The Big Why and the Powerful Who
Talking Jesus: The Big Why and the Powerful Who
Matthew 28, Acts 2
June 8th, 2025
Wins fuel wins!
Everyday Evangelists leverage everyday opportunities to engage in spiritual conversations. Over time, conversational wins lead to conversion wins.
Your perception of sin will impact your practice of evangelism.
The Big Why of evangelism is the damning impact of sin.
The Powerful Who of evangelism is the Holy Spirit.
Everyday Evangelism is critical because the life and death consequences of sin are real.
Jesus does make your life better but only if you leave a life outside of Jesus.
Sin is “missing of the mark”
1 John 3:4-5 (NIV) 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
Sin is universal.
Romans 3:23-24 (NIV) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Sin is damning.
Romans 6:22-23 (NIV) 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin is separating.
Colossians 1:21-23 (NIV) 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.
Sin is real but it doesn’t have the final word, Jesus’s death and resurrection does! Everyday Evangelism isn’t fueled by the desire to look down self-righteous noses at people’s sin. It is fueled by the knowledge that sin kills people from the inside out and Jesus is their only hope for life. When one surrenders their life to Jesus their inside changes in that moment and their outside changes over time.
John 12:23-24 (NIV)
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
The Holy Spirit brings a harvest from the single seed of Jesus’ death and the Holy Spirit is still the power for the harvest today.
John 16:5-11 (AMP) 5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [and taken complete possession of them]. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world about [the guilt of] sin [and the need for a Savior], and about righteousness, and about judgment: 9 about sin [and the true nature of it], because they do not believe in Me [and My message]; 10 about righteousness [personal integrity and godly character], because I am going to My Father and you will no longer see Me; 11 about judgment [the certainty of it], because the ruler of this world (Satan) has been judged and condemned.
The Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin is sobering and liberating.
The Holy Spirit goal isn’t to make someone feel guilty. The end game of guilt to put someone in their place. The Holy Spirit’s goal is conviction. The end game of conviction is to give someone a new place.
Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV) 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Acts 1:4-9 (NIV)
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized [completely immersed] with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Acts 2:37-41 (NIV) 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart [conviction] and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Peter’s first instructions…
Repent – sin is only removed with ownership and repentance (turning away).
Be baptized – identify with Jesus by immersion in water.
Then this same power from this same person – the Holy Spirit.
1. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and leads us to Jesus our Savior.
2. The Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Jesus.
3. The Holy Spirit empowers us for witness.
With salvation, Jesus doesn’t change everyone’s place but He does change everyone’s purpose. Embracing everyday evangelism is part and parcel of being an everyday disciple.
The BIG WHY = Sin is real.
The BIG WHO = The Holy Spirit is powerful.