Lesson 11 — The Sharing Principle

University Objectives… (Reviewed)
_________ the Word!
___________ the Word!
_________ the Word!

Semper Vivus: __________________   ____________

“This __________ is ___________!”

“University” Defined:
“An institution of ________________ at the highest ____________.” 

Principle 11 (of 12)
The ________________ Principle

I can find ultimate purpose in life only by learning the essentials of sharing my faith in Christ as my Lord and Savior. I must recognize that I have a personal harvest both locally and globally. The Great Commission is my personal mission. I hereby resolve to choose this course of action daily, and in God’s power I consider it done.

Primary Passage…
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” — Acts 1:8 (NIV)

THE BOOK OF ACTS… A Three-Word Summary!
“A CALL TO INTIMACY”
_________       _____________       _____________

Jesus went _______ !
The Holy Spirit came _____________ !
And the Church went _________ !

Foundational Premise…

“Premise” Defined:
“A proposition upon which an ___________________ is based or from which a ___________________ is drawn.”

Premise…
It is a biological fact that all _____________ living ___________________ reproduce. It is therefore essential for a believer’s quality of _________________ life and health to be involved in advancing Christ’s __________________ through the spread of His Good News, both locally and globally.    

SHARING CHRIST… Personally (Part 1)
INTRODUCING THE “PRAYER, CARE, SHARE” Prayer-Evangelism Strategy

“Prayer Evangelism” Defined
“Prayer evangelism is ______________ to ________ about your ___________________ before talking to your neighbors about ________.” — Ed Silvoso

1. The _____________ Focus
Action Step One: ____________________ Christ in your neighborhood (or among friends and acquaintances) through a systematic prayer-evangelism strategy.

Scripture:
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men… For this is good… in the sight of God… who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. — 1 Timothy 2:1, 3-4 (NKJV)

THE PRAYER FOCUS…
A Threefold “Prayer-Evangelism” Strategy

Scripture:
…Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. — 2 Thessalonians 3:1 (NLT)

WATCHING! WALKING! WORSHIPING!
The Holy Spirit came _____________
And the Church went _________

WATCHING…
Establish a neighborhood prayer ____________. 

Scripture:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful… — Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

WALKING…
Take regular prayer _____________. 

Scripture:
I will give you every place where you set your foot… — Joshua 1:3 (NIV)

Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you. — Genesis 13:17 (NIV)

WORSHIPING…
Enthrone God in your ____________________. 

Scripture:
But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. — Psalm 22:3 (NKJV)

MY NEIGHBORHOOD AT A GLANCE
Draw a rough map of your neighborhood. For a work place or school setting, draw the placement of desks or lockers with names of co-workers or classmates.

2. The __________ Focus
Action Step Two: _________________ relationships with your neighbors (or friends or acquaintances) through intentional acts of caring and kindness. 

Scripture:
In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them. — Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT)

But if one of you has enough money to live well, and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. — 1 John 3:17-18 (NLT)

THE CARE FOCUS…
A Threefold “Care-Evangelism” Strategy

Scripture:
You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all… let your good deeds shine out for all to see. — Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

Whenever you enter a home, give it your blessing… Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide you… eat whatever is set before you and heal the sick. As you heal them, say, “The Kingdom of God is near you now.” — Luke 10:5, 7-9 (NLT)

BLESSING! KNOWING! HELPING!

BLESSING…
Speak peace over your ___________________.

KNOWING…
Seek ways to  ___________________ with your neighbors.

HELPING…
Pursue tangible acts of _________________.

3. The _________ Focus
Action Step Three: ________________ your neighbors (or friends and acquaintances) in conversations that open the door for you to share your personal testimony.

Scripture:
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. — Proverbs 11:30 (NIV)

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect… — 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

THE SHARE FOCUS…
A Threefold  “Share-Evangelism” Strategy

LOOKING! CULTIVATING! DEVELOPING!

LOOKING…
Look for specific opportunities to share your _____________________.

