Understanding Your Audience

As we talk about gaining an understanding of our audience when we share the Gospel, let us be clear that we NEVER change, alter, or edit the message that God has given us. Although we want to appreciate and be sensitive to the various backgrounds of the people we encounter, we should never try to make the Gospel easier to swallow. The Apostle Paul knew it doesn't matter what type of people hear the Gospel (i.e. Jew or Gentile), there will be people in any group who will reject the Gospel, be offended by the Gospel, and see it as foolish (1 Corinthians 1:22-25). Many people rightly describe the Gospel as "scandalous." When you break it down and think about the different points, the Gospel really is an outrageous story! Even though it's a true story, we should expect people to mock us and ridicule us unless the Holy Spirit works in their hearts. If we try to remove the "scandal" from our message, we will no longer be preaching the Gospel.

Therefore, our goal is ALWAYS to declare the truth of the Gospel with clarity, but as soon as we try to adapt the message and make it more "acceptable" to people, we have compromised it. Remember, the power of salvation is in God's message (Romans 1:16-17), not in any method we use to share it. As we take this message of universal, exclusive truth to a variety of people groups, our question should be: "How can I communicate the Gospel clearly to this specific person in a way that they can understand what God has said?"

The main factor to consider in any form of communication is language. Whether we're using words (spoken or written), signs, symbols, gestures, body posture, facial expressions, etc. everything comes back to language. Thus, we understand why missionaries learn the language of the people in their mission field. It makes sense why Bible translators work hard to provide Scripture for people who don't have it in their own language yet. In the same way, we need to make sure that we are using words that convey the proper meaning even with people who technically speak the same language as us. Many of us are guilty of speaking "Christianese" to people who don't understand what we're talking about. If you grew up in the Church, you may be accustomed to having conversations with people who have a Biblical understanding of who "Jesus" is, what "sin" means, what real "salvation" is all about, etc. But we need to be aware that most people do not understand these terms the same way we do (or the same way the Bible defines them). We must learn how to speak plainly about the truth found in Scripture and define our terms when necessary. You may need to continually ask someone if they are understanding what you're saying. You may need to go back and rephrase what you've just said. Be patient, kind, and loving with your audience as you strive to present the Gospel to them in a clear and understandable way.

There are many other aspects of language we could talk about (like which illustrations are more helpful than others when speaking to a particular people group), but we will finish today's discussion by talking about finding an appropriate starting point with your audience. In the book of Acts, we first see the Apostles preaching the Gospel in Jerusalem, which is clearly a Jewish context. Here, the majority of the audience has a thorough knowledge of the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament). So it makes sense that in Acts 2, 3, 4, & 7 Peter and Stephen quote heavily from the Old Testament to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah (or "Christ" in Greek) and He is the fulfillment of all their people's history, law, and prophecy. Likewise, Paul and Apollos went to Jewish synagogues around the known world and they "reasoned from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ" (Acts 18:5, 28).

But what about the Gentiles ("non-Jews") who did not grow up learning about the one, true God from the Law and the Prophets? In Acts 17:16-34, Paul demonstrates how we can begin to communicate the Gospel to people who do not share the same background as us. He is in the city of Athens and observes the people worshiping many idols. So he spends some time talking with the people of the city in the marketplace to gain an understanding of their perspective as well as share his point of view. When he gets the opportunity to speak before a large audience of Greek philosophers, he does not begin by diving into Jewish history, nor does he bother trying to prove that his God is true and all of their gods are false. Instead, he starts with what he knows about this people group: 1.) they are "very religious" (v.22) and 2.) even though they worship idols, deep down they ALREADY know the true God (Romans 1:18-32). So Paul starts by talking about the nature of God. He is the Creator (v. 24), the Giver of life (v. 25), the Sustainer of life (v. 28). He is sovereign over all humanity (v. 26), yet not distant from the people He has created (v. 27). He concludes by calling the people to repent from worshipping idols made by human hands and turn to God who created THEM. Once Paul begins talking about the resurrection of Jesus, some people mock him (v. 32), but some want to hear more and a few actually believe (v. 34)!

