3. Teach One Lesson

Matthew 10:5-16

Apartments

Introduction

Beyond any doubt this is the most important step in actually reaching the lost in our entire plan.  We have success here and the plan works.  We fail here and then our dream of having a church that knows how to grow and multiply fails.  We will never see our dream if we can’t make this step work.  I personally have seen it work time after time.  We have been in many, many homes doing these Bible Studies presenting the National Bible Reading Campaign to lost religious people. These lessons were written by a church planter named Ted Lindwall who is with Church Starts International and has a written these twenty  lessons for the specific purpose of reaching religious people. They are not really presenting repentance as much as removing things that are keeping people from the Biblical Jesus.  We trust that the Holy Spirit will in fact show them the path of repentance once they are aware of this path… the only path… back to God.

We begin with a study called “People Who Knew Jesus” that consistently points people away from religion and towards Jesus (A very subtle way to present repentance to them). Then we go through six more lessons in the second book called “Faith Power”. These lessons better explain their need for a commitment to those who have also decided to follow Christ.  The third book is called “Christian Discipleship” and contains eight steps that lead these new converts into a New Testament church.  These studies begin with lost people in their homes.  Over time, I have noticed that Christians are far more comfortable with the pastor doing all the work, teaching and  ministry. Pastors have resorted to entertaining or controlling those who do come to services to grow their churches. We as pastors must focus on equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.  We, for way too long have considered the “gift” (pastors) more important then the “church” who receives the gift (Eph 4:11).  I would pray that pastors see the need to equip the saints once again. Pray about the command to “make disciples” and not just hearers of the Word.

(Please read. Hebrews 5:11-14) This passage couldn’t describe our modern day churches better.  We need to get people out there teaching the Word of God.  It is not enough to preach this from the pulpit we must lead by example.  Pastor exactly how many people have you won to Christ lately? How many times have you personally taken a disciple with you to train? Who is your convert that is now leading others? We are commanded to pass it on to others. This must be done or the church under your direction will become a self centered, introverted, cluster of very frustrated people. Trust me on this!

We must go to the lost, we must present the Gospel to them on their terms as the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 “When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ.  Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings.” For us to make any progress we need to win their confidence.  The traditional church has all but lost this extremely urgent responsibility.  Jesus Himself came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10)! We will now look at how Jesus taught his disciples who were Jews, how to reach Jews.   Jesus gives us some very important instructions in this following passage. You will see that they were told to GO to the lost. They certainly were not told to WAIT for the lost to come to them!

Matthew 10:5-16

Matthew 10:5-8 Jesus sent the twelve disciples out with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep.  Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

• Jesus gave his twelve disciples specific instructions. T/F
• Jesus didn’t want the Gentiles or the Samaritans be saved. T/F
• Jesus told them to announce that the Kingdom of Heaven was near. T/F
• Jesus told them to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. T/F
• Jesus told them to charge a small fee for all their religious duties. T/F
• Jesus only gave these twelve disciples authority to cast out demons. T/F (see Matthew 10:1)
• It is possible to cast out demons and perform miracles without knowing Jesus or having the authority to do so. T/F (Matt 7:21-23)

Matthew 10:9-10 “Don’t take any money with you.  Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with an extra coat and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.

• Jesus said take enough money to stay three nights in a hotel. T/F
• Jesus said to pack as many things as possible into your bags so you can give them to the children when you get there. T/F
• Jesus said to carry an extra set of clothes with you just in case you needed them. T/F
• Jesus said it was wrong to stay in houses and it was wrong to eat someone’s food. T/F
• Today it is impossible to obey these kinds of instructions. T/F
• It is much better just to wait for people to come to church. T/F

Matthew 10:11-13 When ever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy man and stay in his home until you leave for the next town.  When you are invited into someone’s home, give it your blessing.  If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing.

• Jesus told them to look for any old drunk to share the Gospel with. T/F
• Jesus said to search for a worthy man and stay in his home. T/F
• Jesus expected them to only stay in one village not keep moving. T/F
• We are to leave a blessing with those who allow us to stay in their homes. T/F
• Jesus was really out of touch and didn’t really understand much about “modern day” church planting. T/F

Matthew 10:14 If a village doesn’t welcome you or listen to you, shake off the dust of that place from your feet as you leave.

