Participate In Christian Cloning Series

You Might Be A Healthy Christian If......You Participate In Christian Cloning.

4 of 4 FBC Chester, IL Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

1 In Le Lavandou, France it is a grave offense to ......die.

A The Riviera town’s only cemetary is full and ecologist (people who study the enviroment) are holding up their proposal for another one along the coast.

a. Because the dispute will probably go on for a long time, the mayor passed a law on September 21, 2000 stating, "It is illegal for anyone without a cemetery plot to die within the town limits."

b The mayor said he knew it was absurd but insistied it was enacted because of an absurd situation.

B He was quick to tell the town that there would be no punishment for those who broke the law.

a Death is a reality that does not respond to legislation, eating right, living right....we are all going to die.

b We have no choice whether or not we die. (We do have a choice on where we go when we die & Christians have the responsibility/honor to tell people what their choices are.)

2 You might be a healthy Christian if....You participate in Christian cloning.

A Acts 1:4,8

[4] On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

[8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

a Jesus planned on growing His church through disciples reproducing disciples. (ETS)

b Healthy Christians share what they know about Jesus Christ. (ESS)

B I want you to share your faith in the next seven days. (Objective)

a Who was the last person you told about Jesus? (P.Q.)

b Let’s look at two reasons why we should share our faith with someone in the next seven days. (T.S.)

I The first reason we should share our faith in the next seven days is.......The Devil Is A Life Taker.

A There are three faces of death that I want to introduce to you. (Use a flip chart/powerpoint)

a PHYSICAL DEATH

*Heb. 9:27 "It has been appointed for men to die once, and after that comes the judgement."

*You have a 100% chance of dying. (You can’t beat those odds.)

b SPIRITUAL DEATH (Related to Physical death but distingushed)

*Gen. 2:16/17 "[16] And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; [17] but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Adam & Eve didn’t die physically on that day...they died spiritually.

*Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death....." We spiritual die!

*Because we’ve sinned there is now an abyss between us and God.

-Sin has caused us to be die spiritually. *We become dead men walking.

c ETERNAL DEATH (If you physically die, spiritually dead...the condition becomes permanent.)

*You will physically die....no choice.

*You don’t have to have eternal death. That you have some say so in.

B The devil want you to go to hell. (He wants you have eternal death)

a In 1998, Daniel Remeta was executed in the Florida electric chair for killing 5 people in 1985. In an interview shortly before his death, Remeta explained why he did what he did. "I just like to kill people."

b Reminds me of another life taker who "prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour."

*Satan likes to take life......Satan likes to kill.....Satan is a life taker.

T.S.: The devil wants your family, friends, neighbors....and you. He wants them to die and go to hell. God has another plan. If Satan is a life taker.....

II The second reason you should share your faith is....God is a Life Saver.

A Jesus gave His disciples His life saving plan. (Be my witnesses in....)

a Jerusalem: (Where were they at?......Jerusalem) Was this easy or hard?

*This is the town Jesus was tried three times, dragged through the street and crucified like a criminal. People didn’t want to hear about the message of Jesus Christ. -Jerusalem was a tough place to witness.

CHESTER (Your place of ministry)

*People know about us, our troubles, past, sins....people don’t want to hear it. Chester’s tough.

b Judea (People like them)

(To the jews in the surrounding area. Shared customs, cultures, backgrouond, beliefs.....a little easier.

People like us.

(IL) I would have an easier time sharing my faith with your family than mine and vice versa.

*Were similar, but were not from the same family (Jerusalem/Judea)