Hopefully it is clear that we must always be faithful to the Gospel message and faithful to call people to repent from their sins and believe the good news. We understand that without God's intervention, it is impossible for anyone to repent from the sin that they love and put their faith in a message that seems so far-fetched. While we trust God rather than any method in evangelism, we must still preach with love, empathy, and consideration for our audience. God is certainly able to save people if all we give them is a few quick bullet points about sin and Jesus followed by a simple command to "Repent and believe!" But that's not the way He's shown us to do it. We need to speak gently to people and show respect for them by finding the appropriate starting point for each individual. The truth of our message doesn't change, but where we begin our discussions will often vary. If the Gospel message offends someone, I can't help that. But if I offend someone with my own arrogance, callous attitude, or disinterested demeanor, then I have wronged them and sinned against God by misrepresenting Christ. As you preach the Gospel to different kinds of people, strive to be Christ's ambassador to best of the ability God has given you (2 Corinthians 5:20).

"No Pressure" Evangelism

Over the last two weeks, we have talked about the Gospel and WHAT the message of salvation looks like. This week we will talk about evangelism (telling other people about the Gospel) and HOW a person is saved. Many Christians are uncomfortable with the idea sharing their faith with others. Some are afraid they won't be liked if they start talking about Jesus. Others worry they won't know what to say. And many are afraid of messing up. When we realize how high the stakes really are, it's easy to start putting a lot of extra pressure on ourselves:

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36)

"He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of [his] torment rises forever and ever." (Revelation 14:10-11)

It's no longer popular or politically correct to preach "fire and brimstone," but if you believe the Bible really is the inspired Word of God then we need to take the reality of God's wrath seriously. Obviously, we don't want anyone to go to hell, but we are mistaken if we think that WE can keep people from going there. Many Christians wrongly assume that it's up to THEM to change the hearts and minds of their friends and family members so they will believe in Jesus and go to heaven and avoid going to hell. This is NOT what Jesus had in mind when He told His followers to "go make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19) We must also remember Jesus' words in the verses before and after Matthew 28:19:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (v. 18)

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (v. 20)

Although Jesus chooses to work through people in the "disciple-making" process, He still has all authority and control in the matter. Also, Jesus tells us in verse 20 that He is always with us. Even when we are sharing the Gospel with others, He is there and He will make sure everything goes according to HIS plan, not ours.

The Old Testament makes it clear that salvation belongs to God (Psalms 37:39; Isaiah 43:11; Jonah 2:9). Jesus continues that same theme in the Gospels, particularly in the book of John. In chapter 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that a person must be "born again" (or "born of the Spirit") to enter the Kingdom of God. Remember, the first thing the Spirit does in a person is convict them of sin (John 16:8). Without the Spirit producing this new birth, none of us would never even seek God (Romans 3:10-12) because we would still be dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). Therefore, if someone repents from their sin, it is because God has granted them repentance (2 Timothy 2:25). If someone believes in Jesus, it is because God has given them the faith to do so (Romans 12:3; Philippians 1:29).

We must not think that our own powers of persuasion will convince anyone to believe the Gospel. Jesus tells us very clearly in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." He also declares that He will not lose one person the Father gives to Him (John 6:39). Jesus is letting us know that everyone who is supposed to be saved will be saved one way or another and HE is the one who will make sure He doesn't lose a single one of His sheep.

Therefore, we can breathe a sigh of relief! When we go out and share the Gospel with people, we can have absolute confidence that everyone who is supposed to repent from their sin and turn to Jesus will do just that. We have Jesus' guarantee that He won't lose one. All we have to do is preach the message that God has given us (see "The Apostle's Gospel" parts 1 and 2 below) and trust that He will save those whom He has appointed for eternal life (Acts 13:48). The power to save is not in the clever or creative methods we use to present the Gospel. The power to save is in the message God has given us concerning His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16), and in His Spirit who grants repentance and belief in response to hearing the Gospel.

Evangelism is an act of faith. We must take Jesus at His word that 1.) He is with us when we share our faith, 2.) He is in complete control of the situation, and 3.) He will not lose even one person the Father has given Him to save, even if we make mistakes. Sometimes it will seem like you're not doing it right. Sometimes will respond to the Gospel by laughing at you or even hating you instead of repenting and believing. However, Jesus told us ahead of time that these things would happen (Matthew 10:22) and that we would be blessed as a result (Matthew 5:10-11). If we truly believe Jesus' words, then we know that He will help us overcome all of these trials and He will reward us for our obedience and perseverance (Matthew 5:12).

So let us not preach the Gospel out of pride, thinking that we have the power to save. And may we not preach out of guilt, as if our failures could ever disrupt God's plan. Instead, let us proclaim the Gospel with the confidence that God has given us everything we need (2 Peter 1:3-4) and that Jesus will keep His promise to save all those the Father has given Him. May God receive all glory, honor, and praise for the grace and power He has shown in saving His people!

