The Journey to Salvation (1 Kings 17:8-24)

Join Trey Overton, Mavric Herrera, and Matt Passmore as they reflect on Pastor Greg's Sunday sermon, continuing the Bible recap series. The church started reading the Bible chronologically together, and this sermon continued the series that dives deeper into the readings. During this episode, Trey, Mavric, and Matt discussed how the story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17 points to some truths of evangelism that are still relevant today. We encounter people every day who are searching for hope and truth, and we are called to share that with them. This episode talks about how we should be more aware of God working around us and the openings we have in everyday conversations to share the gospel. There are some evangelism training opportunities coming up starting June 8 at the downtown campus, and we would love for you to join us. Join in and reflect with us as we discuss the sermon from First Baptist Church in Fort Smith, AR. 

Mavric Herrera - mherrera@fsfbc.org

Trey Overton - toverton@fsfbc.org

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Psalm 119.11 says that Scripture is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. That means God gave us His Word to guide and equip us in practical ways as we walk through our everyday lives. Join us now for this episode of From State to Street, as our FBC staff and church members talk about how this week's Sunday morning message comes alive as we walk through the streets and moments of everyday life.

SPEAKER_05 0:29

Hey everyone, thanks for joining us. My name is Trey Overton, and I am your host today, along with my good friend Maverick Herrera.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Good afternoon.

SPEAKER_05 0:36

This week we have an extra special guest, my good friend. Been waiting for this one. Yeah, our associate pastor here at First Baptist, Matt Passmore. Say what's up. What's up? Greg used a story on Sunday from 1 Kings to preach a sermon titled The Journey to So of Salvation. In this sermon, he used the story of Elijah and the widow to paint the truth of salvation and how we were to use principles of the story as we share the gospel with people in our everyday lives. There's two main points in this passage that I kind of want to talk on. And it was interesting though, like if you if you read through this story, there was things that he brought up that I never really picked up on. Yeah. Um and just kind of the like like the him leaning over three times, right? I I'd never really picked up on that. And um just and how I guess and I guess I I'd never really looked into it how she wasn't um an Israelite, right? How she was a I I never really I'd never picked up on which I'd never really done my research, I guess, you know, so you know shame on me, I guess. It's okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:54

Yeah, you know, through helping, you know, heal someone that same kind of way, in a way.

SPEAKER_05 1:59

Right, right. Exactly. And it he used the Samaritan woman or the woman at the well, yep, um as an illustration, just kind of how that was had a how it had a lot of similarities and how and and really in and using that to kind of show how we should share the gospel in the same way that Jesus um you know talked to the Samaritan, how he realized her need and her thirst for for that, um, and literal thirst for living water in that story. Of course, yeah. And so um in the same way Elijah noticed the need of this woman, um, and he was his eyes was open were open to that, was um but first let's let's talk about the widow and and her openness to hear about Elijah and and serve him. What about her situation created this openness and and it's something we encounter today with people and their openness to the gospel?

SPEAKER_01 2:54

I think you find it a lot in her desperation. Uh, you know, Greg made a big point about where she was in that time in her life, and she had nothing else to live for, it seemed like.

SPEAKER_03 3:05

And um well, to go with that, even said, I'm gonna go prepare my last meal. Yeah. So I'm gonna go.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

She had reached that point of acceptance, like she was like, I'm good with this, you know. And so, I mean, that makes it seem way more understanding for you to uh to assume that you know, any option, any way out would sound better than the one that she already made.

SPEAKER_03 3:25

Can you imagine going along with that? Imagine this guy comes in and says, Hey, will you make this make me a cake? Yeah, and she's like, Well, I was only gonna make one more, we're gonna eat it and die. You know, just where she was at and the idea of him even asking that question.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 3:42

