Find Something Worth Dying For: Five Convictions About the Gospel

Sermon outline

Every believer has been entrusted with the gospel, so live by deep personal convictions about it instead of drifting, and take responsibility for reaching people.

1. Have a deep personal conviction about evangelism

   Many Christians are drifters, moving from church to church and talking about what God told them to do without ever getting down to the job. Believers are not saved simply to live in comfort but to propagate the gospel, plant churches and change lives. It does not matter where you start, one person a month can become one a day, and every prayer, every seed and every visit to church is counted.

   Illustration: Frivolous Christians who are offended when someone does not greet them, or when another person is promoted, and then go looking for another church only to find history repeating itself.

   “If you have found nothing to die for, it's not worth living.”

2. Let your convictions drive you, not life

   Do not let other people's pressure drive you; let your convictions propel you. Your workplace is your missionary station and your job is your tent making, not your end all and be all. He is not in ministry as a job or for money, and wants only to stand before the Lord one day and hear 'well done', with the souls he touched behind him.

   Illustration: On judgement day the Lord will not point to the car you drove or the house you lived in, but to the lives you changed.

   “You must be more excited about church than a child is about sweets.”

   • Acts 17:28
   • Matthew 25:21
   • Proverbs 11:30

3. 1. The gospel is God's only saving power

   Nothing changes a person except the gospel: not a job, not moving house, not money in the bank. The power of God is in the gospel, and the Holy Ghost gives believers power to change lives, so there is no reason to be ashamed or to apologise for belonging to a Spirit-filled church. When you are bold, God is bold to display His power.

   Illustration: Buying a suit in a store, he helped a shop assistant who could not lift his arm, offered to pray for him there in the shop, and the man went down under the power of God and got up saying the pain was gone. He also points to a drunk man stumbling across the road who makes no apology to anybody: why should Christians apologise?

   “I think when you are more bold, God is more bold to display his power to you.”

   • Romans 1:16-17
   • Acts 1:8
   • Proverbs 28:1

4. 2. The gospel is the answer to all human problems

   Whatever the need, in marriage, money or health, point people to Jesus. Doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists have their place, but there is a higher power, and you can give hope when others say there is none. Even people who seem to have it all together are often crumbling inside and looking for answers in the bottle, drugs and parties.

   Illustration: A senior manager at work who looks like they have everything together, but whose life, if you really speak to them, is like a pack of cards crumbling.

   “They need the gospel.”

5. 3. The gospel has been committed to your trust

   As Paul said, God committed the glorious gospel to his trust, and He has committed it to every believer, not only to the pastor. You are its carrier and bearer, and the only qualification you need to start is to be born again; training simply makes you more skilled. Do not be so need-orientated: take care of God's business and He will take care of yours.

   Illustration: Advertising shouts at us all day from car dealerships, furniture shops and holiday brochures; believers should be the landmark shouting that people need the gospel. He compares it to an insurance salesman who is utterly convinced you need more cover.

   “When you take care of his business, it's his business to take care of your business.”

   • 1 Timothy 1:11
   • Romans 10:14
   • Lamentations 3:22-23

6. 4. I'm committed to the gospel

   Religious people put all the responsibility on God so that when failure comes they know who to blame. You are responsible for how you respond, react and communicate, and for the success or failure in your life, so stop blaming the brother, the sister or the pastor. Go and find the people, and even when nobody is home, God saw your effort and will reward you.

   Illustration: You drive to three homes and nobody is in; you go home disappointed, but God saw your commitment. When someone says they might come to church, go and fetch them, even jump into their car with them.

   “You are responsible for the success in your life.”

   • Matthew 6:6
   • Philippians 2:12
   • Matthew 25:32

7. 5. I'm convinced that Jesus is the only way

   If you are convinced, you will convince others: pray, then tell, then bring. People will know you are sincere and will follow you. Many churchgoers come to be seen and leave knowing who wore what but not the opening scripture, so come to church for prayer and the word with your focus in the right place.

   Illustration: When someone at home asks whether you saw the bad brown suit a brother wore, the right answer is that you did not even notice him, because your focus was right.

   “If you are convinced, you'll be able to convince others.”

8. Grow by commitment, not by chance

   For leaders, coming to church and doing the work of the ministry are not options. You grow in the things of God by committing yourself, meeting after meeting, until you look at yourself and find you have become a giant. He finishes with a warning against 'chancelitis'.

   Illustration: He quotes Reverend Tom: 'we are the product of many meetings.'

   “You don't grow in the things of God by chance.”

9. Serving at the crusade: kind, sober-minded and alert

   He prepares the workers for the Phoenix crusade: three kinds of people will respond (first-timers, those giving their lives to the Lord, and those needing prayer), and each must be cared for and their details taken on visitors' cards. Do not be hyper-spiritual or bossy; be kind, give up your seat if needed, catch people with your eyes open when they are prayed for, and give visitors a reason to want to join the church.

   Illustration: He acts out a worker who closes his eyes and hisses at a new convert instead of politely asking him to fill in the card.

   “You have the spirit of Christ in you. Be gentle, be kind, conduct yourself well.”