Sharing the Gospel with Children
April 15, 2008
Each generation of people has a two-fold responsibility. One is to reach its own generation. The second is to prepare the next generation to reach their peers. In so doing, not only does each person leave a legacy behind them, but their lives count for something eternal.
What happens if we don’t? Studies show that as few as 4% of children born after 1984 are trusting Christ as their Savior. We risk an entire generation missing out on the goodness of God’s grace.
That is one reason we are committed to reaching children. If we reach them for Christ, they in turn will reach their children. But in reaching and training the next generation, a clear gospel must be at the center of that training.
Let’s equip the next generation. Years after we enter His presence, the impact of our lives will continue on earth. That impact will surround one thing – the clear message of the gospel of grace.
R. Larry Moyer
Be Clear When Presenting the Gospel with Children
April 15, 2008
How many adults grow up doubting their salvation because of an unclear gospel presentation as a child? Only the Lord knows for sure, but if you spend any time walking closely alongside other Christians you will run into many who say “I know I had some kind of spiritual experience when I was a child, but I’m not quite sure what happened.”
Doubt about salvation can stunt spiritual growth and often prevents a person from getting involved in evangelism. After all, how can you lead a person to Christ when you are unsure of your own eternity?
That’s why it is critical that we make the gospel clear when leading children to Christ. We do not need to demand or coerce, - but should simply explain the gospel in a way that a child knows exactly what he must do to have eternal life with God.
When sharing the gospel with children remember to:
Let’s leave a legacy. Let’s make an impact on future generations by sharing the gospel with children clearly and simply.
Sharing the Gospel in a Group Setting
April 15, 2008
Several years ago a mission’s team organized a weeklong backyard Bible club for kids. At the end of the week, the kids were gathered together to hear the final version of John 3:16. The group presentation was evangelistic and included all the essential elements of the gospel. At the end of the lesson the teacher asked the children, “If you would like to trust Christ right now, just raise your hand.” Some of the children raised their hand immediately while others did after looking around. In the end, every child in attendance raised their hand in response to the invitation.
How many of those decisions were genuine? How could we possibly know?
Here are some key things to keep in mind whenever sharing the gospel message in a group setting:
If you are a designated counselor to receive kids who respond to a presentation, remember to first establish why a child is coming to talk to you. Your first question is: “Why did you come to talk to me?”
Present the gospel to children on a regular basis. Do it often – individually and in groups. Remember: group presentations should always be followed up with one-on-one interactions with children who respond.
My Child is Unsure of His Salvation. How Can I Help Him?
April 15, 2008
Many children question their salvation because they doubt the validity of an “experience” they had when they were younger. It may have been walking down an aisle, talking to a counselor, or some other action. As the child grows, he looks back and begins to wonder if he understood what he was doing or whether he was sincere.
When he goes to his parents for help, they may compound the problem by reminding him of what he did and even assuring him that he was sincere. The problem is that what seems clear in their minds is still not clear in his. Children should not base their assurance on their parents’ memory.
To help children, parents would be wise to guide their child in finding biblical answers to two questions. The first is, “Do you now understand the gospel?” Discuss with the child whether he now understands that Christ took the punishment for his sins, died on the cross, and arose from the grave.
The second question is, “Right now, are you depending on Christ alone to get you into heaven?” Jesus says, “He that believes in me has everlasting life” (John 6:47). God is not concerned about the date that happened. If anyone is depending on Christ as his only way to heaven, he is a child of God regardless of the date that eternal transaction took place. A child’s trust should be in Christ alone, not in a date or action from their past.
Children: Lead Them to Christ and Learn From Them
April 15, 2008
Think about it! There is not one paragraph in the Bible on how to evangelize children! One reason may be that the message is so simple anyone can understand it; therefore, it should be presented just as simply and clearly to children. The age of the unbeliever does not change the message or its simplicity. All it means is that we take the simple message and express it in ways their age allows them to understand.
It is interesting, though, that Christ did encourage us to reach children. Christ even rebuked His own disciples when they turned children away. Luke 18:15-17 tells us, “Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’”
Two things stand out in that passage. The first is if children could not come to Christ, He would not have invited them. Jesus Christ was always a person who said what He meant and meant what He said. The fact is the gospel message is so simple even a child can understand it.
Secondly, children coming to Christ illustrate the way all of us must come. Note Christ’s words: “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child.” A child does not come to Christ bragging about his good life, church attendance, or religious efforts. You never hear a child say:
Recognizing they are sinners, children are simply and humbly willing to trust Christ alone to save them. So on behalf of Christ, encourage children to come. As they do, watch them closely. They illustrate the way all of us must come.
