SHARING THE GOSPEL

WITH WOMEN AND MEN

CONSIDERING ABORTION

© 2018 CARE NET. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

CARE NET I 44180 RIVERSIDE PARKWAY, SUITE 200 I LANSDOWNE, VA 20176 I 703-554-8734 I CARE-NET.ORG
February 2018
 CONTENT
I. Introduction: The Importance of the Gospel
II. Your Role in Sharing the Gospel
III. Fear in Evangelizing
IV. The “Bad News/Good News” Presentation of the Gospel

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 I. INTRODUCTION
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GOSPEL

“God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.”
— C.S. Lewis1

The Gospel is clear and simple, and it is about our relationship with God the Father and
Jesus Christ: Christ took the penalty that we deserved for our sin, placed it upon Himself,
was nailed to a cross, died in our place, and was buried. Three days later, Christ came back
to life to prove that sin and death were conquered and that His claim to be God was true.
We trust Christ as our only way to heaven, as He alone forgives our sins.

The Gospel is the salvation message—also known as The Good News—found in the
Scriptures. While the salvation message is found throughout the Bible, the verses below are
often used as a summary:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 For the wages of sin is death.
— Romans 6:23

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
— Romans 5:8

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and that not from yourselves, it is the gift
of God—not of works, so that no one can boast.
— Ephesians 2:8-9

The Gospel has the power to transform lives, including pregnancy decisions, and is integral
to all aspects of Christian ministry.

The Gospel & Being Pro-life

1. God’s love for His “image bearers” is at the core of being pro-life.
Because our ultimate worth comes from being created in God’s own image, even
when we rebelled against our Creator, He set in motion His plan to redeem all who
believe the salvation message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The further away from the truth of the Gospel we get, the weaker our argument for
the sanctity of life becomes.

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 2. The Gospel sets us apart from the world and the world’s solutions to the problems of
someone facing an unplanned pregnancy.

Without the Gospel, we can offer little more than what is provided by secular social-service
agencies and/or individuals who are not followers of Christ.

3. Trusting Christ as Savior is the long-term answer to all of the problems someone
making a pregnancy decision faces, including lifestyle choices, relationship issues, and the
pregnancy decision itself.

4. People who hear the Good News and trust Christ as their Savior are transformed by the
Gospel and empowered to make life-affirming decisions that have eternal consequences.

5. When we share the Gospel with those we serve, we are offering them the opportunity to
partake in an eternal solution to their physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs.

You may have the opportunity to serve people from many Christian faith backgrounds,
but you should never assume that someone who says they are a Christian will have a saving
relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, stay alert for opportunities to share the Gospel
with those who don’t fully understand God’s forgiveness and His provision of eternal life,
which is available to those who trust Jesus for their salvation.

A commitment to share the Good News of Jesus Christ ensures that you will be as effective
as possible when ministering to people in need.

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 II. YOUR ROLE IN SHARING THE GOSPEL
2

The term “evangelical” comes from the Greek word euaggelion, meaning “the good news”
or the “Gospel.”3 Evangelism is simply sharing this Good News with others.

Our role in sharing the Gospel is “contact.” Contact includes spiritual conversations
with the women and men we serve. An atmosphere of grace creates an environment in
which you are the contact, through truthful and loving conversations, with these women
and men.

God’s role is “conversion.” God creates every opportunity for someone to hear the
Gospel. He brings the women and men facing pregnancy decisions into contact with
you for help. He softens the hearts of those women and men so that when you share the
Gospel with them. God will help them hear and accept the Gospel as true. God then seals
their salvation when they trust Christ as Savior.

You can share the Gospel with the people you serve and invite them to trust Christ, but
only God can accomplish the spiritual transformation that occurs in their hearts when they
trust Christ as Lord and Savior.

You have no power to make a person trust Christ. Any effort you make to convince
someone to trust Christ is a mistake. You can certainly pray that they trust Christ (e.g.,
that God would open their hearts), but if they do not believe that day (or ever), you can
take joy in the knowledge that you have fulfilled your role and that God will fulfill His.
You may also be encouraged to know that you planted seeds that could eventually sprout
and lead to salvation.

Paul talked about evangelists as people whom Christ gifted to equip the church, but,
regardless of whether we have this specific gifting or not, all of us are called to share the
Good News.

Consider these verses:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to
be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ

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 may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and
become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. — Ephesians 4:11-13

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When
they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the age.” — Matthew 28:16-20

Guidelines on How to Share the Gospel

The good news, pardon the pun, is that there is no exact formula for how to share the
salvation message. But there are some guidelines that should be followed.