• Jesus told his disciples to keep moving if someone in a village didn’t respond to the Gospel. T/F
• If a village doesn’t welcome you or listen to you we are to build a building and preach the Gospel anyway. T/F
• Jesus told the disciples to leave the dirt in the village so that their shoes would be clean. T/F

Matthew 10:15 I assure you, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off on the judgment day than that place will be.

• All sins will be judged equally. T/F
• Jesus was just exaggerating as God won’t really punish anybody because He loves them too much. T/F
• Jesus taught about Judgment Day as if it would not really be that bad. T/F
• It would look bad if the disciples only went in to a village and only preached about the Kingdom without first building a place of worship. T/F

Matthew 10:16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Be as wary as snakes and harmless as doves.

• It is not safe for a sheep to be with the wolves. T/F
• A snake is difficult to see and moves around without bringing attention to itself.  T/F
• A dove is a very dangerous animal and should be caged. T/F
• Jesus promised that they would be well respected if they preached the Gospel and that they wouldn’t face any dangers. T/F
• My opinion is that this advice is very outdated and should be set aside for the “modern way” of reaching people. We must “entertain” them until they “feel” like Jesus loves them. T/F

With the National Bible Reading Campaign we will be using this strategy over and over because we believe it is the best way to reach people from your own country.   This is the opposite of waiting for those from “another country” to support your ministry.  The Bible says that some people see religion as a way to get rich.  We don’t want any part of this as it doesn’t advance God’s Kingdom, it doesn’t bring Glory to God and it also breeds jealously and control problems that actually stop the advance of the Gospel.  We need the faith of Abraham that said, “I will not take a strap….from you” Genesis 14:23.

This is our default strategy and then if we are leading others to Christ with out foreign funds we won’t have to quit when the money runs out. We know that Paul preached the Gospel without desiring any money (1 Cor. 9:17-19) with very good reasons for doing so! We also know that the early preachers worked with no money and owned nothing but were full of joy even though their hearts ached (2 Cor. 6:10).  The spread of the Gospel depends on our obedience to “make disciples” not employees! Of course the Lord will supply all your needs if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern Matthew 6:33. He has promised blessings in this life and the next for those who have given up homes and families to serve Him Matthew 19:27-30! So if you are receiving funds from afar praise the Lord but don’t expect everybody you disciple to begin serving the Lord so fast as they will need to work to support their families. All people have the responsibility to share the Gospel, not just those who are paid from afar.

How to teach difficult people

2 Timothy 2:23-26

Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. The Lord’s servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people.  They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will believe the truth.  Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

• We should argue about everything to prove our own righteousness. T/F
• Some arguments are just ignorant. T/F
• The Lord’s servants need to be rude and opinionated. T/F
• It is not important to teach effectively. T/F
• We don’t have to be patient with difficult people because they are lost. T/F
• A good teacher is gentle. T/F
• Only God can change someone’s heart. T/F
• People need to believe the truth. T/F
• People need to come to their senses and avoid the Devil’s trap. T/F
• People who are not Christians are held captive by the devil. T/F

Hebrews 5:11-14

There is so much more we would like to say about this. But you don’t seem to listen, so it’s hard to make you understand. You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food.

And a person who is living on milk isn’t very far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right.

• Its hard to make people understand the Bible. T/F
• People hear but they really don’t listen very well. T/F
• The National Bible Reading Campaign is a great way to start teaching others. T/F
• People who have been Christians a long time should be teaching others. T/F
• Spiritual babies have to keep going over the basics.  T/F
• People who stay on the milk of the word have no excuse for this.  T/F
• Those who have trained themselves between right and wrong are mature. T/F
• We should always be dependent on our ‘super spiritual’ Bible teachers. T/F

Lesson 1 John the Baptist

• John 1
• Light
• Believe and Receive
• Lamb of God
• Present the Gospel
• Baptism Water
• Baptism Fire
• Try to get another Lesson
• John was before Jesus
• Jesus was before John

Lesson 2 The Samaritan Woman

• John 4
• Water
• Wrong Life
• Wrong Religion
• Physical
• Spiritual
• True Worship
• Special Places
• Jesus tells her
• I AM the Messiah
• She led others to truth
• Many in the village
• Did she repent?

