I’m going to go ahead and say it before you do. “Baptist preachers like Chicken!” I thought about that this week as I was preparing my sermon for Sunday. As a child growing up, for special occasions my mother and Grandmother would always want to go out and eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. Strange, I never figured out that God was going to call me into the ministry after eating all that chicken. I guess God has a sense of humor.
Whenever you sitting around eating a bucket of KFC, you know what somebody is wondering; “What are those 11 herbs and spices that make this chicken so good?”
Since I’m talking about food and making you hungry, let me go on a little longer. What about the world famous Big Mac? What makes it sooo good? The special sauce, right? Can you sing the Big Mac song?
KFC has their secret 11 herbs and spices, McDonalds has their special sauce and you know what? It seems that some Christians have a special ingredient in their lives that make them stand out in a crowd and work a little harder for Jesus than others. Have you ever wondered why some believers seem to be used more by God than others?
Is it that they are more talented? Are they more favored? What is it? I believe it can be summed up in one word. I believe the secret ingredient in some Christians is “PASSION!”
Passion is the Difference Maker!….And I believe it is two-fold: 1) Passion for God and 2) a Passion for the Unsaved!
If we are going to be used by God…
I) We Must Possess a Passion for God.
When you study the early church in the book of Acts you will be convicted and challenged as you learn of their great passion for God.
After the birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost, the Apostles became very visible in the streets preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Acts 3, they preached the Gospel and were persecuted by the Religious leaders. The Religious elite threatened the Apostles and commanded them to not preach in the Name of Jesus anymore in Jerusalem.
That’s very important for us to understand. I fear that many Christians today would bow their head and walk away quietly if they were told they could not tell others about Jesus in the community. Think about it. Often, in large gatherings, Christians are asked not to pray in Jesus name because it may offend someone of another religion.
But the disciples didn’t quit. In Acts ch. 5, the Apostles are back on the streets preaching about Jesus. Even after the Religious leaders threw them into prison, they went right back to the Temple and started preaching again. When questioned as to why, they said, “We ought to obey God rather than men."
God was first on their heart and in their life! And that passion for God lead them to have a passion for the unsaved!
II) We Must Possess a Passion for the Unsaved.
Census experts tell us that there are now over 6 billion people on Planet Earth. 1/3 of them claim to be Christian. And I dare say that is a liberal number. But even if we give them the benefit of a doubt, that still means that 4 billion people on planet Earth are lost! Without Christ and will spend a Christ-less eternity.
According to the statistics, every second, three people die. If they die without Jesus, they will spend a Christ-list Eternity. That is Hell. Friends, it was for the Lost that Christ came to this world! Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The Good Shepherd is out on a search for His lost sheep.
But He does not work alone, He has called US! Those of us who have already called on Him, He has called us to go in His name and share His message of Salvation. This is the Mission He has called us to dedicate our Lives too! This is Living Life on Mission. This is being a Life Transformer!
And without a Passion for the Lost that fuels us past the frustrations, discouragements, heartaches and heartbreaks, We Will Fail!
C. H. Spurgeon said; “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
May we have a Passion for God and a Passion for the Unsaved so that God can use us to make an eternal difference in the lives around us.
Amen.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Life Transformers
;">The following is an excerpt from a sermon Series I began today at Cool Springs Church. Join me the next four weeks for this exciting Sermon Series entitled: “Life Transformers.” You can also listen to the sermon by clicking on the link to the right.
Introduction:
Let me ask you a question. What do you believe is God’s ultimate desire, His ultimate plan for your life? Do you believe God’s ultimate plan and desire for you is for you to be wealthy? Healthy? Prosperous? A person of influence? Some people measure their value by their titles or their net worth. So, what do you believe is God’s ultimate desire for your life?
Friend, I can tell you according to the Word of God, His grand desire for you is that you be transformed! My friend, God wants you and I to be transformed into the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:18: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. NKJV
This is why the Lord Jesus came from heaven, died on the cross, was buried and arose three days later. Jesus is all about Life Transformation.
Everyone that ever came into contact with the Lord Jesus who was open to Him, their life was transformed. The blind saw, the deaf heard, the mute spoke, sinners were forgiven. Jesus is all about Life Transformation!
After His resurrection from the dead, the Lord Jesus gave this wonderful responsibility to the Church in a passage called the Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." NKJV
This command so impacted the members of the first church that they went to Jerusalem, locked themselves in an upper room and began a 10 day prayer meeting. They knew that if God didn’t go with them, they would fail! They needed the power of God to empower them to be Life Transformers!
