Disciples Of Jesus Are Engaged In Seeking The Lost Series

Introduction:

A. The endeavor of evangelism is one that is so very close to the heart of God.

1. On one occasion, when Jesus was clarifying His purpose and mission, He said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

2. As disciples of Jesus, who are committed to the mission of Jesus, it is so important for us to prepare ourselves and apply ourselves in the ministry of seeking and saving the lost.

B. One day a five-year old boy ran to answer the telephone, and answering it said, “Hello.”

1. A woman asked him, “Is your mother home?”

2. “Yes,” the boy replied, “but she is changing the baby’s diaper and can’t come to the phone right now. May I take a message?”

3. “Yes,” said the lady as she was impressed by the little boy, “tell her Mary Jones called.”

4. “How do you spell Mary?” the boy asked.

5. “M-A-R-Y,” came the woman’s reply.

6. A long pause followed, and the little boy asked, “How do you make an M?”

C. See, this little guy was very willing to share the message with his mother, but he simply wasn’t able.

1. Those of us who wish to reach unbelievers for Christ need to be both willing and able.

2. To be one without the other is not helpful.

a. We can be able to share our faith, but not willing to do so, and maybe that’s where some of us have been.

b. Or we can be willing to share our faith, but are not be able to do so.

3. The last thing I want to see happen in our church family, is for us to be convicted by Jesus’ command to make disciples, and then not have a clue as to how to begin to do so.

4. So, I want to help us to be more prepared to share our faith by giving us some simple ways to begin to share the good news with others.

5. I believe that if we will devote ourselves to developing just a few simple attitudes and actions, we will be more able to be used by God in reaching the lost.

D. To help us develop these attitudes and actions, I want to use the Old Testament person of Nehemiah as an example and an illustration.

1. You might be thinking: “What in the world does Nehemiah have to do with evangelism?”

2. But I trust that you see the connection as we proceed.

E. So, who was this man named Nehemiah?

1. He was a Jew, but he was far from his Jewish homeland, because he was a descendent of the Jews who were taken into exile during the 70 years of God’s punishment of Israel.

2. Nehemiah was placed by God in an important position - he was cupbearer to the king of Persia.

3. But even though he is loyal to the king of Persia, deep in his heart he had a greater loyalty – he was devoted to Jehovah God, and to God’s people the Jews.

4. Nehemiah was very concerned about his people and his homeland, so he asked his brother who had just come from Judah how things were going back there, and the report was devastating.

5. Just as you would cry if you heard that your hometown lay in ruins, he sat down and wept.

F. Jerusalem, the once magnificent city, the capital of the nation of Israel, still laid in ruins.

1. Early in the 6th century B.C., Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, had invaded Judah and left it devastated.

2. Jerusalem was destroyed and Solomon’s temple was stripped of its sacred items and burned to the ground.

3. In three separate deportations, thousands of Jews were taken to Babylon as prisoners.

G. For those taken in captivity, everything must have felt hopeless.

1. They were marched 500 miles east, far from their homeland and their dreams.

2. There in Babylon, they must have begun to question their God, fearing that He had forever turned against them.

3. But then in their hopelessness, the prophets of God began to hear the voice of God and began to fill the people with hope of restoration.

4. The Babylonian empire became unstable with the death of Nebuchadnezzar in 562 B.C.

5. By the year 539 B.C., Cyrus, King of Persia conquered Babylon.

H. One year later, King Cyrus of Persia issued the Edict of Restoration allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild both Jerusalem and the temple.

1. After many delays, the temple was finally rebuilt and dedicated in 515 B.C., but despite the predictions and prayers, the new age for the Jews did not materialize.

2. Jerusalem still lay in ruins and the Israelites were not up-holding the Law of God.