Like, well, and there's no coin coincidence, and that's what Elijah recognized. You know, it's like it's no coincidence that I'm here and you're literally making your last cake to go die. Yep, you know, um, and that's just and you hear stories a lot about that. I was uh, you know, especially on I'm on social media and you come across a Facebook video, you know, somebody giving their testimony and how um they were in a moment of desperation. I was just watching one yesterday where this guy was in this moment of desperation. He was sharing his testimony, and he was like, I mean, I'm literally about to end my life. And I look over and and I can't remember in this story. I was it was you know, he saw this Bible, but it wasn't just a Bible, it was a Bible that somebody gave him in this time, and all of a sudden God spoke to him in that moment, and he came to the realization of who Jesus was, and God changed his life forever, right? Yeah. Um, and but it it was like there's there's times in our lives where we come, and this widow isn't a great example of that, where we're in our lowest moment. Um, or there's times in our s our life where where we're going through such a hard time, and those are the times when when when Jesus reveals himself and and sometimes is our biggest like aha moments or our growth moments or or whatever. Um but you know God uses those and it it it it is just an amazing testimony that to even just like the story of Elijah, it's just an amazing testimony of that and how God uses those moments. Um it's like our moments even even our big moments, it's it's it's can be used by God too, I know, but our weakest moments too. Um it's pretty cool. Um do you think that like is that something that we see today? Like let's just you know, on an everyday in encounter um our when we're looking at the the openness that she had, you know, she it wasn't just like I'm you know, cause she could have just brushed him off and said, you know, no, I'm I'm about to go and I'm gonna die. Like I'm I'm busy, right? Um she could have brushed him off, but all of a sudden she was open to serve him, even and even though there was a last like she was in this moment of desperation, obviously. She was in this moment of brokenness, but she was still open to hear what Elijah had to say and still open to serve him. Um is this like a phenomenon or whatever an idea that we see a lot today?

SPEAKER_03 6:15

I I would probably say yes, but then I would like to say probably no. And the reason I say that is I think the majority of the world is hurting like this lady. Something in their life has led them to a point of a struggle and and pretty serious struggle. Yeah. Maybe not I'm making my last meal, but I lost whatever. And um, I think what society has covered in a lot of this areas is I think social media versus Google, the idea of uh being able to just Google something and try to get help that the world will give, and they think, you know, as I'm doing that, I don't need anything else. I got the answer here in my phone or or or whatever it is. And I think it's a hindrance. I think it's something that Satan can use. I think this lady didn't have any of that. And so she, when he came and spoke, that's all she had, and she was able. Now, don't get me wrong, I think the Lord can use different things in our lives to get people's attention. I'm not saying it right the Lord can't move like he did then, but I think as a society and as people, we have almost sometimes too many helps that can distract us from the one original help, and that's God. And um, but I do think what your question is, I think there are a lot of people in this world that are looking for answers, and the bad thing is in a lot of bad wrong areas, yeah. Or maybe not even bad areas, just things that aren't really spiritually helpful.

SPEAKER_05 7:44

Or I mean what you're familiar with. I mean, yeah, you know, a lot of times when I was growing up, um, I I mean, I did, you know, I did the same thing. I looked for answers in all the wrong places and the wrong friends and from the wrong people. Um, but that was what I was familiar with. You know, I was used to getting things from those areas, and that's what you deal with in the world today. You know, people people are looking for answers, they're searching, um, and they're gonna look in the most familiar place. They're also gonna look where everybody tells them they can get answers. Yeah. You know, and to your point, you know, the the availability of, you know, of course, we've you talked about AI on recent podcasts, um, but the availability of answers there and and on Google and all of those things. Um, all of a sudden, and then of course you throw in the news and and what little truth is found there, right? Um but they're looking for answers in all these places because that's where everybody tells them that they can find them, right? You're looking for an answer? Well, Google it. You're looking, you know, you're you're searching for something. Well, here's here's so here's some medicine that should take care of that. Here's some of this, you know, doctors are you know pushing this essential oils. Yeah, essential oils, right. You know, but serious, but seriously though, and and uh I just laugh because like you know, like half my family at some point have sold us. Oh my bad. My bad. They're gonna listen to this and be like, hey now. Yeah, right. Careful, careful. But but seriously though, I mean, the world is is is going to push all these all these answers out, and and we as believers, and and Greg talked about this last week, not you know, not this past Sunday, but Sunday before last, and just and how we haven't seen a real revival. Well, we're not trying to give everybody the answer. We have it. We have it, and we're not out there trying to give the answer. Um, this woman was seeking something. Elijah recognized it and recognized her need. Um, and and when we we encounter that every day, I I come across people, I'll talk with somebody and be like, hey man, how you, you know, how's things going? You know, I'll be an old friend or something, man. It's been all right, you know, it's a struggle. And they'll start talking about their financial struggle, they'll start talking about how they're dealing with some things in their marriage, or or uh maybe they have a kid who's a trouble child or all that stuff. And then all of a sudden there's this need, and there's this problem that they have that man, I have an answer to. And how often are we stopping and taking a moment taking the moment to give them the answers?