I. Who are Life Transformers?
Some churches believe that the pastor should do the ministry and the congregation should be feed and cared for. If that church is too large for the pastor to do the work alone, they hire staff to help do the work of the ministry. Friends, that is not a Biblical Church!
According Ephesians 4, the Church Leadership is to Lead, Feed and Equip the congregation to do ministry! Every Christian is expected by God to do ministry, to help transform the lives of men, women, boys and girls for Jesus.
God did not call a select few to serve and others to relax. God has called every born again believer to use the gifts and talents that He has given to them to serve in the ministry of His Kingdom!
So, who are the Life-Transformers?
a. Every Christ-Follower is to be a Life Transformer!
When you read Acts 1:12-16, you will see the names of the Apostles recorded, but not just their names. You will also find that in the upper room was women, the Mother of the Lord Jesus and His brothers. In total, there was 120 believers in the upper room all seeking God to help them transform the lives of others.
II. What do Life Transformers do?
a. They Proclaim the Gospel!
As the disciples were praying in the upper room, God baptized the church with His Holy Spirit. We call this the Birth of the Church.
The great event of Acts ch. 2 was not the Gift of Tongues, although it gets much of the attention. The great event of Acts ch. 2 was that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached to everyone within listening distance. Barriers were broken that day. Social, economic and the language barriers were all broken.
In the crowd were the rich, the poor, the educated, the uneducated, the young, the old, the married and the single. Even those from other countries who spoke other languages and yet each of them heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached!
Read the report of the crowd.
Acts 2:11-12: …we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" NKJV
i) What is the Gospel?
The Gospel of the Good News of Jesus Christ! The Gospel is the message of how God so loved this world that He sent His only begotten Son. That Jesus left the glory of the Father, came down to this earth, was born of a virgin, lived 33 years of sinless life, died on the cross to pay for our sin debt, was buried and three days later arose from the dead. The Gospel is that you are a sinner and without God, and yet, God offers to you forgiveness and grace if you will receive Him through His Son the Lord Jesus.
This is what we do as Life Transformers, we share the Good News of Jesus with people!
III. Where do Life Transformers go?
a. To where the People Are!!!
Now remember where the disciples had gone at the beginning of the book of Acts, they had gone into an upper room for prayer. But when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they couldn’t stay in that room. God wanted them to preach the life-transforming Gospel and the people were not in the four walls of the upper room, NO! the people were out on the streets. So, where did Peter Go??? To the Streets!!!
Acts 2:14: But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. NKJV
Where was Peter, surely he was in the street were the people were.
IV. How Do Life Transformers Live?
a. They live with their priorities in order!
In Acts 4: 31-35 we read of how the members of the first church sold their possessions, brought their money to the apostles and divided out their resources to those in need. Why did they do that? Because the members of the early church were not caught up in materialism. They knew that life is temporary and that souls hang in the balance. They had eternity on their mind, not the things of this world.
Friend, let me ask you; “Do you know that life is temporary?”
An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone over a hundred years old that says,
Pause, Stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, So prepare for death and follow me.
An unknown passerby read those words and scratched his reply below: "To follow you I’m not content, Until I know which way you went."
One final question…
V. Are Life Transformers Effective?
Are they effective? They were in Acts chapter 2. In verses 37-41, we read of how Peter stood and preached the Gospel to the crowd. They were so pricked in their heart that they asked what they must do. That day, Peter lead about three thousand people to faith in Christ.
And I can say, that they were when I was a little boy. I heard the Gospel of Jesus and at fourteen years of age, I walked the isle of a one-room church, repented of my sin and was saved by the power of Jesus Christ. Since that day, God has been working to transform me into the image of His Son.
How about you my friend? Are you a Christian? Are you saved? If so, praise the Lord. Now, are you working for Jesus? Are you working to transform other lives? You should be.
How about you my friend? Are you not a Christian? You can be. Jesus died so that you would be. If you will come today and repent, turn away from your sin and open your heart to Jesus. He will forgive you and save you today.
Introduction:
Let me ask you a question. What do you believe is God’s ultimate desire, His ultimate plan for your life? Do you believe God’s ultimate plan and desire for you is for you to be wealthy? Healthy? Prosperous? A person of influence? Some people measure their value by their titles or their net worth. So, what do you believe is God’s ultimate desire for your life?
