16/02/25 // Evangelism, New Testament Style // Dave Watmore

There’s power in the name of Jesus.

Jesus Storybook Bible: We have given out 197 Jesus storybook bibles at 4 schools, preaching the gospel. The gospel is presented as 'Jesus wants to be your friend'

We have done 9 assembly’s and schools now regularly come to the food bank! So we do jigsaw assembly’s and the kids come to learn about the food bank and raise money. Ruth and the team gained trust and created healthy relationships with all the schools in our local area! That gave us this foundation to build on.

We are going to all saints infant and junior school in matlock next month to give out 359 bibles. The school said “it would be really good for the children to meet Christian’s and tell them what is a bible and why it is important to them”
March 24th - me and Steve.

Context
Peter and John have prayed for the 40 year old man who has been crippled from birth and the Jewish officials hate it and put them in prison.
Remember they had been with Jesus, dejected when he was crucified, utterly changed when he is resurrected and filled with boldness when filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Acts 4 v 1-31
v18
This is our evangelism strategy, it's 2000 years old
The more I study Acts, the more I see the resurrection is what they preach. It's the life changer.
 
Teach each other. Tell each other of the stories of what Jesus is doing now.
We had a time at New Year to tell of the stories from the last year.
It was moving, encouraging and powerful.
After Pentecost, as Jews, they stayed with their culture. They went to the temple, did Jewish traditions but they saw Jesus as the fulfillment of the scriptures – the Messiah, the Holy Spirit the fulfillment of the Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel.
They had to know their bible. But the authorities demanded that they stop teaching and speaking about Jesus.
I only ever heard “stop speaking.” Now I see it was even more like these days.
Teach each other about Jesus. We don’t want stunted Christians, we want you all to be changed and to know the life changing power of the resurrection.
 
Sow seed.
It doesn’t matter if the soil is hard or soft. Sow the seed. Jesus does not tell us to sow in fertile ground. He says sow the seed. Be generous even if it falls on the path or in the weeds.
I have a prophetic sense that where we have sown but seen not fruit, the day is coming to see a fruitfulness where we have sown before.
Let us keep sowing in the community we live in. Jigsaw, schools work, our personal evangelism with friends and neighbours and work colleagues.
If you want more opportunities and stories to tell, join Tony and Karen, join Jonny and Becca when they start Who Let the Dads Out again and a new venture called Creative Space.
Pick up your bibles. Learn about Jesus and his resurrection power. Not just the mechanism of salvation.
Acts 4 is of men who were seen as unschooled in the bible but they had been with Jesus who had taught them using scripture. Then they quote scripture; Joel at Pentecost, Genesis in Acts 3 and when they pray they use Psalm 2. The crucifixion Psalm.
The audience might change but the message does not change. We have the same job. Sow the seed.
The message of the crucified Jesus and the risen Lord
There is only seed.
Don’t break up the soil. Sow the seed.
I don’t know what I’d do without Jesus.
Tell new stories

Questions
Ask each other for a recent story of what Jesus has done for you.
For a bible study, look at the use of Psalm 2. Why did Peter use this?
Please pray for the Children’s Bible initiative that Sarah and Steve are running
Put yourselves in the place of the apostles in Acts 3 and 4 and see how being a friend of Jesus in person helped them declare the truth of His resurrection.
Pray for boldness and pray for opportunities to see the power of the name of Jes