October Prayer Letter - Two Paths

Have you shared the gospel with someone?  Has someone ever shared it with you?  How was it explained?  Because the gospel is at once simple and complex it can be difficult and even intimidating to share it with others, yet that is exactly what God tells us to do.  Part of my goal in training the students in the campus evangelism group is training them in a straightforward and reproducible way to share the gospel. Although there are many different methods, we have chosen one called "two paths" since most of those we share with are literate and have a strong respect for the Bible.
 
Today, I want to share the “two paths” with you so you can better understand what I am teaching the students and how they are sharing. As you read this, the students and I will be on an outreach in the town of Klerksdorp, about 2 hours away from Mafikeng, and they will have many opportunities to use the "two paths" method.  Please pray that the students and I would be bold in sharing the gospel and that the local church will follow up well with those who choose the narrow path.

 
The “two paths” presentation is very interactive so why don't you follow along with me and turn to the book of Mathew in the Bible and find chapter 7, verses 13 and 14.  Go ahead and draw the picture out on a paper as we go along.  These verses talk about two different paths. How are the paths described?  One path is wide and easy and one is narrow and difficult.  One gate is wide and the other narrow.  What lies at the end of each path? The wide path leads to destruction and the narrow leads to life.  How many people are on each path? Many are on the wide path and few on the narrow.

 

What does the Bible say about the people on the paths?  Let’s turn to Galatians 5:19-23.  The first few verses describe some of the actions of people on the wide path.  Write those descriptions down along that path. Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; and drunkenness.  In contrast, what do we see in the people like on the narrow path?  Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
 
And how do we end up on these paths?  Look up Psalms 51:5 to see how we start down the wide path.  We are sinful from birth and so the wide path is where we all start.  You can also read in Romans 3:23 that we have all sinned and fall short of the perfection required by God. And how do we move over to the narrow path so we are heading towards life rather than destruction? Read John 5:1-7 to see how Jesus described it.  We must be born again; spiritually this time.  How can we be born again and enter the narrow gate?  Mark 1:15 give us two instructions - repent and believe the gospel.
 
What does it mean to repent?  It means we must turn away from the wide path and all it entails and go the other direction on the narrow path towards life.

 
What does it mean to believe the gospel?  In I Corinthians 1:15 the writer outlines the gospel for us briefly.  That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried and rose again according to the scriptures, and there were many witnesses of these things.  Also, in Romans 9:10-11 the Bible says that if we believe with our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead we shall be saved and never put to shame.
 
Everyone is somewhere on this diagram.  What road are you on?  What road do you want to be on?
 
This is the basic gospel presentation the students are learning.  What do you think? I'd love to hear your response!  Next month I look forward to sharing with you how the outreach went and how the students did in using this method.