Lesson 3 The Hungary Multitude

• John 6
• Bread
• Wanting material benefits
• Not Spiritual Life
• Many People No Food
• What miracle will you perform
• I am the bread that came down from heaven
• No other way
• Crowd vs. True believers

Lesson  4 Man who was Born Blind

• John 9
• Sight
• Healed on the Sabbath
• Is God punishing him?
• A Man
• Prophet
• Life Changed
• Moses vs. Jesus
• God does not listen to sinners
• He was in sin
• Kicked out of fellowship
• The Savior
• Testimony Given

Lesson 5 Nicodemus

• John 3
• Born Again
• Physical Birth
• You must be Born Again
• Up to heaven
• The Snake-(Gospel)
• Not to Judge but to save
• Why do people not repent?
• Opportunity to Repent!

Lesson 6 The Unbelieving Disciples

• John 21
• Resurrection and Doubt
• Mary Magdaline
• They didn’t understand
• What proof is there that you love Jesus
• Gardener
• They were afraid of the authorities
• His Bodily resurrection
• If I see I will believe,
• Blessings? Believe and then you will see

Lesson 7 Beginning New Life

• Acts 16
• 2 Cor 5:17
• New Life
• Early Christians
• Evil Spirits
• Patience
• Reactions
• Divine Intervention
• Respect for Christians
• Believe, and your family
• Jailors reaction to Salvation

Lesson 8 Testifying in the Power of the Holy Spirit

• Acts 2
• Pentecost
• Common People
• Resurrection
• You Crucified
• Hearts deeply troubled
• What shall we do?
• Repent, be baptized
• Sins will be forgiven
• God’s promise to you
• Save yourselves

Lesson 9 Jumping Cripple

• Acts 3
• Normal time of prayer
• Meets a beggar
• I have no money
• Healing
• Peter and John
• Our own goodness?
• You murdered he who gives life
• Done in ignorance
• Repent turn to God
• time of the  final restoration

Lesson 10 The Judges are judged

• Acts 4:1-22
• Boldness
• Sadducees arrived
• Resurrection
• Feared loosing their influence
• They murdered Jesus in vain
• With what power did you heal?
• From story in lesson 9
• Through Jesus we healed him
• Salvation only in Christ
• Not educated-but have been with Jesus

Lesson 11 Believers Baptism

• Acts 8
• destroy the church-house to house
• Stephen death
• Believers scattered
• Simon “Great Power”
• Magic
• Kingdom baptized
• Simon baptized
• Ethiopian –Phillip
• Baptised

Lesson 12 Testifying to a King

• Acts 26:1-19
• King Agrippa
• I was very religious
• Hope in the Promise
• Raises people from the dead
• I hated Christians
• Saw the light-Damascus
• Open their eyes, dark to light
• Power of Satan to God
• I did not disobey!
• I told others…and you?

First Step: Getting Started As a Disciple

• How to be saved
• Eph 2:8-9 by grace not by works
• Ro 3:23 all have sinned
• Ro 6:23 wages is death-but
• Ro 3:21 Righteousness apart from law
• Ro 3:22-25 All fall short of the Glory of God
• God sent Jesus as a Sacrifice for our sins
• Only in the blood of Christ.
• James 2:5 Demons believe in God 
• Repent and return to God sins will be wiped out
• Be baptized –every one of you
• Col 3:8 things to leave behind
• Col 3:12 cloth yourselves differently

Second Step: Trust in the Lord

• The Security of Salvation
• John 3:36 whoever believes already has eternal life
• John 5:24 will not be condemned, has already crossed over
• John 1:11-12 He gave the right to become His children
• Eph 1:13-14 Marked with the seal of the  Holy Spirit God’s guarantee that we will be redeemed
• 1 John 5:4-5 Everyone born of God overcomes the world
• 1 Cor 10:13 God will provide a way of escape
• Temptation and overcoming temptation
• Why do Christians give in to temptation?

