Archive for Evangelism
Personal Soul-Winning — sermon outline
Posted by: | Comments(The following excerpt is from a book written in 1910 by William Evans on Personal Soulwinning. This very brief excerpt contains a neat outline that could be adapted and expanded upon for a sermon. I have added bold type and numbers to assist in the outline.)
PERSONAL SOULWINNING
by William Evans (1870-1950)
Philip the evangelist w^ould have lost a magnificent opportunity if he had not been able to find the place in the Scriptures where it is written. We must be experts in the handling of the Word of God. Sometimes to hesitate means to lose the case you are dealing with. See how quickly Jesus turned to just the place he wanted when he was called upon to read in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:17) : "And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it w^as written." Ability to find the place where it is written inspires confidence in the inquirer, whereas hesitancy is a barrier to effective dealing.
We need ability in handling the Bible, for three reasons :
1. First: To show men from the Word of God that they are sinners.
It need hardly be said that all men do not concede that they are sinners. In order to convince them of this fact, we need words that are divine. No words of ours can produce conviction of sin: God’s Word alone can do that. It is the "sword of the Spirit” alone that can prevail in such a conflict as this, and the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).
2. Secondly: To point men who are convicted of sin to Jesus Christ, who is the Sin-bearer.
This can only be done by directing the thought of the inquirer to those passages of Scripture which set forth the death of Christ as the propitiation for the sins of men. No words of ours can give peace and assurance to souls that are burdened with the knowledge and guilt of sin. God must speak if men are to hear the words, ‘^Go in peace; thy sins are forgiven thee."
3. Thirdly : We must use the Bible in order to establish men in the faith, and to direct them to the means of growth in the Christian life.
It is not enough that we get men saved. We must show them how to make a success of the Christian life ; we must show them how to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
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The Successful Christian Life — bible sermon
Posted by: | Comments(The following is information that the famous baseball player turned preacher, Evangelist Billy Sunday (1862-1935), shared with people who became converts at his meetings. It is a list of "To do’s" for new believers to follow to grow in Christ. It can be helpful for you in your follow-up work as well.)
How to Make a Success of the Christian Life
by Evangelist Billy Sunday
Now that you are a child of God your growth depends upon yourself.
It is impossible for you to become a useful Christian unless you are willing to do the things which are absolutely essential to your spiritual growth. To this end the following suggestions will be found to be of vital importance:
1. STUDY THE BIBLE: Set aside at least fifteen minutes a day for Bible Study. Let God talk to you fifteen minutes a day through His Word. Talk to God fifteen minutes a day in prayer. Talk for God fifteen minutes a day.
"As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby." – I Peter 2:2.
The word of God is food for the soul.
Commit to memory one verse of Scripture each day. Join a Bible class. (Psa. 119:11)
2. PRAY MUCH: Praying is talking to God. Talk to Him about everything — your perplexities, joys, sorrows, sins, mistakes, friends, enemies.
"Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Phil 4:6.
3. WIN SOMEONE FOR CHRIST: For spiritual growth you need not only food (Bible study) but exercise. Work for Christ. The only work Christ ever set for Christians is to win others.
"Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15.
"When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand." – Ezek. 3:18.
4. SHUN EVIL COMPANIONS: Avoid bad people, bad books, bad thoughts. Read the First Psalm.
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness – what part hath he that believeth with an infidel – wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord." – II Corinthians 6:14-17.
Try to win the wicked for God, but do not choose them for your companions.
5. JOIN SOME CHURCH: Be faithful in your attendance at the Sabbath and mid-week services.
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is." – Heb. 10:25.
Co-operate with your pastor. God has appointed the pastor to be a shepherd over the church and you should give him due reverence and seek to assist him in his plans for the welfare of the church.
6. GIVE TO THE SUPPORT OF THE LORD’S WORK: Give as the Lord hath prospered you. – I Cor. 16:2.
"Give not grudgingly or of necessity, fo God loveth a cheerful giver." – I Cor. 9:7.
