“…Bring Unchurched People into God’s Family…”
Matthew 9:35-38
(July 15, 2001)
Introduction
When people think of evangelism, there are generally at least three reactions:
First, there is, for some, excitement. They love the idea of getting out there and sharing the good news of Christ, and they are elated when people come to Christ. I happen to be one of those.
The second reaction is something like, “That Billy Graham is such a nice man. He should be on TV every night so my neighbor would see him.”
The third is something like this: “AAAAAAHHH!!!!”
I can tell you from first-hand experience that most people fall in the last two categories, and I’m willing to guess that most of those would put themselves in the last category.
During the next few weeks we are going to dissect the purpose statement of Aberdeen Wesleyan Church, as we seek God in how to implement it in our lives, so that we can have an impact on our area.
In fact, I would like us to read that together. It is found on the cover of your bulletin. Please read along.
“Our purpose is to bring unchurched people into God’s family, and to offer worship that lifts up God, ministry that heals hurts, a home for fellowship, and instruction in Christian living.”
Let me encourage you to memorize that statement, and ask God how He would have you personally involved in bringing it to fulfillment.
This morning we are going to look at the first aspect of the statement, “to bring unchurched people into God’s family.”
You probably have already figured out that this means evangelism.
My purpose this morning is not to brow-beat anyone into doing evangelism, but to help you gain a bit of God’s heart for the lost in our area.
Already some of you are thinking that evangelism is best left to the “professionals” like the pastor or Billy Graham.
Believe me, I wish I were one-tenth the evangelist Billy Graham is.
But as I have pointed out before, one of the jobs of pastors and evangelists is to prepare God’s people for works of service, and that includes sharing the Good News.
Please turn with me to Matthew 9:35-38. Matthew is the first book in the New Testament, and if you are without a Bible today, you can find the part we are reading on page 687 of the Bibles in the rows of seats.
By the way, if you don’t own a Bible, we would just be thrilled to give you one from the seats, at no charge. We believe that the Word of God changes lives, and we want as many people to have a copy as possible.
Please follow along as I read these few verses.
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
This passage gives us a glimpse of the heart of God concerning the multitudes that are ready to give their lives to Christ but are not able to because there is no one to guide them to Him.
In an effort to help us in this effort, I want to offer how we can become involved. And to do that I want to offer three “C’s”. The first of these is…
I. Conviction.
A conviction is “a strong persuasion or belief; the quality or state of being certain, esp. on the basis of evidence.”
We need certain convictions if we intend to be effective in reaching the lost for Christ.
First, we need the conviction that
A. All people are lost and need a Redeemer. Scripture is quite clear that without help from God, we face an eternity in hell to pay the penalty we deserve for our sins.
Romans says that the wages of sin is death, and there is no way around that.
When a church loses this conviction, indifference and complacency set in.
But coupled with the conviction of man’s end because of sin is the conviction that…
B. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer. The only Redeemer. Jesus said that He is the only way, the only truth, the only life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
He wants to save everyone from the horrible penalty we deserve, and made heaven possible by shedding His own blood and dying in our place.
We need convictions that drive us to be involved in the lives of those needing Christ and what He offers.
Along with convictions we need…
II. Concern.
Look again at verse 36:
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Why do we visit people in the hospital? Because we’re concerned about them.
Why do we send money to help orphans and the starving? Because we are concerned about them.
I read of a time when the Pope received hiccup remedies from thousands of people because they were concerned about him.
How many are concerned about the crowds in our area that are harassed and helpless, without hope in a lost and dying world?
Are you concerned that your neighbor might spend an eternity without Christ? Are you concerned that a co-worker may suffer in hell because He doesn’t know that God has offered a way of escape?
Are you concerned that our society spits on God and His Word, turning their backs on the love of God and the salvation He offers?
May God break our hearts as we leave here today.
We need convictions, we need concern, and we need…
III. Consecration.
To consecrate basically means “to set aside for holy use.”
We need to set aside some things for the task of bringing unchurched people into God’s family.
And the first of these is…
A. Possessions.
Is what you own viewed by you as really belonging to God? Or are you like most people who think that what you own is really owned by you?
Christians, even wealthy ones, in actuality own nothing. We are merely stewards or managers of what God has given us to hold for Him.
All this to say that if God asks you to give something, whether money, material items, time, talent, or whatever, it is essential that you allow God to take that and use it for His purposes.
