The Gospel Presentation

*This presentation may be adapted for groups, public places, personal evangelism and one-on-one. The following questions are examples. You must learn to adapt the presentation to the situation, but you must follow the outline. There is a reason for this. It has been tried and tested and it works.

I. Introduction:

A. Introduce yourself: (use the “Visitation Questionnaire”)

“Hello Mrs. Jones. My name is Mary Smith from Bible Teachers International and this is Carrie Johnson and Tom Bennett. May we come in and visit with you for a short time? (This question would be appropriate if Mrs. Jones had attended the church as a visitor or is a new member.) If the group is in a public place, use the ”Community Questionnaire” and say, “Hello, my name is Tom Bennett and this is Carrie Johnson and Mary Smith and we are from Bible Teachers International. We are in the neighborhood doing a survey, do you mind if we ask you a few questions?”

B. Breaking the ice and background questions: (In the home)

“Oh, your house is so pleasant, where did you get such nice paintings? Are you originally from Florida? Yes, I thought I could hear a bit of a Georgian accent!” “Mary, do you attend a church in the area? What kind of religious background have you had or where are you in your spiritual walk? Would you share this with us?” Or, “John, has your spiritual journey in life come to the point of commitment to any spiritual being, or are you still searching?”

C. Diagnostic Questions (testing readiness to hearing the gospel):

“Have you come to a point in your life where you know for certain that if you died today, you would have eternal life?” “Mary and John, could we take this opportunity to share with you how we came to know Jesus Christ, what Salvation and being Born Again really means and why we know we have Eternal Life?”

D. Give a brief personal testimony:

Let me briefly share my testimony with you and explain how you too can become a New Creature and have eternal life.

II. Gospel Presentation:

Grace: God’s divine influence upon the heart that is reflected in our life; the reproductive power and responsibility of the Holy Ghost to beget more sons for the Father; unmerited favor or love. Man: Man is a sinner; was born and shaped in iniquity. God: God is merciful and wants us to be with Him forever, but He is also just and must punish sin. Christ: Jesus Christ is the Son of God; He paid for our sins at Calvary and gives us the opportunity to have eternal life. Faith: Explain from the supplemental readings in the appendix what faith really is and what it is not. Salvation: Explain from the supplemental readings in the Appendix what salvation really is and what it is not.

III. The Commitment Qualify:

Does this make sense to you? If not yet, then would you like to hear more about Jesus Christ and what He has done for you? Commit: If the answer is yes to the first question, then ask for a commitment to Jesus Christ. Ask them if they desire to be born again of Christ’s Spirit. Pray with them and ask the Lord to fill them with the Holy Ghost. (or pray that the Lord prepare their hearts to desire to be born again). Schedule a follow-up visit and invite them to church on Sunday, if they do not attend elsewhere. Offer to pick them up.

IV. Follow Up:

Invite them to attend Sunday service, in addition to a one-week call back appointment in their home or in your home. Share examples; experiences; adapt your presentation to their needs. If they need love or healing, spend more time making these points. The Group Leader should do most of the questioning, unless the decision is made during the visitation for the “Trainee” to take over at any particular point. The Observer only observes and is gracious and complimentary. The following supplemental material in Appendix A is to be used inside of Section 2 above when you or your Group is presenting the actual “meat” and the Gospel. You must cover points 1-6.