Third Step: Declare your Faith

• Personal Testimony and Baptism
• Matthew 10:32 If you declare me publically I will do the same before my Father
• Do secret Christians really have their faith in the Power of God
• Mark 5:19-20 Go and tell your “ten cities” how much God has done for  you
• 2 Cor 2:17 If he is in Jesus He is a new Creature the Old is gone then new has come
• Acts 4:12-13 the boldness of Peter and John they were amazed
• Matthew 28:19-20 Make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• Baptism is by immersion and not for babies born once! It is for adults who have been born twice….

Fourth Step: Join God’s People

• Church Membership
• Acts 2:40-41 Save yourselves from this corrupt generation
• Those who accepted were baptized
• The Lord added to their number daily
• Heb 10:25 Let us not give up our meeting together
• Eph 4:11 Prophets, evangelists and pastors and teachers
• Why. To equip the saints for the work of the ministry
• Col 3:12-14 Forgiveness can be found in the church
• Col 3:15-17 sing songs with gratitude in your hearts

Fifth Step: Obey Your Lord

• Obedience and Forgiveness of Sin
• Matthew 28:19-20 Great Commission
• Josh 1:7 Be Strong and Courageous
• Be careful to do according to the Law
• Matthew 7:24-25 The house on the rock
• Matthew 7:26-27 Danger of disobedience
• Forgiveness Can God forgive Christians
• Eph 1:7-8 We have redemption through His blood
• 1 John 1-8-9 If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves
• Galatians 6:7 We get what we sow!

Sixth Step: Cultivate Your Friendship with the Lord

• Devotional Bible Reading and Prayer
• 2 Peter 3:18 Grace and Knowledge
• Rev 3:20 I will eat with him
• 1 Peter 2:2 Crave spiritual milk
• Matthew 4:4 Man cannot live on bread alone
• Josh 1:8 Do not let it depart from your mouth
• 1 Thes.  5:18 Be Joyful always:
• Matthew 6:9-13 Model Prayer
• Is 59:1-2 You sins have cut you off
• 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins  he is faithful and just
• John 16:24 Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete

Seventh Step: Use Your Spiritual Gifts

• Gifts and Personal Ministries
• Acts 2:47 and the Lord added daily to the number being saved
• Romans 12:4-5 Many members One Body
• Romans 12: 6-8 serving, teaching, giving, leadership , ect.
• 1 Peter 4:10-11 Speaking and Serving gifts
• 1 Cor 12-13-14 The Gift of Love, Faith and Hope
• Matthew 25:19-21 After a long time the master returned
• Five talents, Two talents- Well done!

Eighth Step: Be a Prosperous Administrator

• Financial Stewardship
• John 10:10 have life and that abundantly
• Phil 4:9 and my God will meet your needs
• Haggai 2:8 all the silver and gold is his
• 1 Peter 1:18-19 compared to Christ’s blood
• 1 Cor 6:19 You were brought with a price
• 1 Cor 4:2 The one thing required is to be faithful to his master
• Matthew 6:33 but first seek His righteousness and then…
• Mal 3:10 bring the entire tithe into the storehouse that there might be food in the house TEST ME on this!
• 2 Cor 9:6-7 Whoever sows sparingly reaps sparingly

Summary

We must go and teach these lessons.  That is the one thing that will radically change the way we do church today.  There will be a direct link between the number of  lessons taught and the number of people that you personally will lead to Christ.  It is that simple!  We do lessons in homes and we win converts.  We don’t do lessons and we won’t win converts.  Of course, not everyone who allows us to do these lessons will come to church and worship with us but many will be in heaven worshiping God there and to that end we are building the Kingdom.  We will need to work as a team to maximize the church and it’s potential.  Remember we are not waiting for the lost people to come to church we are waiting for the church to obey Jesus and go to the lost.  Did you know that not one verse in the Bible tells a lost person to go to church!  There are thousands of  Scriptures that tell the believer to go and share the Good News and make disciples of all nations. Jesus left heaven, the Apostles left their countries, the people are told into the city and then after that go into the country.  So lets get  going…