Allow yourself to partner with God in the use of your possessions.
The second thing needing to be consecrated to the purpose of bringing people into God’s family is…
B. People.
I have stated time and time again that God does not use angels to spread the good news of salvation in Christ.
He uses people. He wants to use you and me. And that is a high honor, folks.
God has decided that you and I would be the means He uses to communicate His love to the world.
And while He has indeed set apart some to be prophets, apostles, pastors, evangelists, and teachers, the fact is that we can’t do it alone.
We need and want your involvement. We have no interest in saving the work for ourselves. We LOVE training people to reach their friends and loved ones.
In the fall I hope to be introducing an adult Discipleship class, that will take a person from being a newborn babe in Christ to someone who will be able to be a vital part of the ministry of the church, including some “how-to” stuff on introducing your friends to Christ.
It is my hope that many of you will want to take part of that. It excites me to no end to see people desiring to be involved in ministry in whatever situation God places them.
We need to consecrate our possessions and our people.
Conviction, Concern, and Consecration.
These are some of the key ingredients to bringing unchurched people into God’s family.
Conclusion
The word “bring” implies something. It implies that you are involved.
The word isn’t “advertise” people into God’s family, though advertisements can be a useful, but limited tool. It’s not “televise” them into God’s family, though I am not against televised church services as long as they don’t replace church attendance for those able to make it to church. And I am certainly not against televised evangelism, as long as it is faithful to the Scriptures.
The word isn’t “hope” them into God’s family.
The word is “bring.” I get the image of someone taking a person gently by the hand and leading them into a new knowledge of God.
This requires…
Personal involvement. It takes you either presenting the truth of the gospel yourself, or bringing the person to someone who can.
By the way, I am available to do that. If there is someone you want to hear the gospel, and they are willing to visit with me, I am more than happy to meet with them, anytime, and almost anywhere.
Prayer. Pray that God will move in the lives of those you wish to be saved. Pray that God would remove the barriers keeping those people from understanding their need for a Savior. Pray that God would lay other people on your heart.
You will be amazed at what God starts to do when we pray for people to come to Christ.
It says in 1 John that if we pray according to God’s will, He hears and grants our request.
And then 2 Peter says that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
I am convinced that prayer for souls pleases God and allows us to see Him move in people’s lives not possible otherwise.
Pray for people.
Promotion. What I mean by this is that you need to promote the wonderful life available in Christ, and also this wonderful fellowship we call Aberdeen Wesleyan Church.
It is wonderful, you know. Perfect? Far from it! But it is wonderful, and your active involvement through attendance, ministry, and prayer makes it more so.
There you go: Personal involvement, prayer, and promotion.
As we take these to heart, we can truly be a church that along with bringing people into God’s family, can offer the rest of our purpose statement: worship that lifts up God, ministry that heals hurts, a home for fellowship, and instruction in Christian living.
Take the challenge offered by Jesus to wade into the fields and reap a harvest.
Invitation
I want to take a few moments here at the end to address the fact that if statistics are correct, there are a good number of people here this morning who do not know the wonderful fact that they can walk out of here this morning with the assurance of going to heaven when they die.
You may have grown up in this church, or maybe another church, and have heard the message of Christ many times. Maybe you haven’t darkened the doorstep of a church in quite a while.
Maybe you have lived a life that you feel is beyond hope, or beyond forgiveness from God.
I have something to tell you: you are never too far from God’s love. He loves you more than you will ever know. And He wants you to experience His love now and for eternity.
Jesus says that if you believe on Him, you will have forgiveness for your sins and eternal life beginning right now.
And here’s another piece of good news. He wants you just as you are. He doesn’t want you to wait until you think you are clean enough for Him, because the truth is that you will never be clean enough.
He does the cleaning. Let Him enter your life and make you a new creation.
I am going to pray a prayer right now. If you want to know the love of God as He grants you forgiveness and a place in heaven, then you pray with me right now.
(Prayer)
If you prayed that prayer with me this morning, I would like you to indicate that on the response card in your bulletin. There is a place on the back of the card to check if you prayed to take Christ as your Savior.
Please take the time to fill that in.
And for the rest of you, please make the effort to bring people to God’s family.
And now, I would ask that our ushers come forward to collect our morning tithes and offerings, as well as the response cards.
And following the offering we will close by singing our closing chorus.
Shall we pray?
