Engage with the Gospel

June 6, 2023

Engage the Heart

Scripture

  • Acts 8:35-38

    35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.


    36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” 38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

    11 Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in outward appearance rather than in the heart. 13 For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.


    The Ministry of Reconciliation

    16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.


    20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

  • Romans 10:8-17

    8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.


    Israel’s Rejection of the Message

    14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. 16 But not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.


    Dig Deeper: Romans 10:5-15

  • Matthew 28:18-20

    18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always,[c] to the end of the age.”

  • Ezekiel 11:19-20

    19 I will give them integrity of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they will follow my statutes, keep my ordinances, and practice them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

We Engage the hearts of others ultimately so that we can Engage them with the Gospel. It’s an amazing reality that God works through us to fulfill His Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). The most vital step in becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ is the decision to respond to the Gospel and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior.


Philip is a great example of someone who engages others with the Gospel. In Acts 8, we see specifically that Philip opens his mouth, leads with Scripture, and tells about the good news of Jesus. The Gospel is clearly communicated from one person to another. We see in Scripture that faith in Jesus Christ comes by hearing the Gospel.


“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 10:14). A disciple-maker is an ambassador for Christ. God speaks through us. “We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” (2 Corinthians 5:20). God is the one who changes a person’s heart by the power of His Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 11:19-20), but He uses you as you Engage others with the Gospel.


To help you Engage others with the Gospel, FCA created a tool called The FOUR. It’s a simple, repeatable way to clearly communicate the Gospel using Scripture and visual icons.


TAKE ACTION

Use The FOUR to Engage others with the Gospel.


TOOLS

The FOUR