SPEAKER_03 10:12

Or maybe not even the cr not even the answer, but just a hope of a future or a hope to get through tomorrow that we can we can share with them that a lot of times we don't.

SPEAKER_05 10:25

Right. Well, and that that's a great point because that was a that was also a point that Greg made on Sunday. He was talking about how the woman she had no hope.

unknown 10:33

Right.

SPEAKER_05 10:34

And that's part of what Elijah recognizes that when she said, I'm about to go make my last meal, I'm gonna go die, there's no hope. And a lot of times it's a great point because we'll come across people and they start talking about the things that they're going to, and you can see it in their eyes and how they talk that they have no hope. And so that's a great point, just even even that little bit right there. Um but I think that um when when we're talking to these people and we have those moments, um it's easy to to just like you know, I have a buddy who comes to me, and this is just an analogy. Um, but like I if I have a buddy who who comes to me and that says, I have my kids are, you know, I'm having trouble in the household, or my kids are running the house, or they're making maniacs, blah, blah, blah.

SPEAKER_02 11:21

Right.

SPEAKER_05 11:21

You know, it's easy for me to be busy and be like, oh man, that stinks. Um yeah, life's crazy, and uh I deal with a lot, you know, a lot of times I'll go to a we'll go to association, you know. I have a lot of saying my kids crazy too. Yeah, it's it's just part of life, you know, and then um and then that just be it. But I could take the moment and talk hope and how um we see great examples of fatherhood and scripture through through Christ and and all of that.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Yeah. Um I think it's because we can often feel like like I've I've felt that pull to say something scripture based, and I choose not to because I don't want to come off like I'm taking the high road or like I'm so high and mighty and holy. Here's all the scripture that I know. When at the end of the day, it's like, well, it's not your job to decide how they respond to that thing. Like your job is to be obedient, and you know, those tugs are from the Holy Spirit, those tugs are from the God, like that's trying, like it's just as obvious to him as it should be to us as in in Isaiah and talking to him and um or Isaiah talking to the widow, like that should be Elijah. Elijah. My bad, my bad. I was we're talking about Isaiah this morning. I thought we'd switch stories.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

I was like, man, where am I? Where are we going with this? No, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Um but Elijah seeing the need for the widow, his first response was something holy. And like holiness and godly things are the solution. And so I don't know why, but it feels like cultures just created this thing in my head at least that um I have to be I have to be careful about not coming off all too holy, you know, or all high and mighty.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

Yeah. And think about what he did. He said, Go make me a cake first. So he did come across, but he had a confidence in the Lord that the Lord was going to keep that bottle full so that she could keep making bread. Yeah, you know, um, so to go and I it just hit me just thinking, as you said, that Maverick, the idea of so many times I'm second guessing for the Lord, and the Lord just saying, being co in a way, be confidence in me and let me take or be confident in me. And look at all the stuff I can't. I mean, the it'll never went empty.

SPEAKER_05 13:40

Yeah, yeah, until it rained again. Right.

SPEAKER_03 13:42

I mean, I said what what in the world?

SPEAKER_05 13:44

Well, well, and I think I have it, I'm the same way, and what I have to tell myself is is if I can mess up this, if I can mess this up, like if I can, you know, if I if whatever I say messes everything up, then then I I'm not serving the God that I think I am. Right. You know, I agree with that. And so we have to realize that like, you know, God doesn't need us, He chooses and wants to use us. And and we get to be a part of that. Like, and if you have ever experienced that, if you're somebody listening right now, maybe you've never shared the gospel, then now I'm telling you right now, like and those who are listening who have shared the gospel and have have has shared it and somebody received it, the joy you feel in that moment, and and it's and it's just the joy of being used by God, um, as and it's allowing God to work through you, and it's allowed it's not anything about you being holier than anybody or anything else. It's it's simply like that relationship that you have with God and you actually being used by Him to carry out the mission that He's putting in front of you.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

Yeah. And you ever been in those situations where God is using you? And then you you leave that situation, you're like, I don't even know what I just said. Like, I don't even know what happened, you know?

