Soul Winning and Lifestyle Evangelism - Part 2

Temple Baptist Church 3-19-2008

2 Corinthians 6:4-10

Introduction:

A. Last week, we saw the importance of letting our lives be both light—to guide those in darkness—and salt—to give a wonderful savor to the world. We may either draw people to Christ or drive people away from Christ by the lives that we live before them.

B. We saw that Lifestyle Evangelism is not living a life of worldliness in order to reach them but rather living a life of contrast, showing them a difference.

C. I want to look at a few more things within the context of these verses that will affect the opinions of others concerning our testimony. Verse 4 says, “But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God.”

D. People watch our every move and reaction. They hear every word that we speak. We have been identified with Christ and sometimes, unfortunately, the lost know more of what we should act like than we know ourselves. How many times have I heard a statement like this: “A Christian would not have done anything like that!”

1. The World Watches Our Reaction To Life’s Trials – vs. 4

a. Patience – “Patience is accepting a difficult situation with giving God a deadline to remove it!”

b. Afflictions – Pressing matters or heavy burdens. “Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of troubles!” (Job 14:1)

c. Necessities – When our money and resources run low. Things that we define as “needs.”

d. Distresses – Anguish or dire calamity. Bad things happen to good people.

2. The World Watches Our Reaction To Persecution – vs. 5
a. Stripes – Chastened by the world.

b. Imprisonments – Actually placed into bonds or jails in innocence.

c. Labours – In weariness coupled with grief and sorrow.

d. Watchings – To be sleepless.

e. Fastings – Periods of agonizing with God during distress.

3. The World Watches Our Lives – vs. 6-7

a. Pureness – Chastity; uprightness of life.

b. Knowledge – A biblical understanding of right and wrong in decision making.

c. Longsuffering – Neither easily offended nor provoked.

d. Kindness - Not haughty or critical. Loving and easily entreated.

e. The Holy Ghost –The fruit of the Spirit manifested in our lives.

f. Love unfeigned - A sweetness of spirit which comes from the love of God.

g. The Word of Truth – Witnessing and counseling with God’s Word.

h. Armour of Righteousness – Integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking and acting.

4. The World Watches Our Attitudes – vs. 8-10

a. Honour and Dishonour – How we handle promotion or lack of promotion.

b. Evil Report and Good Report – Some like what we do while others hate what we do.

c. Deceivers, and yet True – They tell you that you belong to a cult or are narrow minded while you faithfully minister to them the Word of God.

d. Unknown, and yet Well Known – Despised, slighted, hated, and persecuted by the world but well know to both God and His children.

e. Dying, and, behold, We Live – Dead to the world but alive forever more to the Father.

f. Chastened, and not Killed – If the world chastens you to death, you live as you never have before.

g. Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing – Trials and tribulations cannot steal the real joy that comes only through knowing Christ.

h. Poor, het making many Rich – Our lives are spent, not in earning a living alone, but in sharing the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

i. Having Nothing, and yet possessing All Things – Leaving all for Christ while gaining the best of this world and all of the world to come.

Conclusion: Our Lifestyle is one of the greatest evangelization tools that we have. Of little value is the Word of God when spread by a life not backing it up!