Focus on What God Thinks of People, Not What People Think of You
April 1, 2008
Fear in evangelism often results in being too self-focused. Notice that I used the word self-focused, not selfish. Most people I’ve observed who want to talk to acquaintances about Christ are not selfish people. The very fact that they are concerned about somebody else’s eternal welfare and not just their own says so. Selfish people are content to go to heaven alone. Selfless people are not.
Self-focus is different. It results from worrying too much about what others might think of you if you share the Gospel with them. Questions such as, “Will they still be my friend?” “Will they think less of me?” “Will I lose respect?” hinder evangelism. Nobody in their right mind would enjoy any of these negative responses. Who wants to lose a friend, be thought less of, or lose respect? At the same time, “I” is at the center of all of these worries. Focusing on yourself becomes distracting at its least, defeating at its worst.
There are two words consistently used in Scripture that help refocus our attention. The first word is love. Biblically defined, it means to put the other person first, even if it means the sacrifice of ourselves. John 3:16 explains, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The proof of God’s love is that He put us first even though it meant the sacrifice of His own Son. The second is the word compassion. It means to be filled with pity. Matthew 9:36 tells us, “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Jesus Christ pitied non-Christians.
Both of these words switch the focus to how Christ feels about the lost, not how they feel about us. Furthermore, if Jesus Christ was willing to sacrifice His life for us, we ought to be willing to sacrifice friendship, pride, or respect. In fact, it is only a matter of time before Chirstlike love and compassion overcome fear. Possible rejection takes a back seat to the real issue of salvation. Knowing that we have a message that will save them from eternal separation from God and give them life that has meaning, purpose, and fulfillment becomes the focus.
To be consistently bold in evangelism, we must focus on what God thinks of them, not what they think of us.
Growing Christians Have Reason to Be Bolder in Evangelism
April 1, 2008
As we study the Scriptures, one learns very quickly that we cannot separate spiritual growth from evangelism. The closer we get to the heart of Christ, the closer we get to the people for whom He died. His heart bleeds for the lost. Mark 10:45 tells us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Luke 19:10 explains, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Those who live close to Christ capture His heart for the lost. They bleed for the same people He bleeds for. In some way or another, whether by helping with an evangelistic outreach through the church, witnessing to a lost person, or working for an evangelistic association, they want to be used by God to populate heaven.
Christian growth and consistent living is attained by studying the Word. As 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” That means every time we study the Bible, God wants to take out of our lives what should not be there and put in what should be there. This is exactly what God does when Christians study the Word. This enables them to live consistent Christian lives. Does that mean they never fail? Not for a moment. Despite mistakes and failures in Christian living, any who know them well will testify to the fact that they are growing believers—ones who are consistently learning more about the Savior and applying it to their lives.
How does that affect boldness in evangelism? For the very practical reason that growing believers do not have to consider witnessing to a lost person thinking, “I sure hope he doesn’t find out how I live and how I treat my family. I have to be sure he doesn’t find out how dishonest I am in business.” Instead, they can walk up to a lost person knowing that they are attempting to live a consistent Christian life.
Paul the apostle verifies how such consistency provides boldness. In 1 Thessalonians 2, as he talks about his witness among the Thessalonians, he says, “You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe” (v. 10). Paul’s life was such a contrast to the lives of those around him, he could boldly talk of his relationship to the Savior.
Suppose that had not been Paul’s character and conduct. How could he have faced a Thessalonian society with courage telling them of a Savior who could pardon their sins and save them from eternal punishment? The understandable “pressure” one feels by living a deceitful, dishonest, two-tongued, and two-sided life melts away courage.
That does not mean God cannot use a hypocrite to lead people to Christ. More than once a church leader has led people to Christ while living a sinful life in secret. There are two ways God can work—through us or in spite of us. When He uses such people He is working in spite of them more than through them. As a speaker once said, “God sometimes uses a crooked arrow to hit His mark.” They probably would admit though that they do not experience the
consistent courage that one who is walking in step with the Savior experiences.
Boldness in evangelism is parallel to our growth as a Christian. As our walk with Christ increases, so does our boldness. When one is in love with the Savior, one’s foremost desire is to honor Him. What others think of us matters little. Our desire to honor God could not matter more.