7. DO NOT BECOME DISCOURAGED: Expect temptations, discouragement and persecution; the Christian life is warfare. "Yea and all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." – II Tim. 3:12.
The eternal God is thy refuge. We have the promises that all things, even strange and hard unaccountable obstacles, work together for our good. Many of God’s brightest saints were once as weak as you are, passed through dark tunnels and the hottest fire, and yet their lives were enriched by their experiences, and the world made better because of their having lived in it.
Read often the following passages of Scripture: Romans 8:18; James 1:12; I Corinthians 10:13.
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The Five Ingredients of Faith – Luke 5
Posted by: | CommentsTHE FIVE INGREDIENTS OF FAITH
by Eddie Lawrence
INTRODUCTION- We often talk about taking a step of faith, but actually a step of faith involves several "steps" in order to truly be faith.
TEXT- Luke 5: 1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (NKJV)
NOTICE THE FIVE INGREDIENTS OF FAITH IN THE ABOVE PASSAGE:
1. KNOWLEDGE
(V5)..nevertheless at Your word…
Simon (Peter) first had to know what Jesus wanted him to do before he did it. He heard Jesus Word.
The first ingredient is knowledge. In order to act upon something, you first have to know about it.
For example, if the local restaurant had a two-for-one special on their Ribeye Steak Dinners, in order for me to get in on it and experience it, and eat one of those dinners, I would first have to know about the offer.
Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17) the Word of God. How can people be saved if they do not hear? This is the question Paul asked the Romans. In other words, people first have to know what God is saying.
2. BELIEF
(V5) But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
Notice Peter’s objection at first, we have already done this and caught nothing. In other words, it is hard to believe that there is any reason in the natural to act on what you are saying.
Yet, Peter made the decision to believe what Jesus said. Had he not chosen to place faith in what Jesus said, he would never have let down the nets.
Once a person knows then they must choose whether or not they believe that knowledge is correct. Is it true?
To continue the restaurant illustration, you would not go for a special offer at a restaurant if you did not believe they were having the special offer. You would assume it would be a waste of time. This was Peter’s first thought, but he moved through it and make the choice to believe Jesus word.
3. COMMITMENT
(v5) …nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
Notice Peter says, "I will" let down the net. These is an act of his will. He is commiting himself to doing what Jesus said even before he does it.
If a person has decided that they have heard and know about is true, then the next step is whether or not, they will commit to that truth. A person can believe that it is true that the restaurant is offering a two-for-one special on their ribeye steaks, but may not commit to actually taking the step to utilize the offer. They may hear of others who have gone and eaten one of the steak dinners and who share that is wonderfully delicious and a great deal, and still not get one for themselves. In order to fully experience the truth of what they have heard about and believe to be true, they have to commit to it for themselves. In other words, they head toward the restaurant with the full intent of buying.
4. ACTION
(v6) And when they had done this…
Peter actually followed through on his commitment and did it. This is the action part.
This is the step of acted upon a commitment made. To continue the illustration. This is the step of entering the restaurant, ordering and eating the steak.
5. RESULTS
(v6) And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
The results of Peter’s step of faith is that he saw in the natural what he had already heard, believed, committed to and acted upon in his spirit and life. He experienced a bunch of benefits:
-A boat load of fish "a great number of fish"
-Enough to share with others "signaled to their partners"
-A deeper revelation of Who Jesus was "fell down at Jesus’ knees" An act of worship.
-A deeper revelation of Who he was "sinful man"
-A powerful public witness "all were astonished"
-A realization of purpose for his life "from now on you will catch men"
This last ingredient is really more of a benefit of faith. The result one receives because he has heard and known, believed, committed to and acted upon what he has heard, and experienced it for himself. This is standing up at the table at the restaurant, rubbing your belly, and being fully satisfied and full because you ordered and ate the two-for-one special. You then walk out and become a witness to what you have experienced to others whom you think would enjoy a ribeye steak dinner at a great price.
