Modified Evangelism Explosion Outline

 

I.  The Introduction (F.I.R.E.)

Family (Questions) Have any hobbies?  

Interests: [Tr.] Do you ever think about spiritual things?

Religious Background: When you attend church, where do you go?

Exploratory questions:

1.  Have you come to a place in your life that you know for certain that you have everlasting life and that you will  

     go to heaven when you die?

2.  Suppose that you were to stand before God right now and He asked you, “Why should I let you into my             

     heaven?”  What would you say?

II.  The gospel

      A.  GRACE        1.  Heaven is a free gift.

                     2.  It is not earned or deserved.

      B.  MAN           1.  Is a sinner, a lawbreaker (deserves death).

                      2.  Cannot save himself.

      C.  GOD            1.  Is merciful - therefore doesn’t want to punish us.

                      2.  Is just (holy) - therefore He must punish sin.

      D.  CHRIST      1.  Who He is - Jesus is God and He became Man at the first Christmas.

                2.  What He did - He paid for His people’s sin and purchased a place in heaven                    for us which He offers as a free gift.

                                3.  He did this by dying on the cross and shedding His blood for us.  Three days                                           later God the Father raised Him from the dead.

                4.  Christ returned to heaven and God made Him Lord of the universe.  He is now                   reigning as King over His universe.  He is everyone’s Lord.

      E.  REPENTANCE  1.  The Bible says that God has commanded every person to repent.                                                        Acts 17:30

                                 2.  What it is not - just feeling sorry.

                 3.  What it is - a change of all that I am from sin and selfishness to God.  It is a                                              U-turn, a change of direction (confession plus action). It is a turning to God                                              through Jesus and away from sin.

      F.  FAITH         1.  What it is not - only agreeing mentally to a few facts nor is it temporary faith.

                2.  What it is - actually trusting Jesus alone for deliverance from sin.

                        3.  It is an act of the mind, will and feelings.     

     G.  SURRENDER  1.  You have put God’s gift of faith to use when you have bowed before the                                                    throne of Jesus in submission and trust, asking Him to save you.

                                2.  Surrendering to Jesus as Lord means giving Jesus control of our lives. We                                               acknowledge Him as our Boss from now on.  We let him drive the car of our                                           ives.

     H.  RESULT             (of hearing this message)

           COSTS          1.  Those who truly believe and obey this message will be saved from sin’s                                                   punishment and control in their lives.

                 2.  Those who will not believe and obey will be responsible for rejecting the                                                   only escape path God has offered in the gospel.

III.  The commitment

        A.   Qualifying Question: Does this make sense to you?

        B.   Is there any reason you would not be willing to receive God’s gift of everlasting life?

        C.   Are you willing to turn from your sin and place your faith in Jesus right now?

        D.   Cost of commitment (explain the costs and losses of being a Christian)

        E.   Question of next step:

               1.  Would you be interested in coming to a Bible study to go over these truths in detail from                         the Bible?

     OR    2.  Would you be interested in coming to my Sunday School class or an Inquirer’s class?

     OR    3.  Jesus promises that He will not turn away from those who come to Him on gospel terms,                        faith and repentance.  (Read Matthew 11:28-30) This is Christ’s invitation to you, for you                      to come to Him. God has commanded you to repent and trust in the Lord Christ.  I urge                          you to become at peace with God through His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ.  You need to                        ask the Lord Jesus to save you.

        F.  Do you have any questions?  (Explain the prayer of submission for those who ask)

Dear God, I know that the Lord Jesus is Your Son.  He is God and He became man.  I know that He shed his blood by dying on the cross for sinners and was raised from the dead.  I know that I have broken Your rules, and I have sinned and need forgiveness.  I am now willing to turn from my sins and receive Jesus as my Deliverer and my Boss, my Savior and my Lord.  I now trust Him, I now repent of my sins, I surrender to Jesus.  Lord Jesus, please save me.  Thank you.  I pray in Jesus Name.  Amen. 

IV. Immediate follow-up

        A.  Bible - Live in the Word (Start reading the gospel of John)

        B.  Prayer - pray in faith   (each day)

        C.  Worship - spend time with the Master (devotions & come to church w/ me)                    

        D.  Fellowship with Believers (small group, S.S. class, church service, etc.)

        E.  Witness to the world (use present unsaved contacts, have a Matthew party)

        F.  Discipleship - one-on-one edification (first be discipled, then disciple others)

        G.  Service (ministering to other Christians, discover gifts)

Two Baptist Older Works on the Doctrine of Election

 Abstract of Principles, 1858 Southern Seminary

 

V.  Election

Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life — not because of foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy in Christ — in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified.

 

The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, adopted in 1744 as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith, latter adopted as the Charleston Confession of Faith.

 

1. God hath decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever come to pass; ¹ yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein;² nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; ³ in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.⁴

 

1. Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 6:17; Rom. 9:15, 18.

2. Jas. 1:13; 1 Jhn. 1:5.

3. Acts 4:27-28; Jhn. 19:11.

4. Num. 23:19; Eph. 1:3-5.

 

2. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions,⁵ yet hath He not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.⁶

 

5. Acts 15:18.

6. Rom. 9:11, 13, 16, 18.

 

3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ,⁷ to the praise of His glorious grace;⁸ others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.⁹

 

7. 1 Tim. 5:21; Mt 25:34.

8. Eph 1:5-6.

9. Rom. 9:22-23; Jude 4.

 

4. These angels and men thus predestined and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.¹⁰

 

10. 2 Tim. 2:19; Jhn. 13:18.

