Good morning, everybody. Let's go ahead and open up with a word of prayer. And we will pick back up with day three, looking at the Holy Spirit in my service. Heavenly Father, thank you for this opportunity to be able to learn together, and not only just learning how to disciple, but being reminded of the ways you're discipling us and making us more like your Son. Father, I pray for a healthy discussion today, especially as we look to the Word of God for the solutions, the answers, and even I'm talking through some challenging scenarios that would challenge our faith in particular and to think about how we can encourage new believers who may also be challenged with the same kind of circumstances or scenarios that may cause us to lack boldness in our witness. And really, when it comes down to it, it's obedience to You. And I pray that You would be honored in our discussion, and that You would challenge us to be faithful, living for You this week. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Okay, so page number 308 in your books, if you have a book. We were talking about the Holy Spirit and my service, and in particular, service in regards to how we proclaim Christ. It's… if you were to look through the notes in the passages, it's very evangelistic. But last week when we opened up, we talked about how our evangelism, our proclamation of Christ can come through so many different avenues. It's not going to come through just the means of somebody standing behind a pulpit, or maybe a street preacher with a megaphone, or somebody who goes door to door, or somebody who's outside of an abortion clinic trying to reach out to these families, these ladies. All these things are noble. We can't overlook the importance of break time at the workplace. Maybe having a neighbor over for coffee. maybe family reunions. Sometimes family is the hardest to share the gospel with. It could be the most difficult, most challenging of circumstances. And so, when we look at service, we have to look at every aspect of our lives. We talked a little bit about, you know, even cleaning the church. Why do we do that? How is that related to sharing the gospel? Well, it's part of hospitality, making sure that there's toilet paper on the rolls, making sure that the breadcrumbs are cleaned up, or communion prep, that we're able to have an order of service that reflects well upon God, and so there's no distraction, so we could be focused on Christ. And it's the kind of environment we want the unchurched and especially unbelievers to be able to see, so there would be no hindrance, no distractions from hearing a clear presentation of the gospel. And so when we're talking about service, let's look at day number three. We talked about, we closed last week talking about God's power and asking about what picture that was demonstrated for us. And John 7 and Jesus described it as the Holy Spirit being that of like a flowing river of water, a spring that flows out. And we also talked about times where it's necessary for us to wait. Sometimes in our zeal of evangelism, we go out and we're more concerned about emptying the number of tracks in our hand than we are about intentional interactions. We got a goal. And I'm guilty, by the way. So when I share some of these things, I'm just letting a little window into my heart where my motivation has been with sharing the gospel, feeling guilty about having five more tracks. So I'm going to make one more lap through Walmart's parking lot. So I got to get that out there. Can God bless that? He can bless that. But it's about the intentional interactions. It's having that uncomfortable conversation with a complete stranger. and getting to that level of boldness and comfort where we're sharing the gospel. And so sometimes we need to wait. God will direct us where the focus needs to be on outreach. He'll burden our hearts for different things. Now we're going to address, look at number three on page 308, and those of you who have a Bible, if you could turn to Acts chapter 18, Acts chapter 18, verses 9 through 10, Who'd like to read that passage of Scripture? Acts chapter 18, verses 9 through 10. All right, Ed, so where is my mic runner? And as he's getting ready to read Acts 18, 9 through 10, who'd like to read the paragraph on page 308, the last paragraph on page 308? Those of you who have your books, who'd like to read that? How many we, oh, Dan in the back, okay, so there we go. I'll read the question, then Ed will read the passage, and then Dan will read the paragraph. So what is the normal human reaction to the fears Christians face in giving the gospel, and how did the Lord encourage Paul when he faced his fear? Acts 18. The Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, do not be afraid, but go on speaking. And do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you. For I have many in this city who are my people. Okay, is that mic on? It is now. There we go, thank you. All right, go ahead and pass it on back to Dan. We all face fear when it comes to sharing our faith, but we can't stop, can't let it stop us. God told Paul not to be afraid. Then he gave him motivation to stay in Corinth and preach despite the danger he faced. I have many in this city who are my people. God was at work drawing people to himself. Paul's job was to find them and give them the gospel. Evangelism is like a great treasure hunt. God is at work around you, so don't be afraid and don't give up. Keep looking for the souls God is drawing to himself and give them the good news, the gospel. I remember hearing an evangelist once say he came to a church we were a part of before coming here, actually. And I forget what nation he was a missionary to, but he had this