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Jesus is The Son of God — sermon outline
Posted by: | CommentsJESUS IS THE SON OF GOD
Seven Testimonies that Jesus is the Son of God:
1. The Father Testified of It Matt. 3:17
2. Jesus’ Personal Testimony Matt. 26:63
3. Peter Testified of it Matt. 16:16
4. Demons Recognized it. Mark 3:11
5. The Disciples Recognized it. Matt 14:33
6. The Resurrection Testified of it Romans 1:4
7. Paul Testified of It Acts 9:20
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The Roman Road of Salvation — bible study outline
Posted by: | Comments
THE ROMAN ROAD OF SALVATION
Verses to use to lead someone to Christ
1. THE BIBLE SAYS ALL HAVE SINNED
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
- A person needs to have the conviction that they have sinned and are lost without Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit as you share God’s Word with people.
2. THE BIBLE SAYS SIN CARRIES THE PENALTY OF DEATH
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
-Explain to people that sin has a payday and that the payday is death.
3. THE BIBLE SAYS ETERNAL LIFE IS GOD’S GIFT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
-Stress to people that salvation is God’s gift. It cannot be earned because it has already been purchased. It is to be
recieved in humility and faith.
4. THE BIBLE SAYS CHRIST DIED FOR SINNERS BECAUSE OF GOD’S LOVE
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
-We do not need to do anything to convince God to save us or love us. He has already demonstrated this to us and made the gift possible for us to receive.
5. THE BIBLE SAYS WE MUST CALL UPON THE LORD TO BE SAVED
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
- Just as a drowning man cries out for help to be rescued, so must we call to the Lord to save us. He stands ready to do so as soon as we ask.
6. THE BIBLE SAYS WE MUST CONFESS AND BELEIVE IN JESUS AND HIS RESURRECTION
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
-To confess means you agree with what God says about who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for you. To believe means you entrust all that your life to Jesus.
QUESTION — Are you ready to confess that Jesus is Lord, that he died for you and that God raised him from the dead? Will you call upon him as the Lord who is alive and ready to save you?
This can be done through prayer by praying something like this:
"Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I agree with you that death is the payday I should receive for the life I have lived. I thank you that you love me as a sinner and sent Christ to die for me. By an act of my will and in faith, I now call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Dear Jesus save me from my sins. I confess with my mouth that you are Lord of my life. I believe in my heart that God raised you from the dead. By faith, I now receive the gift of eternal life from you. Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me. Amen!"
If you prayed for Jesus to save you, tell another Christian about it. Begin to read the Bible starting with the four Gospels in the New Testament. Find a good Christian Church to get involved in. And begin praying by sharing your heart with God. Also, talk to a pastor about being baptized and how to grow as a new Christian.
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Jesus Loves Sinners — sermon
Posted by: | CommentsThe following sermon outline is from a sermon prepared by Pastor David O. Cofield. You may read his personal ministry blog here.
“Jesus Loves Sinners”
Luke 15: 1-2
Luke 15 starts as seemingly a way to introduce a new subject, “Then all the tax
collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2And the Pharisees and
scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
The Message says, “By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were
hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not
pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with
them, treating them like old friends.”
The New Living Translation calls them “notorious sinners.”
Instead, this is not a new subject at all but a continuation of the entire purpose of the
writing of the gospel of Luke. Jesus loves sinners. He loves the outcasts, the downand-
outs. He loves the rejects.
Take a quick tour of this gospel and let us see this powerful impact of Jesus receiving
them. Most of what is listed here is found ONLY in Luke:
1. The author himself was a Gentile.
2. The book was dedicated to Theophilus, a Gentile.
3. The story begins with Elizabeth, a barren woman and the wife of a priest.
She must have been rejected by God and under His judgment because she
was a barren woman.
4. Then we read more about Mary in Luke than any other and find her
describing herself in 1:48 as a “lowly maidservant.”
5. Only in Luke do see Shepherds, the social outcasts and forbidden to enter
Temple worship, mentioned as hearing the good news of Jesus’ birth. No
wise men in Luke’s gospel.
6. Only in Luke 2 do we see Jesus astounding the scholars and teachers at the
age of 12.
