Have you ever had a Jehovah’s Witness at your door? How about a Baptist? Once upon a time, a new Church was planted in Franklin Tennessee, Trinity Baptist Church, by Dave Barba Founder of Press on! Ministries. In that day we went door to door in the community cold calling. If we could just ask the question, “If you died today where would you spend eternity” we would get “the in” to walk them down the Romans Road. John said, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13)
Sunday Pastor Randy Heady’s sermon at New Hope Baptist Church was God’s Plan of Salvation. Pastor Ron Hardman gave a similar message while I was at Bakers Grove Baptist Church. One of the courses in the BBN Bible Institute is 52400 Personal Evangelism (Level 1). on our Start page we link to How to get to Heaven posted on BBN.
The Method given in the above BBN BI course has long standing and has been used successfully by many a “Soul Winner.” The Pastors messages and what we practiced back in the day follow that basic plan. Pastor Allen Jackson of World Outreach Church encourages us to share our “Jesus Story.” Peter Said, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” Our Start page links to How to Know God from Thru the Bible, Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
When I got home I noticed there was a text message on my phone. This phone is a flip phone used for voice calls. The number is not published but voice calls to my published number are forwarded to this phone. I’m not much for texting and if I do text I do so from a smart phone. I looked at the message, from a local (615 area, same as this phone ) number that I did not recognize. It said something like, could I talk to you about Jesus? I was hesitant to answer but did not delete it. Later using that phone (T9 texting) I sent out the text biblestudenthub.com. Still later, not being able to resist, I felt compelled to answer. Using my smart phone I began to answer the question Who Is Jesus. . .
Once upon a time, in a land far away, walked a man who’s name is Jesus. Now He was no ordinary man, although He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (cf. Hebrews 4:15) His favorite name for Himself is the “Son of Man” but He is also the Son of God. “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”(Philippians 2:6-8)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:1-5)
God is sovereign but gave man free will. He, as creator, has the authority to rule over His creation but delegated authority to man. Man chose his will over God’s. God set out to redeem man. (cf. Genesis 3). He called a man, Abram, then a nation, Israel, through whom He would bless the world. (cf. Genesis 12:1-3) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (cf. John 3:14-21) “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)
You see in Adam we all are sinners. We have inherited a sin nature. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Romans 3:10-11) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:24). “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) “For the wages of sin is death (separation from God) Now this is where Jesus comes into play – but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) He paid it all! He paid a debt He did not owe, a debt I could not pay. He came to seek and save sinners. (cf. Luke 19:10) “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”(John 1:11-14) If one confesses by mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believes in his heart that God raised Him from the dead, one will be saved. (Romans 10:9) (redeemed – no longer separated from God)
There was a ruler of the Jews (that nation He called to bless the world) who came to Jesus to here what the teacher sent from God had to say. Jesus said you have to be born again, from above. Born of the Spirit like you were once born in the flesh. (cf. John 3) So God the Holy Spirit comes to live in you and you become a new man. (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21) But that’s not it, this same Jesus who is in heaven, making ready, will come back one fine day to clam His own. What a day of rejoicing that will be for those that believe and are looking for that day.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He is the light of the world. Know Him today! Blessings, Dave the Bible Student
The above is highly edited with all the resources available in this forum and to fit the style used herein. Texting is not a good format. Typos, misspelling and auto correct errors abounded in the original. The original was all paraphrase or from memory. It was a good exercise in expressing what I believe with out a copy of the Word in hand.
I would like to add the gospel according to Paul found in 1 Corinthians 15 to this post.
Pastors outline. . .
Jesus the Savior Revealed
Jesus the Savior Received
Jesus the Savior Rejected
Look for it next week on the Past Sermons page of the Church’s web site.
I would also recommend DTS Free Course Understanding God’s Covenants and the courses on each book offered. Or preview Graduate courses like BE5505 Kingdom and Covenants.
Dave the Bible student
Bible Student Hub —– Bible Study Start Page—–Resources —– Correspondence
Bible Student Hub 