SPEAKER_03 15:00

Or actually getting done and thinking, man, I did a terrible job. Thank you, Lord, for saving them. And it had nothing to do with what I say. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_05 15:07

Exactly. Yeah. Oh man, I do that all the time. It's like, man, that was awful. Yeah, man, God, I'm glad you're good.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

Yeah, right. It just feels like there's so much noise. Like that's what it is. And I I just feel like um there that's what you were talking about earlier. Um, all the self-help, all the Google, everything like that. Everybody's got an answer, everybody's got a therapist they can go see, everybody's got you know some sort of mental health tip. Um, and I just I just believe that it's a direct force of the enemy. Like he's trying to give as much noise as possible to cover up the sound of the Lord's people. Oh, 100%. And obviously he knows the Lord's people are not speaking up. Like we're not moving in confidence, like Matt was saying. And like it's not gonna it takes more than just a uh, you know, not to say there's not a time to speak gently to people, but it's gonna take more than just a soft, somber, you know, people group going after people like that. It's gonna take an equally as loud and powerful move.

SPEAKER_05 16:03

I think too, I mean, we're just and this is just my opinion, and I'm not gonna sp state this as a fact. Oh man. But I I look at uh in the big C church, you know, the Christian nation as a whole, um we there there's a big portion of it that is we believe in the gospel, we follow Christ, right? Um, but we're living after this as if there's no hope or we don't believe in that hope, right? Because if we truly believed it or we truly went after it, how why would we not want to share that with others, right? Um I agree a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_03 16:39

I want to add to that too. I think, and again, this is Matt Passmore speaking, I think not only that a hundred percent, I think also a lot of people their salvation gets them out of hell into heaven. They don't realize it's a change in their life to be more like Christ. And I think between the two of those, that's another well, I'm saved, I'm gonna sit in the pew, I'm having I'm going to heaven, and they forget the calling that Jesus had at the very end. Go make disciples, and then I think you're exactly right. It's just easier to be quiet.

SPEAKER_05 17:13

Yeah. Well, and and and and for those listening, I'm not sitting here telling you that you don't believe in in Christ, and that's not what I'm saying at all. I agree. Like what I'm saying is that it is so easy for us, and I've done it for so long in my life, to believe the lies of the devil.

SPEAKER_02 17:27

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 17:27

You know, like the lie of the devil is saying, the what you what can you say that this person is is gonna actually listen to you? Yeah. What do you have? Have you looked at your life? What have you looked at your past? Why would this person believe in you? What if they ask you a question you can't answer?

SPEAKER_03 17:44

When we start talking ourselves out.

SPEAKER_05 17:46

Oh yeah. You don't know everything, you just know pieces of it, or or whatever. Like there's just so many lies of the devil that that that we are believing and it creates us to be hopeless, not hopeless that in Christ, but hopeless in ourselves because we think that we have to care handle everything. And at the end of the day, and what this story tells us of Elijah is that God is in control, his hand is on everything, and he wants to use you, and we just have to allow him to do that. Um and and we run into that every day. You're gonna come into opportunities every day where people are in need, they're sharing their struggles, their everything with you, and the things that are going on, and they're giving you a door, they're giving you an open to share that hope and give them hope where they don't have any. Um, and and we have to be vigilant to to to be looking for that. And that's my next point. What what do you think caused Elijah to respond to the widow in the way that he did?

SPEAKER_01 18:48

I think it's um constant devotion to the Lord. Like we gotta be in tune with him, we gotta be spending time with him. Like I can just think of all the different times, and Matt has talked about this plenty where when we spend a morning versus a morning where I don't spend time with the Lord versus a morning where I do spend time with the Lord, and the day goes on, like I can go through the same situation and it has completely different outcomes and completely different implications because I'm not listening to the Lord and I'm not attuning my ear to him because it's God is not the problem. God is always speaking to us, God is always reaching for us, God is always making it clear. He's a God of revelation and not confusion, you know? And it's it's our us putting our hands over our ears, over our eyes, over our mouth, getting in the way of that. And so I think it's just it's coming from this man was with the Lord and he was listening for him, he was eager for him, and he knew that he was going somewhere too. Like God had sent him to this place, so he's hyper-vigilant, like you were just saying earlier. So he was ready to go from the moment that God spoke and made it clear through that woman.

