Why We Use the Chronological Method of Teaching the Gospel.
Our goal is to provide tools for individuals, churches and mission groups to clearly communicate the life-changing message of the Gospel at home and around the world.
What is the Gospel message? Simply, it can be found in these Scriptures from God’s Word, the Holy Bible: John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Ephesians 2:8-9. However, when understanding the Gospel, it is important that we know these foundational truths:
Who God is.
What God thinks of us, His creation.
What God sees as our greatest need.
How our greatest need was met.
The answers to these questions can be found in God’s Word. The teaching in our products reveals the answers to these questions by starting with Who God is in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, and then chronologically go through portions of the Old and New Testaments. Through this teaching, we will be laying a clear foundation for understanding the Gospel message.
Sharing our testimony is a great way to introduce a discussion about the Gospel; however, I encourage you to include the foundational truths listed above, explaining them thoroughly, without assuming they understand more than they do. I have found that people will tell me if they already understand something I am explaining, so I then move on to the next foundational truth.
Following are just some of the reasons why we believe that, though the Gospel message is not complicated, it isn’t always easily understood by everyone. We are looking for people to help us get this message out to those who have never heard the Gospel and to those who need the extra teaching we provide.
- LOOKING FOR A WAY TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL WITHOUT CONFUSION
- WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT SIN?
- TEACHING THE GOSPEL USING THE CHRONOLOGICAL METHOD WORKS!
- WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS THAT SHOW THERE IS CONFUSION ABOUT GOD AND HIS GOSPEL MESSAGE?
I WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL WITHOUT CONFUSION
From my mid-teens, I have had a desire to see people saved. As I came into my early twenties, this desire became a passion. At this time, I became involved in teaching Bible lessons once a week to elementary students at the public schools. I also taught Bible lessons in Sunday School, Children’s Church, girls clubs and Awana. Through these experiences, as well as, family and life experiences, I realized that there were times my typical way of explaining the Gospel message created confusing messages or images, especially with children. I’m sure many of you have experienced a time where a child has thought that asking Jesus in their heart meant that Jesus is actually living in their heart, the organ that pumps blood through their body.
A father once shared how his preschooler had asked, during their morning devotions, “If God is so great, why is He so small?” The father was surprised at this question, since he had been talking about God and how great and powerful He is. So the father asked his daughter, “What makes you think God is small?” She replied, “He would have to be small to live in my heart.”
We even experienced this in our own family. Our son, who was six years old, had heard the Gospel explained to him in Sunday School, Children’s Church and at home, many times. We wondered why he never showed an interest in accepting Jesus as his Savior, even though he was very excited for his sister when she did. One day, when we came in to pray with our son at bedtime, he looked very sad. We asked him what was wrong and he broke down crying. Sniffling, as he composed himself, he said he was going to miss us, but he just had to do this; he couldn’t put it off any longer. He hugged us and said, “I am going to accept Jesus as my Savior, but I am going to miss you when I go to Heaven!” He then broke down again. Of course, we explained to him that he wasn’t going to go to Heaven at the moment he became saved. He broke into a teary smile, calmed down and proceeded to thank God for his salvation. As you can imagine, we had to wonder where we had gone wrong in our teaching. It didn’t matter that others in the family hadn’t died immediately and gone to Heaven; in his mind, when he heard that people go to Heaven when they are saved, he took it literally.
With these and many more like-instances, I set out to develop a Gospel presentation that would be complete enough not to confuse children or adults. Knowing everyone has very busy lifestyles, I have tried to make these materials easy to prepare and share; keeping the lessons simple, yet thorough. I have taken into consideration that not all people know what I call, “Christianize”, words and phrases known to people regularly attending church. Children love pictures and are very interested in stories; by incorporating both in our Making Truth Clear products, we have seen how children have learned the stories so well they can “story” the Gospel message using the pictures.
See ideas for using the gospel flipcharts here.
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT SIN?
People around the world have different ideas of what is right and what is wrong. Some people believe there is no right or wrong; other than the laws of the land, life’s choices are personal, answering to no one else.
