God Still Needs Heroes Of The Faith

" GOD STILL NEEDS HEROES "

LUKE 10:30-37

WE CAN’T BE SURE OF TOO MANY THINGS IN THIS LIFE BUT I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE THINGS I HAVE ASSURANCE IN…

1. I AM ASSURED OF MY SALVATION IN CHRIST JESUS

ROMANS 8:35-39

2. I AM ASSURED OF MY CALLING TO THE VINEYARD

2 TIMOTHY 1:8-9

3. I AM ASSURED OF MY BURDEN FOR PEOPLE

EXODUS 32:30-32, ROMANS 9:1-3

GOD HAS SHOWN ME HIS BURDEN FOR THE LOST AND DYING IN THIS WORLD TODAY AND THE LAST THING YOU CAN BE ASSURED OF IS THIS MY FRIEND…

GOD IS STILL LOOKING FOR HEROES! TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO LUKE CHAPTER 10 BEGINNING IN VERSE 30-37. ( PRAYER )

GOD SENT ONE OF HIS HEROES INTO MY LIFE WHEN I WAS ONLY FOURTEEN YEARS OLD BY THE NAME OF BUFORD LEROY ORR. GOD USED THIS HERO TO PLANT SEED IN MY HEART THAT WOULD ONE DAY BLOOM INTO SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. HE TALKED WITH ME LIKE I WAS IMPORTANT, HE LISTENED TO ME LIKE WHAT I HAD TO SAY MEANT SOMETHING, HE CARED ABOUT ME LIKE I WAS THE SON HE NEVER HAD AND HE REACHED OUT TO ME AT A TIME IN MY LIFE THAT I NEEDED SOMEONE TO REACH OUT A RESCUE HAND. MY LIFE UNTIL THAT POINT HAD BEEN FILLED WITH MANY WRONG ROLE MODELS AND IT’S A WONDER THAT I EVEN LISTENED TO HIM OR WANTED TO BE AROUND HIM. I HAD SEEN MY DADDY BEAT MY MOMA TILL HER EYES WOULD SWELL SHUT AND THEN TURN AROUND AND TAKE OUT HIS FRUSTRATION ON US. I HAD SEEN MY NOW DEAD GRANDFATHER CHASE EVERYBODY OUT OF THE HOUSE AND TEN BLOCKS UP THE ROAD WITH A CANE KNIFE THREATENING TO KILL US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. I HAD SEEN THIS SAME MAN PULL HIS OWN TEETH OUT OF HIS MOUTH TO PROVE HOW TOUGH HE WAS. I HAVE SEEN MY OWN FATHER MEET ANOTHER WOMAN FOR SEX WHILE LEAVING ME IN A BARROOM WHILE HE WAS STILL MARRIED TO MY MOTHER.

I WATCHED ALL THAT AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO SHAPE MY MIND THAT IT’S A MIRACLE IN ITSELF I EVER LISTENED TO THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST FROM A MAN LIKE LEROY. HE SIMPLY SHARED JESUS WITH ME AND THE FACT THAT I WAS LOVED SO MUCH THAT HE DIED IN MY PLACE. THE GREATEST NEED I HAD IN MY LIFE AT THAT TIME WAS TO KNOW THAT SOMEWHERE OUT THERE I COULD BE LOVED BY GOD. THEN LEROY TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO MODEL MANHOOD FOR ME BY THE WAY HE LIVED HIS LIFE AND THE WAY HE WORSHIPPED GOD.

REST ASSURED OF THIS MY FRIEND, GOD STILL NEEDS HEROES TO REACH A LOST AND DYING WORLD. NOT MANY MEN AND WOMEN WHO WANT TO BE HEROES OUT THERE BUT GOD AIN’T QUIT LOOKING YET FOR A SERVANT TO UPHOLD.

· FIRST POINT FROM THE SCRIPTURE TEXT IS FOUND IN VERSE 30

THIS MAN WAS A JEW! HE WASN’T SOME FOREIGNER FROM SOME DISTANT LAND THAT LOOKED LESS THAN HUMAN BUT WAS FROM THE CITY OF JERUSALEM. HE WAS STRIPPED OF HIS POSSESSIONS AND CLOTHING BY ROBBERS AND THEN BEATEN TO DEATHS DOORSTEP BY THE SAME MEN WHO TOOK EVERYTHING HE HAD. LEFT TO DIE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD LIKE THROWAWAY TRASH. PRETTY SORRY SITE LYING THERE IN A POOL OF HIS OWN BLOOD WITH NO WAY TO HELP HIMSELF BECAUSE OF HIS CONDITION. HE MIGHT HAVE MOANED AND CRIED OUT FOR HELP IF HE HADN’T BEEN UNCONSCIOUS FROM THE PAIN OF HIS BEATING.

1. JESUS TOLD THE DISCIPLES A SUPRISING THING IN THE BOOK OF ACTS CHAPTER ONE VERSE EIGHT. HE TOLD THEM TO WAIT FOR THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME UPON THEM AND TO BEGIN WITNESSING FOR HIM IN JERUSALEM, RIGHT THERE IN THEIR OWN HOMETOWN. I WONDER WHY HE DID THAT?

NOT SUCH A STRANGE REQUEST WHEN WE CONSIDER THE FACT THAT IF WE WON’T WITNESS TO THE PEOPLE WE KNOW AND LOVE, WHO WILL WE WITNESS TOO? JESUS WANTS US TO FAITHFUL IN OUR OWN HOMES FIRST, IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES FIRST, IN OUR OWN CHURCHES FIRST BEFORE WE EVER VENTURE OUTSIDE OUR REGULAR LIVES. JESUS KNOWS THAT IF WE’RE NOT FAITHFUL IN A LITTLE BIT WE WON’T BE FAITHFUL IN MUCH. HE KNOWS THAT UNLESS WE CAN BE FAITHFUL AROUND OUR OWN, WE’LL NEVER GO TO THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE EARTH TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THE HEATHEN THAT’S SO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN US.

HOW FAITHFUL TO THE NEEDS OF YOUR REGULAR LIFE HAVE YOU BEEN? DON’T SAY AMEN JUST YET BECAUSE ONE OTHER POINT NEEDS TO BE MADE BEFORE WE JUDGE OUR SERVICE.

· SECOND POINT TO MAKE IS THAT OUR ACTIONS SPEAK SO MUCH LOUDER THAN OUR WORDS