Church Growth - Reaching The Lost (1)
SALVATION: Part 1
The Need to Reach The Lost
Many people in Britain wrongly believe that they will automatically go to Heaven when they die. A typical funeral service clearly suggests this happens, but this, whilst comforting to those present, is not what the Word of God states at all.
Being good, living a successful life, not doing others any harm, are all honourable things, but are not sufficient to gain access to Heaven. It is only by surrendering to Christ, and accepting Him as our Lord and Saviour, that we can be acceptable to God; this is because of our Sin. God cannot look upon sin or tolerate it, so He requires us to be covered and forgiven by the precious sacrifice of His Son Jesus at the cross.
The responsibility for reaching the lost lies with those who know the truth, that SALVATION is the essential commitment God requires before any person can be accepted by Him into Heaven.
The Essential Message
In Mark 16:15, God commands us to tell others about what He has done. We are to preach the good news that Jesus died, paying the price for our sins. Without that provision, there would have been no hope for our future. At the cross, Jesus overcame the Powers of evil, and a way was provided for all men to be reconciled with God.
The Problems met when Witnessing to the Lost
Acts 10:42 directs us to preach everywhere and testify that Jesus is ordained of God to be the judge of all. But before telling others about Christ, it is essential to PRAY for them, because they are captivated and blinded by their sin. They are like the creatures of the woodland in C.S. Lewis’ book “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” who were all turned to stone. They need to be released and it is only our prayers that can do this. When you think about it, every person in our church at some time was told about Christ by someone. Be persistent in your praying, never give up. It could be compared to a fisherman hauling in a big fish, he keeps tugging on the fishing rod and winding in, and eventually the fish comes out of the water to the shore. We do not know what powers and principalities are keeping the lost soul from Salvation, but, certainly, we need to intercede for them in order to be successful in our calling. Yet we must not be burdened, for God knows who will be saved, and He can do it. His will is that all should be preached to, and in some cases, if they reject the message, you will have established grounds that they were given the opportunity. God is just and fair, and none of your prayers or spoken words will be wasted.
Sometimes God Creates a Change of Circumstances, to persuade the individual to accept Him.
Some people will not respond as things are, and God causes something to happen in their lives to cause them to think again. The death of a loved one, the loss of a career, or the disillusionment in something once enjoyed, may bring the lost soul to reconsider the Gospel. Once I told a man about the need for Salvation, and ten years later he sought me out and came to accept Christ. His wife had become ill, and he wanted to become a true Christian. Sometimes, another Christian will see the harvest of the seed you have planted, “I’ve met someone like you before…two people talking the same way, could there be some truth in this?”
What to say to the Person you seek to bring to the Lord
Your witnessing should include telling others how God has rescued you and healed your sin-blinded heart - John 9:25.
You should warn people about the coming judgment by the living Christ - Acts 10:42
Make clear the need to confess Christ as Lord and believe in His resurrection - Romans 10:9
Do not be afraid of ‘being direct’. General, apologetic comments such as “would you like to come to the house group” are vague and people may not be motivated. If you explain they need to receive Christ as their personal Saviour and could consider this further at the house group/church then they can consider the facts better.
Remember that how you live is an important element of your witness for Christ. People have become Christians because “they could see that a person they knew ‘had something’ or ‘was different’ or ‘was special in some way’. Perhaps we emanate peace or joy or love, kindness, meekness or in other ways project the Love of Christ. People at work are watching you, and life is an inescapable test of Character. How we respond to situations and circumstances that arise at work or at home, reflect the person we are. If we are grounded in Christ, then we are certainly different.
The rewards of becoming a Christian, both here and now, and eternally, are substantial and significant. It is no wonder that it can often be very difficult to persuade people to come to Christ. We live in exceptional times. The economy and state of the world look very bleak, many have lost jobs, lost hope, lost prospects. In such circumstances, they may be more willing to contemplate the need for a solution to their problems. For Christ can answer every problem, but His help comes to those who know, love and obey Him.
Pray that God will give you ‘divine appointments’ to reach someone in the next few days.
Remain blessed and highly favoured.
Keith Dixon