I have two reactions every time I see that clip from Seinfeld. I laugh and I squirm. It’s funny but it’s sarcastic and cynical about something that is really no laughing matter…evangelism.
Evangelism – The art of persuading people to surrender to Jesus.
Evangelism is….significant…nope not strong enough… important…a high priority…crucial…vital… essential… pivotal…paramount…life-or-death.
Look, I’m going to be blunt…If you don’t begin to practice the art of evangelism then the people of your life who you worry about the most, spiritually are hopelessly lost – permanently lost…and by permanently I mean forever…
For lost people, evangelism is a matter of life and death.
Most of the people of this world are lost: (not some…most)
People are “…darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God…” Ephesians 4:18
Human beings are “…without hope and without God in the world…” Ephesians 2:12
They are “… dead in their transgressions and sins…” Ephesians 2:1-3
They are stuck on the left side of the sin gap
Gap illustration
Many are even further away due to the credibility gap. Many lost people are not just separated from God but they are drifting further away because they find faith, the Bible, the church and Christians less than credible.
This month we are going to look deeper at lost people: 4 kinds of lost people:
- notorious sinners – bad people - this person is living a immoral life and has no desire for God
- seekers - this person knows they are lost and are desperate to find anything to help them out of the life they are living – many times in pain
- the self-sufficient – they’re fine…this person has crafted a comfortable existence with resources and power to try to make life work
- the religious lost – these folks believe they have found or are living a religious system to get them to God or life. (also ideology)
These are the people of your life. And they are very lost.
· they are separated from God and face an uncertain future – their eternity lies in the balance.
For lost people, evangelism is a matter of life and death.
This is what one early Christian leader and writer – Paul said about it…
Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Romans 10:13-14 (NLT)
Someone has got to tell them about Jesus. And by someone I mean you.
So, for the next 4 weeks – we are going to look at 4 stories from the Bible
· we will see all four kinds of lost people
· we’ll see how Jesus interacted with them
· hopefully help us figure out how to approach the lost in our own lives.
John 3 page ____________
The story is about a lost man…but in particular a religious lost man
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him. John 3:1-2
Nicodemus was a very religious man. (he was a Pharisee…”separatist”)
- religious people live their life by a spiritual balance sheet – bad things they’ve done compared to the good things they’ve done. Sincere hope is that the good outnumber the bad – this is the essence of religious life.
- religious people are bridge builders to God. Trying to work their way over the sin gap.
And despite his best efforts Nicodemus was a very lost man. He could not ever do enough to balance the sin and he could not ever work hard or fast enough to build the bridge before he dies. And neither can you.
But while being so religious he clearly was intrigued by Jesus and maybe felt a drawing to him…maybe Jesus awakened the emptiness in his soul.
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Jesus first words sound a little harsh – and cuts to the chase…
- “I tell you the truth” 3X = Listen to me ...or now look...let me set you straight
- Wow...no...”thanks for coming”, “can I get you some tea”
- “No one can see the kingdom unless he is born again...”
I know you. You are working very hard to experience the rule of God in your heart and among our people…but it is not going to happen unless you start all over again.
- born again = start all over again – take it from the top - be born anew
- no amount of tweaking, no amount of cosmetic changes, no amount of religion is going to cut it….you need a complete re-invention.
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
This part of the conversation turns very middle eastern - is very poetic and full of allusions and figures of speech.
So, let me try to summarize: Jesus is making the contrast between flesh and spirit or the physical and the spiritual.
- everybody is born physically (water) but you need to be born spiritually
- you continue to live by the flesh – by what you can see and touch and do (religion) but you need to be born of the spirit.
- your religious life is very straightforward – it’s dos and don’ts – but you need to be born of the spirit which is mysterious and transcendent.
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?
- literally . how are these things able to happen???
- what do I need to do to be born again?...to be re-invented
Jesus is somewhat incredulous but it is true - the self-righteous/religious lost can’t imagine something beyond their capacities
Jesus begins to answer his question – what do I need to do…hop down to verse 14.
14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
- Jesus chooses to explain with a story they both knew well.
You might not so let me tell you the story: Numbers 21:4-9
While wandering…the people grew impatient on the way; 5they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"
6Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. Numbers 21:8-9
So go back to verse 14 – John 3 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
That story is going to play out again…
- son of man = himself = will be lifted up
- instead of looking to a snake = believing in him
- instead of physical life = eternal life
Nicodemus…if you want life you have to believe in me.
- to start over, be born again…you must put your faith in the son of man (me)
then He says it another way…
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
God himself took matters into his own hands…
- he sent me, not to condemn the world, but save it…and you!
- I’ll say it again…you have to believe in me
Note: it is not teased out here but in the rest of the story of Jesus this belief is clearly not a matter of intellectual belief…but a matter of surrender. A whole life turnover to Jesus…and THAT is what leads to being born again.
- the lost people of your life MUST surrender to Jesus and you MUST help them do that…THAT’S evangelism
For lost people, evangelism is a matter of life and death.
So, what happened to Nicodemus? We can make a pretty good guess…because several years later he shows up again, at night…this time at Jesus tomb to help bury him. A pretty good indication of what became of him.
So, let’s recap what we’ve learned and come up with some next steps.
Ø We all have religious lost people in our lives – bridge builders who are trying to work their way to God and life.
Ø Their best efforts will never be good enough.
Ø They must be born again – they must start all over again – be re-invented
Ø That happens when they surrender their life and belief to Jesus.
Ø Somebody has to help them get there.
Ø That’s probably you.
For lost people, evangelism is a matter of life and death.
So let’s get insanely practical…
7 steps to take with your lost friends and family:
Identify your “1”.
Pray like mad for them.
Get in the room and stay in the room with them.
Tell them your story.
Invite them to Grace with you.
Talk about Jesus. (not religion, not spiritual journey, not morality)
Persuade them to surrender to Jesus.