TRACK ONE -- EVANGELISM

 Purpose:  To present the Bible message of the Old Testament as a foundation and the New Testament as Good News in a worldview sensitive context that addresses both the essential biblical truths related to salvation and that addresses the worldview issues which represent barriers to the Gospel so that hearers may respond by professing their faith in Jesus as Savior.

 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”  Rom 15:4 NIV

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” 1 Cor 10:11 NIV

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31 NIV

 Range of Stones: (Pre-Creation: Bible, Eternal God, Creation of Spirit World up to Christ’s Ascension) Genesis 1 :1-Acts 1:11

1.  Point to the need for an authoritative and true source of information about God and man--the Bible.

2.  Begin with stories that develop concepts of God's sovereignty over both the spirit world and the physical world and man.

3.  Teach biblical truth in story form that is easy to understand, remember, recall and retell to others.

4.  Provide for adequate review of previous stories as a setting for new stories, for repetition of stories to aid in memory for oral communicators, and to give opportunity for those attending irregularly to hear the stories.

5.  Direct attention to the fact that the individual stories are in fact only part of a larger story--that of God and man, which tells of God's sovereignty, man's sin and separation from God, God's judgment of sin and punishment of those persisting in their sin, and God's provision for restoration of man through a substitute sacrifice provided by God in the death of Jesus the One sent from God.

6.  Give opportunity for immediate retelling of the stories by the hearers to reinforce the story for memory, and to give feedback on the understanding of the stories and the subsequent shaping of the stories by the hearers.

7.  Give opportunity for dialogue about issues in the stories as they relate to the unfolding story and to the hearers’ lives.

8.  Bring the stories to a suitable point of closure at which the hearers are challenged to decide for themselves how to respond--to accept or reject the message of the stories.

9.  Use appropriate media support of storytelling to broaden the sensory input of the stories and subsequent understanding.

10.  Encourage the hearers to share the stories with others in new Evangelism Tracks.

11.  Provide as far as possible a group experience in which the community is exposed to the same message at the same time providing for the possibility of group acceptance of the message of the stories and reduced possibility for persecution of believers.

12.  Lay biblical foundations for the stories to follow in the Church Planting Track and Characterization Track.

CORE STORIES

For Evangelism Track

 Core Stories are those central Bible stones which teach the essential Bible truths about God, man, sin, and salvation through faith in Jesus.  Core stories are those which would be used without any regard to the worldview of the target people.  Most of these stones would be in all chronological presentations of the story of salvation.

 The stories are chosen according to the essential truths which must be understood in order for a person to recognize his lostness before a righteous God:

       ?/span> that sin in whatever form separates him from God,

       ?/span> that man cannot atone for sin by any works of his own,

       ?/span> that God has provided the only effective sacrifice for sin in the sinless death of the Son Jesus,

       ?/span> that God accepted the death of Jesus in behalf of lost man, and

       ?/span> that God raised Jesus to everlasting life again as the first fruit of the resurrection.

 The story series is closed with the understanding that man can appropriate this salvation by believing on Jesus as the one sent from God who died in man’s place; and that Jesus will raise him up again to everlasting life.  When storying from the Gospels or New Testament alone the Old Testament core stories are assumed to be known already or will be referred to during the course of storying the Gospels.

 CORE STORY LIST

1.     Creation of the world

2.     Creation of man

3.     The first sin and judgment

4.     Judgment of a sinful world

5.     God’s promise to Abraham

6.     God provides the substitute sacrifice for Isaac

7.     The Passover--the blood and the lamb

8.     God gives His holy Law--the Ten Commandments

9.     The Sacrifice System--shedding of sacrificial blood to cover sin

10.   The Prophets’ message and promise of a Redeemer who would suffer for man

11.   Birth of Jesus according to prophecy

12.   Baptism of Jesus--”Behold the Lamb of God”, testimony of John and the Spirit

13.   Jesus and Nicodemus--”You must be born again”

14.   Jesus has authority to forgive sin--paralyzed man and 4 friends

15.   Jesus has power over nature--Calms the Sea

16.   Jesus has authority over demons--Gadarene Demoniac

17.   Jesus is the resurrection--Jesus raises Lazarus to life

18.   Abraham, Lazarus and the rich man--Man must believe the message of the prophets in this life

19.   The Last Supper--”This is my broken body and blood shed for you”

20.   Jesus is betrayed, arrested, falsely accused, tried and sentenced to death

21.   The crucifixion, decision for and against Jesus, “It is finished”

22.   The resurrection and appearance to disciples and followers

23.   Jesus returns to the Father, the Ascension

 

--Following are optional stones for certain spiritual worldviews--

　

24.   Jesus the true High Priest (Heb 8-9), an advocate before the Father making intercession for believer’s sins

(Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25)

25.    Return of Jesus to receive believers unto himself, to judge and punish unbelievers, Satan and the evil spirits thus fulfilling all promises and prophecies.