7. Only in Luke do we see what type of people John drew to His teachings:
Luke 3 calls them tax collectors (vs. 12) and soldiers (vs. 14).
8. Only in Luke do we see the text for Jesus’ first message preached – Luke 4:
18-19 revealing that he was coming for the poor, brokenhearted, captives, the
blind, the oppressed and its time NOW for it to happen.
9. Only in Luke do we see Jesus’ raising the only son of a widow in Nain in
Luke 7.
10. Only in Luke do we see the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her
tears and dried them with her hair described as a “sinner” (vs. 37) and pointed
out by the Pharisees that she was a sinner (vs. 39). A woman who was a
harlot in the presence of a man, let alone a prophet?
11. Only in Luke 8:2-3 do we see that many women provided for the needs of
Jesus.
12. Only in Luke do we learn of the Good Samaritan (chapter 10). A good
Samaritan – a contradiction of terms.
13. Only in Luke chapter 13 is there a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for 18
years healed on the Sabbath in the synagogue while he was teaching.
14. Only in Luke (chapter 14) is there a man with dropsy – swelling in his legs
and arms – was healed on the Sabbath in the house of one of the rulers of the
Pharisees.
15. Luke 14 – a great supper is made but the invited guests don’t come, so the
master gets angry ordering them to go and get the “poor, maimed, lame and
the blind” (vs. 21). The religious elite are not coming to the wedding.
16. Luke 15 is about a shepherd, a woman, and a man whose son lowered himself
to wanting to eat pig slop.
17. Only in Luke 16 do we see a man begging, filled with sores, eating crumbs
pictured like a dog that dies and goes to Heaven and the rich man dies and
goes to Hell.
18. Only in Luke 17: 16 do we see ten lepers healed with only one returning and
it says “He was a Samaritan.”
19. Only in Luke 18 do we see the story of Sunday worship with a Pharisee and
tax collector with the tax collector asking for mercy and being justified, not
the Pharisee.
20. Only in Luke do we have the story (chapter 19) of Zacchaeus being a tax
collector that Jesus goes home with and brings salvation.
21. Only in Luke (23: 39-43) do we learn of a repentant thief getting paradise
with Jesus on his day of death with Jesus.
Jesus loves sinners. He is a friend of sinners.
So, going back to Luke 15, let me make three statements of how Jesus feels toward
sinners:
1. You are of worth to him.
Shepherd is not permitted in Temple worship. Outcasts – outsiders.
But shepherds go after one lost sheep leaving 99 who don’t think they need any
repentance.
But only in the heart of a parent would you go seeking for one and not accept 99% as
good enough. Because love only in a parent’s heart is never diminished when divided.
Love knows the worth of one.
2. You are of value to him.
This is a woman. Every Jewish man prayed every day thanking God that they were
not “a Gentile, a slave or a woman.”
But she loses a coin, which was at least a day’s wages and might have been more. She
sweeps the house diligently until she finds it.
You are of great value to God. He does not want to waste a day of your life or see you
waste a day.
3. You are desired of Him.
The last two parables are all about the Father wanting a relationship with his sons.
There are two sons here but the teaching is the same: I will go to no limits to have a
relationship with my sons.
A. He will let sinful situations run their course until you come to
yourself and come into a relationship with Him.
He took 1/3 of all his father’s wealth, converted it to cash and wasted it with reckless
living, wild living. The elder son said it was with harlots. It got so bad that he desired
to eat the pigs’ food. But he came to himself, a right understanding of himself, his
ways and his father’s provisions. He prepares a speech and heads home.
The Father sees him coming and throwing away Oriental behavior, he runs to meet
him. This is the only time in the Bible we see the Father running. The father is so
eager to receive him that he won’t let him finish his speech. He:
a. Gets a robe. Not the one he wore previously, but one reserved for honored
guests.
b. Gets a ring. Symbol of authority. All the father has is now available to the
son.
c. Gets scandals. Servants or slaves never wore scandals. But he’s not a
servant, but fully accepted as a son.
d. Gets a fattened calf for a feast. Meat was normally not eaten at regular
meals, but this was a celebration.
