Equipped To Invite

NKJV: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Great Commission

Session 1 Invite With Power

The Holy Spirit: With, In, Upon

Assignment

Session 2 Invite With The Gospel

Discussion Points

Helpful Tools For Sharing The Gospel

Assignment

Session 3 Invite With Your Testimony

Discussion Points

Helpful Tools For Preparing Your Testimony

Assignment

Session 4 Invite With Wisdom

Book Recommendation

Discussion Points

Assignment

Introduction

This course is part of a series of courses that God put on my heart to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Each session includes a link to a video teaching, discussion points, and homework.

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

This command is given from the highest authority. There is no one with greater authority than Jesus. So the command that He gave supersedes every other command that we receive.

Go (Matthew 28:19)

You cannot just sit there around other disciples, you need to get around unbelievers! The great commission is not only fulfilled at church. There are so many friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers, and strangers everywhere. We are not called to be monks, or to live in a Christian bubble. We are commanded to get out there among the people that need to hear the message.

Preach (Mark 16:15)

To preach means to proclaim. It is the way God has chosen to reveal His message of life to a lost and dying world. He could have revealed Himself and the gospel in other ways, but instead He chose to use us. The gospel is not complicated or difficult. Some will be offended, while others will think the message is ridiculous. You are not called to win debates or have brilliant arguments. You are called to proclaim Jesus.

Disciple (Matthew 28:19)

You cannot make converts, but you can make disciples. There is more to the great commission than getting people to make a profession of faith. To make a disciple means to attach them to Jesus so that they become His follower.

Baptize (Matthew 28:19)

Baptism is identifying with Christ. In baptism, I am making the statement, “I was included with Him in His death, burial and resurrection.” It is an action that proves the genuineness of faith.

Teach (Matthew 28:20)

How do you teach a person to observe all the things Jesus commanded? It is by letting them observe you doing it. You be the example by showing them how a Christian is supposed to live.

The Great Coalition

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

It would be hard to find a Christian who does not know this passage. It would be impossible to find a missionary who does not know it. The question is, does this command apply to every Christian, or just a certain few?

The word coalition means, “a union into a body or mass.” The body of Christ is a coalition, a union of believers into one body. And according to Ephesians 4:16, when every part does its share it causes growth of the body.

Growth is both numerical and spiritual. Numerically it is new believers being added to the body. Spiritually it is people learning to walk with Jesus. What is that growth called? It is called making disciples.

Jesus was speaking here to a group of people—his disciples—and as a group, they were to go into all the world. Today, Jesus is speaking to a group of people—the body—and as His body, we are to go into all the world.

Not every one of us is called to go to another country. Perhaps your part in the body of Christ is to minister to children. Perhaps your part is to help people find a parking space. Perhaps your part is to raise godly children. Perhaps your part is to be an example of Jesus in your workplace.

As you do your part, and I do my part, we contribute to the growth of the body. And as we work together, we are making disciples. A person fulfilling their role in the body may not be street witnessing, or on the mission field, but they are doing their part and contributing to the growth of the body.

Fulfill the great commission by using your gifts and calling in the body of Christ.

The Great Continuation

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Another way that we know that this command is not limited to the disciples is the duration of the command. How many of Jesus’ disciples do we have with us today? None of Jesus’ disciples survived more than 70 years after his death and yet, Jesus said, “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus could have said something like what we hear in wedding vows, “And lo, I am with you, even to the end of your life.” The command to go was accompanied with a promise to be present until the end of the age.

We have not passed the end of the age yet either. This age will be over when Jesus Christ comes to set up His kingdom for 1000 years on the earth.

Jesus could not have intended the command to be only for the disciples since they have all died and the end of the age is not yet. Just as Jesus continues to be with His people so this command continues to apply to His followers.

Wherever you go, Jesus is with you. If Jesus is with you then this command applies to you. He is calling you to fulfill the great commission.

The Great Companion

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Jesus gave His disciples this huge, impossible task, and then told them to wait. When given a project that will be difficult to complete in a certain amount of time, we get to work. The disciples are given this task, but Jesus said, do not get started yet.

What were the disciples to wait for? We find the answer in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The disciples were to wait to fulfill the great commission until they had received the power of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the Holy Spirit coming upon them was so that they might be witnesses to Jesus. The purpose was to empower them to fulfill the great commission.

This makes Jesus’ command very interesting. The disciples were not the only ones baptized in the Holy Spirit. All who were gathered in Acts 2 received it and the rest of the church throughout the book of Acts received the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Follow the logic here… Jesus told them they could not fulfill the great commission until they had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. The main purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to be a witness. God commands all believers to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

Therefore, every Christian is called to be a witness.

The proof that you and I are called to fulfill the great commission is the great companion that has been given to us. The Holy Spirit has been given so that we can make disciples. Be filled with the Spirit, and make disciples.

Session 1

Invite With Power

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

Invite With Power

Session Video

To watch the video lesson for this session, use the following link.

[Video Link Will Be Here]

Printable Worksheets

If you would like to print out the note pages and homework for this session, use the link below.