Friend, I can tell you according to the Word of God, His grand desire for you is that you be transformed! My friend, God wants you and I to be transformed into the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:18: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. NKJV
This is why the Lord Jesus came from heaven, died on the cross, was buried and arose three days later. Jesus is all about Life Transformation.
Everyone that ever came into contact with the Lord Jesus who was open to Him, their life was transformed. The blind saw, the deaf heard, the mute spoke, sinners were forgiven. Jesus is all about Life Transformation!
After His resurrection from the dead, the Lord Jesus gave this wonderful responsibility to the Church in a passage called the Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." NKJV
This command so impacted the members of the first church that they went to Jerusalem, locked themselves in an upper room and began a 10 day prayer meeting. They knew that if God didn’t go with them, they would fail! They needed the power of God to empower them to be Life Transformers!
I. Who are Life Transformers?
Some churches believe that the pastor should do the ministry and the congregation should be feed and cared for. If that church is too large for the pastor to do the work alone, they hire staff to help do the work of the ministry. Friends, that is not a Biblical Church!
According Ephesians 4, the Church Leadership is to Lead, Feed and Equip the congregation to do ministry! Every Christian is expected by God to do ministry, to help transform the lives of men, women, boys and girls for Jesus.
God did not call a select few to serve and others to relax. God has called every born again believer to use the gifts and talents that He has given to them to serve in the ministry of His Kingdom!
So, who are the Life-Transformers?
a. Every Christ-Follower is to be a Life Transformer!
When you read Acts 1:12-16, you will see the names of the Apostles recorded, but not just their names. You will also find that in the upper room was women, the Mother of the Lord Jesus and His brothers. In total, there was 120 believers in the upper room all seeking God to help them transform the lives of others.
II. What do Life Transformers do?
a. They Proclaim the Gospel!
As the disciples were praying in the upper room, God baptized the church with His Holy Spirit. We call this the Birth of the Church.
The great event of Acts ch. 2 was not the Gift of Tongues, although it gets much of the attention. The great event of Acts ch. 2 was that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached to everyone within listening distance. Barriers were broken that day. Social, economic and the language barriers were all broken.
In the crowd were the rich, the poor, the educated, the uneducated, the young, the old, the married and the single. Even those from other countries who spoke other languages and yet each of them heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached!
Read the report of the crowd.
Acts 2:11-12: …we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" NKJV
i) What is the Gospel?
The Gospel of the Good News of Jesus Christ! The Gospel is the message of how God so loved this world that He sent His only begotten Son. That Jesus left the glory of the Father, came down to this earth, was born of a virgin, lived 33 years of sinless life, died on the cross to pay for our sin debt, was buried and three days later arose from the dead. The Gospel is that you are a sinner and without God, and yet, God offers to you forgiveness and grace if you will receive Him through His Son the Lord Jesus.
This is what we do as Life Transformers, we share the Good News of Jesus with people!
III. Where do Life Transformers go?
a. To where the People Are!!!
Now remember where the disciples had gone at the beginning of the book of Acts, they had gone into an upper room for prayer. But when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they couldn’t stay in that room. God wanted them to preach the life-transforming Gospel and the people were not in the four walls of the upper room, NO! the people were out on the streets. So, where did Peter Go??? To the Streets!!!
Acts 2:14: But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. NKJV
Where was Peter, surely he was in the street were the people were.
IV. How Do Life Transformers Live?
a. They live with their priorities in order!
In Acts 4: 31-35 we read of how the members of the first church sold their possessions, brought their money to the apostles and divided out their resources to those in need. Why did they do that? Because the members of the early church were not caught up in materialism. They knew that life is temporary and that souls hang in the balance. They had eternity on their mind, not the things of this world.
Friend, let me ask you; “Do you know that life is temporary?”
An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone over a hundred years old that says,
Pause, Stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, So prepare for death and follow me.
An unknown passerby read those words and scratched his reply below: "To follow you I’m not content, Until I know which way you went."
One final question…
V. Are Life Transformers Effective?
Are they effective? They were in Acts chapter 2. In verses 37-41, we read of how Peter stood and preached the Gospel to the crowd. They were so pricked in their heart that they asked what they must do. That day, Peter lead about three thousand people to faith in Christ.
And I can say, that they were when I was a little boy. I heard the Gospel of Jesus and at fourteen years of age, I walked the isle of a one-room church, repented of my sin and was saved by the power of Jesus Christ. Since that day, God has been working to transform me into the image of His Son.
