KingJ
Active
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2015
- Messages
- 4,912
Whenever you stand in front of the lost these days you can expect them to be a mix of:
A. Confident Atheists
People biting their tongues, eager to tell you that your God and religion are ancient fairy tales.
B. Confident members of different religious groups
People getting annoyed at you for thinking you have a right preaching to them when they have their own religion.
C. Confident and aggressive liberal 'so called Christians'
People who hate the fact that you are preaching to them when they believe we must not ever do such, just love everyone unconditionally.
D. The humbled and lost
People who have had the Holy Spirit working on their heart and are listening to all you have to say as they feel real conviction from their sin.
---------------------------
It is important to understand the following:
1. God wants to reach all (1 Tim 2:4)
2. A,B and C are looking for a sign and waiting for you to say something controversial and get you 'cancelled' .
3. Getting 'cancelled' is not such a bad thing as long as it is for holding up the truth. You do not want to be cancelled for an opinion you inserted into your sermon.
4. Very important to stay focused on scripture and not added opinions (2 Tim 3:16).
5. Wicked people are always looking for a sign or wonder (Matt 16:4). Them being miraculous creations is not sufficient. They want God of the universe to dance for them, perform tricks like a clown.
6. You will fail terribly at your one job if you like them expect and demand God to dance like a clown.
7. When God 'dances' it usually results in wicked people being drowned or burnt alive.
8. You have power to do miracles like cast demons out and heal the sick (Matt 16:17-18), but mostly miracles will be reactive. Like being able to eat poison and live or stand on scorpions and not be bitten.
9. It is important to understand the above and the fact that you do not ever want a focus on 'signs and wonders'. These things take place after a sermon and should never be the main event. Else you become guilty of ******* God of the universe. Imagine that.
Important to make them understand the following:
1. You are the sign that God has sent to them (2 Cor 5:20).
2. Them having ears to hear and a brain to understand is evidence of the existence of a miracle working God (Rom 1:20).
3. All focus on Jesus. He has changed the world and He came with one main message. 'Repent of your sins' (Luke 24:47).
4. If you want to meet God, repent of your sins. James 4:8 is clear that if you draw close to God, He will draw close to you.
Conclusion
It is mostly easy to preach to the lost as we live in a world that has been impacted by Jesus and the workings of the Holy Spirit.
We often mistakenly assume the lost are saved Christians who are as informed on scripture and spiritual truths as we are. But this a terrible mistake. They are not. They are blind and lost. We need to always try remember how 'smart', silly, naïve and lost we were before we became Christians.
Avoid party tricks and share the simple gospel. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
A. Confident Atheists
People biting their tongues, eager to tell you that your God and religion are ancient fairy tales.
B. Confident members of different religious groups
People getting annoyed at you for thinking you have a right preaching to them when they have their own religion.
C. Confident and aggressive liberal 'so called Christians'
People who hate the fact that you are preaching to them when they believe we must not ever do such, just love everyone unconditionally.
D. The humbled and lost
People who have had the Holy Spirit working on their heart and are listening to all you have to say as they feel real conviction from their sin.
---------------------------
It is important to understand the following:
1. God wants to reach all (1 Tim 2:4)
2. A,B and C are looking for a sign and waiting for you to say something controversial and get you 'cancelled' .
3. Getting 'cancelled' is not such a bad thing as long as it is for holding up the truth. You do not want to be cancelled for an opinion you inserted into your sermon.
4. Very important to stay focused on scripture and not added opinions (2 Tim 3:16).
5. Wicked people are always looking for a sign or wonder (Matt 16:4). Them being miraculous creations is not sufficient. They want God of the universe to dance for them, perform tricks like a clown.
6. You will fail terribly at your one job if you like them expect and demand God to dance like a clown.
7. When God 'dances' it usually results in wicked people being drowned or burnt alive.
8. You have power to do miracles like cast demons out and heal the sick (Matt 16:17-18), but mostly miracles will be reactive. Like being able to eat poison and live or stand on scorpions and not be bitten.
9. It is important to understand the above and the fact that you do not ever want a focus on 'signs and wonders'. These things take place after a sermon and should never be the main event. Else you become guilty of ******* God of the universe. Imagine that.
Important to make them understand the following:
1. You are the sign that God has sent to them (2 Cor 5:20).
2. Them having ears to hear and a brain to understand is evidence of the existence of a miracle working God (Rom 1:20).
3. All focus on Jesus. He has changed the world and He came with one main message. 'Repent of your sins' (Luke 24:47).
4. If you want to meet God, repent of your sins. James 4:8 is clear that if you draw close to God, He will draw close to you.
Conclusion
It is mostly easy to preach to the lost as we live in a world that has been impacted by Jesus and the workings of the Holy Spirit.
We often mistakenly assume the lost are saved Christians who are as informed on scripture and spiritual truths as we are. But this a terrible mistake. They are not. They are blind and lost. We need to always try remember how 'smart', silly, naïve and lost we were before we became Christians.
Avoid party tricks and share the simple gospel. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