SPEAKER_03 19:58

I I think I agree well said, to go even along in in my own life too. I think he was he was intentional. You know, like he probably went through his day how he was going to speak into people's lives. So when this happened, he didn't have to think about it. He'd been intentional in all the things he did in all of his life, and and even in my own life, there's those times that you know, I'll leave a store after talking to someone, I think, why not share the gospel with them? You know, but it's not that I didn't want to, it just when I get in my life thinking about what I want to do, all of a sudden my intentionality is missing. But then the other times when I'm intentional, having my quiet time, and more than my for me, in my quiet time is the idea of as I'm driving or having a reminder. There was a pastor I just met with this morning that carries a rock in his pocket. And I'd like, well, tell me what that means. And he goes, When I reach in my pocket and I feel the rock, I'm praying for someone to talk to to share the gospel with. Well, that's the things he's gonna be more apt to share the gospel because it's intentional, right? He's praying about it than me who had a quiet time, the Lord spoke to me, and I've moved on to something else. And I and that's sad that, but you know what I mean? Yeah, and I think Elijah was in that point in his life that he was intentional. People he was touching, he was making a difference in their life. And I think the more we slow down and we're intentional, whatever it is that reminds the reminder we need to help us remember. I know it sounds crazy that I'm saying this, but the reminder we need, whatever it is to remind us as we go through today to share the gospel, I think we got to till it becomes a habit. Yeah, you know, and you'd said something about a statistic one time about you have to do it so many times to make a habit. I think it's the same way with sharing the gospel. The more we're intentional, all of a sudden it because it's those evangelists, uh those people that the that share the gospel all the time. The reason they do it is why they've developed a habit right of doing it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 22:07

Well I and and as a as a football player uh when I was when I was growing up playing football um my my coach used to always make a statement um when we were in practice and especially on defense um uh when you were playing defense uh anytime you get done with a a play and maybe it didn't go well or maybe whatever um he would he would make this statement he would say move with a purpose um and what that statement whenever he would say that as a football player you may hear that and any any other time and may not really get it but as a football player anytime he'd say that we'd automatically know what he was talking about. He was saying if if I as a linebacker if I'm sitting there shuffling my feet and I'm just sitting still and I'm moving but I'm not going anywhere then I'm doing nothing. I'm gonna you know that that the running back's gonna make it five yards and it's not going to do anything. Anytime I move it needs to be intentional like you said you're talking about intentionality but it's got to have a purpose. Whatever I'm doing has to have a purpose. I agree and and and Elijah you know he's sent to here and he's he knows that God is him and it has him where he's supposed to be he has him in this place where he's supposed to be and everything that is going on around him he's looking to where God's working and how he can join him right he's moving with a purpose. We often in our lives and this is in my own experience I often get in a place where where I'm just I don't see it as me being where God has me. I see it as more I'm just in a place in time. You might as well put a bookmarker in a book right I'm just I'm just on this page and and I'm just waiting for the other page to turn right um it's often for us it's easy for us to get in that in that mode where where we don't see it as we are exactly where God has us where we're supposed to be where if you're it doesn't matter where you're working what your job is where you're where you are in your family life whether you know Maverick you're engaged you're not yet married you know you're looking forward to that next chapter where you are married but where you are right now is exactly where God wants you to be right right and everything you should do everything you do and you're talking about being intentional and this just kind of piggybacks off that but move with a purpose and and it's it's Elijah he was and and he and we use this this term in the church world um being kingdom minded but at the end of the day that's what he was Jesus Christ while he was on earth I can't remember the exact number but he when you look through the uh the gospels I think it's like um 52 different times he taught on the kingdom you know not said it but taught on it was more times that he said it but taught on the kingdom of God and and that meant that in everything Jesus did he was kingdom minded. That's where his mind was and Elijah right here is no different his mind is on the kingdom.

