Wednesday, June 03, 2009

How different does different have to be?

For teaching Step 2 of the lesson, “Talking about the gospel” from Galatians 1:6-9, consider using this sermon illustration, suggested by the Bible.org Forum on the Lifeway lessons. I’ve shortened the list of confusing statements about the gospel to the following. I’ll reduce it even further to fit a few key ones on a PPT slide. I will ask members to pick the most correct statement from the list. After that I will ask for volunteers to state how they have misunderstood the gospel in the past.

1. Repent, believe, confess your sin to God, and confess Him before men and you will be saved.
2. The clearest statement of the Gospel in the N. T. is found in Luke 9:23: “If any man wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
3. May the Lord reveal to the sinners that the only way for them to be saved from their sins is to repent with a godly sorrow in their hearts to the Lord.
4. Utter the prayer of the prodigal son—ask Jesus to be your Lord and Master.
5. Place your hand in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus
6. Find Christ by praying through to Him.
7. Believe in Him, trust Him, accept Him, and commit your life to Him.
8. We have the warning of Christ that He will not receive us into His kingdom until we are ready to give up all, until we are ready to turn from all sin in our lives.
9. God offers eternal life freely to sinners who will surrender to Him in humble, repentant faith.
10. Do we literally have to give away everything we own to become Christians? No, but we do have to be willing to forsake all.
11. Matthew 7:13-14 is pure Gospel: “Enter by the narrow gate...”
12. No one can receive Christ as his Savior while he rejects Him as his Lord.

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