Consider the following:

1. Do not feel compelled to share the Gospel with every person you help. Instead,
heed the Holy Spirit’s prompting and look for opportune moments to begin spiritual
conversations. Remember that there is no predetermined time or sequence for talking
about the Lord. It may happen at any time during your time together. Be sensitive to God
and let Him lead you. If you begin to talk about Christ and you see that the person is not
interested, move on. Perhaps another appropriate moment will occur.

2. Adapt a “Get-to” rather than a “Have-to” attitude about sharing. If you have the
attitude that you are a failure if you don’t tell every person you meet about Jesus, you
might fall into the trap of sharing out of obligation (“have-to”). Looking at evangelism as a
privilege (“get-to”), rather than an obligation, changes your perspective and puts you on the
alert to watch for the Holy Spirit already at work in the hearts of the people you are serving.
At this point, sharing the Gospel is a matter of joining God where He is already at work.
3. Be authentic and willing to listen to their story. Authenticity is a vital trait for someone
ministering to people making pregnancy decisions. Be yourself. Treat your interactions as
conversations between equals. Remember that sharing the Gospel is not driven by religious
duty, but it is born out of love for God and others. It happens best in the context of

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 relationships. When a person knows you have heard him or her, he or she will be more open
to hearing what you have to say. Use your communication skills to help others relax and
converse more naturally.

4. Avoid lectures and arguments. Women and men considering abortion may hold
different views and beliefs from your own. If so, don’t lecture or argue with them or attempt
to correct their views or beliefs. Doing so will only alienate them and may close their minds
to hearing the Gospel. Your willingness to listen establishes trust and lays a strong relational
foundation for sharing the Gospel when the Holy Spirit opens the door.

5. Do not use religious terminology that is unfamiliar to someone that is unchurched.

While some of the people you will serve may have a relationship with a Christian church,
you will have an opportunity to share with someone who never attends church. It is good
to remember that our Christian sub-culture can differ significantly from the larger culture
around us. As a believer, you have probably integrated Christian terminology into your
everyday speech, terms like “born again,” “sin,” “saved,” and “redeemed.” Even the word
“Christian” can mean different things to different people (including those who consider
themselves to be Christian). Effective evangelism happens when you talk with a person you
are serving using language they understand.

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 III. FEAR IN EVANGELIZING
4

It is normal to have fear in evangelizing. Even the apostle Paul sometimes feared that his
lack of ability in certain areas would hinder his evangelizing. He overcame fear by focusing
on God working through him. Consider the following Scripture:

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed
to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus
Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My
message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of
the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
— 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Fear is a common reason Christians give for not sharing the Gospel. Fear can occur when
Christians focus on themselves or are anxious about their performance in evangelizing
instead of focusing on the power of God to draw people to Himself, using the Christian as
His vehicle. Christians might also fear, for example, that sharing the Gospel might offend
someone or cause someone not to like them.

Other reasons people might be fearful of sharing the Gospel are: fear of not doing a good
job, fear of being unable to answer tough questions, fear of rejection, or fear of alienating
the people they are serving.

Be encouraged with this truth:

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears is not made in perfect love. — 1 John 4:18

It is reassuring to remember that love is the antidote to fear. In the context of evangelism,
you can ask yourself this question and fill in the blank with your most prominent fear:

“Do I love people enough to be willing to risk _________ to save them from eternal separation
from God?”

With God’s help, the answer can always be YES!

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 IV. THE BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS
PRESENTATION OF THE GOSPEL 5

There are lots of different ways of presenting the Gospel when the opportunity presents
itself. The most important thing is to be attuned to the Holy Spirit and to be encouraging
and loving in your presentation of the truth.

The below method, The Bad News/Good News presentation, is from EvanTell, an
organization that empowers Christians worldwide to share their faith through training,
outreaches, tools, and resources that present the gospel in a clear, biblically accurate, and
encouraging way. If you choose to use this method, make sure you really “make it your
own” so that you are authentic in your delivery.

He Already Knows and Loves You.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16

You are precious to God, even if you don’t know much about Him. Has anyone ever taken
a Bible and shown you how you can know for sure that you can have a loving relationship
with God and go to heaven when you die? Well, here’s the answer.

The Bible Contains Both Bad News and Good News.

The bad news is something about us.

The good news is something about God.

LET'S LOOK AT THE BAD NEWS FIRST....

BAD NEWS #1: We are all sinners.