Many times, when my husband and I spoke to groups of children, in order to explain sin, we would ask if anyone has ever, lied, cheated, disobeyed their parents, fought with their brothers or sisters, stole something, etc. Often there would be at least one child who said, “Not me. I don’t do any of those things.” For that child, it would appear there would be no need for a Savior. You cannot say, “You just lied, so, therefore, you are a sinner!” So we felt the need to change our approach.
When sharing the Gospel, beginning with God, our Creator – Who He is and what He thinks of us, His creation, and what He expects of us – sin is a major part of the message. If there is no sin, there is no need for a Savior. We realized that we had been giving a list of what sinners do; but they needed to know, through use of the Scriptures, how and when they became a sinner in the first place. Then, we can proceed to talk to them about the need for a Savior.
In one of the countries we ministered in, the people’s idea of sin was based on whether or not you got caught. If you didn’t get caught at doing something — something, they knew would be considered wrong — there was no guilt. They felt they could trick their god’s, so no guilt there either — one more reason for taking time to lay a biblical foundation for the Gospel, starting with God, and His creation.
Taking people through the Scriptures that confirm all the biblical truths you share with them, takes time; but you will find it to be well worth your time spent! Knowing how important it is to use Scriptures when presenting the gospel, we have included Scriptures to confirm all the biblical truths we have included in the flip chart Bible lessons and the graphic novels. See examples of Scripture references for each lesson in the graphic novel here.
TEACHING THE GOSPEL USING THE CHRONOLOGICAL METHOD WORKS!
One day as I was riding to a meeting with a friend, she shared how she and her husband had a young neighbor couple who had gone to church all their lives, but still had questions about salvation. They had spent several weeks meeting one-on-one with them; however, the couple was still confused about why they were considered sinners, if they were such good people and had attended church all their lives. My friend didn’t know what more to say to them. Since the young couple had a biblical background, it took 20 minutes to outline what truths could be included for them to understand their condition before God and their need for a Savior. My friend could not believe it was so simple, when explained that way. She took notes and the next time they met with the couple, she worked through the outline. The couple acknowledged their sin and accepted the Lord as their Savior. The truths in this outline, and the Scriptures that support them, are what the teaching in the Making Truth Clear products are based on.
When teaching through this chronological outline at conferences of mostly church and ministry volunteers, they were excited to get this simple way of making the Gospel message clear. Even seminary graduates said they had never heard the Gospel made so clear, yet so simple. Often I heard it said that the Gospel presentation was like “connecting the dots” of all the Bible stories we have heard over the years, making a solid foundation for understanding the Gospel message. Some leaders said they had shied away from trying to lead someone to Christ, especially children, because they didn’t know how to explain it clearly. Now, with our suggestions and the help of the Holy Spirit, many shared how they felt more prepared and even eager to share the Gospel with others.
Lacking confidence for explaining the gospel was evident when we were speaking at a church where children had raised their hands after the Bible lesson, wanting to know more about being saved. The leaders said, “I don’t know what to say to them; will you please take them.” After that, we started giving sessions on “How to Lead a Child to Christ” at our conferences. Sessions were well attended and we started getting great reports from children’s ministry leaders that hundreds of children were being saved.
Our Making Truth Clear products have these outlined, foundational truths incorporated into the stories and teaching, which helps you explain the Gospel clearly!
WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS THAT SHOW THERE IS CONFUSION ABOUT GOD AND HIS GOSPEL MESSAGE?
- A person “goes forward” or makes repeated requests for their salvation. This can especially happen with children.
- God is good and loving; He would never keep anyone out of Heaven, no matter what kind of life they have led.
- I am a good person and that’s all that matters to God.
- I have done too many bad things in my life, God could never forgive me.
- I have tried, but I can’t give up my bad habits; God will never accept me, even if I do believe Jesus died for my sins.
- I said a prayer and that made me a Christian.
- With people with an animistic worldview: some believe in God and may even believe in Jesus; however, when troubles come,
they revert back to their fears and rituals, trusting them to keep them safe.
Our hope and desire is that those who utilize the Making Truth Clear flipcharts and graphic novels will be blessed on their journey of reaching those in need of a Savior!