B. He will confront sinful spirits in order for you to come to a
relationship with Him.
The elder son is a totally different story, but has the same underlying theme: The
father wants a relationship with him.
Here is the symbol of the religious elite. Why?
a. He had a self-righteous spirit. He looked down at disgust at his younger
brother for only he tells us that the younger brother spent his living with
harlots (vs. 30).
b. He was angry at the sight of joy and fun. Religious people cannot stand
somebody experiencing joy in the presence of Jesus.
c. He was work oriented. He recounts all that he has done for his father
thinking that was what the father wanted.
d. He was bitter and unforgiving. He would not come in and forgive his
brother. The meanest people in the world are religious people who are bitter
and unforgiving; yet keep right on doing their religious duties.
The sad story about the elder son was he had no relationship with his father to know
how heart broken the father was over the other son nor what the father really wanted
out of his elder son.
Unlike the younger son where the Father stayed on the porch until he saw his son
returning, with his elder son he goes off the porch and confronts him. All religious
spirits must be confronted.
In the confrontation is the appeal to the opponents of Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes –
the religious elite – that there is still time to be apart of His kingdom but you must
recognize you are a sinner and repent. The sad truth is that most religious people see
no reason they need to repent and won’t.
So what is the message for us today? Jesus loves sinners.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Once President Abraham Lincoln was asked how he was going to treat the rebellious
southerners when they had finally been defeated and had returned to the Union of the
United States. The questioner expected that Lincoln would take a dire vengeance, but
he answered, “I will treat them as if they had never been away.”
That’s the same with God.
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The Secret of Success — sermon
Posted by: | CommentsThe following is from the work, The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent
A Complete Course of 66 Short Sermons, or Full Sermon Outlines for Each Sunday, and Some Chief Holy Days of the Christian Year — Author: S. Baring-Gould, year 1886
THE SECRET OF SUCCESS
5th Sunday after Trinity
S. Luke v. 5.
"We have taken nothing; nevertheless at Thy word, I will let down the
net."
INTRODUCTION.–S. Peter and the other Apostles had been fishing all
night, and had met with no success at all, then Jesus entered into the
boat of Simon, and bade him launch out and let down his net. S. Peter
did not hesitate. He had met with no success when fishing in the
night, nevertheless now, at the word of Christ, he fishes again, and
this time the net encloses a great multitude, so that the net breaks.
No doubt our Lord desired to show those who were to become fishers of
men that there were two ways of doing a thing, and that one way would
be successful and the other would not.
If they were going to become fishers of men, they must try to catch
them by carrying Christ, _i.e._ a Christlike spirit, with them, and the
spirit of Christ is love and gentleness. If they were to be successful
in winning souls, they must have a loving zeal, and that would gain
more than hard work without love.
SUBJECT.–We are all of us, in our several callings, fishers of souls.
Of course, especially are the clergy fishers, but not they only, every
man who loves God must seek to win souls for God, every man who is in
the net of the Church must seek to draw others into the same net. If
the fisher is to be successful, he must fish in the spirit of Christ,
that is, actuated by love, and must deal gently with the souls he
desires to gain.
I. I say, we are all fishers. Those of us who are parents desire to
draw to Christ the souls of our children, those who are masters, the
souls of their servants. The husband seeks to win the wife, and the
believing wife the husband. "What knowest thou, O wife," says S. Paul,
"whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man,
whether thou shalt save thy wife?"
The servant seeks to win the fellow-servant, the labourer in the field
has the welfare of his fellow-labourer at heart, and seeks to draw him
to God. It was Cain who said, "Am I my brother’s keeper?" And the
same isolating, selfish spirit is in those who take no interest in
those they associate with, and do not seek their good.
I was much struck last spring with something a gentleman said to me,
who had been a good deal in America; he was much surprised and struck
with the interest felt in England by the rich for the poor, by the
master and mistress for their servants, by the landowner for his
tenants, and he said to me, "This seems to me the most marvellous thing
I have seen in England. With us a master cares not one snap of the
fingers what becomes of the man he employs, he no more thinks of what
becomes of him than he does of a dollar that passes through his hands.
