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You Know Something They Do Not.
If you knew that a certain kind of spring water was not pure and healthy as it was advertised to be, but was actually contaminated by a poisonous mold what would your response be to those who were contemplating drinking it?
Would you not warn them explaining the danger and the sure consequence that will follow if they continue? Would you first think of ways you can warn them without offending them? No, there’s no time for that. They are in danger of death and you know the only way they can get out of that danger – don’t drink the water!
People gulp down sin every day and live for themselves, yet consider themselves to be good people who God will forgive in the end. It is a lie. Lost people do not see the seriousness of their sin and the holiness of God. Many people agree that they are a sinner but they don’t understand what sin is.
“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4
As I was taking a walk this morning around a lake, I started chatting with a woman walking her dog. We first talked about the weather and the cooler temperatures coming this weekend and then I said to her, “Hey, good news! Jesus Christ is risen!!” Her smile immediately disappeared and she said, “That’s not for me. Im a good person. I don’t need your Jesus.”
Talk about a good morning greeting!
The two of us and her dog walked a ways around the lake. I explained to her what sin is using the 10 Commandments and shared with her how God must deal with sin being that He is holy and just. Sin will be punished wherever it is found. I then told her what God did for us by becoming a man, Jesus of Nazareth. He lived a perfect life and went to the cross and took our sins upon Himself. The fierce wrath of God the Father was poured out on Him. He died and three days later rose from the dead. Jesus paid the price for our sin in His own life’s blood! I told her that if she would humble herself recognizing the sinful condition of her heart and cry out to God for forgiveness, He will have mercy on her as He has had on me. She continued to take refuge in her good works, but I know she will be thinking about this for a while.
We must faithfully share the biblical Gospel. If all we tell people is that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives, they will not understand they are in danger of God’s Judgement and they will not come to a place of genuine repentance.
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
When you woke up this morning, you did not see the stars in the sky. Why? Because you can only see those starts against the black backdrop of the night sky. Similarly, the Good News will only make sense to a person when it is presented against the black backdrop of their sin and depravity. It is truly GOOD NEWS!
Hallelujah for the blood of the Lamb that was slain! Go share your faith while you still have time!
The Urgency of the Gospel
If you knew that today was your last day on earth, how would you spend your time? There is no doubt in my mind that if you love Jesus Christ, you would spend your day warning and pleading with friends, family and strangers you encounter to turn from their sin and place their faith in Jesus Christ before it's too late.
What if we lived every day gripped by the urgency of the Gospel?
I believe the primary way a Christian can become consumed by the great commission and sobered by the reality of the short time they have to reach the lost is through prayer. Prayer is our connection with Heaven.
Get on your knees and ask the Lord to break your heart for the lost. Ask the Lord to sober you and to help you understand how fleeting this life is for us, His children, and for others who are enemies of God. When you understand how short our time is here on earth, you will reach out to the unsaved all the more urgently.
I sat next to a man on the bus across as we drove across Florida yesterday. As we started talking about events happening in our world today, I began to share the Gospel with him. It turned out that Tony was a very strong believer! He just got out of prison yesterday morning after being locked up for a quarter of a century - 25 years! Incredible. He was in prison for so long that his mom, dad and older brother died while he was incarcerated. Tony was so thankful for his time behind bars because he knew that the Lord used that time to humble him and save him from his sins. I challenged Tony to not get comfortable now that he is free. The enemy loves to use things like television, movies, entertainment, etc to distract a believer from the urgent task at hand. As we talked more, Tony started crying because he was so overwhelmed by God's grace in his life. Isn't God great? We had such a special time together.
On my next bus, I sat next to a man who was locked up for 25 months. He also was just getting out of prison. Apparently I was riding the prison escort service! I shared the Gospel with him and like so many people today, he thought he was headed for Heaven because he's a good person.
We have to be clear when we share the Good News with people. They need to understand their sin before they can recognize their need for a Savior. If all we talk about with lost people is God's wonderful plan for their life and how much God loves them, they will not understand the true Gospel and will not repent of their sin and become born again. God is holy and just. He hates sin and He must punish sin. What is sin? Sin is transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). If God did not punish sin, He would not be a just and holy God.
Major problem: We are covered in sin. No one is good. Understand this - Jesus did not die to bless our lives and give us our best life now; He died to glorify God and pay the price for our sin. When we repent and believe this Good News, we are forgiven! We are born-again!
So share this with people today. Talk about sin, the judgment to come, the Good News, repentance and faith, etc. when you share with people. Use the Law of God to show them their sin. For more on the use of the Law in evangelism, visit livingwaters.com and listen to "Hell's Best Kept Secret".
Time is ticking and souls are perishing.
What's stopping you from sharing the best news of all time?
Life is but a Vapor
In one hundred years or less, many of the things that Christians devote their time, their money and their energy towards will no longer matter. When we take our final breath, it will not matter how popular we were at school or how much fun we had on earth, how many movie lines we had memorized or how many concerts we saw. It will not matter who won the Super Bowl or what the latest Charlie Sheen incident was. None of that will matter.
If none of that is important in eternity, why is it so important to Christians today?
Satan is not only the great deceiver; he is also the master distracter. He does not want people to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Here's what it comes down to - Satan knows that God's children have the high calling of spreading the Good News to the ends of the earth, so he most certainly will try and distract us from doing so.
How have you spent your time the last few days? Who did you warn of the judgment that is to come and tell of the Good News that is here?
That question is meant for all of us. It's a great way to examine our hearts.
I am convicted. For example, yesterday I went to Chipotle during my lunch break. I was not in the mood to share the Gospel, which is an absolutely horrible excuse. I got my food, gave thanks to God for His provision, ate and handed out one tract and then went back to work.
Almost as soon as I got back to work, the Lord convicted me greatly. I had to repent of my selfishness and of my neglect of the Great Commission. The Lord really dealt with me on this one. Now I don't want you to misunderstand me and think that I'm being legalistic and trying to gain God's approval. I have God's approval through the bloody sacrifice of His Son, but now I want to serve Him as best as I can. And sometimes I don't do so well! This was one of those times. I am thankful for God's discipline.
When I got off of work yesterday, I went to a coffee shop to get in the Word. While there, the Lord opened up a great door for me to share His Son with a worker there, Elesha. We had an awesome conversation. It is so refreshing to know that God still uses us in our failure.
Today has been a blessed day as well sharing the Good News. I am thankful to God for His grace.
We don't share the Gospel alone! God is with us! Attached to the Great Commission is that very precious promise, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Step out of your comfort zone and have a conversation with a lost person today.
Time is precious and it is running low.
Praise Jesus!
