How many of you, would really like to help lead more people to Christ?
Wouldn’t you love to help more people come to know Jesus Christ
-as the Savior - & gain eternal life?
-& join in on all the blessings that come with being a child of God?
That’s the best thing you can do with/for someone else! Lead them to Christ!
You know the reality of life - is that we all die
-& what happens after this life hinges entirely on a person’s faith
-or lack of faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior
-for our sin, we all naturally deserve God’s punishment - Hell
-& a few weeks ago, we talked about the reality of Hell
-& how important it is to do all that we can to avoid having to go there
-the good news, is there’s a way out - a way to be saved from Hell
-Jesus died in our place on the cross
-that’s God’s most wonderful, loving gift to all mankind
-but it’s up to each of us to accept & receive that gift - simply through faith
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s gift of salvation & eternal life through Jesus is open to all who will accept
Hopefully, all of you have accepted & believe in Jesus to be your Savior
-if you haven’t, now’s the time to do that - time is running out!
-& if you have, than your greatest task in life, is to explain this to others
-to be a witness - exclaiming to the world what you’ve found in Christ
“Hey, Jesus Christ has made such a blessed change in my life!
“He’s given me eternal life
-that I know because of His death & resurrection
“You too, can & should believe in Jesus as your Savior!”
-that’s what we need to be telling the world
A few weeks ago, we talked about Hell in one of these morning messages
And, we talked about love, in another message
To talk about & consider Hell, that’s actually really a loving thing to do
-as it’s important & it’s loving, to warn people of its reality
-God requires justice - but He loves us so much that He did what it took
-so we can be saved
-He had His Son die on the cross for us
Now, with all that as background - you understand, the stakes are really high here
Heaven verses Hell is at stake for every individual whose heart still beats
-one of the very best things that we can ever do in life
-is to help someone know that, & accept it, & believe it, & be saved
Wouldn’t that be great to be able to do that more regularly?
-like, maybe, even every day - lead someone to Christ!
-that would be so good
-however, the reality is, most of us rarely seem to get a chance to do it
How many of you can hardly remember the last time
-you were able to seriously explain the gospel
-to someone who was interested?
-much less, actually pray with someone, as they trusted in Christ?
When is the last time you did that?
-months go by, even years & we haven’t really led anyone to Christ
-or even, shared the gospel
I think we’d all like to do it more often
-we’d like it, if there were more people who were interested & open
-to hearing the gospel & believing
-& we’d be real happy to explain it & encourage them to believe it
So, what can we do - we’d like to help people know Christ & gain eternity
-& in a big way - it’s God’s mission for us
We say the purpose of our church is:
PURPOSE: To become disciples & to make disciples of Jesus Christ, by reaching the lost, by building up the believers & by equipping the workers to serve Christ
It’s this reaching the lost that we want to focus on
-the building up of the believers & the equipping of the workers
-is just as important
-it’s all equally important
-in fact, as we recently emphasized during our teen mission week
Operation Community Service
-you can’t have one without the other
-in order to witness to the lost, you need to be growing
-but also, in order to grow, you need to be witnessing
-however, I find the reaching the lost - to be something that can easily slip &
-& slide without us knowing it
-like, going to the dentist - “Oh, man, has it really been so many years?
“Oh, I suppose I should make an appointment!
-but, 5 more years go by
& you don’t make that appointment to see the dentist
-I don’t know about you - but it helps me to consider this all-important mission
-that God calls us to - the most important job that we need to be working
-to reach the lost
-& it’s really something we should want to do!
So, what can we say this a.m. in this short message about reaching the lost?
Well, let’s look at a familiar passage - Mark 2
Mark 2:1-12
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
Like with everything Jesus did, there are a lot of great lessons for us,
-but as I read this again recently,
-I was impressed with the work of these 4 men who helped their friend
Now, none of these men, very likely, had in mind the gospel
-in other words, they didn’t take him there to have his sins forgiven
-but to see if Jesus could heal him
-& from what they had heard & knew - Jesus could heal him
-however, there was a big problem - the crowd was too big
-people were already packed in the house & even surrounding the house
-it was packed
-even someone who could walk & push & squeeze in-between
-wouldn’t be able to get through any more
-much less a guy who couldn’t walk
& had to be carried by 4 on a stretcher
-there was no hope for this guy
-I would have given up & taken him home as soon as I saw the crowd
“Why bother! Let’s go home!”
