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It is not only God's will it is His passion. Why else would He send his son to die for the lost? Jesus did not come to save the righteousness, but sinners. Just as the healthy don't need a physician but the sick do.
Isaiah 60:1 says arise and shine for your light has come. When God says arise He is saying don't wait any longer but get up and go. He said to Jonah to arise and go to Nineveh. Jonah had just gotten out of the big fish. God had rescued him. Jonah was saved by the grace of God and his mission was to warn others of the wrath to come. Are we not sent like Jonah? Jonah was told to arise and go. In Isaiah they were told to arise and go. We are also to arise and go. Arise is a word of now. It is not a word of later. For if it was a time of later arise would not have been used. God wants us to obey Him. We are His friends if we do what He says.
We are to follow the example of Jesus. Jesus started His ministry by preaching a message of �repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.�
That is what John the Baptist preached and Jesus followed the example of John the Baptist. We are sent the way Jesus was sent. He was sent to serve us and we are sent to serve our fellow man who need Christ.
Matthew 4:19 is a powerful verse. �Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.� So to be a follower of Jesus we become a fisher of men. To not be a fisher of men is not to be a follower of Jesus. Why then would we not want to learn to catch men for Christ? Why would we not be about that business?
Some would say that we are to come apart and wait and learn. Paul is pointed to as a leader that spent many years in the wilderness. Yet if you look at the passage he was not idle during those years but was busy preaching even during that time.
That is why in John 4:35 it says don't wait 4 months. Start now. Just as God said in Isaiah 60:1 and Jonah to arise (now) and go. We have the same command.
In the sermon on the mount it says that we are the light of the world. And a light is not for the closet or to be hid but to be put on a hill. The hill signifies to me to be shown to the world. Not to be kept inside where the other people are that already have a light. A light is to be used where there is a need for light. There is no light needed where many other lights are. So let us be a light in the world.
God has given Jesus all authority. Jesus then has commanded us to GO. Because Jesus has authority, not only that but ALL authority. What does He do with it? He commands us to GO. Where are we to go? Anywhere that God leads. Where we live. I like to think that there is a progression to our going. First we go where we work and live. Then we go near where we live and later we branch out to further places. There is no point in going out to other places if we don't obey were we are now.
Not only are we to go but we are to pray for others to go. For there are few that will consider Jesus a man to follow. Many will study and cheer, but few will work in the harvest field. We gather in large groups and talk about Oh how good Jesus is but do not do what He says. Do we know Him? Are we His friends? The Bible says that those that do His will are His friends. Not those who know what He said. But those who do what He said. Now we have to know what He said before we can do what He said. But lets not get so bogged down in learning what He said that we completely disobey what He said.
Not only are we commanded to go and given many examples of others that went, but God has given us the person of the Holy Spirit. Why was the Holy Spirit given? So that we can be effective witnesses. And it is to those who obey that will receive more of the Holy Spirit. If we are not going to share the gospel to others we are not obeying what Jesus said and are quenching the gift of the Holy Spirit that lives within us.
Now it says in 2 Cor 5:11 that Paul knew the fear of the Lord and for this reason he persuaded men. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And sharing the gospel to the lost would be the beginning and not a seminary degree. With many papers written, books read and methods learned. Does it take a lot of learning to tell a person how to get to your house? No. And it does not take a lot of learning to tell a person about Jesus coming to live in you. We are the dwelling place of God. We are the temple of God. Just as I can tell someone how to get to my house I can tell them how to come to Jesus.
Then why is it hard to share the gospel? It is not a problem of knowledge it is a problem of the heart. We don't want to do it. Why? There will be persecution! We are to rejoice in persecution. For in persecution we are blessed. The disciples rejoiced when they were beaten for preaching. There is a basic Christian principal that is ignored by many. And that is self denial. Self denial is a requirement of following Jesus. If we are not denying ourselves we are not following Jesus. Why do we go to church. Read our Bibles and pray. But don't follow Jesus? Is it because we are religious and not spiritual? Jesus is calling us to repentance. And all who come to Him in true repentance will not be cast aside.
Jesus said that if you confess Me before men I will confess you before My Father in heaven. But if we deny Him Jesus denies us before the Father. Matthew 10:32,33 If we are not sharing Christ with others our prayers will be hindered. This is a promise and a warning. Let us follow what Jesus is teaching and not have our prayers hindered.
Philippians 2 talks about Jesus giving up all to come and live with us so that He could bring us to salvation. We can take a que from Jesus to follow His example.
Paul shows us the intensity he has in sharing Christ. It is this intensity which pushes through the problems.
In 1 Thes 3:8 Paul and his co writers say that they really live when you stand firm in the Lord. It is not just to know Christ on a one time basis but to know Christ on an ongoing basis. To stay with Him through thick and thin.
1 Tim 6:12 We are to make the good confession among many witnesses.
And in Psalm 2:8 we are given the template to pray for the nations. God will give them to us as we look to Him in faith.
Ps 24 Lift up your heads O ye gates
and be lifted up O ye ancient doors.
Who is this king of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty.
Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye ancient doors.
Who is this king of glory.
The Lord of hosts He is the king of glory.
Many people live with the doctrine of peace. Which says that if it is of God then there will be peace. It is true God gives peace to His children. And it is His will for us to live in peace. But what happens when God asks us to do something we don't want to do? If we live with the understanding of the doctrine of peace we would not accept God's leading as being from God and would think it is something we should not be doing.
We are not to reject something because of our state of mind. The proof if something is from God is it in the Bible and is He telling me to do it? If we do not have peace than go to God for His grace.
Phil 4:6f are the instructions for when we don't have peace. If we had peace always as God leads us then this verse would have no purpose for us. But we are of the flesh and have not attained to the life of faith that is possible. So we need to go to God to find the assurance and peace of God through prayer.
Let peace be an indicator of God's will and let worry be a reminder to pray for God to give us peace.
Peace does not come if we concentrate on the circumstances of life. We are to remember the promises of God and live as God leads us to walk in them.
The problem of the doctrine of God is in control. God is in control but he has given us the authority to go into the world and present the gospel to others to lead them to salvation and a life lived for the purposes of God. If we rest in God's control and don't go we are living in disobedience of not doing one of the main commands Jesus gave us in the New Testament.
Some would say persecution is a reason to not go because there is no open door. Paul was in Ephesians for I think 3 years because of an open door. But the Bible also said Paul faced many adversaries during his time there.
1 Peter 4:1,2 "Therefore since Christ has suffered in the flesh arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God."
To go and tell people about Jesus is not suffering. It should be a privilege. At first though we would not have the frame of mind to do this with joy. God would have us to come to Him for a change of mind. As we commit our life to him and learn contentment in whatever circumstance we find ourselves, willingness to share will come.
A time of quietness and resting in His goodness will revive us and cause us not to be self absorbed but Christ absorbed.
Jude 3 Contend earnestly for the faith. Some people will not accept the gospel message at first. But Paul was given the ability to open blind eyes. Acts 26:17,18 We have the same power and ability Paul had. We can open blind eyes to the gospel. How? First in prayer. Not just short prayers. Prevailing prayer that prays till there is a confirmation in our spirit that we have broken through the barriers. Then we go forward according to the leading of the Spirit. In Romans 16:19,20 It says God will go with us and He will crush Satan under our feet. It is the going after the praying that defeats Satan. It takes both.
Jesus sent the 12 in 2's and He sent the 70 in 2's. So going with someone is better than going alone. With unity in prayer and action there is exponential power. One will chase a 1000 and 2 will chance 10,000. But if you are alone don't despise your isolation. Jesus said don't wait 4 months for the harvest. Go out now!
When you have some success others may join you. Remember Philip went alone and Paul was alone at Athens.
Acts 5:42 �And every day, in the temple and form house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.� The work of the gospel is a daily work. Something in my heart will be expressed daily. When something is a chore it is not in my heart. I am excited about witnessing, but it has been put there by the Spirit. Prayer of repentance and prayer for the infilling of the Spirit will change my heart. I look to God to change the status quo of my dead heart. I want to shine the light of Jesus to others. I am a candle and I want to be put on a hill so others can see Jesus.
How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news. Romans 10:15, Isaiah 52:7 Our readiness to share the gospel and the going to share the gospel and the sharing the gospel are part of the armor of God. (feet shed with the preparation of the gospel of peace) To share the gospel allows us the be able to resist the works of the enemy. To ignore sharing the gospel causes us not to be nimble to move in the Spirit. Without being able to move in the Spirit we are not able to function. Have you ever had shoes that didn't fit.
Eph 6 We are to stand firm against the enemy taking up the armor of God. One part of this armor is having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
So sharing the gospel allows us to stand against the enemy. To not share the gospel is to not be able to stand against the enemy. Some would say I have no peace in sharing the gospel. The answer to that is Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing or don't be anxious about anything. If we are anxious go to God in prayer and tell Him about it. He will give peace in the midst of the trial. But there will be peace from Him. But you may say I prayed and there is no peace. Then there is only one answer. Return to prayer. Pray for the answer. Wait on the Lord for the answer in quietness.
Do not let the apparent lack of an answer to your prayer for peace in sharing the gospel keep you from obedience. Paul did not always go in peace. He went trembling 1 Cor. 2:3. Sometimes faith needs to go with no apparent answer.
Seek God till you come to a place of contentment in obeying the leading of the Scriptures the Holy Spirit is showing you. Do not harden your heart. Yield to the will of God. Strength comes from quietness as well as prayer.
Rom 16:19,20 It is under our feet that Satan is defeated. It is the feet going to share the gospel that defeats Satan. Share the gospel to win!
In Matt 25 the master comes back and pays his slaves for the use of talents. Those who reap will receive wages. John 4:36
Mountains are a type of opposition and trial. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news. Who announces peace and says God reigns. This again is the work of the soul winner that brings the good news of the gospel through trials to the lost. Let us go to the sea coasts to fish for the lost and then to the mountains to search for them. Jeremiah 16:16 There is a reward for those who reap souls for the kingdom. John 4:36
So what do we do? R A Torry asked D L Moody this question back in 1878. "Tell us how to win people to Jesus Christ." Moody said, "Go at it! That's the best way to learn!"
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