How about you my friend? Are you a Christian? Are you saved? If so, praise the Lord. Now, are you working for Jesus? Are you working to transform other lives? You should be.
How about you my friend? Are you not a Christian? You can be. Jesus died so that you would be. If you will come today and repent, turn away from your sin and open your heart to Jesus. He will forgive you and save you today.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Passion for the Non-Christian
I'm back after a few days off following the General Baptist Mission and Ministry Summit. God moved in a mighty way upon the hearts of those in attendance. It was awesome to see believers energized about reaching those who are far from God with the greatest message the world has ever heard ...The Gospel!
Below is an excerpt out the sermon I preached at the Summit.
God Bless,
Chris
Simple Instructions for Multiplying Disciples:
Key passage: Matthew 28: 19-20
Simple Instruction #1: Evangelize: Go and make more of what you are! Take the Gospel message of Christ and lead those far from God, the Spiritually Lost into Salvation in Christ.
Go to the unbeliever and proclaim that God sent His Son, that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried and three days later arose from the grave! And don’t stop telling them after you reach one! Don’t stop after you get uncomfortable or when the Church is full, keep on telling them!
Evangelism is not an option…It is not simply a good idea or a suggestion. It is a Command! Our Lord, our Commander-and-chief, the Lord Jesus has entrusted to us the duty of populating Heaven!
It’s not complicated – Go make disciples, multiply disciples! It’s like the Nike Slogan; “Just Do It.”
Simple Instruction #2: Incorporating New Believers into the Local Family of God.
Baptizing them! What does it mean to baptize? Baptism is an outward expression of an inward confession! Through baptism a new believer confesses to the body of believers that their old man has died and they are new in Christ!
We bring them into the Family of God so they can declare; “I Am Changed!” In Christ there is Life-Change!
Simple Instruction #3: Mature them with Sound Biblical Teaching.
Jesus said to teach them all things! Teach them so they can become like Jesus!
The Word of God speaks to every issue of life and faith:
2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” NKJV
These instructions are simple. They are not complicated. In fact, for many, they may be too simple. These instructions are simple to understand, but not simple to accomplish!
Why? What is the reason it is so hard for us to make and multiply disciples for Christ? The reason? Because there is an adversary who does not want you to accomplish the mission that the Lord Jesus has given. John 10:10 says that this adversary has come to steal, kill and to destroy every soul he can.
He does not want you to be successful in Multiplying Disciples for Christ. He doesn’t want you to lead men, women, boys and girls to live and act just like Jesus.
He is constantly trying to lull us to sleep through discouragement, distraction and discontent so we don’t fulfill our mission. That adversary of course is the devil – Satan.
We must possess the right ingredient in order to be successful. An ingredient that will be a fuel to light a fire in us.
We must possess an ingredient that will give us the edge we need to fight against the forces of Hell with a determination that refuses to fail.
That ingredient is Passion….Passion for the non-believer! The type of passion Paul had when he said; “Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16)
Ability is not enough to enable us to reach our potential. Opportunity alone will never get us to the top. Knowledge is a great asset, but comes up short helping us “be all that we can be”. Even putting together a good team is not sufficient.
Passion is the Difference Maker!!!
I) We Must Possess a Passion for the Spiritually Lost
Census experts tell us that there are now over 6 billion people on Planet Earth. 1/3 of them claim to be Christian. And I dare say that is a liberal number. But even if we give them the benefit of a doubt, that still means that 4 billion people on planet Earth are spiritually lost! They are without Christ and will spend a Christ-less eternity if someone doesn't reach them with the Good News of Salvation.
Without a Passion for the Lost that fuels us past the frustrations, discouragements, heartaches and heartbreaks, We Will Fail!
Let me ask you a very pointed question…When was the last time you lost sleep over a person because you knew they did not know Jesus Christ as their Savior?
If you want to judge the passion that most Christians have for the lost, just attend the average Baptist prayer meeting. We spend the bulk of our time praying for the sick, not the unsaved. We don’t just pray for the sick, we pray for sick Saints! Now think about it. We spend more time praying to keep Saints out of Heaven, then Sinners out of Hell.
We need a Burning Passion for the non-believers!
A) A Passion for the non-Christian will change how we See People.
D.L. Moody was preaching in London. He was approached by a British companion who wanted to know the secret to his success in leading people to Christ. Moody directed the man to His hotel window and asked; “What do you see?” The man looked down on the square and said; “Crowded streets.” Moody said; “Look again!”