endeavor. He's not going to stop witnessing until he talks to one person that is willing to listen. And so he's gone door to door. Kind of my background, that was the mainstay of evangelism was door to door visitation, knocking on doors. And when every time somebody would slam the door in his mind, he would say, you're not the one God has for me. And he goes to the next door. And until he got somebody who would at least listen to him, where he would be able to present the gospel. And so he has had that kind of persistence and didn't just give up and say, well, I got shut down once or twice or three times. He kept going until he could have a conversation with somebody. That was a perseverance. How might this passage of scripture help a new believer when it comes to sharing their faith? How might that encourage them having this kind of message? How would you relate this to somebody who's new but maybe a little bit shy or bashful or intimidated? Right. Right? God's always at work. Our job in the equation of evangelism, in some ways, is the easiest part. We just deliver the message. It's not our responsibility for people being saved. It's our responsibility to get the Word of God out. And what takes place is between God and that individual. We can encourage it, we can pray for it, but what God calls us to do is to be faithful witnesses. The Bible says in 1 Peter 1-2, referring to the elect according to the foreknowledge of God, not the foreknowledge of man. Sometimes it's easier to look at somebody we think, this person I think might listen and go after them. And we kind of stereotype other people and say, I don't think they'll listen. They're too intimidating. Have you seen how many piercings or the tattoos written on this guy's body? I don't think they're ready to hear the gospel. We don't know what the heart looks like. And so it's easy if we judge the outside and say, what risk is there to me? Or how successful do I think I'll be? And we begin to think pragmatically, and we're not obedient to just go. I would use this passage of scripture in Acts 18, and kind of giving some background. Remember, at this point, Paul has already been beaten. He's already been stoned. He's already been drug out of the city and left for dead. He's suffered rejection. I think at some point, you and I, if we went through those type of things, we too might be a little bit gun-shy about sharing the gospel, especially if you understood the city of Corinth. It was a very pagan city. And so this kind of encouragement is that I've got people I'm working on. You don't know who they are, but I do. So be faithful to go and share. Let's turn to a couple other passages of scripture before we move on to the next point. We'd like to turn to John chapter 4. John chapter four, verse 35. And then I'll need someone else to turn to Matthew chapter nine. Matthew chapter nine, verses 36 through 38. John chapter four, verse number 35. Who'd like to read that one? John four, 35. All right, we got Deborah. While you're looking and getting ready, who'd like to read? I need someone queued up for Matthew chapter nine, verses 36 through 38. Matthew chapter nine. All right, Duane over here is the next one. You see him, Liam? Okay, Deborah, go for it. Do you not say there are yet four months? Then comes the harvest. Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest. Very good, so Jesus is challenging his disciples and he uses the illustration of a harvest. He says, look up, lift up your eyes. In Matthew chapter nine, verses 36 through 38. And seeing the crowds, he felt compassion for them. and seeing the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest." So there's two challenges. Jesus uses a harvest as an illustration. There's two challenges he gives his disciples, same audience. What we just heard in Matthew is pray the Lord of the Harvest, right? And what motivated Jesus was what he saw. Pray the Lord of the Harvest that God will send laborers to work in his fields. But it's an incomplete picture if somebody were to believe, well, I'm not really good at sharing my faith, so that's the verse I'm claiming and I'm not going any further beyond that. Because remember, he's talking to his disciples. This is the same group that he was addressing when Deborah read John chapter 4, and he's telling them to lift up their eyes and see the harvest. So it's easy to say, well, I'm just gonna pray God will send somebody, when God is really telling you, you may be that one person I wanna send. And by the way, we should be praying when somebody has a burden to go to the mission field, or somebody has a burden to start a ministry for outreach, maybe in our community, we should be praying for those things. And praising God when somebody answers that call, that burden in their life. but it in no way diminishes the call that God has put in your life. As a believer, if you are born again, it's not a question of if you're called, it's a question of where are you called. I'm gonna say that again, it is not a question of if you're called, it is a question of where you are called. And so the challenge in John chapter four is lift up your eyes, look and see what I'm seeing. In Matthew chapter nine, it's what Jesus saw. He was filled with compassion. It should motivate us to be able to get out there and share the gospel. And again, he uses the term of a harvest because, in referencing one more, we won't turn there for sake of time, but 1 Corinthians chapter three, the apostles, Paul says, I have planted, Apollos has watered, but it is God who gives the increase. Okay, Tammy, comment in the back, right over there, Liam. You know, when he says, my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work, when