II Kings 6:24-7:9
ICE BREAKER
Take some time as a group and share how you came to know Christ as your Savior. Who shared the gospel with you and how do you feel toward that person today?
When was the last time you sat face to face with someone and shared the gospel with them? What was their response? We can feel guilt with this type of question or see this as a prompting from the Spirit to take a step forward.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Group leaders: consider setting a consistent time during the group to pray for the lost people that are on your group members’ prayer list. Ask the group if they would be willing to do this as a group and invite them to assist you in shaping how you will do this on a consistent basis as a group.
- Next step: Begin to answer the first two questions: “Who do you know that is not saved, and, when will you talk to them?” Give opportunity(we want to avoid pressure and let the Spirit do His work) for group members to set times that each will meet with those people to share the gospel with them.
- No matter how you answer the following question:“How often do I pray for opportunities to share Christ with people?” …you can take a step. Consider praying together as a group and consider following up with one another to encourage one another to actively pray for opportunities to share Christ with those you know.
- Group leaders, consider practicing together as a group how to share the gospel if your group members need practice. See the notes below for details on the “411” approach to sharing the gospel.
NOTES AND QUOTES
In II KIngs 6:24 we see the king of Syria mustered his entire army to besiege Samaria. He has surrounded the city and cut off all supplies of water and food into the city.
A woman cries out to the king for help. This woman made a deal to eat her son and the next day eat the other woman’s son. This is shocking. Things are desperate. The king tore his clothes and then threatened to behead Elisha.
The king makes plans to kill Elisha. God tells Elisha about this plot so Elisha tells his servants to close the door and not let the king’s men in. Elisha tells the king this trouble has come on Samaria from the Lord. Elisha then says by this time tomorrow there will be enough food.
We can relate to this some because of the pandemic we are in. If someone told us that tomorrow the pandemic would be gone we would not believe them.
The next scene is the 4 lepers in chapter 7 who decide to go to the camp of the Syrians.
They are facing certain death so they are thinking clearly about their choices. One study said 75% of emotions at a funeral are guilt. Why? The answer in part is because we have clarity about the most important things in life when we are face to face with death.
The lepers come to the camp and the Syrians are gone. God caused the army to hear a sound like an army coming to invade them.
The lepers eat, bury some treasure they find and then they decide they need to let the king’s household know the good news. The lepers knew that to withhold good news from people who need it is a great dishonor to the Lord.
If I share the gospel what do I have to lose? What do I have to gain? You will gain a friend in Christ for eternity. The other person has all to gain. If they reject me because I shared, well, they would reject me eventually anyway because of who I am.
Why share the gospel? The answer is found in II Cor 5:17-21. Two main points: when we come to Christ we are a new creation–reconciliation. Now that we are reconciled we are ambassadors.
To prepare for sharing with someone begin by asking “Who?”. Imagine a circle on a piece of paper. In the circle put your name. Then think of people in my life that I know who do not know Christ as Savior. Draw a circle next to your name and write their name in it. Then begin praying for these people.
One way to share the gospel is to use “411”. 411 Stands for the following:
- 4 questions
- One hour
- One sheet of paper
Have a 15 second testimony ready to use. Have an opening phrase like,”There was a time in my life when I was….(then choose 2 words)…for example: sneaky and hypocritical. Then I choose to follow Jesus and I have received His forgiveness. Now I am embracing Jesus’ forgiveness and I am living(again, choose two words) free and honest.
Then ask this question: Do you have a story like this?
If they don’t have a story like this then draw 3 circles. In one circle put a broken line that symbolizes the brokenness in life. In another circle draw a “heart” which can be a symbol that represents good in the world.
Then draw a line from the good circle to the broken circle. Share that we have chosen what is wrong and we call this sin(drugs, pornography, affairs etc).
Then in the third circle mention that God loved us so much that he sent His son Jesus and Jesus died on the cross for the wrong we chose. If we ask Christ He will forgive us and wash us clean.
Then ask if the circles are clear or if they have questions.
Then ask them which story they live in–the story of brokenness or the story of beauty. Then ask them which story they would like to live in. Finally, ask them, “Is there anything that would prevent you from praying right now?”
There is an app that can assist with the 411 approach to sharing the gospel.