Session 1 Worksheets

The Holy Spirit:

With, In, Upon

John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

With—The Spirit Comes Alongside People To Lead Them To Jesus

The Holy Spirit is with you! This relationship with the Holy Spirit is true of every person, whether they believe in Jesus or not. Jesus explains in John 16:7-15 that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.

In—The Spirit Dwells Within Believers So They Walk With Jesus

The Holy Spirit is in you! This relationship with the Holy Spirit is true for all believers. Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ have the Spirit dwelling within them. Paul describes this as the guarantee of our salvation

(2 Corinthians 1:20-22, Ephesians 1:13-14).

Upon—The Spirit Comes Upon Believers So They Testify Of Jesus

The Holy Spirit will come upon you! This relationship with the Holy Spirit is available for all believers. In fact, Paul commands us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The empowering of the Holy Spirit is described in the Bible in these three ways, the Spirit coming upon you, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the filling of the Spirit.

Invite With Power

This Week’s

Assignment

Study The Filling Of The Holy Spirit

Spend 10-15 minutes reading one of the following passages each day. As you read these passages from the book of Acts, realize that the promise of the Holy Spirit is for all believers, and ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit.

Answer the following three questions for each passage:

1. When did the Holy Spirit come upon them?

2. How was the Spirit received?

3. What was the result?

Acts 1:4-8

Acts 2:1-39

Acts 4:23-31

Acts 8:4-17

Acts 9:10-19

Acts 10:34-48

Acts 19:1-10

Session 2

Invite With The

Gospel

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

Romans 1:16

Invite With The Gospel

Session Video

To watch the video lesson for this session, use the following link.

[Video Link Will Be Here]

Printable Worksheets

If you would like to print out the note pages and homework for this session, use the link below.

Session 2 Worksheets

Invite With The Gospel

Discussion Points

Have You Been Filled With The Spirit This Week?

Philip & The Ethiopian Eunuch

Read Acts 8:26-40. Discuss the idea of divine appointments, how to recognize them, and how to use them to share the gospel. Also, discuss some creative ways to begin to share the gospel.

Nicodemus

Read John 3:1-21. Discuss what is required to enter the Kingdom of God, what it means to be born again, how to be born again, and how to know if you are born again.

Helpful Tools

Read through and discuss the helpful tools on the following pages.

Helpful Tools For

Sharing The Gospel

1 Corinthians 15

Christ died for our sins (verse 3)

He was buried (verse 4)

He rose again the third day (verse 4)

He was seen by many (verses 5-8)

Wordless Book

Black Page—Represents sin

Red Page—Represents the blood of Jesus

White Page—Represents the cleansing of sin

Green Page—Represents the need to grow

Gold Page—Represents heaven

Four Spiritual Laws

1. God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life. (John 3:16, John 10:10)

2. Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life. (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23)

3. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life. (Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, John 14:6)

4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. (John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:1-8, Revelation 3:20)

Romans Road

Romans 3:23—All have sinned

Romans 5:8—Christ died for us

Romans 6:23—The wages of sin is death

Romans 10:9-10—If you confess and believe in Jesus you will be saved

Romans 10:13—Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved

Greg Laurie’s Salvation Steps

Realize You Are A Sinner

Recognize Christ Died For You

Repent Of Your Sins

Receive Christ As Savior And Lord

Raul Ries’ Salvation Steps

Admit, “I am a sinner.”

Confess your sins to God and be willing to turn from them.

Believe, by faith that Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross.

Invite With The Gospel

This Week’s

Assignment

Memorize The Gospel Message

Pick one of the tools for sharing the gospel and memorize it. Take some time each day to review it to make sure you have a firm grasp on the gospel message.

Ask God For Opportunities To Share

Spend time in prayer each day for people in your life that do not have a relationship with Jesus. Ask God to give you opportunity to share the gospel message with them. When God opens the door for you to share, be bold, rely upon the Holy Spirit, and speak the truth in love.

Make A Prayer List Of People Who Need To Hear The Gospel

Session 3

Invite With Your Testimony

“And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."

Mark 5:18-19

Invite With Your Testimony

Session Video

To watch the video lesson for this session, use the following link.

[Video Link Will Be Here]

Printable Worksheets

If you would like to print out the note pages and homework for this session, use the link below.

Session 3 Worksheets

Invite With Your

Testimony

Discussion Points

How Did Sharing The Gospel Go?

Paul’s Testimony

Read Acts 22:1-21. Discuss Paul’s testimony, identify the Condition, Solution and Result.

Demoniac’s Testimony

Read Mark 5:1-20. Discuss the work Jesus did in this man’s life and the instruction Jesus gave him.

David’s Testimony

Read Psalm 40:1-3. Discuss what David shares about the situation he was in: identify the Condition, Solution and Result.

Helpful Tools

Read through and discuss the helpful tools on the following pages.

Helpful Tools For

Preparing

Your Testimony

Basic Testimony Outline

Condition: Before You Received Jesus

What things were most important to you?

What need(s) were you trying to fulfill?

How did you try to satisfy that need?