Jesus had said that, the command, right? And I think as we go along, when we read the Bible again and again, we were like, oh my gosh, how come I missed, that's a command, that's not negotiable, that kind of thing. And then I was thinking again this morning when, you know, over your lifetime you have, particularly family, sometimes can hurt you. And of course, we all hurt people without realizing it, too. I'm not taking that out of the equation. But anyway, when I have a bad thought, I'm just like, oh, I want to take that thought captive under the obedience of Christ. Well, this morning, I was having a few of those. And I was reading the Bible. I was reading, I don't know how to explain it. It hit me like a ton of bricks. You know how we don't deserve respect. from God to be saved. But he died to save us, right? So these people that God wants to save deserve the same from us because of what he gave us. And it hit me like, wow. So it becomes so clear. It's like, I don't deserve his respect. I didn't earn his respect. He just did it out of his love for me. So if I'm going to represent him, that's the representation of who he is. And it affected me. And I'm really glad we're talking about this, because I was reading that very thing about I'm glad you shared that. Two things I take away from your comment, I think it's a really important one to really hammer in on. Number one, when you read scripture and things come to light, that is part of the discipleship process. Everybody in this room, as a believer in Jesus Christ, every believer is a disciple, meaning we should still be learning and growing in our faith. Nobody has arrived, especially this guy talking to you. So when I'm going through this book as I'm studying this and I've shared it with other people, I'm convicted by the things that I'm missing out on. And it's okay as a disciple to share those things, to say, this is something I'm falling short into. And I need encouragement, I need to be obedient to God. The other component to your comment, which I think is critical for us, is why are we spending so much time in talking about this? And my hope is that this is not boring you. This is like, man, I learned about this years ago about the gospel. I already know about needing to evangelize. I already know about it. Here's the part where I think is gonna be transforming in our hearts that's gonna help us to be obedient. The better we know the gospel and truly understand what God did for us and appreciate what God did for us, it transforms our motivation. Because if what you're sitting there hearing from somebody like me or anybody else who's challenging, we gotta get the word of God out, we gotta go and share gospel, if you're just feeling guilt and compunction, and I'm speaking from my experience, when I sat there and heard that and felt guilt and compunction, it was due to my lack of depth of the gospel. Because I dismissed it at Sunday school, thank God I was saved at the age of six, but I did not allow the truth of the gospel to work its way deep into my heart. As the journey of my sanctification, God's peeling back the layers of my heart, revealing my depravity, and every time I got deeper and deeper and deeper into my sin, there too was God's grace. And when we have that kind of understanding, that appreciation, it's a driving force to cause us to be obedient. We should be driven by what the gospel's done for us. Like we shared earlier before, it's like one beggar telling the other beggar where the bread is. When you've been satisfied by what God has done in your life, you'll also be filled with his compassion for those who are dying without hope. And so it's important when we, when the gospel becomes real to us, it's more than just knowing the ABCs or memorizing a gospel track or rattling off some, you know, pre-scripted paragraph to somebody and hoping it does something to somebody's heart, when it transforms you, it builds in you the conviction behind the words that you're trying to share. This is why God chooses to use us, because we are fallible, we are broken vessels, we are inconsistent, we are still on the road to recovery, to become more like Jesus Christ, as he has salvaged the image bearer, You to make you not just one that represents God the way that Adam should have but you're representing God as Christ does We're becoming more like Christ when we have that understanding it builds in us a conviction a Compulsion to share that because when you surrender to Jesus Christ, it is Christ in you It is his mission to save the lost and you are consumed with what consumes him it is his love at work in you and that will override your timidness, that will give you the boldness that you need to share Christ faithfully to those that are around you. And as a discipler, that's important. This isn't just a lecture. This isn't just getting through a book and say, we discipled this person. This is a lifelong pursuit. And the more that we grow in our knowledge and depth of God's love for us, the power of the gospel, and see examples of it transform the addict into being sober and free from his addiction, to see the gospel put together a hopeless marriage and situation, To see God transform people's lives should also bolster our confidence. That's what the church is. We're a bunch of messed up individuals who are no different than the people outside these walls save for the saving grace of Jesus Christ. And when we are consumed by that, we will be more like the apostle Paul in Philippians chapter three. Or he says, I count not myself to have apprehended, but I press on. I'm pressing, I know I'm redeemed, but I'm not perfect and I'm gonna pursue after Christ. It's my aim, it's my goal. And so