Personal Evangelism: The Book of Acts

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Personal EvangelismThe Book of Acts

• Forest Hills Bible Chapel
• 30 March 2008

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Statement of Purpose of FHBC

• Forest Hills Bible Chapel exists to glorify God
  through worship, edification, evangelism, and
  social action.
• Our strategy for achieving these objectives is to
  serve one another and reach out to those in our
  communities who have not yet believed in Jesus
  Christ, making disciples of them by

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Statement of Purpose of FHBC

• Building relationships of integrity with them.
• Presenting a clear, verbal witness of the gospel
  to them.
• Exposing them to the love and unity of the body
  of Christ.
• Building them up through the teaching of the
  Bible.
• Involving them in small groups for prayer,
  fellowship and mutual accountability.
• Providing them opportunities for worship, service
  and the exercise of spiritual gifts.
• Encouraging those whom the Lord adds to this
  local church to become involved in this strategy,
  beginning at step 1.

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Statement of Purpose of FHBC

• Worship praising God, proclaiming His worth,
  both individually and corporately.
• Edification building up of believers in the
  Body of Christ
• Evangelism leading men and women into a
  relationship with Jesus Christ, making them part
  of the Body of Christ
• Social Action working as salt and light to
  improve conditions in society

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Statement of Purpose of FHBC

• Worship and Edification typically, these are
  things that are easiest to do, and things that we
  greatly enjoy doing. These are actions which
  feel safe.
• Evangelism and Social Action typically, these
  are things that are more difficult to do, and
  things that we dont necessarily enjoy, or even
  want, to do. These are actions which feel
  scary we feel vulnerable.

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Statement of Purpose of FHBC

• Worship and Edification according to the
  pattern in the Book of Acts, these are the things
  that we do when we are gathered together in our
  own safe place. We typically do these things
  very well.
• Evangelism and Social Action according to the
  pattern in the Book of Acts, these are the things
  we do when we are scattered on the worlds
  turf we typically dont do these very well
  or at least not naturally.

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What does Acts say about all this?

• Worship and Edification They devoted themselves
  to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to
  the breaking of bread and to prayer.Every day
  they continued to meet together in the temple
  courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate
  together with glad and sincere hearts, praising
  God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
  Acts 242, 46-47

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What does Acts say about all this?

• Evangelism and Edification One day Peter and
  John were going up to the temple at the time of
  prayerat three in the afternoon. Now a man who
  was lame from birth was being carried to the
  temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put
  every day to beg from those going into the temple
  courts. When he saw Peter and John about to
  enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked
  straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said,
  Look at us! So the man gave them his attention,
  expecting to get something from them. Acts
  31-5

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What does Acts say about all this?

• Evangelism and Edification Then Peter said,
  Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have
  I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of
  Nazareth, walk. Taking him by the right hand,
  he helped him up, and instantly the mans feet
  and ankles became strong. Acts 36-7

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What does Acts say about all this?

• Evangelism and Edification Then Peter said,
  Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have
  I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of
  Nazareth, walk. Taking him by the right hand,
  he helped him up, and instantly the mans feet
  and ankles became strong. Acts 36-7

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What does Acts say about all this?

• Evangelism and Edification Those who had been
  scattered preached the word wherever they went.
  Philip went down to a city in Samaria and
  proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds
  heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they
  all paid close attention to what he said. With
  shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many
  who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there
  was great joy in that city. Acts 84-8

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What does Acts say about all this?

• Worship and Edification So they were sent off
  and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the
  church together and delivered the letter. The
  people read it and were glad for its encouraging
  message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were
  prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen
  the believers. After spending some time there,
  they were sent off by the believers with the
  blessing of peace to return to those who had sent
  them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch,
  where they and many others taught and preached
  the word of the Lord. Acts 1530-35

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What Can We Conclude from This?

• The primary place for Worship and Edification is
  when the church is assembled together.
• The primary place for Evangelism and Social
  Action is when the church is scattered, in the
  world, and part of the communities in which they
  all live.

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One More Time!

• Evangelism is not the job of preaching!
• The preacher can weave the gospel into his
  sermon, but preaching, singing, giving, corporate
  prayer, etc. take place to promote worship and
  edify the saints.
• Evangelism and Social Action are what we do out
  there.
• Evangelism is everyones job taking the good
  news with us wherever we go.

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One More Time!

• Preaching can, and should, contain references to
  the gospel Gods saving plan for humanity.
• Worship and Edification can take place outside of
  the church in small groups, or even on our own.
• The Church collected is the primary place where
  Worship and Edification take place.
• The Church scattered is the primary place where
  Evangelism and Social Action take place.

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Some Biblical Principles

• You dont do witnessing you are witnesses!
• But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
  comes on you and you will be my witnesses in
  Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to
  the ends of the earth. Acts 18

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Some Biblical Principles

• Live a life of love, as a witness to what God, in
  Christ, has done for us.
• Follow Gods example, therefore, as dearly loved
  children, and walk in the way of love, just as
  Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a
  fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
  Ephesians 51

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Some Biblical Principles

• Use your life as a 24/7 demonstration of the
  reality of the gospel.
• Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved
  the church and gave himself up for her.
  Ephesians 525
• Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for
  this is right. - Ephesians 61
• Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect
  and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as
  you would obey Christ. - Ephesians 65

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Some Biblical Principles

• Finally, understand that the greatest way we an
  be a witness of what Christ has done is to love
  one another.
• A new command I give you Love one another. As
  I have loved you, so you must love one another.
  By this everyone will know that you are my
  disciples, if you love one another. - John
  1334-35

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Some Biblical Principles

• An Example from What else? basketball! ?