Scripture:
…open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. — John 4:35 (NIV)

CULTIVATING…
Seek to cultivate lasting ______________________.

DEVELOPING…
Develop a strategic plan for your ___________________.

Talk Back Time: (Share what you’ve learned with your small group.)
Discuss some of the ways one might develop a “care” strategy in cultivating relationships with your neighbors. What specific ways would you tell a neighbor that your life was transformed through meeting Christ as your personal Savior?

Pray Back Time: (Pray what you’ve learned in your small group.)
Ask God to give you a personal strategy to begin targeting your neighborhood in ways you may not have thought of previously. Pray for specific neighbors you know by name, that God will open a door for you to share your faith with them.

SHARING CHRIST… GLOBALLY (PART 2): A THREEFOLD PROPHETIC OVERVIEW

Scripture:
…I have made you a light to the Gentiles [nations], to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth. — Acts 13:47 (NLT)

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved…” how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? — Romans 10:13-15 (NIV)

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns… The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God. — Isaiah 52:7, 10 (NLT)

Verse 10 in The Message Bible reads…God has rolled up his sleeves. All the nations can see his holy, muscled arm. Everyone, from one end of the earth to the other, sees him at work, doing his salvation work.

1. Overview One:
A Prophetic _______________ of Global _________________________.

Scripture:
…And as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with the people who know the Lord. In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, for the land where he lives will be a glorious place. — Isaiah 11:9b-10 (NLT)

The Message Isaiah got regarding Judah and Jerusalem: There’s a day coming when the mountain of God’s House Will be The Mountain—solid, towering over all mountains. All nations will river toward it, people from all over set out for it. They’ll say, “Come, let’s climb God’s Mountain, go to the House of the God of Jacob. He’ll show us the way he works so we can live the way we’re made.” Zion’s the source of revelation. God’s Message comes from Jerusalem. He’ll settle things fairly between nations. He’ll make things right between many peoples. They’ll turn their swords into shovels, their spears into hoes. No more will nation fight nation; they won’t play war anymore. — Isaiah 2:1-4 (MSG)

2. Overview Two:
A Prophetic _______________ of Global ________________________.

Scripture:
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. — Matthew 24:14 (NIV)

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. — Acts 5:42 (NIV)

EMBRACING AN “EARLY CHURCH” PROCLAMATION STRATEGY
Matthew 24:14

A Ninefold Biblical Word Study

1. “This _____________…”
Greek: Evangelion
Definition: “A __________ Message!”
Related to: Evangelizo
Definition: “To announce, bring, declare, show a
good message.”

2. “Of the _________________…”
Greek: Basileia
Definition: “Rule, ___________, royalty.”
Related to: Basileus
Definition: “A foundation of power; a sovereign.”

3. “Shall be ______________…”
Greek: Kerusso
Definition: “Proclaim, ______________ or herald.”

4. “________ the world…”
Greek: Holos
Definition: “___________ or complete”

5. “The  ___________…”
Greek: Oikoumene
Definition: “________________ globe or populated land.”
From the verb: Oikeo
Definition: “To occupy a house.”
From the noun: Oikos
Definition: “A dwelling or family.”

6. “As a _______________…”
Greek: Marturion
Definition: “Evidence given or ________________.”

7. “To ________ nations…”
Greek: Pas
Definition: “All, any, __________, the whole, whosoever.”

8. “To all ___________…”
Greek: Ethnos
Definition: “Race, tribe, __________, family of peoples, clan or sub-clan.”
Note: Ethnos in the Greek is the equivalent to mispahot (families) in the Hebrew.

Scripture:
…all the families of the earth will be blessed… — Genesis 12:3 (NLT)

9. “The ______ will __________.”
Greek for “end”: Telos
Definition: “_________, ultimate objective, conclusion, purpose.”
Greek for “come”: Heko
Definition: “to arrive; to come to fruition.”