-however, these friends were determined - & they went to great extremes
-to get him to Jesus
-that’s a wild thing to do - cut a hole in the roof & lower him down!
-that’s crazy!!!
-I’m surprised someone didn’t call the police!
-or at least, go up there & stop them before they were done
-but this teaches us an important lesson in bringing people to Jesus
*Often, we need to care for physical needs of people
-on the way to bringing them to Christ
-& as we covered a few weeks back - that’s what love is
-love is sacrificing to meet the needs of people
-the greatest need people have is to know Christ & be saved eternally
-but, that’s not often people’s immediate need
-& it’s their immediate need, that they see as their greatest need
-their immediate need - food, shelter, health, comfort, help - friendship
-finances, broken relationship, an addiction
-that’s their immediate need - & that’s what they see as their biggest need
-love, calls us to help in any way we can with those needs
-to help our neighbors - those on our path in life
-like the Samaritan helping the man who had been jumped
Now, in the past, in considering reaching the lost, -we’ve talked about the CPR - of reaching the lost:
Cultivating
Planting
Reaping
-it has to do with thinking of reaching the lost as a harvest - a harvest of souls
When Jesus finished speaking to a Samaritan woman once at a well,
-you sense, Jesus was, (to borrow a not so good colloquialism - but it fits)
-you sense, Jesus was “on a high” after sharing the gospel
-He wasn’t even hungry anymore, though He started out that way
-knowing that it was going to impact a whole community, He said:
John 4:34-38
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
Witnessing & bringing people to the Lord is likened to a farmer’s harvest,
-it involves:
Cultivating
Planting
Reaping
#7 -where cultivating is establishing/building bridges of friendship
-establishing relationships with people
-we get to know them & they get to know us
-& along the way, we’ll have opportunity to show love in times of need
-these 4 men, carrying the man who was paralyzed
-must have had a caring relationship - probably a friendship with the man
-enough to care about him & care for him
-& seek to take him to Jesus - & not easily take “No” for an answer
-here’s an important part of witnessing that we sometimes overlook:
Cultivation
-getting to know people & showing your love for them
-meeting their needs during times of need
-it’s a powerful way to open a person’s heart
People’s hearts are for the most part closed to the gospel
-wouldn’t you agree?
Are most of the people you know, out in the community, waiting in line
-to pray to receive Christ? Unfortunately, NO!
Why do we have so little opportunity to share the gospel?
-people aren’t interested!
-they have hard, dry ground that isn’t ready to receive seeds to be planted
-so, there has to be cultivation - friendships - demonstrations of love
-by we, who care enough to help
-by we, who’ve been loved by God so much
-that we should want to love others
Realize, the full importance of the cultivation aspect in this whole process
-all the things we need to be doing from day to day in helping people
-showing our love to people
-being in contact with people
-& sooner more than later - troubles come up in life & people need help
-love - offers help
-has God loved you?
-can you love your neighbor? - the people God brings onto your path in life?
-as you share God’s love - by helping people with their needs
-that works to soften up the soil, the heart & soul of a person
Now, we need to be careful not to stop with just the cultivation process
It would be really stupid for a farmer
-to spend all that time, money, & effort, plowing, & cultivating a field
-& then not planting seeds
-I think today, they use a lot of fertilizer to prepare the soil for planting
-but the same thing applies - there’s a lot of effort & money put into fertilizer
-would a farmer put all that on a field & then not plant it?
Same with the gospel & reaching the lost
-we put a lot of time, effort & expense, into loving people
-that’s what love is - it’s sacrificial giving - it cost a lot!
-that’s love
-now, should we just stop with the cultivation of a soul?
-should we prepare the soul for planting - but stop short of planting seeds?
-that’s foolish!
-we need to carefully/prayerfully, look for every open door the Lord gives us
-to plant seeds of spiritual truth
-to bring up spiritual things - “God talk” - biblical truth
#8 -this is the planting of seeds - God’s Word,
-not necessarily, just quoting Bible passages - though that’s great if it fits
-but let’s say, bits of truth that have to do with God & the gospel
-from introducing a biblical view for the world
-to sharing specific Bible doctrines that are needed to know God
-about sin, judgment, salvation, faith & eternity
-we can talk about or mention creation,
-about God’s power & glory
-we can thank & praise God while we’re with people!