 

5. Those of mankind that are predestined to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love,¹¹ without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto. ¹²

 

11. Eph 1:4, 9, 11; Rom. 8:30; 2 Tim 1:9; 1 Thes. 5:9.

12. Rom. 9:13, 16; Eph 2:5, 12.

 

6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto; ¹³ wherefore they who are elect, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,¹⁴ are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,¹⁵ and kept by His power through faith unto salvation;¹⁶ neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.¹⁷

 

13. 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thes. 2:13.

14. 1 Thes. 5:9-10.

15. Rom. 8:30; 2 Thes. 2:13.

16. 1 Pet. 1:5.

17. Jhn. 10:26; 17:9; 6:64.

 

7. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election;¹⁸ so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise,¹⁹ reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility,²⁰ diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.²¹

 

18. 1 Thes. 1:4-5; 2 Pet. 1:10.

19. Eph 1:6; Rom. 11:33.

20. Rom. 11:5-6, 20.

21. Lk 10:20.

Basics about the Christian Science Sect

 

Christian Science

 

Origin:               Mary Ann Morse Baker was born in 1821 in Bow, New Hampshire. When she turned 17 years old, she joined the Congregational church of her parents (1838), but it was noted that she did not agree with the church’s position on the sovereignty of God in the salvation of humans, but they accepted her as a member anyway. She married George Glover in 1843, but he died of Yellow Fever only seven months into their marriage. In 1853 she married Daniel Patterson who was a dentist. She remained sick (emotionally and physically) most of the time since childhood. Then she went to a healer in Portland, Maine in 1862 named Phineas Parkhurst Quimby who radically changed her thinking. She became a healer herself using his methods. In 1866 Patterson left Mary and she divorced him for dissertation in 1893. Also, in 1866 Mary healed herself from injuries sustained in a fall on icy pavement and Quimby died. In 1875 after nine years as a Christian Science teacher and healer in which she taught from Quimby’s manuscripts, she wrote her first edition of Science and Health. Much of this material is similar to Quimby’s work, Science of Man. It includes ideas found in the Greek philosopher Plato, as well as ancient Gnosticism, Docetism, and Hinduism. In 1877 she married Asa G. Eddy, one of her followers, who died in 1882. In 1879 she founded the “Church of Christ, Scientist” in Boston, the mother church. In 1883 the sixth edition of her book was published, now called Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She died in 1910 and was not resurrected as many of her followers expected.

Scriptures:        The Bible, but it is to be used with Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy; other authorities include the testimony of the Science of Mind (demonstrations of Divine Science).

Divisions:          The New Thought philosophy came prior to and along with Christian Science, but the following groups have sprung from the philosophical foundations of Christian Science: Unity School of Christianity, Mind Science, Religious Science, Divine Science, and Scientology.

Beliefs:              Christian Science is the law of God, the law of good, interpreting and demonstrating the divine principle and rule of universal harmony.  There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore, man is not material; he is spiritual.

1.      Jesus was a human man born of a natural birth that only partially represented the spirit of Christ; he was not the Christ, which is an eternal spirit.

2.      Life, Truth, and Love represent the spirit of God on earth. This is the only trinity.

3.      Sorrow, sin, sickness, pain, evil, and death are illusions and are not real. The Mind or the spirit is real, matter is not real, only an illusion.

4.      Nothing is real, eternal, or spirit accept God and His idea.

5.      God is not personal; God is all that is real. All that is real is divine, and God is good, so all is good (pantheism).

6.      Mary Baker Glover Patterson Eddy is the Revelator for this age. The human Jesus was merely a Way Shower. Jesus' death was not a sacrificial payment for sin. It was a demonstration of the principle of love and of man’s unity with God.

7.      The central fact of the Bible is the superiority of spiritual over physical power.

8.      God’s forgiveness of sin is based on his destruction of sin and giving the spiritual understanding that recognizes evil as unreal.

9.      Christ is really the Christ-idea, the Son of God, the greatest manifestation of the eternal Mind. The Holy Spirit is not a person; it is Divine Science, the development of eternal Life, Truth, and Love.

10.   The creation story in Genesis one is correct, man is made in God’s image, the story in chapter two is a false alternative story involving matter.

11.   The sick are healed by “knowing” there is no such thing as sickness. Healing comes by the one Mind or God. The human mortal mind causes the belief in disease.

Practices:

1.      Healing comes from Christian Science beliefs and practitioners, not medical professionals.

2.      The Church of Christ, Scientist mother church in Boston is the model for all other Christian Science churches. It has two pastors only, the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Members have daily readings as well as prescribed weekly readings at the public assemblies.

3.      Only approved reading materials are allowed to be read. These can be found at the Christian Science Reading Room. Censorship is practiced.

4.      Prayer is offered to Father-Mother God.

5.      Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are interpreted spiritually, so these ordinances are never participated in by their members in a literal or physical way.

6.      The first public reader in the weekly service is a woman and the second one is a man.

7.      Publishing of the Christian Science Monitor daily news and weekly magazine.

8.      To adamantly deny that Mary Baker Eddy used morphine from twenty-three years old until her death at eighty-nine years old, as many of her relatives have testified.

9.      To deny Mary B. Eddy’s plagiarism of Quimby’s Science of Man (1868), Lindley Murray’s, The English Reader (4^th ed., 1823), and Francis Lieber “The Metaphysical Religion of Hegel” (1866). Likewise, they deny that the retired Unitarian minister J. H. Wiggin rewrote most of Mary’s book for her including deliberately editing the quoted material to make it appear slightly different than the original sources.

10.   Redefining Christian terms: atonement = at–one–ment; Hell= mortal belief, error, lust, remorse, hatred, sin , sickness; Mortal Mind= nothing claiming to be something

Size:                  Christian Science peaked in the 1950s to around 400,000, but has been in decline and now has between 250,000 to 300,000 members—by best estimates. They are forbidden to report their numbers according to their church manual.