Five Things And Seven Habits!

“Father, I am your servant, willing and desiring to be used to bless your people.”

The Fields are white and the laborers are few!

2. C.H. Spurgeon said, “If God does not save a man by truth he certainly will not save them by lies, and if the old gospel is not competent to work a revival, then we will do without the revival;

We live in a world filled with DISTRACTIONS which scream for our attention. Unknowingly these can diminish our DESPERATION for God. Religious or even devotional activity is not always equal to spiritual maturity. Almost anything that is designed to serve as an outward expression of an inward attitude can be cheapened by hypocrisy.

We must remain vigilant and careful lest we become more distracted and comfortable with the practice than we do with the person of Jesus.

HE alone must be the undivided pursuit of our lives. We must long for the approval of God in secret and when God is the supreme hunger of our hearts, He will be now be supreme in everything.

Here are few questions that would help draft a detailed road map of this:

How earnest are our prayers? The Effectual Prayers

How modest are our principles? Envy, covet, Is it all about US or are we content?

How honest are our practices? Does everything we do Honor the God we profess!

Five Things and Seven habits if we are to Reach People with the Gospel"

Luke 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

Luke 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

Luke 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

Luke 19:4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

Luke 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

Luke 19:6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

Luke 19:7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

Luke 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

Luke 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Intro. Howard Hendricks said, “In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.”

Bill Bright, Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, said, "Millions of surveys which we have helped to take around the world indicate that approximately 98 percent of the Christians do not regularly introduce others to the Savior."

With so few believers actively sharing their faith, we must get back to the heart of Christ’s mission and passion so that the Church can be the voice of truth to those who are lost. The encounter of Zacchaeus and Jesus teaches us five things we must do to reach people for Christ.

I. Jesus Sought Him (vv. 1-5)– We must be willing to go after people because they are looking and screaming for hope and answers.

• It was Jesus that was looking for Zacchaeus more than Zacchaeus was looking for Jesus! Jesus is looking for lost sinners more than lost sinners are look for Jesus!

Paul Harvey said, "Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium."

II. Jesus Cared for Him (v. 5a)– We must care enough to find out more about them. Jesus called Zacchaeus by name. It is hard to tell someone what you know until you show them how much you care!

If we don’t care for the lost then we are sinning against God.

James 4:17 “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

III. Jesus Fellowshipped with Him (v. vv. 5b-6)– We must be willing to go to them, into their homes, into their culture, into their circles while still being separate in our actions

Years ago an alcoholic came to Christ and after some time some old friends asked him if he really believed all that Bible stuff.. Like Jesus turning water into wine. They were all laughing at the very thought of it. But he said, not only do I believe that, but I believe he can turn whiskey into things. He turned whiskey into food on my families table that they never had, he put clothes on my kids they never had, he turned whiskey into peace and love that my family never knew