This time the man mentioned seeing people – men, women, boys and girls. Moody was still not impressed. He urged the man to look a third time. The man became frustrated because he could not figure out what Moody wanted him to see.
With tears in his eyes, the great evangelist walked to the window and said; “I see people going to Hell without Jesus and until you see people like that, YOU WILL NEVER, EVER LEAD THEM TO CHRIST!”
Friends, we don’t have time to waste. God has invited us to get involved in the work of building His Kingdom, one soul at a time and it will require a Burning Passion for the Lost in our heart!
Someone once said; “If we become keepers of the aquarium, instead of fishers of men, we might start to stink.”
B) A Passion for the non-Christian will Motivate us to Go Make Disciples.
Read again verse 19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”
The key word is “Go”! A passion for the lost will force us to action!
In Luke 14:23: the Lord Jesus said; “Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” NKJV
2 Peter 3:9: “ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” NKJV
In John 4, we find a Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. She, an outcast in her society for the embarrassing lifestyle she had lived – ran back into her city and cried; “Come see a Man who told me all things that I ever did, could this not be the Christ?”
When was the last time you saw someone with that kind of passion?
In Acts chapter 4, the passion for the lost motivated the disciples, even after being imprisoned, even after being threatened to continue to tell the unsaved about Jesus.
Illustration: A country church was holding a Revival. The services were packed each night, the preaching was soul-stirring and the choir was majestic. On the final night of Revival the choir seemed to sing with a fresh anointing of God’s presence. The choir finished out the service with the hymn; “Rescue the Perishing.” When the choir came to the final verse and sang:
Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.
The young man leaped to his feet. He was ready to tackle Hell with a spit-gun. After the service, he approached the evangelist and asked; “When do we go forth to rescue the perishing?” The preacher put his arm around the boy and said; “Son, that’s just a song.”
O’ may that not be just a song to you and me. May we not be that cold toward the Lost. May we be like the young man and Go Forth!
C) A passion for the non-Christian may cause us to change our Methodology.
The Message must never change, but methods can. There is no cookie cutter method of evangelism. The greatest tool of Evangelism is an excited Christian who is willing to do whatever it takes to win one more soul for Christ.
In reference to Methodologies, the Apostle Paul said; “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 NIV
The Mission is Simple – Multiply Disciples
The Instructions are Simple – Evangelize, Incorporate, Mature
But it is a Passion for the Lost that fuels us into action, Without it we will fail. I don’t want to fail and I don’t believe you do either.
C. H. Spurgeon said; “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
That is my prayer for us in Jesus Name, Amen!
Below is an excerpt out the sermon I preached at the Summit.
God Bless,
Chris
Simple Instructions for Multiplying Disciples:
Key passage: Matthew 28: 19-20
Simple Instruction #1: Evangelize: Go and make more of what you are! Take the Gospel message of Christ and lead those far from God, the Spiritually Lost into Salvation in Christ.
Go to the unbeliever and proclaim that God sent His Son, that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried and three days later arose from the grave! And don’t stop telling them after you reach one! Don’t stop after you get uncomfortable or when the Church is full, keep on telling them!
Evangelism is not an option…It is not simply a good idea or a suggestion. It is a Command! Our Lord, our Commander-and-chief, the Lord Jesus has entrusted to us the duty of populating Heaven!
It’s not complicated – Go make disciples, multiply disciples! It’s like the Nike Slogan; “Just Do It.”
Simple Instruction #2: Incorporating New Believers into the Local Family of God.
Baptizing them! What does it mean to baptize? Baptism is an outward expression of an inward confession! Through baptism a new believer confesses to the body of believers that their old man has died and they are new in Christ!
We bring them into the Family of God so they can declare; “I Am Changed!” In Christ there is Life-Change!
Simple Instruction #3: Mature them with Sound Biblical Teaching.
Jesus said to teach them all things! Teach them so they can become like Jesus!
The Word of God speaks to every issue of life and faith:
2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” NKJV
These instructions are simple. They are not complicated. In fact, for many, they may be too simple. These instructions are simple to understand, but not simple to accomplish!
Why? What is the reason it is so hard for us to make and multiply disciples for Christ? The reason? Because there is an adversary who does not want you to accomplish the mission that the Lord Jesus has given. John 10:10 says that this adversary has come to steal, kill and to destroy every soul he can.
He does not want you to be successful in Multiplying Disciples for Christ. He doesn’t want you to lead men, women, boys and girls to live and act just like Jesus.