SPEAKER_03 25:07

Well and just think about it just earlier Elijah was fed by the ravens so at this point the Lord's done a lot in his life and he could have easily gone to this lady and said make me a meal you're gonna be covered yeah ate his meal and moved on you know what I mean but the reason the lady made the meal was yeah for him to eat but also to teach her a point of what the Lord's done in his life and then he stayed around and changed their life. Yeah not well I'm sorry you know God changed their life but was able to do it through Elijah.

SPEAKER_05 25:37

Exactly yeah and and at the end of the day I mean he's his mind was his already focused on how God's working yeah and then if we can move work every day it doesn't matter where you are in life if you're in a job and maybe you're in a job you really just dislike I mean we've all been there right I've absolutely I've had my jobs that I've really just not want to be there and and maybe you're in that place but you have to remember every time you wake up and every time you walk in the door at work, God has me here for a purpose. It may not be for this job but it may be for the people that are here. Look for the open uh uh conversation as to where you can point them to Christ and how you can point them to the kingdom and and and to point them to hope because that's what people are looking for. People are looking for hope.

SPEAKER_03 26:22

And in tag that I think I think every one of us would say that's what we want to do. Yeah but if we're not intentional the day slips by I think yeah I think I need to do it myself is some way have a reminder something on my dash when I'm getting out of my car that reminds me when I'm going into my job I'm gonna look to tear tell some about Jesus you know or something on my watch or you know what I'm saying. I think the more we're intentional the more it reminds us to be just exactly what you just said.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Yeah yeah a hundred percent and if I can just share like two things that I've been trying to do more like a friend suggested to me that I pray every morning here I am Lord send me and I'm you know not perfect at it I probably did it once last week so again this early days but yeah I'm very much that that is so helpful to me because it just again it gets me outside of myself yeah and it gets me on mission and it gets me thinking about other people and then the second thing that I've done is on my car um I bought one of those like glass markers and I put on the kind of you're you're on the driver's side and the left side of you as you're like reaching for the knob I see this glass piece every day and on it it says see others first um just to again get me out of myself and get me so what caused you to hit that stuff on the side of the road yeah no that was nighttime that was something else um but I like that though I mean putting putting things in front of you I I've I had a buddy in college who did that he used those little glass markers a lot yeah and as of course we were roommates and he would use them on the bathroom mirror um of course sometimes I would use them and play jokes on them but but he would he would put like a Bible verse on there or something like that.

SPEAKER_05 28:08

And so that's a really cool idea.

SPEAKER_03 28:10

Yeah um you know that kind of brings me to my my last question how can we as believers train ourselves so let's just kind of be practical about this and y'all have given a couple examples already of just like putting things rock in the pocket putting things in front of you but but how can we really truly begin to train ourselves to be visually aware of opportunities and effectively communicate the gospel one I think we need to be prepared and I'm saying that I I do think there's a lot of avenues to share the gospel I think there's only one gospel we're all sinners we need Jesus yeah but there's different ways to start the conversation I think one I heard a I heard a pastor say one time you know there's a lot of starter questions to get get going he said find the one you're good at and use it you know so many times you keep wanting to try a new one find one you're good at and just use it yeah yeah um I heard one guy say you know there's a lot of new different pictures and all that he loved the Roman road you know I'm gonna take him to the gospel and we're gonna go through it that way. I think it's whatever it is that you use be successful I mean use it practice it I I've heard one guy say you know I just tell my story my testimony what the Lord did in my own life use scripture doing that and that's what I use I don't I I as long as we get to the point sin keeps us from Jesus and we need Jesus the Lord can do the rest. Yeah yeah and I but I do think if we're not careful as a church if we're not consistent consistently talking about it's easy to put sharing the gospel aside and doing good works. I think the two go together I'm not saying but I think that's why Greg I and he's hit it a lot just recently in fact um starting this this next Wednesday coming up we're doing an evangelism four weeks evangelism course and it's not because people can't don't know how to share the gospel now part of it is here's another way to do it if you like but it's an encouragement to do it yeah to do it I mean everyone their first couple times is nervous yeah but those that do it that do it get in a habit all of a sudden it's like it's not as bad as you think yeah you know what I mean and and it it's amazing how many times I've been sharing the gospel and we've already joked about this how bad I've done and the person still gets saved. Yeah because it has nothing to do with me. Right. You know and so I think it's the idea of there's all kinds you know the three circles uh EE you know there's all whatever it is you have you have the hand one the hand one yeah faith there's a faith uh um so I I and I and I think that's why Greg's wanting to take us through the evangelism you know on Wednesday nights for four weeks just to more than anything get you excited about sharing the gospel again. And I think through that we'll tell tell some testimonies. And um there's I love when I get to be a part of sharing the gospel and someone responding to the call in the Lord has on their life. But I'll say this I love to hear it when other people do it as well.

