Continuing Pastor Herk's message, he says go! That is what Jesus told His disciples to do when He gave them (and us) the Great Commission to “Go and tell”. He didn’t tell us to go tell others about ourselves, your wonderful job, about your volunteer work in the community, what you think about current and trendy things and hear their version. He said, “go and make disciples (student/followers of Jesus Christ); train everyone you meet”. We don’t need to go out and tell people about religion. Non-believers don’t like to hear the term religion. It denotes a lot of different directions. I prefer using the term relationship … a relationship with Jesus Christ. I don’t like the term “ that a person is religious”. The word religion, to most these days, is something other than Christianity. People many times lump world religions and cults as religions. Christianity differentiates by being a redeemed and reconciled relationship. At least that’s how I feel in reaching people. The word religious is much better referenced as a “strong Christian”. That’s what I am trying to impart here. Don’t use your time talking about your view on religion because “religion” is not going to save a single person. Our Christian witness points to the Cross and God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) does the salvation of their soul.
For centuries, mankind had complicated things. The Great Commission was spelled out clearly are the beginning and we have complicated it until we are afraid to tell it. It is a powerful message of God’s grace. It is the message that the Savior of the world died so that we could experience forgiveness. It is possible now through Jesus Christ. You are not going to save a single person but your story might lead someone to the foot of the Cross for salvation. We need to really focus on getting people into a relationship with Jesus and then let His presence in their life change them. We are not called to change people. We are called to introduce their to Jesus as Ambassadors of the kingdom of God.
In John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Jesus came to abolish the Law of condemnation and make it easy to have a relationship with Him. Mark 1:15says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” It is so easy to have a relationship with Jesus as Savior and Lord. His atoning death on the Cross for our sins has defeated sin and death. All we have to do is repent, believe and accept Him. What we need to do is tell the world about the life-changing “grace” relationship that is offered through Jesus, and that is what the instruction in the Great Commission was all about. We can make a big difference. If the Christian church was fulfilling the Great Commission throughout history, we would not be in the sin and unbelief predicament and the disastrous consequences that we find this nation experiencing today.
Ephesians 2:19-22 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
In the Christian church, it takes all of us working together, everybody in the body of Christ doing their part. Jesus told us in John 12:32 “And I, if and when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw all people to Myself Gentiles, as well as Jews].” But, nobody wants to lift up Jesus outside of the confines of the four walls of the church. It is a safe pace in a safe place. We have been commissioned by the Lord to lift up the Gospel and the name of Jesus as Savior and Sovereign of the world outside the confines of the church. It’s time that we don’t just talk the talk, but walking the walk laid out before us by the Lord to reach this lost and dying world. It is our responsibility as Christians. We should know the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be ready to share what He has done for each one of us in our lives. People want to hear the story of your life and we can make a difference by doing so.
Romans 10:13-17 “for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from
hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ!”
The church needs to get past the insecurities that they have and start to do serious witnessing for the Lord. Do it once or twice and you get over the insecurities. Yes, we can make a difference. We you go out into the community as an Ambassador for Christ, witnessing the name and Gospel of Jesus Christ, you are the church. Your church building may be a beautiful place, but it doesn’t tell people about Jesus; that is your responsibility (each and every one of you). There are millions of people out there in the world that do not know God, the love of God and the peace that passes all understanding through knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord. They do not know the good news of the Gospel.
Let's continue PAstor Herk"s message on "Making a Difference" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment