John 16:7-9 (NKJV) Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
There are two major concerns when it comes to sharing the Gospel, namely how to present it and the fear of rejection. All of us are self-conscious and fearful of rejection especially when it comes to sharing the Gospel. Of course, it is important to be equipped to present the Gospel and it is our responsibility to do so, and it is natural to feel nervous and be concerned whether we can articulate ourselves when presenting the Gospel for the first time to a stranger or even a friend, but that is when we need to lean in on His grace and anointing to help us. Also, we need to have the conviction that it is not our responsibility to convince the person to receive Christ. We are not a salesperson or a debater of the truth, but just a messenger, a conduit, or a channel to convey the good news of the Gospel, which is a love letter from God to sinners. How the person responds to the message has nothing to do with us or our ability, but is purely between them and God. It is stated clearly in the opening Scripture that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and the coming judgement.
Having these convictions will lift the load from our shoulders. It is also worth remembering that sometimes, we are just the sower of the seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and someone else will reap the harvest when the person is ready to accept Christ. Therefore, we need not lose heart when the person’s initial answer is a “no” or if they are not ready to proceed with the sinner’s prayer with us.
It is not our eloquent of speech nor the knowledge that helps us to debate our way to bring the lost into the kingdom of God. The power is not in the messenger. The power is in the Gospel. Therefore, we should not be self-conscious, but trust in the power of the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (NKJV) And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Sermon Series: Arise and Build (Part 3)
能力就在福音里
约翰福音 16:7-9 然 而 ， 我 将 真 情 告 诉 你 们 ， 我 去 是 与 你 们 有 益 的 ； 我 若 不 去 ， 保 惠 师 就 不 到 你 们 这 里 来 ； 我 若 去 ， 就 差 他 来 。他 既 来 了 ， 就 要 叫 世 人 为 罪 、 为 义 、 为 审 判 ， 自 己 责 备 自 己 。为 罪 ， 是 因 他 们 不 信 我 ；
在分享福音的时候，有两个主要的问题，就是1）如何呈现福音，和2）害怕被拒绝。 我们都有自我意识，害怕被拒绝，尤其是在在分享福音的时候。受装备去宣明福音固然重要，这也是我们的责任。第一次和陌生人或者朋友宣讲福音时，自然会感到紧张，担心自己能否表达清楚，但这正是我们需要依靠神的恩典和膏抹来帮助我们的时候。此外，我们需要有一个信念，就是说服对方接受基督并不是我们的责任。 我们不是真理的推销员或辩论家，我们只不过是传递福音好消息的信使或渠道。那福音是神写给罪人的一封情书。人如何回应这封书信与我们本身或者我们的能力无关，而纯粹是他们与神之间的问题。 开篇的经文清楚地表明，叫世人为罪、为义、为审判，自己责备自己的，这是圣灵的工作。
有了这些信念将减轻我们的负担，同时值得记住的是，我们只是耶稣基督福音的播种人。当对方准备好接受基督时，自然会有其他人来收割这丰硕的果实。因此，当对方一开始回答我们“不要”，或者他们还没有准备好和我们一起作认罪祷告时，我们不应该灰心丧气。
我们既不是靠着流利的口才，也不是靠着渊博的知识以能言善辩来把失丧者带到神的国度。能力不在乎使者，而在乎福音。因此，我们不应该专注于自我，而是要信靠福音的大能。
哥林多前书 2:4-5 我 说 的 话 、 讲 的 道 ， 不 是 用 智 慧 委 婉 的 言 语 ， 乃 是 用 圣 灵 和 大 能 的 明 证 ，叫 你 们 的 信 不 在 乎 人 的 智 慧 ， 只 在 乎 神 的 大 能 。
讲章系列：兴起和建造 （第三部分）