Church DNA By the Book
March 28, 2008
There are a myriad of books aimed at pastors that focus on the purpose of the church. What many of these authors do not realize is they are promoting their priority DNA type. Some of the titles include, “The Connecting Church”, “The Disciple-Making Church”, and “The Equipping Church”. With all of these biblically-based books on the purpose of the church, how can you effectively decipher what DNA elements are essential for your community?
I recommend we look at the life and mission of Christ to determine what our mission should be. The first thing that we can learn from the Gospel accounts is that our Lord Jesus Christ saw his primary task as that of Savior. Jesus says of himself in Luke 19:10, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” What does that mean for the church today? It means that we need to look beyond the walls of our church and find those in need of a Savior. Sadly, most churches today are inwardly focused. If they were evaluated in terms of the familiar parable of the lost sheep, they would be more interested in shepherding the 99 than “seeking and saving” the one lost sheep. We need to be what one author calls, “an outward-facing force”. If reaching the lost is a priority of Jesus then it should be our priority as the church.
One of my favorite selections from Scripture that encourages outreach and evangelism is found in Colossians 4:5-6: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” With God’s blessing we must successfully make the most of every opportunity to connect with our community for the purpose of encouraging to place their trust in Christ for their salvation. Build relationships with outsiders or unbelievers for the opportunity to minister to them, invite them to church, and share the love of Jesus in word and deed.
What Does the Resurrection Prove?
March 20, 2008
Jesus Christ claimed He was the Messiah. But over 60 other people have done the same thing. How do we know He was not a phony or some kind of lunatic deceiving Himself?
First, Jesus was pre-announced. All the others who claim to be Messiah just show up. Over three hundred prophecies in the Old Testament in essence said, “He’s coming and here is what He will look like.” When He came, Christ fit the Messiah that had been foretold. He fulfilled these prophecies on every account.
Secondly, Romans 1:4 of the Bible says concerning Christ, “He was declared to be the Son of God.” And then it says, “By the resurrection from the dead.” No other claimed “Messiah” has an empty tomb.
Some years ago, a British agnostic, referring to the other miracles of the Bible laid out the challenge when he said, “Let’s not discuss the other miracles. Let’s discuss the resurrection. If the resurrection is true, the other miracles are easy to explain. If the resurrection is not true, the other miracles do not matter.”
The resurrection is a pivotal point in Christian history. This is a central element that unites the Christian church. Why is that resurrection so important? Jesus Christ offers the gift of eternal life to those who will simply receive it. No one has the ability to save someone else, unless he has conquered the grave himself. Jesus Christ is the only one who had an empty tomb the third day. This truth no atheist has ever been able to disprove.
As sinners, we deserve to be separated from God forever. Because of Jesus Christ’s love for us, He became our substitute and took the punishment for our sins, died and rose again. He now extends the gift of life eternal to all who will trust Him as their personal Savior. To those who trust Him He says, “Because I live, you will live also. (John 14:19)
Makes sense, doesn’t it? If the resurrection is true, the other miracles are easy to explain. If the resurrection is not true, the other miracles do not matter.
Therefore, if someone questions whether Christ was who He said He was, lovingly challenge them to examine fulfilled prophecy about Christ and investigate the resurrection. I’ve never met anyone who studied the resurrection objectively that did not eventually become a believer. And this week, remember – one way to thank God for the empty tomb is by telling your neighbor about it!
Bring the Lost to Christ or Bring Christ to the Lost?
March 14, 2008
By nature, we take things on our shoulders God never intended us to carry. That’s one reason we approach evangelism with so much anxiety and guilt. We take God’s responsibility on our shoulders and then wonder what went wrong if the person does not respond to the claims of Christ.
It is important to remember Jesus’ words, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). We should say, “I can’t bring people to Christ. Only God can do that. I can only bring Christ to people.” That’s what makes evangelism so exhilarating. With each individual, we need to try to see where we fit into God’s plan for bringing that person to Christ. You might be the tenth of fifteen people He will use, or the fourteen of twenty-six. A taste of heaven is when we are the twenty-first of twenty-one!
Sometimes a person might say, “I just need time to think about it.” We need to be sensitive to those that need just a little more time to process the freeness of God’s grace. In situations like this we have to realize that we have done our part. You must do our part and trust that it will now be up to someone else to pick up where we left off.
God will never ask us how many people we led to Christ. Stop counting and concentrate on conversing! God knows that apart from Him we will never lead anyone to Christ. He simply asks us to take Christ to them. As we do, sooner or later we will have the life-transforming opportunity of leading someone to the Savior.
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