when we get to that, and it takes time, it's not something that's gonna happen overnight. I personally believe the passion we see in new believers is to remind us of the importance of the gospel. Because if it's been so long since you've led somebody to Jesus, You're missing out. It's kind of like having a large gap of time and having a newborn baby and have to remember, oh man, all the time and energy that's to take care of the baby, but the joy that comes with seeing a new life draw breath and to see the growth and the stages of growth when they begin walking and talking and they start doing these amazing things and you marvel at God's creation of that little child. we too should be marveling at the new birth of believers and seeing that growth and discipleship. A healthy church who is having that mindset, I should say, those who have that mindset, a church that has that mindset is a healthy church that longs to see God continue to be at work and will not settle for where we are at. Now I'm getting off, it's not on my notes, so I gotta get off my hobby horse, we'll never get through this. Let me just say one more thing. This is one of those things I am so excited, we're about to announce another baptism we're gonna have next week, and maybe more. But church, I hope you guys are seeing what God is doing in our church. We're seeing people come to faith. We're seeing people having assurance of salvation. We're seeing baptisms. Those who want to make a public declaration of their confidence in Jesus alone. This is a powerful witness within the church that should be pouring out outside the church. That should generate an excitement in us, in our spheres of influence, wherever you are. Your families, your workplaces, your neighborhoods. Right, and this is something that is a mission we will continue to be on until we get called home or Jesus comes again. A lifelong mission. All right, back to the notes. So John 4.35, Matthew 9.36-38, Jesus saw and he's challenging the same disciples, same audience. You look up and you see. Now we touched on this a little bit previous. And first, if you look at page 309, point number four, reading the passage below where Paul recounts his early days of ministry. And he's talking to the Corinthians, this same Corinthians he was nervous about getting the gospel out to, received this encouraging message from God, and he went out and shared. Notice what he says in 1 Corinthians chapter two, verses one through five. And those of you who have it, either in your scriptures or maybe in your book, if you'd like to read that. And then, Elena, can you go grab me a bottle of water from the kitchen? You'd like to read that, 1st Corinthians chapter 2. All right, Austin up front here. William's gonna hustle over to you. And keep the mic, Austin. Okay. I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I and I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. So those of you who have the books, what I like the way this is written out, it's not just easy for new believers, it's easy for me. When questions are going to be asked in the book, you're like, what's the right answer? I mean, you get asked questions in Sunday school, you kind of hope I get the right answer. They spell it out for you with bold words, so I'm going to put my friend Austin on the spot. We're going to go through these questions, okay? And I want you to think about this for your own selves, but also think about these questions and how it would impact somebody who is a new believer in Christ, or maybe who's struggling with evangelism, who lacks boldness, and especially considering who this is coming from. Who wrote this? Paul, who's like in our, in our minds, we would, you know, Jesus is the head of the church we think, but he's like the apostle, right? He wrote most of the new Testament. He's like all star Christian. But looking at this passage, you just read Austin. Did Paul depend on eloquent words to convince men to turn to Jesus? No, not at all. Why would that be a bad strategy? Why would be a bad strategy to depend on somebody who can speak more eloquent when it comes to sharing the gospel? Why is that a weakness? Why did Paul make that point? What's that? Not reproducible. What else? Tammy in the back. Nice and loud, Tammy. And she said, your belief in Christ before this whole church when you got baptized, express to them the love that Jesus has and brings us. It is, and He does so through the lives of those He's redeemed. That's a very excellent point. If I could convince you by my smooth words or terminology or my speaking skills, if I could convince you to be a Christian, what would it take you to convince you to not have faith in Christ? Smooth words. Somebody who could have a better argument, somebody who can present better facts or facts in a better way, right? And all of a sudden, the faith is bound up in a person, but not in God. So thinking about that, it kind of dismisses the argument, I'm just not really well-spoken. That's why I don't share Christ. I'm afraid I'll fumble. I'm afraid I will mess it up. I'll say something and put my foot in my mouth. Join the club. Man, if anything, then if that person comes to faith in Christ, then you could definitely not take the credit for it. But what God will bless you for is your faithfulness. What was the focus? Letter B, Austin, what was his focus? Oh, did we take the mic from you? He's still on the spot. Knowing nothing except Christ. That was his focus. Yep. Nothing but Jesus and Jesus crucified. Now, can a five-year-old grasp that concept? How about a 35-year-old? How about a 55-year-old? 75. 