One Link In The Chain

ONE LINK IN THE CHAIN

1 Cor. 3:6

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A preacher died and found himself in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him was a guy who’s dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.

2. Saint Peter asked the guy, “Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?” The guy replies, “I’m Joe Cohen, taxi-driver, of Noo Yawk City.”

3. Saint Peter consulted his list. He smiled and says to the taxi-driver, “Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Next it was the minister’s turn.

4. He stood erect and boomed out, “I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary’s for the last forty-three years.” Saint Peter consults his list. He says to the minister, “Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

5. “Just a minute,” says the minister. “How come that taxi-driver got a silken robe and a golden staff, and I just got a cotton robe and a wooden staff?

6. Peter said, “Up here, we work by results. When you preached, people slept; but while he drove, people prayed!”

B. TEXT

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” 1 Cor. 3:6.

C. THESIS

1. Tonight we’re talking about how influential we are. Every day, in everything we say and do, we are influencing people spiritually, either helping them move toward or away from a relationship with Christ.

2. A person’s journey toward Christ is not one giant leap but many small steps of faith. Sociologists tell us that even the shiest introvert will influence 10,000 people over the course of their lifetime. [johnmaxwell.com]

3. At the end of the day, we all have personal responsibility for the way we conduct our lives.

4. The title of tonight’s message is “One Link in the Chain.”

I. THE POSITIVE POWER OF CHAINS

A. ON U.S. NAVAL AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

1. A modern U.S. Naval aircraft carrier is an awe-inspiring sight. They are about 1,100 feet long, 24 stories tall, and can weigh over 100,000 tons. These ships can hold up to 90 different aircraft.

2. As you can imagine, the chains needed to anchor a ship of this size are enormous. The chains are almost a quarter mile in length, with massive links weighing 365 pounds each.

3. Why must the links be so large and strong? Because they have to be able to pull in one of the two anchors, each weighing 60,000 pounds! The combined weight of one chain and anchor is 735,000 pounds! The machine which pulls in the anchor is called a “windless.” It’s enormous and extremely powerful.

B. GOD’S CHAINS OF LOVE

1. Chains can never push anything, but they can pull things in. Likewise, God “draws” sinners to Himself. He does this by the “windless” of the Holy Spirit, but the chain is made up of the influence of individual believers.

2. Just as it takes many links to make up a chain, it usually takes many “links” of believers to win someone to Christ. Each unbeliever has to go through many steps or stages to arrive at full, submissive faith to Jesus Christ.

3. Experts say that it takes 16 exposures to Christian faith for the average lost person to come to faith in Christ. Every interaction you have with people counts for eternity.

4. You may be the next link in someone’s chain. You don’t have to be the entire chain. Just don’t be the missing link. Think about what would happen if one million Christians in America committed themselves to become one link in the chain to the lost people around them!

II. WE NEED TO BE WILLING TO WITNESS

A. MY ENCOUNTER YESTERDAY

1. Yesterday Angela & I took her invalid mother to the shopping mall (Woodlands) to buy some clothes. They were in a store for about an hour. I was sitting on a chair in the mall looking at my phone and observing people going by.

2. A young man, about 17, sat down beside me, and said, “You look like a smart man so maybe you could give me some advice. I don’t know what to do with my life or the direction I should take. Can you give me any pointers?”

3. I said, “I can tell you two things that will help you in life. The first is to get as much education as you can. That’s the only way to move up in income. The second thing is that you must develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

4. Then I told him how, as a young person, I was searching for the “missing piece” of my life and finally found it when I found Jesus. I explained that Christianity isn’t just a religion, but is a relationship. God puts His presence in your heart and then begins to guide your life and help you make the right decisions. But it all happens as we seek Jesus.