Session Recap:

How have you been applying what you've learned and your action plan(s)?

• If you haven't, what has hindered you?
• How do we overcome it this week?

Ask:

Have you ever shared the gospel with someone? Why or why not? 

Teaching Time:

Evangelism is the term the Church uses to refer to the preaching of the Gospel. It comes from the same Greek word for gospel (euangelion) and means, literally, “gospeling.” When we evangelize we are “gospeling” — we are spreading the Good News, the Gospel, of Jesus Christ. Evangelism is a way we can fulfill Christ’s call to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). The distinction between witnessing and evangelism is important because it is easy to think we are evangelizing when all we are doing is bearing witness to the Savior. Giving one’s testimony is a good thing, but it is not evangelism. Testifying to the work of God in our lives bears witness to what Christ has done for us; but it does not by itself give the content of the Gospel. Living a righteous life manifests the work of the Holy Spirit, but we have not evangelized our neighbor if we have never shared the Gospel with him or her. People are converted and are brought into the kingdom of heaven only through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:25–34) and that can only happen by hearing the Gospel and responding to it. Evangelism is a key component of the Christian faith. We don’t receive the Gospel simply to enjoy it ourselves but rather we have a call to spread the Gospel to those who don’t know Christ. What this means is we begin to leverage our lives for the work of the Gospel. That means using our areas of influence to share and spread the Gospel with people who need to hear and receive it.

Application:

Read Mark 16:15-16

• What did Jesus command his disciples to do? 
• Where did Jesus tell us to go and preach the gospel? 
• What is the gospel? (refer to session 2 if needed)

Read Matt 9:36-38 & Romans 10:12-15

• Why is it so important that we take evangelism seriously?
• What happens if the Church doesn’t evangelize?
• What happens if you don’t evangelize?

Read 1 Cor 9:19-23

• What can we learn about evangelism from Paul?

Read Mark 2:1-12

• What can we learn about evangelism from the friends of this paralytic?

Read Acts 8:26-40

• What can we learn about evangelism from Phillip?

Read 1 Cor 1:17

• What are your biggest insecurities when it comes to sharing the gospel?
• How can I help you overcome them?
• Ask them to practice sharing their story and the gospel with you as if they were sharing with a lost friend.
• What is your next step when it comes to evangelism?

Where do we get it wrong?

• Myth 1: Evangelism is not my job. Somebody else will do it.
• Myth 2: It is my responsibility to save people. (You can’t save people. Only God can. Our goal is to be faithful to love people like Jesus and obedient to share the gospel with them.)
• Myth 3: Evangelism is not urgent. 
• Myth 4: We don’t have to speak the gospel. We can just live it.