Romans 3:23 says, “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Sinned
means that we have missed the mark of goodness God requires for having a relationship
with Him. When we lie, hate, lust, or gossip, we have missed the standard God has set.

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 Think about it this way—suppose you and I were each to throw a rock and try to hit the
North Pole. You might throw farther than I, but neither of us would hit it.

When the Bible says “everyone has sinned; we all fall short,” it means that we have all come
short of God’s standard of perfection. In thoughts, words, and deeds, we have not been
perfect.

BAD NEWS #2: The penalty for sin is death.

Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.”

Suppose you worked for me, and I paid you $50. That $50 was your wages. That’s what you
earned. The Bible says that by sinning we have earned death. That means we deserve to die
and be separated from God forever.

BUT... SINCE THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD COME TO GOD, THE BIBLE
SAYS THAT GOD CAME TO US!

GOOD NEWS #1: Christ died for you.

Romans 5:8 tells us, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we
were still sinners.”

Suppose you are in a hospital dying of cancer. I come to you and say, “Let’s take the cancer
cells from your body and put them into my body.”

If that were possible, What would happen to me?

What would happen to you?

I would die in your place. I would die instead of you.

The Bible says Christ took the penalty that we deserved for our sin, placed it upon Himself,
was nailed to a cross, died in our place, and was buried.

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 Three days later Christ came back to life to prove that sin and death were conquered and
that His claims to be God were true. He was seen by many people who knew Him well. He
was seen by more than 500 people at one time, and He even ate with His friends. It was
Jesus—alive again! Because He died and rose again, we too can live.

JUST AS THE BAD NEWS GOT WORSE, THE GOOD NEWS GETS BETTER!

GOOD NEWS #2: You can be saved through faith in Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "God saved [delivered from sin’s penalty] you by his grace [undeserved
favor] when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not
a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

FAITH MEANS TRUST.

Q: What must you trust Christ for?

A: You must depend on Him alone to forgive you and to give you eternal life.

Just as you trust a chair to hold you through no effort of your own, so you must trust Jesus
Christ to get you to heaven through no effort of your own.

But you may say, “I’m religious” or “I am not so bad; I try to do good things.” Or maybe you
think, I’ve messed up so bad; there’s no hope for me; or I’ve done drugs; or I’ve had an abortion;
or God couldn’t forgive me.

The Bible says that good living, helping the poor, and other good things you might do
cannot get you to heaven. If you fear God will not love you because of bad behavior, you
should be encouraged by Romans 5:8, which says, “God showed his great love for us by
sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

You must trust in Jesus Christ alone, and God will give you eternal life as a gift.

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 Is there anything keeping you from trusting Christ right now?

Would you like to tell God you are trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior? If you would,
why not pray right now and tell God that you are trusting His Son?

Remember! It is not a prayer that saves you. It is trusting Jesus Christ that saves you.
Prayer is simply how you tell God what you are doing.

"Dear God, I know I’m a sinner. I know my sin deserves to be punished. I believe Christ
died for me and rose from the grave. I trust Jesus Christ alone as my Savior. Thank you for
the forgiveness and everlasting life I now have. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

What has just happened?

John 5:24 explains, “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who
sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed
from death into life.”

• Did you “listen” to God’s word?

• Did you “believe” what God said and trust Christ as your Savior?
• Does “have eternal life” mean later or right now?
• Does it say “they will never be condemned” or “they might not be condemned”?
• Does it say they “have already passed from death” or “shall pass”?

Eternal life is based on fact, not feeling.

Memorize John 5:24 today.

WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?

Having trusted Christ as your only way to heaven, here’s how to grow in your relationship
with Him:

• Tell God what’s on your mind through prayer (Philippians 4:6-7).

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 • Read the Bible every day (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Start in the book of Philippians.
• Worship with God’s people in a Bible-believing church (Hebrews 10:24-25) and
begin to serve God there (Ephesians 1) with other Christ followers.
• Tell someone else about Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:19).

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 REFERENCES
1 Lewis, C. S. (1952). Mere Christianity. New York: MacMillan Pub.

2 Equipping you to ACT [A primer in personal evangelism from EvanTell, Inc.]. (2009). Dallas. Retrieved from www.evantell.org

3 Miano, T. (n.d.). What is Evangelism? Retrieved from https://carm.org/what-is-evangelism

4 Equipping You to ACT [A primer in personal evangelism from EvanTell, Inc.]. (2009). Dallas. Retrieved from www.evantell.org

5 You Can Know God Personally section copyright © EvanTell, Inc. Used with permission.