SPEAKER_04 31:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:08

Because there's something about people getting saved that just that's something we can't do the Lord does it.

SPEAKER_05 31:16

Right.

SPEAKER_03 31:16

And so that's one thing we know the Lord's doing when people are getting saved.

SPEAKER_05 31:19

Yeah I mean you it's evident he's working if people are holding on I mean that's that's a great point. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

I had the pleasure of serving at a camp this weekend with a speaker named Coach T and uh he is an evangelism like he's just one of those guys you know he's challenged himself every day I share the gospel with somebody he's got these t-shirts with crazy questions like what happened or how do you get to heaven you know and just hoping that somebody would ask him about his shirt. Um but he shared with us like videos of him sharing the gospel with people and he shared a video and he shared a testimony of one of his friends who was um a millionaire he literally was a millionaire he worked at a church and this guy went to his church millionaire he was living life great it was fine he was paying his tithe you know going to church all that kind of stuff and coach T actually like called him out on like how much do you share the gospel with people and he was like I don't I don't do that and he's like well you know that's part of what we're supposed to do and the guy was all offended he was he went home super angry he said I was angry at you for weeks and weeks and weeks and then all of a sudden one day he texts him and is like hey I need I need to share the gospel like can I come up today and can we all can we go share the gospel together and he's like yeah let's do it let's do it sounds great and sure enough he gets there and he was like I just realized I wasn't like the Bible makes sense now just because I share the gospel and um the big thing that he taught this weekend that really stuck with me was that like living living the Christian life without evangelism and without decided or without sharing the gospel um is the same thing as like I'm telling Trey well Trey would probably tell this to me because he's like hey Maverick I'm gonna teach you how to fish. Like okay great so he walks me through what our rod is he walks me how how it works. He walks me through all the fish we could catch uh when to go the waves the boat all the things and then we never go fishing. Like that's the same thing. Yeah you know and then it's also it's supposed to be in tandem with each other because then if we think about the disciples that were called by Jesus Jesus sent when Jesus sent them out I mean I can't imagine that they were biblical scholars at that point. Right. You know they weren't the the top tier theologians he his instruction was go teach them that what I've taught you.

SPEAKER_03 33:35

I'm giving you all that you need yeah I've given you what you need and I that's a great point. So many times it's like well I don't want to well it's a calling as a Christian to do it.

SPEAKER_05 33:47

Yeah so and you just said that I that's that's pretty yeah so many times as believers it's like well that's they're good at that yeah well hold on well well and and you know of course you there's a you know you hear the comment that um well I that's not my gift you know that's not one of my spir my spiritual gifts is evangelism it's like yeah now don't get me wrong heard people who are evidently gifted evangelists right you know Billy Graham being a great example of that like you know just textbook you know a gifted truly gifted evangelist where some he can communicate the gospel and people clearly you know are able to respond to it right um but everybody is called to evangelize everybody has that calling and and it's just it's a part of the Great Commission and it's part of who we are and it's part of our DNA. But I will say this um sharing the gospel is something that does take um two things. Number one we do need to study it and you made a great point of that Matt I mean we need to we did in order to share the gospel we need to know the gospel and then and we need and we need to know it well enough to be able to communicate it effectively why do we need Jesus you need to be able to answer the major questions of the you know the the whys why do we need Jesus why did he come why did he die why did why is his resurrection so important all of those the big whys we need to you need to be able to to understand that know that you know do you need to be a biblical scholar no you do not but you do need to know the gospel and then if you don't know the gospel well then you're not you don't know Christ right so that has to start with that right um so spend some time and and that's just kind of the first in my head you know how you train you you have to understand and know be able to answer the big whys you know why did you know well obviously you know sin enter the world well why did you know how did sin enter the world and all those things its effect on humanity and all of those things. So let's let's take some time and and and in order to train understand the big whys and and um another big thing is and in training is just work on your relationship with Christ. And you both y'all made the point or you made the point about how you know he sent the disciples out well he sent the disciples out with what the Holy Spirit and which is everything that they needed right and then and they didn't even need to take anything with them because they were going to be provided for and all that right and the Holy Spirit is is all we need right and and and how do we build our confidence and being used by the Holy Spirit through our relationship with Christ. And so working on that personal time with him working on understanding and hearing his voice and and being alone with him and quiet time with him all that is really important in sh in sharing the gospel because we need to be able to hear his voice and how he leads us um but the most important way or let me just rephrase that I'm not gonna say the most important because all of this is important but another important thing is practice. And something that's good to do is like if you've never shared the gospel before maybe you've only done it a handful of times find somebody you trust I know it's like seems silly but like somebody you know somebody that you'd feel comfortable with just sit in the room and like hey man I've I don't really have experience sharing the gospel I'd like to practice sharing it with you. You know like you know me and Maverick and we might we might take turns and sit down like hey man I haven't can can I sit down and talk with through this with you and and how I would share the gospel with somebody and just talk it out.

