Sermon Notes - Things Churches Need... Evangelism - Littleby Baptist Church - May 12, 2024

 1.        Things Churches Need…

a.        In some ways this has been a challenging series.

b.       As I have dug into the Word for these messages, God has reminded me of a few things.

c.        Some of those reminders have been tough to see.

d.       Some of them have made it into the messages and may have been challenging to hear.

e.        This is one of those sermon series that I feel God wants us to evaluate what we do and don’t do.

f.          Are there things we need to be doing?

g.        Are there things we need to stop doing?

h.        That is exactly what we need to be praying about.

i.          For the Holy Spirit to show us who we as Littleby need to be today.

j.          Who are we to reach.

2.        This week’s Things Churches Need will once again be one we wish we could say all churches do a great job at.

a.        We will also see that it is a shared responsibility between the Body of Christ and the bodies within it.

b.       This one is just like the first five.

3.        Things Churches Need… Evangelism.

4.        Acts 1:8

a.        A verse most of us are familiar with.

b.       We have heard it many times.

c.        We are to be witnesses.

d.       To those closest to us.

e.        Those in our communities.

f.          And it simply grows from there.

g.        Starts local and expands to the end of the earth.

h.        It boils down to you and I, to every follower of Christ, being a witness.

5.        We have talked about praying for those in our lives who don’t know Jesus.

a.        That is where being a witness, evangelism, starts.

b.       With Prayer.

c.        The first Things Churches Need we looked at was Dependent Prayer.

d.       Prayer that we go to God with that we cannot accomplish on our own.

e.        We cannot save someone.

f.          We cannot change their heart.

g.        But we can pray for the Holy Spirit to work in them.

h.        We can pray dependently to our God for Him to wake them up before it is too late.

6.        Things Churches Need… Evangelism starts with the Body of Christ praying for the lost.

a.        When we are together honoring God with our worship.

b.       When we are talking to our God during our daily time with Him.

c.        Pray for eyes to be opened.

d.       The truth to be heard.

e.        For eternities to be changed.

7.        Matthew 9:35-38

a.        Jesus was traveling around teaching, preaching, and healing.

b.       He was meeting people where they were.

c.        He saw that they were distressed and dejected.

d.       Some versions may say harassed and helpless.

e.        The people had spiritual leaders.

f.          The priests were there to guide them, but they were still like sheep without a shepherd.

g.        To put it another way, they needed a Savior.

h.        They needed Jesus.

8.        If Jesus were to walk among us today, I think He would respond in the same manner.

a.        He would have compassion on the people.

b.       There are many in the schools who have not heard about Him.

c.        People in our workplaces that don’t follow Jesus.

d.       Pick a spot you frequent, other than church, and chances are the majority of the people there are in need of hearing the Gospel of Jesus.

9.        Jesus said the harvest was abundant then and it is abundant today.

a.        We need harvest workers.

b.       We need people who will stand up and share the message of Jesus with others.

c.        As we see things fall in place around us, the message is urgent.

d.       People need to hear it.

e.        And they are not fighting to come through our doors.

10.   As The Church we need to be praying for Harvest Workers who will share with the lost.

11.   Turn back to Acts 1:8.

12.   Acts 1:8

a.        If we read this verse, we see that they were to receive the Holy Spirit and then be witnesses.

b.       Receiving the Holy Spirit was the only criterion.

c.        Being a witness is not a job that has only been given to those who have the title of Evangelist.

d.       It is not something that is the job of the Pastor.

e.        If the Holy Spirit is in you, you are to be a witness.

f.          That means all Christ followers have been told to be a witness.

g.        Each of us is to be witness.

13.   As we fold this back into the Things Churches Need… Evangelism.

a.        The church is to help people be witnesses.

b.       Now that is the tricky part.

c.        You may have heard me say before that I am not a big fan of programs.

d.       Not saying they don’t help, but many of the programs are designed to pull at emotions.

e.        To convince someone with logic that they are a sinner.

f.          God can obviously use that, but when we think about those that we have been praying about for years those things won’t or haven’t worked.

g.        I am a firm believer that the best way to share Jesus with someone is to build a relationship with them.

h.        When people realize you care they are more likely to listen to what you have to say.

i.          Which is why you haven’t heard me talk about teaching some evangelism system.

j.          I would rather focus on teaching the Bible and trust that the Holy Spirit will work in each of us.

k.        Giving us the words to share when we need them.

l.          As Jesus said He would in Luke 12.

14.   As a church needing Evangelism, we need to continue to teach the Word.

a.        We need to ensure we have Christ Centered Teaching as we discussed a few weeks back.

b.       We need to have opportunities for Discipleship so that each of us can learn and grow from each other.

c.        The Fellowship that starts among fellow believers is seen by others outside of the Church.

d.       When people hear how much we enjoy being with our church family, it provides opportunities for us to share why we enjoy it.

e.        Then we get the chance to talk about who it is that brings us together.

f.          We get an opportunity to talk about our Jesus, we get to evangelize.

g.        A conversation that starts by being a friend to someone who doesn’t know Jesus.

h.        A friend that ends up hearing how much you enjoy spending time with your church family.

i.          Sooner or later that relationship will pave the way for you to be a witness.

15.   One thing to remember is that we are not in control of how things turn out.

a.        Things Churches Need… Evangelism for the church or the individual is not measured as a success only when someone accepts Jesus.

b.       Only the Holy Spirit can change someone’s heart.

c.        For us, we are told to be a witness.

d.       Every time we plant a seed by talking about what Jesus is doing in our life, it is a win.

e.        When we talk about something we enjoyed at church, it is a win.

f.          When we invite someone to church or Bible study…

g.        We are being witnesses.

h.        We are planting seeds.

i.          I would say we are winning… because we are being faithful.

j.          The results are not up to us.

k.        If it were, I would be able to cross a few names off of my prayer list.

l.          The results are between God and the individuals.

m.     We are responsible to be a witness.

16.   As a church we need to help each other grow in our Biblical knowledge.

a.        The more we know, the easier it is to share.

b.       We need to support other ministries that reach the lost outside or our immediate area.

c.        North American Mission Board, International Mission Board, HMBA, Disaster Relief, The Bridge, and others.

17.   I want to encourage you to pray about how you can share about what God is doing in your life with others.

a.        I am not talking about convincing them that they need Jesus.

b.       Just showing them how Jesus is important to you.

c.        Focus on sharing that.

d.       I encourage you to learn all you can about Scripture.

e.        And let the Holy Spirit work from there.

18.   If you don’t know Jesus today and are tired of carrying the pain and sin you have been dragging along.

a.        Jesus is knocking at the door and waiting for you to let Him in.

b.       He is ready to wipe away your sin.

c.        Break the chains that are holding you down.

d.       To forgive you for all that you have done.

e.        It starts by repenting of your sins and submitting to Him.

f.          If that is you this morning, I would love to talk with you.