Good News, Bad News, Great News

Today is an in between chapters devotional as we have ended Proverbs 19 and will go unto Proverbs 20 on Monday.

I like to share with you what I am learning or being challenged with and the latest is from a conference that I attended along with some others from the church called "Scatter - Organic Outreach Conference."  It was held at the Wheaton Bible Church in Wheaton, Illinois and the main speakers were Kevin and Sherry Harney and Lon Allison.

I always look for those stand out take aways and the ones for this conference dealt with being more intentional or responding to the Spirit's prompting to do something and to say something.  Since the conference I have had some opportunities that I convinced have been there before but I just didn't react to the open door that God had put before me.  The "nudge" from the Spirit seems to be stronger and I have taken the step to open my mouth but with what?

Sometimes it is hard to get started with what to say.  I need little phrases to get me started or to guide what I want to say.  We were given a couple at the conference along with many stories of them being used and I would like to share those with you this morning.  

The first is "good news, bad news, and great news."  

We have some good news and that is we have a God who is in charge.  He is sovereign.  This God who is in charge has created us and all that is around us to care for and enjoy.  He is also a benevolent God who is described in the Bible as love.  It was good to God the world that He created.  1 John 4:16a says, "We are from God; he who knows God listens to us;..."

We also have to face the bad news that we are flawed.  We do things that we shouldn't and we say things that we shouldn't and we think things that we shouldn't.  These are all signs of a bigger problem that we are alienated or separately from a great God who is perfect and we are not.  The something wrong that is in us the Bible calls "sin" and the problem is universal.  Romans 3:10 says, "...as it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one;..."  Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."

Then we come to the great news.  What we can't do God has done for us.  God made a way for us to be with Him.  He provided a substitution to resolve our sin problem.  God send His one and only Son Jesus to take our sin and rescue us from its ultimate result.  Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 10:13 says, "...for whoever will call on the name of the LORD will be saved."  How will you respond to this great news?

I've got some good news and some bad news but then some great news.  This was one of the catch phrases that was a help to me to keep my conversion going to the end and also including all the parts needed to give a fuller picture of salvation.

Another is similar but it deals more with you sharing your testimony or faith journey.  What do you say?  8 words or 4 two word phrases guide you through.  

The first two are "God's love."  I recognized God and that God loves me.  I wanted to know more about this God.

The second two are "my problem."  I know that I am not perfect and that I have done what I should not have done, said what I should not have said, and thought what I should not have thought.  My problem was a problem in knowing this God who created and loves me.

The third two are "God's solution."  My search lead me to Jesus, God's Son, and what He said and what He did.  I came to the cross and understood why God gave His Son to die there and then raised Him from the grave.  It was for me.

The fourth two are "my response."  I accepted what I had done and what God had done for me.  I said "I do" to Him and made the wedding commitments to Him to live in love of Him, for Him, and beside Him the rest of my life.  I gave Him myself, flaws and all, and I live my life as a witness of Him.

"God's love, our problem, God's solution, our response."  The speaker said that sometimes you can give this twice or three times in your sharing because you can speak of another who you know who helped you see this with their testimony and life and then you share it again with Bible references and then you share it a third time with you as the example of someone who has responded to God's love and solution.  

These are just methods to help us to share our faith with others but the main message is the Jesus Christ came to die for me and rescue me.  I testify to that fact.

I hope this is a primer of the pump for you.  Feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit and say a quick prayer and then care and share.  Step across the room and help out and let God direct the conversation about Him.  It is amazing what we will experience when we speak of Him.  Let us pray.

"Lord, thank You for conferences such as these and speakers who share from their heart and experiences of following the nudge of the Spirit.  May we share the good news, the bad news, and the great news with someone today.  May we have the opportunity to share our experience of Your love, our problem, Your solution, and our response.  Help us to keep our eyes and ears open to being that ambassador of You today and keep the light from being under the bushel.  Amen."

Pastor Adam