He sees that he does his work, and if the man dies, the master gets
another in his place to-morrow, and asks nothing about the man who has
disappeared."
Well! I thank God we are not come to that yet, however advanced we may
be in our independent ways; and it is not right and Christian that we
should.
II. Now we come to the way in which we are to try to draw other souls
to Christ, the souls of our children, of our servants, of our
companions, of our fellow-workers. The first principle of success is
gentleness.
In the 4th chapter of the 2nd book of Kings we have this story. There
was a Shunammite woman who had an only son. She was a good
kind-hearted woman, who had shown much hospitality to the prophet
Elijah [Transcriber's note: Elisha?]. One day the little boy ran out
into the harvest field, when the sun was hot, and he had a sunstroke,
and was very ill. "He said unto his father, My head, my head. And he
said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him and
brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then he
died. And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and
shut the door upon him, and went out." Then she ordered one of the
servants to saddle an ass, and drive her to the prophet; and when she
found him, she told him the piteous story, and how the poor little
fellow whom she loved so dearly, and who was such a darling of his
father, and such a pet of the old Elisha when he paid them his visits,
was lying white and dead upstairs on the bed.
Then Elisha was sorely troubled, and he gave his staff to his servant,
Gehazi, and made him run as fast as he could to the house of the
Shunammite. "Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and
go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute
thee, answer him not again; and lay my staff upon the face of the
child." Gehazi obeyed, but it was of no use. "He laid the staff upon
the face of the child: but there was neither voice, nor hearing." Then
Elisha came himself, and he shut the door, and laid himself beside the
little body, and put his lips to the lips of the child, and his warm
loving heart against the little dead heart, and took the chill hands in
his. Then the spirit of the child came back into him again, and he sat
up, and Elisha delivered him alive to his mother.
Now this story contains some lesson for us. And this is the short
comment on the miracle by an old writer, "Him whom the rod of terror
will not rouse, _love_ will." Or in other words, we may learn by this
that gentleness will succeed where harshness will fail.
In the time when all the north of England was heathen, there was an
assembly held at Iona to decide who should preach the gospel to the
English of Northumbria. Then one missionary was sent, and after having
laboured for some years, he came back to give an account of his
mission. And a council was held, and he said, "Those Northumbrians are
a stiff-necked, hard-hearted people. I threatened them with God’s
wrath, I spoke to them of Hell-fire, I warned them of the terrors of
judgment, I denounced the vengeance of God on them, and they would not
be converted." Then one sitting in a bark seat said, "My brother, it
seems to me that you went the wrong way to work. You should have gone
in love, and not in wrath. You should have tried to win, and not to
drive." All eyes were turned en the speaker, and it was decided with
one voice that he should be sent, and he went. His name was Aidan–and
he was the Apostle of all Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire. He
had the joy to see the whole people bow their necks to receive the yoke
of Christ.
What says S. Paul? "What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or
in love, and in the spirit of meekness?" If he had come with the rod,
he would have gone back disappointed.
CONCLUSION.–Let us then, dear brethren, in dealing with the souls of
others, approach them, not with the rod, or we shall fail to awake them
to a new and better life, but in love, and in the spirit of gentleness,
and then we shall meet, I doubt not, with good success.
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The Great Verse! — sermon on John 3:16
Posted by: | CommentsIf we were to take a poll among believers of the "greatest" verse in the Bible, it would probably be John 3:16. Even the world sees the verse displayed on banners at football games, billboards on the side of the interstate, quoted by sports stars, heralded by
John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
1. The Great God
"For God"
2. The Great Love
"so loved the world"
3. The Great Gift
"that He gave"
4. The Great Son
His only begotten son"
5. The Great Offer
"that whosoever believes in Him"
6. The Great Escape
"should not perish"
7. The Great Future
"but have everlasting life."
