIGHT to this world! 

THEY’RE SEARCHING

-A common excuse is this, “people just DON’T WANT IT.”

-When asked if they are “curious about what the Bible says” 66% of those polled said they agree. (Barna Reseach)

-that means if you’re at a party with 20 people, 12 of them would be open to talking about the Bible! 

-Yet only about 50% of born again Christians say they’ve actively shared their faith with someone in the past year. (Barna Research)

-36% of millennial non-Christians said, “I am interested in learning more about Christianity and what it could mean for my life.” 

-If you’re sitting down to lunch with three coworkers or classmates (ages 23-39), at least ONE of them is actually interested in the Gospel and how it could impact their life. If we’re really honest, the other two are interested also, they may be too prideful to admit it. 

-Henry Ford once said, 'If I'd asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, “A faster horse!”' People don't know what they want until you show it to them. That's why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.” 

-Part of the human experience is a “SEARCH FOR MEANING” or a deep look within the soul to find their purpose. The natural process of that SEARCH is: 1. Why am I here? 2. I don’t know. But if I knew HOW I got here, I’d have some insight. 3. How did I get here? (how were the worlds formed, where did it all come from, was it accidental or created by intelligent design, God). 4. There must be a God who created the universe. 5. Does He really love me? How can I know this? 

OUR HIGHEST CALLING 

-if you never make a million dollars, never own a home, never get married or have children…if you never leave the county you were born in, you would be considered GREAT if you were a SOUL-WINNER!

-winning other souls to Jesus Christ is the highest calling and part of the journey of every believer. 

PROVERBS 11:30 (NKJV) - The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

-So let’s get ACTIVE in sharing our stories and struggles, encouraging others to open the Bible with us, winning others to Jesus, and seeing their lives grow in faith. 

PRACTICE: 

1. What is stopping me from sharing my faith? Pray against it and declare faith over it: “Lord Jesus, I come against the __________ that is keeping me from sharing my faith and winning souls to you. I declare a new boldness and courage. I am a soul-winner in the name of Jesus Christ!”

2. Be intentional this week about using your time with others to share your story (look for the openings in conversations). Use your social media to share something from church, a Scripture, or an invite. Text or call someone and invite them to coffee/lunch.