discipleship
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Effectively Sharing the "Four Spiritual Laws"
and "Would You Like to Know God Personally?"
Booklets
The Six Big One's
This is an easy and fun study to teach. These six questions
that you will discuss in this study should change the
effectiveness of how people share the gospel forever.
Understanding the implications of these six big questions
will promise to help you make the Gospel message more
understandable and clear, to those you share with. Ultimately
the Holy Spirit has to draw people to Christ, not some
evangelistic method. But this study will put you ahead
of the game in your efforts to communicate the gospel
effectively.
The key to these six big questions is that the person
being shared with has to verbalize the gospel message
to you, therefore increasing their understanding. As
you use these six questions, you'll discover that it
really works!
Having already led several Bible studies, you're half
way into the semester. This is a great opportunity for
you to help the "new" members in your group
to understand the gospel. And this is an even greater
opportunity to train everyone how to use the 4-Laws
or "Would You Like To Know God Personally?"
booklets.
Read for background 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the
gospel I preached to you, which you received and
on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly
to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have
believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as
of first importance : that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on
the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the
twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred
of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are
still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to
one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not
even deserve to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace to me was not without effect.
No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I,
but the grace of God that was with me.
11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what
we preach, and this is what you believed.
Do: Ask each of the six question below
one by one. Each question is incredibly simple with
some overlapping answers, but the answers have profound
implication and purpose. Each question builds on each
other for a clear understanding of the Gospel. They
all relate to our 1 Corinthians passage above.
Carefully discuss each question. Do not give away any
answers until most people have had a chance to respond
and you feel confident that everyone understands each
answer. Thoroughly elaborate on each answer as appropriate.
The Six Big One's
- In your opinion, how do you define
sin?
- Have you ever sinned
before?
Answer: there
are limitless answers to this question. Basically,
sin is anything that displeases God. People may have
their own definition of sin in this relativistic world
and say, "What's sin for you may not be a sin
for me". So if you can get them to agree
on what sin is, and admit that they've sinned, you
have a "check-mate" move on their need for
the Messiah and for forgiveness.
- Why do you think that
Christ died on the cross? Why was he crucified?
Answer: He died
for our sins. (You can elaborate on this as appropriate,
talk it through.)
- How do you define grace?
Answer: Grace
is God's unmerited favor. Grace is God giving us something
we do not deserve. (You might read Ephesians 2:8-9
if necessary.) We do not need to work for our salvation
or forgiveness of sin. It's free. Christ paid the
price for us when he died on the cross.
- What do you feel is the
main difference between a non-Christian and a Christian?
(You can substitute the word "believer"
for "Christian" if you want).
Answer: The believer
has invited Christ into his life. Christ is in their
life. Their sins are forgiven and paid for.
- What do you think someone
would have to do to go from being a non-Christian
to a Christian?
Answer: Believe
Christ died for their sins and invite Hm into their
life.
- If you were going to
say a prayer to become a Christian, what would you
pray?
Answer: See the prayer on page 10
of the "Would You Like to Know God Personally"
booklet. The key is that one is inviting Christ to
come into your life and forgive all you sins. Nothing
stands between you and God.
Do: Give anyone an opportunity to
receive Christ who may be ready or meet with them afterwards
for a personal appointment.
For Your Information:
Below is a copy of the "How Would You Like To
Know God Personally" booklet. Each of the Six Big
Questions is inserted so that you would know where to
ask them if you use this booklet. Look for the bold
number 1-6 along with a slight change to some
of the questions (also in bold).
Would You Like To Know God Personally?
(Green booklet)
Page 3
Principle 1
God loves you and created you to know Him personally.
God's Love
"God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
God's Plan
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent"
(John 17:3, NIV).
What prevents us from knowing God personally?
Principle 2
Man is sinful and separated from God, so we cannot
know Him personally or experience His love.
Man is Sinful
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God" (Romans 3:23).
Ask Question 1 here.
Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because
of his own stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own
independent way and fellowship with God was broken.
This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active
rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of
what the Bible calls sin.
Page 5
Man is Separated
"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation
from God] (Romans 6:23).
This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is
sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate
that man is continually trying to reach God and establish
the personal relationship with Him through his own efforts,
such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he
inevitably fails.
The third principle explains the only way to bridge
this gulf...
Page 6
Principle 3
Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin.
Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience
God's love.
He Died in Our Place
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
(Romans 5:8).
Ask Question 2 here.
He Rose From the Dead
"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He
was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...He
appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He
appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians
15:3-6).
Page 7
He is the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth,
and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through
Me'" (John 14:6).
This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf
that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus
Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the
penalty for our sins.
It is not enough just to know these truths...
Page 8
Principle 4
We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior
and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience
His love.
We Must Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right
to become children of God, even to those who believe
in His name" (John 1:12)
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as
a result of works that no one should boast" (Ephesians
2:8,9).
Question 3 Ask "What does this verse
mean in your own words?" This answers the definition
for grace.
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8.)
Page 9
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door
and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self
(repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives
to forgive us of our sins and to make us what He wants
us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for
our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an
emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith,
as an act of our will.
These two circles represent two kinds
of lives:
After reading description of the two circles ask:
Question 4 here by asking "What is
the difference between the circle on the left and the
circle on the right? (This is the same as asking what
the difference is between the believer and the non-believer).
Ask Question 5 here "How then do you
go from the circle on the left to the circle on the
right?" (This is the same as asking how then, do
you become a Christian?)
Which circle best represents your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
Page 10
The following explains how you can receive Christ:
You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer
(Prayer is talking with God)
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your
words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The
following is a suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally.
Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open
the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and
Lord. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins and giving
me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life.
Make me the kind of person You want me to be."
Ask Question 6 here by asking, "What
exactly is this prayer saying?" (This is the same
as asking what would you pray if you wanted to become
a believer?)
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ
will come into your life, as He promised.
Finish the rest of the booklet for follow-up.
©1995,1996 Campus Crusade for Christ International
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