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Four Words for the Willing Witness — sermon
Posted by: | CommentsColossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. (NKJV)
1. A Walk (Walk)
This is a command from Scripture. It is in the imperative mode. It refers to the way we live our lives. Our lives influence the people around us. As someone once said, "Be a witness to people and if necessary, use words." Jesus called it "letting your light shine." It speaks of the degree of the presence of God that people around us can sense that is in our lives.
2. A Wisdom (in wisdom)
The general understanding of the word "Sophia" (Greek) which is translated wisdom is
skill, tact, expertise in any art. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament © 1992 by AMG International, Inc. Revised Edition, 1993)
In this context it refers to the wisdom of God the Holy Spirit gives us to live in a way that reaches people for Christ.
A. Skill — The Holy Spirit is the Master of knowing what you need to do to reach someone.
B. Tact — There is a definite tactical way to touch lives. Pray for the Divine strategy to reach the people you know.
C. Expertise — No one knows what the key to a person’s heart is like the Holy Spirit. He is the resident expert who lives in you.
3. A Witness (toward those who are outside)
A.T. Robertson says the phrase is a Pauline phrase that means those outside the church. The Church today must "rediscover" the art of seeing people who are outside the church. This is why we are here, to reach the unreached.
4. A Watching (redeeming the time)
The word time comes from the Greek word Kairos which has the idea of an opportunity that is available. Zohiates says the expression "redeeming the time" generally means to buy up, to buy all that is anywhere to be bought, and not to allow the suitable moment to pass by unheeded but to make it one’s own."
(The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament © 1992 by AMG International, Inc. Revised Edition, 1993)
So the believer should be constantly watching for opportunites for the Holy Spirit to use them to touch someone for Christ.
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Two Views of Christian Salvation — sermon
Posted by: | CommentsFollowing is one of our free sermons among our many sermon outlines. Please make it your own and ask God to bless it.
TWO VIEWS OF CHRISTIAN SALVATION
Christians have many varying views on what it means to live the Christian life. To a large degree, the foundational truth you rest upon will affect how you view Christianity and how to live life as a Christian. Let’s look at a very foundational text. In it’s simplicity it holds the key to how to view the Christian experience and life.
Text: Romans 6: 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1. THE WAGE VIEW
6:23 {Wages} (\ops“nia\). Late Greek for wages of soldier, here
of sin. See on ¯Lu 3:14; 1Co 9:7; 2Co 11:8. Sin pays its wages
in full with no cut.
(A.T. Robertson, Word Studies)
-Like it or not, a lot of religious non-Christian thinking has affected people’s view of what it means to live life as a Christian.
-This views a person’s life as a grand set of scales. The bad on one side, the good on the other. The side with the most determines heaven or hell.
-This is a works based view. How much can I do for God? It has the idea of earning one’s way in to heaven.
-This view places the value of a person’s life on their own intrinsic efforts.
-It is the "Get what you deserve!" attitude.
-It focuses on the outward show of a person’s life as opposed to the inner condition of the heart.
ILLUS–putting apples on a pine tree does not make it an apple tree.
Our best day’s work to earn our salvation still merits DEATH.
2. THE GIFT VIEW
6:23 But eternal life is God’s gift (\charisma\),
not wages. Both \thanatos\ and \z“ˆn\ are {eternal} (\ai“nion\).
(A.T. Robertson, Word Studies)
-Salvation is to be received not acheived.
-Salvation is dependent primarily on actions that God has taken.
ILLUS–a drowning man has to be rescued. God has thrown out the lifering. All man has to do, is to take hold of it.
-Salvation is a gift.
-A gift has a giver than gives it.
-To be used and enjoyed there has to be a recipient to receive it.
JESUS work to provide our salvation always merits ETERNAL LIFE
6:23 {Wages} (\ops“nia\). Late Greek for wages of soldier, here
of sin. See on ¯Lu 3:14; 1Co 9:7; 2Co 11:8. Sin pays its wages
in full with no cut. But eternal life is God’s gift (\charisma\),
not wages. Both \thanatos\ and \z“ˆn\ are {eternal} (\ai“nion\).
(A.T. Robertson, Word Studies)
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