Evangelism Explosion course outline

I. INTRODUCTION:

A. Their secular life

B. Their church background

C. Our church (their impression)

D. Testimony: church or personal

Transition:

May I ask you a question?

E. Two diagnostic questions:

Q #1 – Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if
you were to die today that you would go to heaven?

 1 John 5:13

 May I share with you how I came to know I have eternal life and how you can know it
too?

 Let me ask you a second question…

Q #2 - Suppose you were to die today and stand before God and He were to say to you,
“why should I let you into My heaven? What would you say?

Repeat and confirm answer.

 Let me be sure I understand what you would say to God. You would say….

Transition:

When we started talking, I thought I might have some good news to share with you, but now that
I’ve heard your answer to this question, I know I have the best news you’ve ever heard!
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II. THE GOSPEL

A. Grace
1. Heaven is a free gift
Romans 6:23
2. It is not earned or deserved.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Friend’s gift

Transition:
This can be seen more deeply when we understand what the Bible says about man.

B. Man
1. Is a sinner.
Romans 3:23
Sin defined
Three sins a day
Matthew 5:48

2. Cannot save himself.

Omelet with bad eggs
Proverbs 14:12
Do you see now why it is impossible?

Transition:
This comes into sharper focus when we look at what the Bible says about God.

C. God
1. Is merciful – therefore doesn’t want punish us.
1 John 4:8b
2. Is just – therefore must punish us.
Exodus 34:7b
Bank robber

Transition:
God solved this problem in the Person of Jesus Christ.

D. Christ.
1. Who He is – the infinite God-man.
John 1:1, 14
John 20:28
2. What He did – He died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and
to purchase a place in heaven for us which He offers as a gift.
Record Book
Tetelestai
G-R-A-C-E

Transition:
This gift is received by faith.

E. Faith.
Key to heaven.
1. What it is not – mere intellectual assent.
The devil
James 2:19
Matthew 8:29

- Mere temporal faith

2. What it is – trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life.

Acts 16:31
The chair
Motive for Godly living
Beggar’s hand
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EE TEACHER’S HAND-OUT
PART II- THE GOSPEL PRESENTATION

I. OBJECTIVE

To equip you to effectively communicate the grace and man portions of the gospel presentation.

II. TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: “Good News!”

“…When we started talking, I thought I might have some good news to share with you, but now
that I’ve heard your answer to this question, I know I have the best news you will ever hear!”

a. The gospel is good news

b. Think about heaven before you talk about it.
c. Watch your attitude.
d. Avoid talking down to people: “you know,” “you see’” etc…
e. Instead you might say, “I discovered…” or “I am glad I learned…”
f. You’re telling him he’s wrong without making him angry.

III. GRACE
A. Heaven is a free gift. Romans 6:23
1. A free gift – begin with the positive (Transparency: note that ribbon forms a plus sign).
2. Identify with the prospect when possible – “I felt like you…”
3. Personalize – use “I, me , my”
4. According to the Scripture – Romans 6:23

a. “The Bible says…” For all have sinned…

b. Use only the relevant part of verses
c. Be conversational – not preachy!

B. It is not earned or deserved. Ephesians 2:8-9

1. Contrast man’s way with God’s way.
a. Man’s way is to earn or try to deserve, to pay, or work for everything.
b. God’s way is grace – to receive freely what we don’t deserve.

Friend’s gift
2. Illustrate with a “Friend’s gift.”
a. This illustrates that no amount of human effort can earn the free gift of eternal life.
b. Master the illustration.
c. Be sure to apply it.
3. Use question to focus attention and heighten interest such as:
a. “How good do you suppose I would have to be to earn my way to heaven?”
b. “How much do you pay for the air you breathe?”

4. Most people do not know that man cannot save himself; therefore, this truth must be repeated
and emphasized many times and in many different ways.

IV. Transition:
“This can be seen more clearly when we understand what the Bible says about man.”
a. Notice that the transitional sentence here begins by pointing back to what has just been said:
“This can be seen.” Then it points forward to what is going to be discussed next “about man.”
b. Transitional sentences make the presentation flow smoothly, so they should be memorized and
used consistently.

V. MAN
A. Is a sinner. - Most people know this even though they may not realize the seriousness of it.
1. How can you tell someone he is a sinner without unnecessary offense?
• State the general principle: “All have sinned!” Romans 3:23
• Quote Romans 3:23 and Isaiah 53:6 (optional).

