1. We Are Not Ashamed
of the Gospel
Presentation 1
By Samuel E. Ward
Pastor, Covenant Baptist Church
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2. Think about this observation by J. K.
Johnston.
Christ met unbelievers where they were.
He realized what many Christians today
still don't seem to understand.
Cultivators have to get out in the field.
According to one count, the gospels
record 132 contacts that Jesus had with
people. Six were in the Temple, four in
the synagogues and 122 were out with
the people in the mainstream of life.
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3. So far we have noted two elements
connected to our responsibility as
communicators of the gospel:
A. We Are to Communicate the Gospel with
Our Mouths.
B. We Are to Communicate the Gospel with
Passion and Conviction.
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4. There are more elements. A third element
is that . . .
C. We Are to Communicate the Gospel as
Teachers with Life-Changing Truth.
The key content of the gospel preached in
the book of Acts was that there will be a
resurrection from the dead, the need for
repentance and forgiveness, Jesus is the
Christ, the word of the Lord, the need of
people to repent and turn to the Lord, and
truth about the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.
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5. Perhaps the best summary of the content
of the gospel is to be found in
Acts 10:36-43.
(Acts 10:36-43 NIV) You know the message
God sent to the people of Israel, telling the
good news of peace through Jesus
Christ, who is Lord of all. {37} You know
what has happened throughout
Judea, beginning in Galilee after the
baptism that John preached--
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6. {38} how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he
went around doing good and healing all who
were under the power of the devil, because
God was with him. {39} "We are witnesses of
everything he did in the country of the Jews
and in Jerusalem. They killed him by
hanging him on a tree, {40} but God raised
him from the dead on the third day and
caused him to be seen. {41} He was not seen
by all the people, but by witnesses whom
God had already chosen--by us who ate and
drank with him after he rose from the dead.
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7. {42} He commanded us to preach to the
people and to testify that he is the one
whom God appointed as judge of the
living and the dead. {43} All the prophets
testify about him that everyone who
believes in him receives forgiveness of
sins through his name."
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8. D. Some Were Communicators of the
Gospel as Eye-witnesses to the Ministry
of Jesus Christ.
(1 Cor 15:3-8 NIV) For what I received I
passed on to you as of first importance :
that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, {4} that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures, {5} and
that he appeared to Peter, and then to
the Twelve.
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9. {6} After that, he appeared to more than
five hundred of the brothers at the same
time, most of whom are still
living, though some have fallen asleep.
{7} Then he appeared to James, then to
all the apostles, {8} and last of all he
appeared to me also, as to one
abnormally born.
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10. 1. They were witnesses to Jesus’
resurrection and its significance to
those who believed, Acts 2:32; 3:15;
4:33.
2. They were witnesses to Jesus’ earthly
ministry, Acts 10:39.
3. They were witnesses to Jesus post-
resurrection appearances,
Acts 13:29-31.
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11. E. We Are to Communicate the Gospel by
Reading and Explaining it to Others,
Acts 8:30-34.
We are to use the Scriptures to
explain Who Jesus is and what He came
to do. This would include the Old
Testament and especially Messianic
prophecy.
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12. (Acts 8:30-35 NIV) Then Philip ran up to
the chariot and heard the man reading
Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand
what you are reading?" Philip asked. {31}
"How can I," he said, "unless someone
explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to
come up and sit with him. {32} The
eunuch was reading this passage of
Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the
slaughter, and as a lamb before the
shearer is silent, so he did not open his
mouth.
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13. {33} In his humiliation he was deprived of
justice. Who eunuch asked Philip, "Tell
me, please, who is the prophet talking
about, himself or someone else?" {35}
Then Philip began with that very passage
of Scripture and told him the good news
about Jesus.
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14. 1. Jesus read and explained the
Scriptures in this manner (the disciples
on the Emmaus Road), Luke 24:25-27.
2. The Apostles read and explained the
Scriptures when they preached,
Acts 2:14-40.
3. Stephen, the first martyr, reviewed
the whole history of Israel to bring
conviction to those who had put God’s
Righteous One to death, Acts 7:2-53.
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15. 4. Paul emphasized the importance of
reading and explaining Scripture for
the purpose of offering examples and
giving hope, Rom 15:4.
(Rom 15:4 NIV) For everything that was
written in the past was written to teach
us, so that through endurance and the
encouragement of the Scriptures we
might have hope.
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16. 5. Paul wrote that the Scriptures are
particularly essential to train disciples
in the ways of Christ after they come
to belief, 2 Tim 3:16-17.
(2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV) All Scripture is God-
breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, {17} so that the
man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work.
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17. F. We Are to Communicate the Gospel with
Persuasive Arguments for Its Truth-
fulness, Acts 9:28-29;18:27-28;19:8-9.
1. Saul (Paul) talked and debated with the
Grecian Jews, Acts 9:28-29.
(Acts 9:28-29 NIV) So Saul stayed with
them and moved about freely in
Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of
the Lord. {29} He talked and debated with
the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.
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18. 2. Apollos was vigorous in his debates
with the Jews, Acts 18:27-28.
(Acts 18:27-28 NIV) When Apollos wanted
to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged
him and wrote to the disciples there to
welcome him. On arriving, he was a great
help to those who by grace had believed.
{28} For he vigorously refuted the Jews
in public debate, proving from the
Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
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19. 3. Paul argued persuasively concerning
the kingdom of God, Acts 19:8-9.
(Acts 19:8-9 NIV) Paul entered the
synagogue and spoke boldly there for
three months, arguing persuasively about
the kingdom of God. {9} But some of
them became obstinate; they refused to
believe and publicly maligned the Way. So
Paul left them. He took the disciples with
him and had discussions daily in the
lecture hall of Tyrannus.
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20. Paul, Apollos, Philip, Peter, and many
others in the New Testament had made
themselves conduits of the gospel in a
variety of scenarios, venues, groups, and
situations. They had decided to be
obedient to the Great Commission to take
the gospel to the world.
Each of us are under no less obliga-
tion to Christ to be the conduit between
sinners and God through which the power
of the gospel can flow through to connect
people to God and eternal life.
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21. Will you allow the power of
the gospel to pass from
God, through your mouth, to
the ears and heart of an
unbeliever that they might
find Christ and eternal
life, even as you have?
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