Service for Web Church
Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009
Prayer of Invocation:
Almighty God, who came to us long ago in the birth of Jesus Christ, be born in us anew today by the power of your Holy
Spirit. We offer you our lives as home to you and ask for
Grace and strength to live as your faithful and joyful children
Always. Through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen.
Sermon: Our Finest Hour
Scripture: St. Matthew 28:18-20; St. Mark 16:16-20
We live today in the most exciting time possible. The world is continually going down into its own mire. We only visit here. These bodies that we inhabit are just old rags that we will soon shed as we are called up to be with our Lord. We live in this world but we do not have to go into the mud with those who are the real citizens of this world. We are not! We are citizens of Heaven, placed here to help others to join our body, the Church, the Bride of Jesus.
We constantly hear “brothers and sisters” saying that the world is becoming increasingly difficult to live in. To those, whose thoughts are similar, I tell you….it will only be as difficult or as evil as you allow it to be. You are a child of the King. Accept the blessings poured out for you by our Lord, Jesus Christ.
He has given us constant and ever-growing blessings, through which we should be ENJOYING our lives. We have been
Adopted by the Father, inherited all that the Father has, and at the same time, we are expected to help those in the world to know Him, and his saving grace. We are washed by the blood of Golgotha, healed of all sin, filth, and ailment. It is time for us, not only the preacher, evangelist, or prophet, but each and every member of the body to be reaching out to build the Kingdom, to rescue the perishing, save the sinner. Sure, those “professionals” have to do as they are instructing us to do. It is not a case of “do as I say, not as I do.” We, professionals, are to do as we preach, and each and every Christian has an obligation IMMEDIATELY upon receiving Christ as our Savior, to share what she or he has in Christ I beg you, my beloveds, that you examine yourself. For now, don’t worry about straightening out the preacher or other leader in the Church. It is time, to step out and share your Jesus, and his salvation with the world. Don’t tell yourself that you can’t do that because you don’t have enough understanding of the Bible and/or that you are too shy to talk to others, or too new to step out so boldly.
When the Church of the book of Acts was on the earth, they the new and otherwise Christians stepped out in faith, sharing THEIR experience with the other folks who don’t know him. In those days the Jewish Christians were facing prison, torture, and horrible death if caught doing so. Yet, they turned the world upside down. Even in the face of such horrible results. They did not worry about the words of the book or the knowledge expected they were alleged to need. THEY SHARED THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE. The love so involved was infectious and exciting.
It is no wonder that whoever heard it wanted to share that experience.
We are supposed to be the KINGDOM SERVANTHOOD!
We are to expect nothing in return, but to go forth and share everything we have. When I first returned to the Church, I attempted to tell everyone I could about it. It was an exciting new life that the people in the world needed. I learned a “Roman Road to Jesus” as did most Baptists. I remember when a visiting speaker, named Dr. Jack Hyles came to the Baptist Church in Van Nuys, California. An older friend, who was a marvelous brother in Christ and sort of a mentor to me, took me and introduced me to Dr. Hyles, who introduced me to his traveling companion and dear friend, whose name I believe was John Anderson.
The auditorium was filled to overflow. Possibly six or seven hundred folks, I believe. What a dynamo for Christ! This man did not use (or need) a microphone! His major reason to live was to save souls. He, at that time, had the biggest Sunday School in the United States. Every member, every employer (even the janitorial staff) had to win at least one person to Christ per month. His people were so on fire, that they had 100 busses go out all over the state once a week to visit and evangelize. These people were so in to the premise, that they sought their vacations to go out and seek more. I am telling you, when you were around these folks, you could not help but get excited to build the kingdom. I spent the evening and the next morning with the two men. Several folks were led to the Lord in that short time. When they left to return to Hammond, Indiana, I was so enthusiastic that I won ten people to the Lord in the first week.
Now, some of you will say, “But, that is just a traditional approach to bringing people to the church. It is not that real thing.” I will answer this by saying, “Thank God that they are doing what they are doing! I do not see, anywhere I go, that this approach is not used and a steady growth in the Kingdom is happening. Later, as I went on, my enthusiasm diminished. I said to myself that it was not real and that many of those who were won did not stay. Well, with a good amount of hindsight and prayer, I realized that I was not winning even one third of what I had been winning, using the ‘Roman Road’.
I now awaited the “opportunity” when the Lord would lead me to a person and I would “love them into the fold.” How impertinent of me. God, clearly instructs us to GO. He expects us to dig them out of the bushes, or search them out door to door or in the streets. I have had my greatest joy winning a crew of people working in a huge ditch in the city, or when someone would come to me for help. That is wonderful; BUT how many more would we be winning if we made a concentrated effort.
I have won a couple of addicts that I met on a dark alleyway in Inglewood, Calif. I not only led them to Him, but took them about thirty miles away to a hospital that offered help in such situations. It is nice doing it that way, but….how much more exciting it would be to see our church growing about twenty or so people per week. How much more our blessings would be as we so diligently sacrificed to serve as He instructed in the Word.
“But, Pastor, I don’t know how to do it. I don’t know what to say.” Look, my beloveds, you know the changes in YOUR lives. No one knows better than you. Did something change for you? Have you got something different and wonderful in your life that you never had before? Of course, you do. That is all that you have to do, is share your story with them. The changes that came in your life, no one can doubt. It is you telling them your own personal story. That has got to be effective. As far as your passion goes, it should be at least equal to that which you demonstrate at a soccer game, foot ball, baseball, or a rodeo. When you go to a concert and the artists are turning you on, you scream and yell. That is natural. You should be able to be as passionate for sharing the changes that Jesus has wrought in your life.
Okay, but what about Dr. Hyles way of approaching it? He is not the only one to teach how to evangelize and to come up with programs that had to be choreographed and practiced, with a lot of paper work, like the very popular (in denominational churches) Evangelism Explosion. I have used them all, in fact, several others. All are good, if you are faithful to do them as directed.
In Mexico and Central America, I used my own experiences and, at times, Dr. Hyles’ methods. It is a lot easier in the third world countries, because the nationals are anxious to have what we have.
Whatever, you do, you must be FULLY COMMITTED. You have to set up your own approach. I like to talk to waiters and waitresses, and to store attendants, and service station attendants. Like Dr. Hyles, and his buddy, I like to talk to hotel and motel attendants. If I see someone that seems a little upset, nervous, or just down in Spirit. I ask them to allow me to pray for them. It is very seldom that anyone replies negatively. Once, I am praying with them, I go right into the “sinner’s prayer” and have them repeat after me. Most of the folks that let me pray, end up receiving Christ and often want to go to “my Church”. I never push them to do that. If they are involved, even slightly so, in a church somewhere, I encourage them to go there and declare themselves as a child of the King. I sometimes, will even visit that church with them if possible.
Remember, the Lord will judge your actions, not your talk about being His servant. When you allow your own personal agenda to take up your time, you can not be doing for Him. If you learn to put Him first, to try every chance you get to win someone for Him, you will be amazed at how quickly you find, your time being more free. It is just like giving to the Lord. The more you give, the more he gives you. It is the old law of sowing and reaping, (Made famous by Brother Oral Roberts)
Whatever you plant for the Lord, you will receive greatly. You plant tulip seeds, you will get tulips. If you plant pumpkin seeds, you will sow pumpkins. If you give of your money, He will give you money. If you give love, you will receive love. If you give Christ…you will receive more of Him.
I am going to close with the words from an old hymn that I especially love:
The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows,
The more I love Him, more loving He bestows.
Each day is like heaven, my heart overflows
And the more I love Him the more He bestows
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