Lesson 3 - Making the Most of Truth
1. Into our History
Icebreaker
It’s not often we sit back and ask the big questions in life like,
“What’s truth” “What’s real?” “What’s
right?” Perhaps this is due to a
fast-pace living or something else. But
luckily, we have bumper stickers to engage our minds on these most important
topics. Listen to these bumper stickers
have to say…
About reality: Flying saucers are real, the
Air Force doesn't exist
About death: I want to die in my sleep like my
grandfather. . . Not screaming and yelling like the passengers
in his car.
About religion:
Want a taste of religion? Bite a minister.
About family: My child was inmate of the month at the
county jail. Or, Hire
teenager while they know everything.
About social
injustice: Fight crime, shoot back
In all seriousness, people typically don’t discuss the big questions of
life because they are afraid that they will offend. People who confront others with the truth are
often viewed as “intolerant.” “To each
his own,” is the catch-phrase of the day.
Question: Why do you think people are now labeled
“intolerant” when they firmly affirm and communicate that what they believe is
true (e.g. about religion)?
Possible answers:
1. There are many who do not
believe that there is one truth. In this
common view, asserting that what you believe is the truth is as foolish
as saying that only chocolate chip ice-cream is the best flavor. Everybody knows that what flavor ice-cream is
“the best” is a matter of personal preference and not objective fact. In the same way, they believe that “truth” is
a personal preference.
2. There are so many faiths out there;
it just seems arrogant to assert that we are sure that ours is true.
3. There are some people who
mishandle the truth by communicating it in a condescending way.
Question: Do you often feel reserved or even embarrassed
to share your faith with others? Why?
Transition: Chances are that
most of us feel reserved and perhaps embarrassed about sharing our faith. This lesson will challenge us to take serious
the charge to make the most out of truth - to make most of the gospel.
2. Into
the Bible
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of,
for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I
have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to
me. 18 What then is my
reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the
gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. 19 For though I am free from all men,
I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew,
so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law
though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under
the Law; 21
to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law
of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without
law. 22 To the weak I became
weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I
may by all means save some. 23
I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow
partaker of it.
Romans 1:15-17 15 So, for my part, I am
eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in
In these two passage, the Apostle Paul gives
us a few components for countering our reservation about sharing the gospel.
a. Value it.
1. Question:
According to these texts, what’s so valuable about the gospel?
2. Answer:
a. Remember that its
good news.
Isaiah 52:7 7 How lovely on the
mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And
brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to
b. Remember that it alone is the power of God for salvation
to the person who believes.
“We could hardly believe the advertisement. It comes from Holt Renfrew and it focuses on
a "Future Perfect Micro-Targeted Skin Gel" that promises
to give your skin what it needs -- luminosity. The ad reads: "The past forgiven. The present improved. The Future Perfect."
c.
Remember that its
transmission has been entrusted to us.
1 Corinthians 9:16-17 16 For if I preach the gospel, I
have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not
preach the gospel. 17 For if
I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a
stewardship entrusted to me.
b. Know it.
1. Question: If you were preparing to sky dive,
which kind of instructor would you
prefer:
a. A person who has
only jumped out of bed, but has a lot of opinions and guesses about how to skydive.
b. A person whose knows all the
information in detail, but has never dived.
c. A person who has
dived successfully, but is either to shy to explain it or doesn’t know how to.
d. A person who has
nearly killed themselves multiple times diving, but knows how to communicate it.
e. A person who has
dived successfully and knows how to communicate it.
2. What’s the relevance of skydiving and
Christianity? What stakes at involved?
3. Notice the mandate in the following verses to
be conversant about the good news.
1 Peter 3:15 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in
your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks
you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Study to
show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
c. Speak it.
1. Question: There is an idea circulating that all we need to do to share our faith is to live a righteous life before people. In this view, speaking to people about the good news is optional. What’s the problem with this idea?
2. Answers:
a. There’s no way for
them to know what to attribute this righteous life to.
Is Sally a good person because she’s a Mormon, Mason, or a devotee of Dr. Phil?
b. Even if people know that you are a Christian,
chances are that they will think that you have to live righteously to
become a Christian. They will
have failed to understand a fundamental component of Christianity, namely that
we are all unrighteous, and that it’s when God makes us a Christian that we
begin to live righteously.
c.
Scripture always
associates the propagation of the gospel with information. Imagine if Paul never spoke and only lived
righteously on his missionary trips. How
effective would he be?
Romans 10:14
14 How then
will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in
Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
d. Show it.
1. Question: How you ever met a “Christian” who was vocal
about his or her faith but failed miserably to display it? How effective were they?
2. According to 1 Cor.
9:16-23, how did Paul show the gospel?
a. Paul displayed the
gospel by sacrificing his life for his promotion.
b. Paul displayed the
gospel by becoming all things to all people.
3. Into
our Lives
a.
Earlier we asked
what kind of skydiving instructor would you prefer. The answer was obvious. Now, if you were to rate yourself as an
instructor of the gospel, take a mental note of what description best fits
you. Would you be…
1. A person who has only jumped out of bed, but
has a lot of opinions and guesses.
2. A person whose knows all the information in
detail, but has never dived.
3. A person who has dived successfully, but is
either too shy to explain it , or he/she
doesn’t know how to explain it.
4. A person who has nearly killed themselves
multiple times diving, but knows how to communicate it.
5. A person who has dived successfully and knows
how to communicate it.
b. Go through each description and
discuss with the group how a person in each description
might get better.