Sin defined
2. Define sin: The Bible says sin is…
• Anything we do, that God has said not to do- “…sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4)
• Anything we fail to do which God commands –(James 4:17)
• Any evil thought – (Proverbs 24:9)
• Any word we should not say – (Matt. 12:37)

Three sins a day

3. Talk about how many times a day the average person sins: use “Three sins a Day” illustration.
a. This illustration shows how a few sins a day will add up to many sins in a life-time.
b. “If I were to commit three sins a day…” (refer to yourself, not to prospect)
Matthew 5:48
4. Quote Matt. 5:48 and apply: A perfect God in a perfect heaven, requires perfection. That’s why
man…”

C. Cannot save himself.

Omelet with bad egg

1. Omelet illustration: this illustrates that a little sin contaminates the whole, and because we are
a mixture of good and bad, we are therefore unacceptable to God.
2. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Proverb 14:12

3. James 2:10 (optional)

Do you see now why it is impossible…

4. At this point it is good to say: “Do you see now why it is impossible for you or me or anyone
else to save himself by… (then gently plug-in his works answer to the second diagnostic
question).

VI. Transition:

“This comes into sharper focus when we look at what the Bible says about God.”

NOTE: GRACE AND MAN – STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS (CN 48)

I. OBJECTIVES:
To equip you to effectively communicate the God and Christ portion of the Gospel presentation.

II. TRANSITION SENTENCE:

“This comes into sharper focus when we see what the Bible says about God.”

III. GOD

A. Is merciful – therefore doesn’t want to punish us.

1 John 4:8b

1. This deals in the first place, with the good news - that God is merciful.
• He loves us in spite of what we are and because of who He is.
• Use 1 John 4:8b – “God is love”
• You may want to add Jeremiah 31:3b – “He has loved us with an everlasting love.”

2. Many Gospel presentations leave out the nature of God.

3. Most people know that God is loving.
4. Transition: “The same Bible that tells us God is merciful also tells us that He…”

B. Is just – therefore must punish sin.

Here you deal with the bad news - that sinful men must stand before Holy God at the
judgment.
Most people don’t know this.
Use one or two of the following Scriptures:

“He will by no means clear the guilty” Exodus 34:7b

Romans 6:23 “”The wages of sin is death”

Bank robber

 Bank robber illustration: this illustrates that if human judges are expected to sentence the
guilty, how much more should we expect justice from the sovereign God.

IV. TRANSITION SENTENCE

“God solved this problem in the person of Jesus Christ.”

(“Problem,” as the word is used here, does not mean something that caught God off guard, but
that in the mind of man there is a dilemma which must be resolved.)

IV. CHRIST

A. Who He is – the infinite God-man

• By “infinite” we mean limitless, measureless. He is the Creator and sustainer of all things.
• Most people don’t know this.
• Use questions to avoid a monologue.
a. When the prospect is very quiet and passive.
b. Not when prospect is very talkative.
Build on prospect’s reply with a positive response.
a. Don’t simply say, “you are wrong”
EXAMPLE:
Presenter: “I would be interested in your opinion about Christ. Whom do you understand Him to
be?”

(According to the Bible, Jesus Christ is God, the second person of the Trinity, the Creator of the
universe. The Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God…The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” God came down into human
flesh.)
a. John 1:1, 14 –“Word became flesh… John 1:1, 14
b. John 20:28 – “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28

B. What He did –
• He died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the penalty for our sins and to purchase a
place in heaven for us which He offers as a gift.
• Most people know Christ died on the cross. Few understand its significance.
• This is the great transaction about which the whole Bible is written.

Record Book
Illustration: Record Book
Imagine the book in my right hand contain a minutely detailed account of our life. All our sins
were recorded on that book. The Bible says that someday the books will be open and everybody
will know all about us. This is our problem, our sin. So, God sent His Son to paid for our sins.
Isaiah 53:6

Suppose my other hand represent Jesus Christ. The Bible says God placed all our sins on Jesus
(transfer the book to the “Jesus” hand).

Isaiah 53:4

“And He says that He goes to prepare a place for us. He purchased a place for us in heaven.”
John 14:2

Romans 6:23

a. This illustrates that all my sin, which God hates, was placed on Christ when He died in my
place on the cross.
b. Motions communicate, enabling a person to hear and see, thus making truth more easily
retained.
c. The presenter should fix his eyes on the object.
d. Personalize: “Imagine…everything I have ever done is written in this record book….”
e. Isaiah 53:6 – “Laid on Him”
f. On the cross, Jesus endured the infinite wrath of God in my place and for my sin.
Tetelestai

• This illustrates that on the cross Christ paid in full the penalty for our sins.
• It is a Greek commercial word that means, “it is paid.”
• Don’t leave Christ dead on the cross, rather refer to His burial, resurrection, and ascension to
heaven to prepare a place for us.
G-R-A-C-E
• The G-R-A-C-E acrostic meaning of the word.
• The chaplain of the Queen of England, at a meeting of world leaders, once gave this acrostic:
God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
• Interest can be heightened at this point by asking rhetorical questions like:
1. Who receives this gift?
2. How can we have this gift?

VI. TRANSITION SENTENCE

“This gift is received by faith.”