SPEAKER_03 37:34

And ask for feedback.

SPEAKER_05 37:36

And ask for exactly ask for feedback. You know and and speakers do it all the time. Yep. And not just pastors but any kind of public speakers public speakers will will sit down and they'll they'll talk give their speech whatever it is in front of somebody and then they'll ask for feedback and how they can change. Sharing the gospel is very similar share it with share it in front of somebody ask how you did if there's anything you change because whoever's hearing it is going to know how it's going to be received because you may be sharing it one way thinking that they're taking it something a certain way but at the end of the day they may not be so good point. Ask for feedback um and and and be around other people that are you know put place yourself around other people spend time with other people who are like minded in their desire to share the gospel and that's another thing I would say um and to go along I I agree 100% but sometimes myself included if I'm not careful we've got to remember that the Holy Spirit does the saving.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 38:39

And so if they say no it's not necessarily what I've said and what I've done you know what I mean it's not the right time but you've got but you've planted the seed you've done what you exactly yeah so that's a good point. That's a good point. All right and just kind of to to close this up we do have Matt made this made this point we do have this evangelism class coming up starting next Wednesday it's on Wednesday nights at six o'clock July 8th yep July 8th be the first night um six o'clock right here at the at the main campus downtown um and if you've never shared the gospel there's no better time than the present to start learning um and and to start digging into that um ask for help seek out you know and I'm gonna put me and my ex emails in the bio reach if if you have any questions on the on methods or techniques or or any of that that sort of stuff I mean I don't don't don't overcomplicate it though. Like literally it's just sharing the truth and giving somebody hope. And and um so I just want to I want to be able to simplify it for you as much as I can or that's what what our desire is um but at the end of the day um we got to start somewhere. So we are having the evangelism class I'd love for y'all to join us. We have tomorrow night I'm gonna put this out today hopefully so tomorrow night Wednesday uh we are having our big fourth of July kickoff it's July 1st but it's you know Independence Day kickoff um we're gonna have uh games bouncy houses and all that stuff out in on on the parking lot and then we're gonna have burgers hot dogs and potluck sides and desserts that's gonna be inside in the AC so don't worry about having to sit out in the heat and boil. No, you can sit under in the AC and enjoy your food. We're gonna have plenty of room so come out and see us and have a good time with us. And then we're having our big uh 4th of July celebration for on Sunday where both campuses come together have a joint service um no Sunday school and that's gonna be on July 5th this coming Sunday.

SPEAKER_03 40:30

And that service is just a reminder of what the Lord has done.

SPEAKER_05 40:33

Yeah yeah great point great point it's it's it's it's looking back and just looking at how God has has shown up time and time again for this country and and how this country was founded on those principles. So that's a great point. All right so I'm gonna get off here I appreciate everybody for listening.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

We are out thank you for joining us for this week's From Seat to Street conversation this podcast is the Ministry of First Baptist Church Fort Smith. As a reminder you can always listen to each of the messages we discussed here on our chapter and first sermon podcast each week thank you for listening