95. This is simple. This is not some high level you have to have an ascent of education or exposure. Somebody who has just been saved can relate to somebody else. Maybe they don't need to understand all the doctrines, and I kind of wish I had quick access to PowerPoint, but I saw this clip from Alistair Begg, who was talking, in his passion of preaching, was presenting this scenario of the thief on the cross who got to heaven, and I'm going to butcher it, but I encourage you, if you can find it, to play it. And he gets to heaven, and one of the saints there says, how did you get in? And, well, I don't rightly know. Well, do you understand justification? Do you understand the doctrine of the Bible, of the scriptures? No, I don't. Do you understand eschatology? I don't. Well, we've got a problem here. Let me call my supervisor angel over. And the supervisor angel grills him. And the individual then, if you don't know these things, then why do you think you can come to heaven? And the thief on the cross in this scenario simply responds and says, the man in the middle said I could come. Folks, that is the simplicity of the gospel. It doesn't need to be deeper than that because it's not our job to go deep. That's the Spirit's work in people's hearts. We can preach that. Paul, who is as learned as he was, as educated as he was, determined to keep his message simple. Christ and him crucified. That's it, that's all. Notice letter C then, since I have you on the spot, Austin. How did Paul characterize his abilities and emotions? Weakness, fear, and much trembling. Does that sound like the kind of evangelist you want to support as a missionary? Does that sound like the kind of Christian you think we should be modeling after? See, boldness or courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is doing the right thing in spite of the fear. You're afraid to go and you're afraid to share, but obedience, that takes courage. That takes boldness to do that which is right and speaking out. And here the apostle Paul is not relying on his education. He is manifesting his weakness and his shortcomings to be able to even communicate. His attitude is emotion. I have fear. I have trembling. And so he's drawn this contrast on purpose. And I believe God wants us to see that so that it begins to cut away the excuses. And I am preaching to nobody but myself right now. There's no excuse for why I shouldn't be bold in my witness. There's no excuse that God gives. How did he characterize his preaching? Letter D. He characterizes preaching by the demonstration of the spirit and of power. It's your faith so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. That was his preaching. Amen. Praise the Lord that it's not up to us to be convincing. Now, let me make a point to say this. This is not an excuse not to study. The Bible does say in 2 Timothy 3.15, And by the way, the approval's to God, not to men. But you and I should be in the word of God to be familiar with it, to allow the truth of the gospel to sink deep into our hearts. but the reality is we just need to go and we may have fearfulness. How can this be an encouragement? How can this, let me just kind of open it up for you guys. How has this maybe challenged some of the apprehensions in your life? Anybody wanna be transparent and share? Somebody back over here, the past senior pastor, Scott LaPierre. Well, I was reflecting on something. The gentleman who taught this, what's his name? I can't remember, I'm sorry. Jeff Musgraves. Jeff, yeah. So he, I appreciate the ministries of Ray Comfort and there's videos of him or, you know, doing his open air preaching and he stands up there and he's being attacked and he turns off the microphone and he just never seems to be discouraged, you know, turns off the microphone from the person that's cursing at him just to give him just to give you an idea of what the ministry looks like for him often. It's not that he's preaching and everyone's warm and receptive. And so those are incredible videos. And I'm really thankful for his ministry. But I think a lot of people look at that, and they know they can't think on their feet as quickly as Ray Comfort. I can't. And just all the questions are coming, or the criticisms are coming, and everyone's heavily antagonistic. Yet he seems to respond so well on his feet like that. And just so many people look at that, and they can't do it. What Jeff said was the exchange offers something else, an investment of time. And so if you look at Ray Comfort or even other people that seem to be really bold and articulate and you say, I can't do that, that's not me. This approach allows, if you'll give the time, then you can do this approach. It's not expecting you to think super quick on your feet, it's laid out pretty well for you. That's a good point. I think it reminds me of Apollos, who the scriptures describe as an eloquent man, where Paul wasn't. But Paul in 1 Corinthians 3 coupled both ministries together. I've planted, Apollos is water, but it is God who gives the increase. And nothing will speak louder to the care you have for the individual than time. If you're willing to put the time in to talk to somebody and answer hard questions, then praise the Lord. That's gonna be a witness to them, even if you can't answer all of the questions. Now, there is a place for apologetics, and we won't derail this to go talk about apologetics, but it is a critical piece to our evangelism to be able to know how to give an answer. I think of 1 Timothy 3, verse 15 that talks about that. But this right here, we're just focusing on for baby Christians and for us to be reminded, we just need to go. We just need to be bold and go. How would you describe, let's see, look at, well, let's read the verse of scripture first. 