NOTE: GOD AND CHRIST STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS (CN 52

I. OBJECTIVE:
To equip you to effectively communicate the faith portion of the Gospel presentation.

II. FAITH
A. Key to heaven is called saving faith.
1. If possible, show the prospect a set of keys.

• Faith is the key that opens the door of heaven.

• Man can be saved through faith.
• Man can be lost through faith in his good work.
• Remind him that only one key will open the door to your house.
• Only one kind of faith will open the door to heaven- saving faith.
• This is important since many people do not have eternal life because of a false concept of
saving faith.

2. Tell him that first you want to share with him…

B. What saving faith is not.

1. Mere intellect assent.

Mere intellectual assent

a. Many people believe in God’s existence and the deity of Christ in the same way
b. The word “mere” is important because it indicates that we do need to assent intellectually to
the facts of the gospel; but that in itself is not enough.
c. The devil believes in God’s existence and even trembles, but he won’t go to heaven. The devil

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that, and shudder.” James
2:19

“What do you want with us,” Son of God? They shouted. Have you come here to torture us
before the appointed time?” Matthew 8:29

2. Mere temporal faith.

a. By “temporal faith,” we mean trusting God in the temporary crises of this life.
a. Sickness /surgery – healing faith.
b. Money problems – financial faith.
c. Flying or driving dangers – traveling faith.
d. Big decisions – deciding faith.

b. These all have one thing in common – they are temporal.

c. This kind of faith is good, but it must be understood that it can save no one.

C. What it is? - Trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life.

1. Three elements of saving faith.

a. knowledge - the intellectual element.

b. Assent – agreeing with the facts.
c. Trust – relying or depending.

2. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31

The Chair

3. Illustration: The chair

This illustrates the nature of saving faith.

a. Talk about the chair in three stages, referring to yourself.
1. You believe, of course, that that chair exists.
2. You believe it could hold me up
3. What would I have to do to prove to you that I really believe the chair can hold me up?

b. Apply the illustration to faith in Christ.

- Point to the chair you’re sitting on and personalize. “Let’s say this chair represents me, and that
chair represents Christ. There was a time when I trusted myself for eternal life – the good things I
was doing, etc.., then I came to understand I needed to transfer my trust to Christ alone and all
He did on the cross.” At that point move to the other chair.

(Do you believe this chair exits? Do you believe it will hold you? How could you prove how
could you prove that you believe it exist and can hold you? By sitting in it. Let the chair
represent Jesus Christ. To receive eternal life, you must transfer you trust from yourself to
Christ.)

c. Recall the prospect’s answer to the second question: “When I asked, ‘what would you say if
God asked why He should let you into heave, do you remember, what you said? ‘I try to do the
best I can, etc…

d. Suggest he now transfer his trust form himself, and what he has been doing to save himself, to
Jesus Christ and what He has already done on the cross.

3. Motive for godly living. – This part of the presentation explains the motive and the role of
good works. (Eph. 2:8-10)

Motive for Godly

Living

a. Not trying to earn eternal life through good works.

b. But doing them out of gratitude for eternal life.
Beggar’s hand

Beggar’s hand illustration:

This illustrates the act of receiving, by faith, the gift of eternal life.
Faith is the hand of a beggar reaching out to accept the gift of a king.

III. Transition Sentence : Leading from the Gospel into the Commitment section is the qualifying
question.

IV. IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT THE GOSPEL THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW:

1. Man cannot save himself.

2. God is holy and must punish sin.
3. Christ is God.
4. His death on the cross was for our sins.
5. He offers heaven as a gift.
6. The meaning of grace.
7. The meaning of faith.

NOTE: FAITH – STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS (CN 56)

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III. COMMITMENT

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

B. Commitment question: Would you like to receive the gift of eternal life?

C. Clarification of commitment:

Let me clarify this-

1. Transfer trust
2. Receive the resurrected and living Christ.
3. Receive Christ as Savior (Rev.3:20)
4. Receive Christ as Lord.
5. Repent

D. Prayer of Commitment:
If that’s what you really want, I can lead us in prayer and we can tell God what you just now told
me.
1. Pray for him (to understand, repent and believe).
2. Pray with him (short phrases at a time-bits of the gospel).
3. Pray for him (for assurance).

E. Assurance of salvation:
1. I would like you to read something that Jesus says about what you have just done.
2. John 6:47
3. Assurance question (Q1).
4. God’s “Why” (Q2).
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IV. IMMEDIATE FOLLOW UP

A. Welcome to the family of God.

B. Partners in Growing.
1. This is for you…
2. Read “My spiritual birth certificate”
3. is this the decision you have made?
4. Prospect signs
5. Evangelist’s name, address, phone.

C. The means of growth.

1. The Bible (7 day call-back appointment)
- Gospel of John
- Read 1 chapter a day
2. Prayer
3. Worship
4. Fellowship
5. Witness

D. Appointment for Church.