Intro: years ago I had a friend that loved Barry Manilo—I didn’t even know who Barry Manilow was at that time, but every time I went over to his house, he played Manilow music. Every time I road in his car, he put on a Manilow C.D, he even convinced me to go to a Manilow concert in Birmingham. I guess you could say, he was a Manilow maniac. As Christians we are too be focused, driven, passionate about Jesus, and our evangelism for Christ must be aggressive not passive. Jesus shows us the importance of aggressive evangelism in a parable he tells. We can learn a lot about standing up for Christ in Luke 14:15-24.
My message tonight is:
The Compelling Christian
By reading this parable we learn a few important points:
a. a lot of people who have been invited to accept Christ have declined.
b. People have more excuses than Carter has pills.
c. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again
d. Go outside your circle, share with anyone, anywhere you can
e. There is plenty of room at the table
f. God’s will is that His house be full
g. Those who reject Christ miss heaven
I. A lot of people who have been invited to accept Christ have declined—v.18
One of the first things you must know in bringing people to Jesus Christ is that many have already heard the good news, but have rejected it. You have to be realistic as a witness, you want always get a positive response sharing Christ.
II. People have more excuses than Carter has pills—v.18-20 as someone who wants others to come to Jesus you must realize also, that people have all types of excuses, they are professional excuse makers. Here are just a few:
a. there are a lot of hypocrites in the church, I don’t need to go to church to live for God.
b. I am already saved, you don’t need to bother with me, I got saved in 1990, they wrote my name on the church members list.
c. I got some things I am working out in my life, and when I get them right, I will come to Jesus.
d. Who are you to tell me anything, it’s not like you’re perfect
e. I am of another faith, all roads lead to heaven anyway.
III. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again—21 another lesson in aggressive evangelism is that you throw out more than one seed. You don’t give up or get discouraged if you don’t get immediate results in bringing people to Christ.
Old salesman advice—you will only get a sale one out of every 10
Calls you make, so the more calls, the sooner you will get a sale.
IV. Go outside your circle—21-23 there are no throwbacks, there are no people that you give up on or say they are beyond hope. Don’t by-pass anyone, because the one you might least expect to receive your message, is the one who will respond.
V. There is plenty of room at the table—sometimes there are people who feel worthless, that since they have been rejected so many times in their lives, that Christ would reject them too. But as a compelling Christians with the good news of the gospel, you can tell people, there is plenty of room at the table.
Ill) whenever friends would come over to shoot hoops or fish or whatever, when it hit supper time they would generally say, it’s time for me to leave, you’ll are getting ready to eat. There face would light up when I would say, come on and eat with us, there’s plenty of room at the table. That is our message in a world of hurt, pain and rejection, there’s a place for you.
VI. God’s will is that His house would be full—v.23 It is not God’s will that any should perish. The message of the church is that God wants His house to be full. So many times people get a religious message of keeping people out, with man made rules and religion. But the truth is, God wants His house to be full.
VII. Those Who Reject Christ, Miss Heaven—v.24 if you don’t
Respond to the call of Jesus Christ you miss heaven. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me. You must realize that acceptance and rejection of Jesus Christ determines eternity for every soul.
Close: if you want to see a true picture of how important you are in other’s lives. Watch the news of the rescues of people being lifted by helicopter from their rooftops. Imagine this, when you share Christ to some who is lost, someone unsaved, your message saves them. It is God’s love reaching down pulling them out of the pits of hell. God wants you to be a compelling Christians, and be part of the eternal rescue operation of souls for Jesus Christ.
