Father, we’ve been commanded to go into the world &preach the gospel and
this morning as you continue to prepare us, may we be empowered &
equipped with the tools to reach out to your people.
A HEART FOR THE LOST
I hope and pray that it will challenge us all to be willing and actively
involved in reaching out to people who have no relationship with Christ
Condition when Jesus begun his ministry of the Gospel.
Jesus started his public ministry at the age of 30, after his baptism by John.
And there was no one to support him in His ministry. Jesus had no support
from his family, no support from the Jews, nor Jesus had any support from
the Roman government. Jesus had to literally start the ministry from
scratch, he was all alone.
Let us turn our attention to John 1 where Jesus started his public ministry.
1. Jesus is the primary focus in redeeming the lost. We point the
people to Jesus, not to ourselves..
John 1:29-31.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30. This is the
one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me
because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the
reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to
Israel.”
Evangelism is introducing Jesus to the public or crowd. Every one of us
gets a chance to testify about Jesus publicly, utilize it and show Jesus to
the world. When John the Baptist got the chance, he publicly
introduced Jesus. God has given us this chance to let people know
about him.
A HEART FOR THE LOST.
Do you have a heart for the lost?
He states his mission in Luke 19:10. “For the son of man came to
seek and save the lost” .Wow. What a mission.
1 Timothy 2:3-4. He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth.” As a believer, is it your desire to see all men be
saved?
It’s a privilege to carry the same burden that God has.
Evangelism. Is something that needs to happen everyday in all of our
lives and through the personal relationships we have with other people.
I normally tell my wife that our marriage is the gospel to our
neighbors. Your lifestyle is the gospel to those around you.
When people look at us they should see JESUS. And that’s one way the
gospel can be preached.
1 Thessa 2:8
Paul writes to the church at thessalonica and testifies to them that
they received the gospel through relating with them, it wasn't just
in words, it wasn’t just in giving a tract that someone handed them,
they received it through real life, flesh and blood relationships
with believers.
We loved (Agape love- selfless, unconditional) you so much that we
were not only delighted to share with you the gospel of God, but
our lives as well and this is how evangelism can be implemented
today.
And the goodnews about evangelicalism is this….Anyone can do it.
It’s not for just a few selected people. You don’t have to first attend
a class, or pass a test or go to Bible college,
You just have to be willing in sharing the good news.
In the Trinity school, we had a QTN about what conditions does God
require to anoint someone.
And we learnt that God is willing to anoint anyone who is willing to
open their mouth and share the gospel, speak his word. Sometimes
we pray for anointing, not knowing that there is a price to it, Its when
you start. God anoints you on the JOB..
We have to care about the lost people.
Take time to share our lives with them. We loved you so much that
we cared to share not just the gospel, but our lives too. And so the qtn
to us all is do we care about the lost people? Do we share the same
burden that God has?
QUESTIONS ASKED BY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
Why does God care so much about people who don’t care about
him?
Why is God’s heart so open to people whose hearts are so far away?
Even today I believe people in the world wonder why believers are
always on the streets passionately sharing the good news
Even during Jesus time we see how people criticized how Jesus
related with the lost people. He spent time with tax collectors,
sinners..showing them love and acceptance. He was focused on his
mission.
These people had questions of why Jesus cared about people they
didn’t care about. It really disturbed them..
And this month we are delighted to be part of this mission.
His last command to his disciples was the Great commision. But to
some it is the great omision.
Matthew 28:19-20. “Go therefore and make disciples. So there is a
call to action. We are being sent to go this month.
when you start. God anoints you on the JOB..
We have to care about the lost people.
Take time to share our lives with them. We loved you so much that
we cared to share not just the gospel, but our lives too. And so the qtn
to us all is do we care about the lost people? Do we share the same
burden that God has?
The Grow Cronym in DISCIPLESHIP. After weve preached &
people have accepted christ.
G- Go to church. Church is a place for growth, connect with believers,
support& encouragement. Church provides space for new believers to ask
questions and be secure. So that the enemy does not snatch them away.
In the animal world, the Lion is a strong animal and it will take
advantage of any animal that is isolated from the rest, it targets that one
esp. If its old in age, has an injury or is just weak.
So likewise these believers are not yet strong and the enemy always
desires to have them back.
R- Read your Bible. The Bible is God’s manual. They need to
understand God& know how to live a pleasing life to God.
O- Obey Gods word. We need to encourage them to live by Gods
word. It helps them to draw closer to God-John 14:15. If you love me,
keep my commandments.
W- Witness- Sharing your personal experiences with others. Its not
just speaking but also living a life that honors God.