He is constantly trying to lull us to sleep through discouragement, distraction and discontent so we don’t fulfill our mission. That adversary of course is the devil – Satan.
We must possess the right ingredient in order to be successful. An ingredient that will be a fuel to light a fire in us.
We must possess an ingredient that will give us the edge we need to fight against the forces of Hell with a determination that refuses to fail.
That ingredient is Passion….Passion for the non-believer! The type of passion Paul had when he said; “Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16)
Ability is not enough to enable us to reach our potential. Opportunity alone will never get us to the top. Knowledge is a great asset, but comes up short helping us “be all that we can be”. Even putting together a good team is not sufficient.
Passion is the Difference Maker!!!
I) We Must Possess a Passion for the Spiritually Lost
Census experts tell us that there are now over 6 billion people on Planet Earth. 1/3 of them claim to be Christian. And I dare say that is a liberal number. But even if we give them the benefit of a doubt, that still means that 4 billion people on planet Earth are spiritually lost! They are without Christ and will spend a Christ-less eternity if someone doesn't reach them with the Good News of Salvation.
Without a Passion for the Lost that fuels us past the frustrations, discouragements, heartaches and heartbreaks, We Will Fail!
Let me ask you a very pointed question…When was the last time you lost sleep over a person because you knew they did not know Jesus Christ as their Savior?
If you want to judge the passion that most Christians have for the lost, just attend the average Baptist prayer meeting. We spend the bulk of our time praying for the sick, not the unsaved. We don’t just pray for the sick, we pray for sick Saints! Now think about it. We spend more time praying to keep Saints out of Heaven, then Sinners out of Hell.
We need a Burning Passion for the non-believers!
A) A Passion for the non-Christian will change how we See People.
D.L. Moody was preaching in London. He was approached by a British companion who wanted to know the secret to his success in leading people to Christ. Moody directed the man to His hotel window and asked; “What do you see?” The man looked down on the square and said; “Crowded streets.” Moody said; “Look again!”
This time the man mentioned seeing people – men, women, boys and girls. Moody was still not impressed. He urged the man to look a third time. The man became frustrated because he could not figure out what Moody wanted him to see.
With tears in his eyes, the great evangelist walked to the window and said; “I see people going to Hell without Jesus and until you see people like that, YOU WILL NEVER, EVER LEAD THEM TO CHRIST!”
Friends, we don’t have time to waste. God has invited us to get involved in the work of building His Kingdom, one soul at a time and it will require a Burning Passion for the Lost in our heart!
Someone once said; “If we become keepers of the aquarium, instead of fishers of men, we might start to stink.”
B) A Passion for the non-Christian will Motivate us to Go Make Disciples.
Read again verse 19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”
The key word is “Go”! A passion for the lost will force us to action!
In Luke 14:23: the Lord Jesus said; “Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” NKJV
2 Peter 3:9: “ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” NKJV
In John 4, we find a Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. She, an outcast in her society for the embarrassing lifestyle she had lived – ran back into her city and cried; “Come see a Man who told me all things that I ever did, could this not be the Christ?”
When was the last time you saw someone with that kind of passion?
In Acts chapter 4, the passion for the lost motivated the disciples, even after being imprisoned, even after being threatened to continue to tell the unsaved about Jesus.
Illustration: A country church was holding a Revival. The services were packed each night, the preaching was soul-stirring and the choir was majestic. On the final night of Revival the choir seemed to sing with a fresh anointing of God’s presence. The choir finished out the service with the hymn; “Rescue the Perishing.” When the choir came to the final verse and sang:
Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.
The young man leaped to his feet. He was ready to tackle Hell with a spit-gun. After the service, he approached the evangelist and asked; “When do we go forth to rescue the perishing?” The preacher put his arm around the boy and said; “Son, that’s just a song.”
O’ may that not be just a song to you and me. May we not be that cold toward the Lost. May we be like the young man and Go Forth!
C) A passion for the non-Christian may cause us to change our Methodology.
The Message must never change, but methods can. There is no cookie cutter method of evangelism. The greatest tool of Evangelism is an excited Christian who is willing to do whatever it takes to win one more soul for Christ.
In reference to Methodologies, the Apostle Paul said; “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 NIV
The Mission is Simple – Multiply Disciples
The Instructions are Simple – Evangelize, Incorporate, Mature
But it is a Passion for the Lost that fuels us into action, Without it we will fail. I don’t want to fail and I don’t believe you do either.
C. H. Spurgeon said; “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
That is my prayer for us in Jesus Name, Amen!
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