-we can pray for & with people in their needs - looking to God for help
-as we offer the human help that we can give
-we need to introduce & communicate spiritual/biblical truth
-into our relationships with the lost
Now, I say, with the lost
-but here’s something to consider as well
-we need to be regularly communicating spiritual truth
-with our believer friends as well
-because, if we aren’t in the habit of talking to our Christian brothers/sisters
-about the Lord
-we’re not likely to be good at talking to our non-Christian friends
-about the Lord
-whereas, when we’re use to talking to believers about the Lord
-we’re much more likely to be comfortable & able with non-believers
Cultivate & plant - with introducing God into our relationships
-& at some point, press for a commitment
-look at Jesus
-the guys brought the paralyzed man to get healed
-helped with that terrible problem of being paralyzed
-did Jesus help him? Yes
-but notice He didn’t stop with the physical need
-in fact, He didn’t even start with it
v.5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
That was a blunt approach - & I can’t see that being appropriate for us
-in dealing with people’s needs as we seek to lovingly help them
-but Jesus was just such a perfect communicator
-He conducted the perfect symphony to His audience
-going on to read the rest of the story
-Jesus didn’t just heal this man - which was to catch everyone’s attention
-He also, even more importantly, communicated things that were
-more important the physical need - spiritual truth - God knowledge
#9
-He was God - He had the ability to forgive sins!
-the need for forgiveness of sins is our greatest need
-even for a man paralyzed
-that was communicated & demonstrated & confirmed
-when Jesus did heal him
-Jesus planted some real seeds & I suspect some souls were reached
-for eternity that day
-which brings us to our need to Reap the harvest
#10 -Reaping, is asking people to for a commitment
-& in a sense, helping them step into an eternal relationship with God
-through accepting Jesus as the Savior
-you’re helping to take them from the field of the world
-into the barn (really the palace) of heaven
That’s all necessary for a farmer who wants to have successful crops - a harvest
-the farmer’s got to prepare the soil somehow to receive the seeds
-which are planted at the right time, to the right depth
-& then, when it’s the season - there’s the harvest of the crops
The same thing is generally true of witnessing
-the heart needs to be prepared - relationships & acts of love are important
-we need to talk about God & the things of God
-& we need to encourage a commitment
-that’s our part & God is at work from His end
-working in the depth of people’s souls
-drawing people
-the Holy Spirit is convicting people
-& of course, it’s God who really does the saving!
Jesus said, there’s someone who plants, & there’s someone who reaps
-& actually, the planter has the hard job - according to Jesus
John 4:37--38
Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
It’s hard, because, maybe the planter of the seeds, doesn’t see the final product
-& it takes a lot of effort, time, cost, to love people
-& that can be true of us in witnessing
-we’re discouraged, because we haven’t led someone to Christ in a long time
-that should get us to think about how important it is for us to be involved
-in people’s lives - doing the hard work of loving them
-cultivating souls & planting seeds of God’s Word
Don’t you think people should really want Jesus?
e.g. I feel sorry for salesmen who have a product that’s just not that desirable
-I remember, I think it was about 15 years ago,
-someone was getting into selling payphones
-I was thinking, “That’s not a good business to get into!”
-but, at about that same time, the cell phone business
-that would have been good to get into that!
-now days, some people don’t even know what a payphone is
-well, with sharing the gospel - what we’re doing is offering people Jesus
-we’re not selling anything - He’s free!
-& what a product!
-back in Capernaum - so many people came to Jesus
-there was standing room only
-in fact, even outside people were standing & crowding the building
-trying to get close
-people should really want Jesus today as well
-Jesus is the same today! - We offer the same Jesus to the world
-the same Jesus that people couldn’t get enough of!
Let’s have confidence in what we have to offer the world
-let’s carry on - making relationships where we can
-loving people where we can - & making the sacrifices to do so
-let’s be alert to the opportunities to share spiritual truth & plant seeds
-& when it seems like the right time - let’s ask for a commitment
-a commitment that will result in a life being saved from hell
-while at the same time, wonderfully blessed in heaven for eternity!
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