The Apostles' Gospel Part 2

Last week we talked about our sinful condition before a holy God. It's not a pleasant discussion. No one wants to be told they've done wrong. No one wants to be told they deserve death. No one wants to be told that there's nothing they can do to fix their own problem. Unfortunately for us, all of these things are true. We HAVE done wrong (Romans 3:23). We DO deserve to suffer God's wrath for what we've done (Romans 6:23). And there's NOTHING we can do about it (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:20). That's the "bad news."

But here's the good news (the Gospel). God made a way for us to be forgiven so that we could live with Him forever. God became a man (John 1:14) and lived among us. He was given the name "Jesus" because He would save His people from their sin (Matthew 1:21). Unlike every other human being in history, He never sinned (Isaiah 53:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). He was the only man who DID NOT deserve to die. Yet He gave His life willingly (John 10:17-18). Even though we were still sinners, even though we made no effort to seek God or ask for His help (Romans 3:10-12), He died for us in the midst of our rebellion against Him (Romans 5:6-8). Through His death on the cross, Jesus took the penalty for sin, God's wrath, upon Himself (Isaiah 53:4-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21). But Jesus did not remain dead. He rose again on the third day to prove that He was God and not just a mere man who was a good teacher (Acts 17:31).

Now that the saving work of Jesus is complete (John 19:30), He calls people to repent from their sinful ways that lead to death and turn to Him to receive life and forgiveness (Acts 17:30-31; Matthew 11:28; John 10:10). He has promised that whoever believes this Gospel and puts their trust in Him will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10) and all of their sin and condemnation will be gone forever (Psalm 103:12; Romans 8:1-2). Not only did Jesus take the blame and punishment for ALL of the believers' sins in the past, present, and future, but He also GIVES the believers credit for His righteousness (Philippians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21)! As a result, they receive a glorious inheritance (Ephesians 1:17-21) because they become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). And, of course, those who believe in Christ receive the Holy Spirit who lives in them (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), gives them peace (Romans 8:6), moves them to obey God's commands (Ezekiel 36:27), and guarantees their eternal life with God in heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14).

The question that you need to ask yourself is: Will you repent from your sin and believe in Jesus? If you already believe, read through 1 John for a better understanding of what a Christian's life should look like.

The Apostles' Gospel Part 1

The Gospel that Jesus preached from the very beginning of His earthly ministry was profound, yet simple: repent from sin and believe the good news (Mark 1:14-15). After He died on the cross, rose from the dead, and returned to heaven, Jesus passed the torch to His disciples to go and teach people everything that He had taught them (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). And, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that's just what they did. They proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Jewish people (Acts 2), to the Jewish leaders (Acts 4), and to the Gentiles (non-Jews) all over the world:

-Philip shared the Gospel with Samaritans and an Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8).
-Peter shared the Gospel with a Roman centurion and his family (Acts 10).
-Paul shared the Gospel with Greeks (Acts 17).

The first part of the Gospel, "repent from sin," is difficult to swallow. We need to come to grips with the fact that we are sinners. This is no small matter. Just because sin is a common problem (everyone is a sinner) doesn't mean it's not a big deal. The Bible describes us as God's enemies (Colossians 1:21; Romans 5:10) and deserving of His wrath (Ephesians 2:3). Although God's grace is freely given to the objects of His mercy, the hardest part of realizing the truth of the Gospel is coming to grips with the vileness of our sin. Even our supposed "good works" are repulsive to God (Isaiah 64:6). We have rebelled against the Almighty Creator of the universe. We have taken the life that God gave us and used it to violate His perfect law. We have taken the very breath He's given us to curse and blaspheme His Name. We deserve the just penalty for our treason against our Maker: death (Romans 6:23).

The first thing God does when He saves someone is convict them of their sin (John 16:8). Once we realize how sinful we are compared to the righteous and holy God, we are broken and undone (Isaiah 6:1-7) This process is painful, but necessary. We won't repent of our sin until we are truly sorry for what we've done and desire to let God change us. Paul tells us that Godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:8-10). Even though God breaks us down, He builds us back up again. The sorrow that He gives us leads to life and peace (Romans 8:6), but worldly sorrow leads to despair and death (2 Corinthians 7:10).

If God is convicting you of your sin against Him, do not despair. Repent! Turn away from the sin you once loved and look upon Christ who is our only hope of salvation. 1 John 1:9 tells us, "If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Next week we will focus more on the "good news" of Gospel: the grace, forgiveness, and hope we find in the work of Jesus Christ.