Solution: How You Received Jesus

When did you first hear about Jesus?

What was your reaction to the gospel?

Why did you decide to trust Jesus?

Result: After You Received Jesus

How does Jesus satisfy your need(s)?

What changes have occurred in your life?

How do you know Jesus is in your life?

Sharing Your Testimony Takes GUTS

G Glorify God, Not Yourself.

Although you are sharing your story, it is really about God. You are sharing what God has done in your life.

U Use Scripture

Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Share the verses that God has used in your life.

T Tell It Like It Is (Be Real)

Be sincere, honest and real. Don’t exaggerate your life, and don’t let fear control how you share.

S Sin And A Savior

There is no good news without the bad news. In our sin we are lost and deserve judgment, that is why we need a Savior.

Some Key Principles:

-Clearly present the gospel message.

-Share specific events, feelings, etc.

-Do not glamorize how bad you were.

-Share how Jesus helps you walk through your problems, rather than removing all problems from your life.

-Be prepared to explain the phrases and words you use (like sin, repentance, saved, born again, etc.).

-Practice your testimony so that you can share it naturally.

-Do not worry if your testimony does not sound exciting to you.

-The simple truth of what God has done in your life is enough for the Holy Spirit to convict others of sin, and convince them of God’s love and grace.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" -1 Peter 3:15

Invite With Your

Testimony

This Week’s

Assignment

Ask God For Opportunities To Share

Pray every day for people in your life that do not have a relationship with Jesus. Ask God to give you opportunities to share your testimony with them.

Prepare Your Testimony

Take some time to prepare to share your testimony. Some situations give you more time than others, so prepare two versions, one for a two minute situation, and another for a ten minute situation.

Use the following outline as a guide.

Condition: Before You Received Jesus

Solution: How You Received Jesus

Result: After You Received Jesus

Two Minute Testimony

A ride in an elevator...standing in line at the grocery store...handing out a tract...talking to a waitress/waiter...pumping gas...wrong number phone call...

Ten Minute Testimony

Sitting in a waiting room...dinner with friends/family...talking to a neighbor across the fence...lunch with a co-worker...

Session 4

Invite With Wisdom

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

John 20:30-31

Invite With Wisdom

Session Video

To watch the video lesson for this session, use the following link.

[Video Link Will Be Here]

Printable Worksheets

If you would like to print out the note pages and homework for this session, use the link below.

Session 4 Worksheets

Book Recommendation

The Case For The Real Jesus, by Lee Strobel

Fantastic book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Lee Strobel. I like his investigative-journalist approach to topics, with solid reasons and sound logic. In this book, Lee sets out to investigate the claims about Jesus by critics and skeptics. Is what the church teaches about Jesus reasonable? Or has it all been proven false by modern scholarship? How can we know the REAL Jesus?

Lee tackles six challenges to the church’s teaching about Jesus:

1. Scholars are uncovering a radically different Jesus in ancient documents just as credible as the four gospels.

2. The Bible’s portrait of Jesus can’t be trusted.

3. New explanations have refuted Jesus’ resurrection.

4. Christianity’s beliefs about Jesus were copied from pagan religions.

5. Jesus was an imposter who failed to fulfill the Messianic prophecies.

6. People should be free to pick and choose what to believe about Jesus.

Christianity is a reasonable faith, with logically sound reasons for believing the truth about Jesus! The evidence is solid and overwhelming, the REAL Jesus can be known, and salvation is found only in Him.

-Jerry

Invite With Wisdom

Discussion Points

Share Your Two Minute Testimony

No Other Name

Read Acts 4:5-12. Discuss what we can learn from each of the 3 times the word “name” is used in this passage.

The Fragrance Of Christ

Read 2 Corinthians 2:14-17. Consider what Paul means when he talks about the fragrance of Christ. What is the impact of this fragrance and how are people exposed to it?

Him We Preach

Read Colossians 1:24-29. Discuss who we preach, how we preach, and why we preach. Also, consider what other things we can be tempted to preach.

Spoken To Us By His Son

Read Hebrews 1:1-4. Discuss who God’s Son is and how He has spoken to us through His Son.

Invite With Wisdom

This Week’s

Assignment

Ask God For Opportunities To Share

Pray every day for people in your life that need to know about Jesus. Ask God to give you opportunity to share Him with them.

Study How Jesus Was Preached In Acts

Spend some time reading one of the following passages each day. As you read these passages from the book of Acts, pay attention to the message that was preached and how they focused on Jesus.

Acts 2:14-39

Acts 3:11-26

Acts 4:5-12

Acts 8:26-40

Acts 9:20-22

Acts 13:13-41

Acts 26:1-23

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Table of Contents

Introduction: The Great Commission

Session 1 Invite With Power

The Holy Spirit: With, In, Upon

Assignment

Session 2 Invite With The Gospel

Discussion Points

Helpful Tools For Sharing The Gospel

Assignment

Session 3 Invite With Your Testimony

Discussion Points

Helpful Tools For Preparing Your Testimony

Assignment

Session 4 Invite With Wisdom

Book Recommendation

Discussion Points

Assignment