A Word From a Missiologist
Frank Kaleb Jansen, past leader of Adopt-A-People Clearing House, said of Christ’s use of the word oikoumen in Matthew 24:14… “I believe Jesus is actually saying the gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed to every home.”

3. Overview Three:
A prophetic _________________ of global _____________ and ____________________.

“Paradigm” Defined:
“Example; pattern. An outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype.”

Scripture:
Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands and all who live in them. Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands. — Isaiah 42:10-12 (NIV)

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. — Acts 6:7 (NKJV)

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. — Acts 9:31 (NKJV)

The Christ Group… A House of Prayer for Every Village!
Gathering in, preserving and multiplying the harvest through New Testament house church fellowships.

Scripture:
So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day. — Acts 16:5 (NLT)

…I’m going to come and gather everyone—all nations, all languages. They’ll come and see my glory. I’ll set up a station at the center. I’ll send the survivors of judgment all over the world: Spain and Africa, Turkey and Greece, and the far-off islands that have never heard of me… I’ll send them out as missionaries to preach my glory among the nations. They’ll return with all your long-lost brothers and sisters from all over the world. They’ll bring them back and offer them in living worship to God… — Isaiah 66:18-20 (MSG)

Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer… For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. — Isaiah 56:7 (NKJV)

The Message reads…“Oh yes, my house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people.”

Look up these passages in your Bible, underline key phrases or put a box around them. Put a number “11” in the margin of your Bible by that passage and circle it. Then, go back to your primary passage (Acts 1:8) and in the margin write these verses beside it or at the bottom of the page. In this way you will begin to cross-reference your Bible.

• Psalm 67:1-2
• Psalm 107:1-2
• Isaiah 43:10-12
• Isaiah 62:1-3, 6-7
• Jeremiah 1:6-9
• Jeremiah 1:17-19
• Matthew 10:16-20
• Matthew 28:19-20
• Mark 5:19
• Mark 16:12-15
• Luke 8:39
• Luke 14:16-24
• John 4:35-38
• John 15:26-27
• Acts 2:29-32
• Acts 3:12-15
• Acts 4:13-20
• Acts 5:29-32
• Acts 26:13-18
• 1 Timothy 2:1-4
• 2 Timothy 1:6-8
• 2 Thessalonians 3:1
• Colossians 4:2
• Joshua 1:3
• Genesis 13:17
• Psalm 22:3
• Philippians 2:14-15
• James 2:15-16, 26
• 1 John 3:17-18
• Matthew 5:14-16
• Luke 10:5-9
• Proverbs 11:30
• 1 Peter 3:15
• Acts 13:47
• Romans 10:13-15
• Isaiah 52:7-10
• Isaiah 66:18-20
• Isaiah 11:9b-10
• Habakkuk 2:14
• Isaiah 2:1-4
• Matthew 24:14
• Acts 5:42
• Genesis 12:3
• Isaiah 42:10-12
• Acts 6:7
• Acts 9:31
• Acts 2:43-47
• Isaiah 56:7
• Acts 16:5

Principle Eleven Reviewed: The Sharing Principle

I can find ultimate purpose in life only by learning the essentials of sharing my faith in Christ as my Lord and Savior. I must recognize that I have a personal harvest both locally and globally. The Great Commission is my personal mission. I hereby resolve to choose this course of action daily, and in God’s power I consider it done.

Primary Passage…
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. — Acts 1:8 (NIV)

Talk Back Time: (Share what you’ve learned with your small group.)
Discuss the reasons why you think the Church in our nation concentrates too much attention on ourselves and not enough attention on the needs of those in least-evangelized and underdeveloped nations. Why do you think this is the case and how might we change these attitudes?

Pray Back Time: (Pray what you’ve learned in your small group.)
Pray that God will lead you to your specific part of the harvest globally. If you have a special interest in a particular nation or region of the world, ask God to show you ways to begin making a difference in helping evangelize and disciple the peoples of that region, whether through going, giving, or praying.