2 Corinthians 2, verses 14 through 16. Who would like to read that passage of scripture? 2 Corinthians 2, verses 14 through 16. Let me get a volunteer. All right, Dwayne, right over there. As he is looking at that, let me just read the second paragraph. 2 Corinthians 2-7 gives us an unusual transparent glimpse into Paul's heart as he marvels that God's amazing power is displayed through his frail humanity. The word manifest powerfully captures the Christ life principle as we see Christ's life evidenced in Paul's life in spite of his personal weaknesses and fear. All right, go ahead, Dwayne. 2 Corinthians 2, 14-16. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and manifests through us the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one, an aroma from death to death. To the other, an aroma from life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? So just answering a few, a couple questions here is how would you describe the fragrance of Christ in this passage? And those of you who have turned there, how does he describe the savor or the fragrance? There's a particular word. If you have your books, it's even bolded for you. Shout it out if you think you know. Aroma. How is it tied specifically to Christ? According to the passage of Scripture, the savor of His, what? Or the fragrance of His. If you've got your books, it'll be the word knowledge. your knowledge of him. What you know of him is how you live it, right? It's what you know of Christ that impacts your attitude, it impacts your behavior. And notice in the scripture it says, by us, it's a knowledge or a savor that we perfume in the world around us is the knowledge of Christ for them to see Christ in us. And he says in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor, or a sweet fragrance of Christ. Christ's fragrance is the invisible, powerful aura of Christ in the spirit-filled Christian's life. Have you ever heard this described of a believer, or maybe somebody has said this about you? There is just something different about you. Boy, the economy's hard, right? Or the job place is hard, or maybe the medical diagnosis is difficult, but there's something different about you. You're not falling apart at the seams. Your life's not imploding right now. What is different about you? And this is one of those scenarios where you sitting down, you in the workplace, have a much greater degree of impact than Pastor Scott or I could ever have. Because you're in the environment where the pressure's real, the demands, the timestamps, balancing the books, whatever your role is in the workplace, the lost are under the same constraints as you are. What's different is your response to those things. And the more that we know Christ, the more that we walk with Christ, the more of that comes out. I had a grandmother, she's passed away now, but she would always wear this perfume that would linger. And I could tell whether she's been in the house or even been in a room, and she doesn't have to be present. Because I walk into the room and it's like, the aroma gives evidence that my grandmother was here. As believers, what God desires for us is our lifestyle, how we carry ourselves to be an undeniable aroma of Christ. God didn't call us to put on a name badge. Hi, my name is Nathan, I'm a born again believer. And read the badge, I'm a Christian. Sometimes in Christianity and our culture today, that's kind of what we do. We kind of put on the shirt that says I belong to Woodland Christian Church on the back. And I like, by the way, advertising our church. I think it's a good thing in our community. But if that's what we're relying on to identify ourselves with Christ, we're not doing it right. You should be able to wear the same uniform job, the jumper suit, the safety vest, or whatever your attire is, where physically you look like everybody else, but beyond the physical, the attitudes, the words, the actions depict you to be somebody different than the guy next to you. When Jesus came into the world, the Bible says that there was nothing about him that was attractive. He was not comely. The attraction that people had to Jesus was not for his looks. But there was something different about him. Even to the degree where the book of Mark says that the common people heard him gladly. And the way that we interact with people as we show Christ can have a compelling effect because it is God working through us to reach the lost. Now, is it gonna be like that all the time? No, because just as what Duane read for us, there is a savor of life unto life, and there's a savor or fragrance of death unto death. We cannot dictate how people will perceive the aura of Christ in our lives. We can only determine to live in such a way that we diffuse his fragrance. To some, the fragrance of Christ in our lives is as attractive as the fresh smell of spring. To others, this fragrance is as repulsive as the smell of death. Some will be drawn to hear the message of the gospel as we emanate Christ. Others will reject him. This must have been what he had in mind when he said, Father, make me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to a decision. Let me not be a mile post on a single road. Make me a fork that men must turn one way or the other on facing Christ in me. That's a powerful prayer and that's asking God to do a lot when you have that conversation to drive men to a decision. Let's turn real quick, Acts chapter 26, we'll see an example of this. Acts chapter 26, we'll see an example of Paul sharing his testimony And since everybody's turning there, it's not in your notes, not in your book, so everybody can be turning there. And let's get a volunteer to be able to read Acts 26, verses 25 through 30. Acts chapter 26, verses 25 through 30. Who'd like to read that? Jake? Right up here, Liam. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things. For I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe. Then Agrippa said to Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains. When he had said these things, the king stood up as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them. So this testimony, Paul is giving in the earlier context of how he came to faith in Christ, what God was doing in his life, and notice that Paul did not remain silent and just say, well, that's my testimony. Immediately he was talking to Agrippa to come to a decision. He wasn't twisting his arms, but he was telling him, you gotta come to a decision. Do you believe the prophets? I know you believe. And then Agrippa's statement, almost, almost you persuade me to be a Christian. Or some of your Bibles will have it as a question mark. Really, so soon you expect me to become a believer? Was Paul responsible for Agrippa's response? But Paul was being faithful. He was like Jim Elliot's prayer. He was becoming a crisis man. Now, this might be something, as you're discipling a new believer, this might be something to keep in mind. But if somebody you don't have a relationship with, it might be hard to have that conversation. The important thing is that you're going. Even if your boldness is saying, I'll give a gospel track out, start. But at some point, we need to be having conversations and asking people, what will you do with Jesus Christ? Because when they stand before God, That's the question that's gonna be answered for them. This is what you did with Jesus Christ. And for the lost, their name will not be in the Lamb's book of life as evidence of what they did with Christ. So it's important when we talk about sharing Christ, our life of service, that we learn to get to that point. But it's gonna take boldness. Look at point number six in your book 310. And who would like to read that, if you got your book, point number six, and then read the scripture beneath it, and then the paragraph underneath, who'd like to read that? All right, Dan in the back there, thank you. When we know Christ intimately, we can show him effectively to others. What else is necessary before our believers can come to the saving knowledge of Jesus? Second Corinthians 2.17, we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God. In the sight of God, we speak in Christ. A peddler or huckster would place the best apples on the top of his basket, hiding the rotten apples beneath. Paul had nothing to hide. He was determined to preach the truth about Jesus and the power of God because he trusted the power of the word. As spirit-empowered believers, we must boldly speak the good news of the gospel. Paul's talking about here having sincerity in the sight of God. He says, we speak Christ. We're not like those who corrupt the Word of God. I like that illustration that Jeff gives in the book, talking about a peddler or a huckster. Can you guys picture this in the marketplace? This extravagant sign for this extravagant price and thinking, my goodness, but then he puts only the best of his apples or the best of his produce on the top, trying to show the very best, but underneath is like, In order to be effective witness, we can't be like that. Now, we're not perfect, but we cannot play the hypocrite and expect God to use us in our witness, where we put on a show, maybe when we come to church, or we put on a show for our family, but underneath, there's a lot of unresolved issues that we're refusing to give to God. You guys have heard this term before, that your talk talks and your walk talks? but your walk talks louder than your talk talks. Can you say that like five times fast? No, get a microphone, I'm just kidding you. I had to say it slow for me because I would mess it up. We communicate. We communicate with words, but we communicate in a very impactful way with our lives, with our actions. If we're gonna be an effective witness, and this is important in your own life and communicating with a new believer, that you cannot be living a double life. You cannot present something that is disingenuous. You cannot. Remember what Paul was saying to Agrippa? He said, I wish you were exactly like I am, except for these chains. Can you imagine? I want you to experience the freedom in Jesus. And he's got chains on, but he's saying, Paul was more free in his chains, that's the reality. He had more freedom in bondage, physical bondage, than Agrippa did on his throne. And what a picture of those who are lost in the world, sitting on the throne of their own life, thinking they're in charge, but they're in bondage to sin. Those of us who suffer for the sake of the gospel are more free in Jesus than they. But our lives have to be authentic. There has to be a genuineness about us as we communicate the gospel. And be transparent when you're talking to the person you're discipling. Be real and say, you know what, I'm convicted by this. Let's grow together in this. This is a charge for both of us. So bring it to the end of, look at number seven, page number 311. Now we're gonna look at a few different passages of scripture, and we have about 10 minutes left, and we'll wrap up with this. The question is asked, who will suffer if we hide our gospel witness? Who will suffer? So we're gonna turn, if you have your books, 2 Corinthians 4, verses three through seven is on there, but I'm gonna bring in a few more passages of scripture. to be able to give some biblical context to answer this question. Now, I need someone to turn to Matthew chapter 5, verses 14 through 16. Matthew chapter 5, verses 14 through 16. Who'd like to turn there? And maybe write this down. If you've got notes, you're taking notes in your book, write this down. Might be some encouraging passages of scripture to use as you're communicating to a new believer. Matthew 5. You guys have done well. Hanging in there, we're almost done. I just need some volunteers to read. So Phil, can you read Matthew 5, 14 through 16? While you're there, I need someone to turn to Acts 26. Acts chapter 26, and read verses 15 through 18. And somebody who has a book, please read what's there on page 311, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 3 through 7. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 3 through 7. Who has a book? like to read. I'll take repeats. Someone over there? Dan? Okay. So Dan's going to read 2 Corinthians 4, 3-7. Who would like to read Acts 26, verses 15-18? Acts 26. Somebody from the back? All right, Leah in the back. So we'll read in this order, Matthew 5, 14 through 16. Then Leah will read Acts 26, verses 15 through 18. And then Dan will read 2 Corinthians 4, three through seven. We're gonna answer this question, who will suffer if we hide our gospel witness? All right, go ahead, Phil. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your God, excuse me, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Amen. And then Acts chapter 26, Verses 15 through 18. And I said, who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. All right, and then 2 Corinthians 4, verses 3-7, Dan. Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. So if the gospel is hid, who's going to suffer for it? Given these passages of Scripture, Jesus gave a charge in Matthew chapter 5. Jesus gave a personal charge to Paul in Acts 26. And then Paul makes the statement in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, who suffers if our gospel is hid? Those who are perishing. They need a rescue. They need a Savior. And if our gospel be hid, it's hid or veiled and we know that the enemy is at work because the scripture says also that the God of this world is the devil and he's the one who is trying to blind them. He does blind them. Reminds me of Ephesians chapter two that talks about those who are dead and trespasses and sins. They walk according to the ordinance of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air and the spirit, which now works in the children of disobedience. So I wanted to tie these passages together as we bring this lesson to a close. God has given us a mandate to share Christ, that is the light. He told Paul specifically, open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Jesus said, let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. And even when Paul says we preach, we preach Christ Jesus the Lord. And he says specifically that God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. We are the vessels that God seeks to use to bring his light into a dark world. As unqualified as you may feel, you are God's choice for this mission. and you have a purpose. And what God calls us to do is be bold. And that's something that's encouraging. I hope it encourages as well as challenges you, but I'm thinking of when you're talking to your kids, and you want your kids to be followers of Christ, that this is something God has for each of us. And if we remain faithful in this, we'll see God at work. God wouldn't give this mission to Paul if it wasn't possible. But the reality is it is possible because the gospel is that powerful. God is that amazing. His grace is that strong. And He doesn't depend upon our abilities, it's our availability. So as we come bringing this to a close, remember that we preach Christ. And so we're gonna try to wrap this up the next week, but I wanted to just, it's kind of a twofold thing. I'm gonna end on this note. When we got up here to teach this, whether it's Robert or Jameson or myself, the point was to do more than just make you familiar with the content. The point was to help you to be challenged, to be living this because God has called you to be disciple makers, but to also put yourself in the driver's seat or put yourself in the discipler's seat. Think about the people that God is putting in your life that need this. Think about your children that need to hear this. Think about relatives who come to faith in Christ or coworkers you've been witnessing to and the call that God has put in your life to be able to share this with them. You guys have been great listeners and we're gonna wrap up here next week. We'll go ahead and we'll close in a word of prayer. Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your son Jesus. Thank you for Jesus being the model of absolute obedience and boldness. And as the scriptures say literally, he endured the contradiction of sinners, every sinner. There was nobody for him as he obediently went to the cross to secure our salvation. So Father, I pray that we would look to Jesus who is the author and finish of our faith. I pray that we would be aware of the shortcomings or perhaps even the excuses that we have embraced to keep us from being obedient to you. I pray that we would lay these things at your feet, that we would confess where we have lived or really crippled ourselves with excuses. And I'm thinking myself especially, Father. And I pray that you grant grace and boldness to overcome, to trust in you, to have faith in you, to be at work in us, and in our frailty, our vulnerability, that we would showcase the grace of Jesus Christ that transforms lives. And Father, I pray that you would be honored, and our obedience is imperfect as we are. Please work in us and work through us to reach the world around us. And we ask these things in Jesus' name, amen. I love you guys. Thank you for participating. God bless.