Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The ressurected Saviour Jesus Christ is now won the victory for all of mankind. But the spreading of the Good News He leaves in the Hands of His Disciples.
I plan to do a series on Evangelism giving practical exhortation in God’s Word and from a lifeline of winning souls. Since I have been saved, my one goal and one joy is to help people be found by Jesus. This is not a series I have written down. This is coming from my heart as I write.
Part one is about having a sincere love for the lost. This is the only way they will listen.
Part #1 https://steemit.com/steemchurch/@mhm-philippines/love-evangelist-series
The Great Commission not the Great Suggestion!
My hope is that you will be encouraged to join in the Great Commission. It is what you are created for! It is where you will get your greatest satisfaction in your Christian walk. It is where you will bring the greatest JOY to your Heavenly Father.
Unity
Why unity?
It is my belief that the Great Commission is the galvinazing factor of the Body of Christ! The Great Commission, by design gets our eyes off of ourselves and one another and on the lost and their imminent destination, not to eternal life, but eternal separation from God.
What are the things that divide us?
What are the things that we have in common?
If we were standing side by side, looking outwards, with the same purpose and same goals, we would not even be aware of our differences, but only aware of what we have in common.
We are always looking for a label. “Oh, you are a Christian”, what is the normal next question?
“What denomination?” This question is a probe to see if we believe the same and whether or not we can work together or even fellowship with one another.
What we should be looking for is what we have in common. Because there are core beliefs required for salvation. There are central scriptural beliefs that we cannot compromise. If you don’t believe in these central truths, you are outside of the Body of Christ.
My point is this. If we agree on the central required beliefs that the Bible says is required for salvation, then we are family! We may not agree on what day to go to church! We may not agree on what I will call “Peripheral doctrines”, but we agree on the central truths, we are family and I can and will work with you!
Why is Unity important to evangelism?
Joh 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”
Jesus is saying that the people on the outside (the lost) will know the people on the inside (His Disciples) are His because they or we love one another.
Before my wife and I moved to the Philippines, by God’s grace I organized a group of believers from 7 denominations for street evangelism. There were 21 of us and we called ourselves “The Jonathan Company”.
1Sa 14:6b “for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.”
Lack of unity-hindrance
During this time we were together for prayer twice a week and we would go on the streets and door to door, proclaiming the Good News, the Time of God’s favor to anyone and everyone. More than once I have met a waiter or waitress and they would tell me of their experience with “Christians”, in the restaurant where they worked. One waitress told me on Sunday, around 12:30, people dressed nicely, coming in groups, would amass in their restaurant. She said, most of these “Christians” were the most demanding, the most rude, the worst tippers, gossipers, cutting down other churches and fellow church members. For this waitress, it was a roadblock for her giving her life over to Christ. People are watching! We are, for some, the only bible they will ever read!
The Benefits of Unity
It pleases God!
Psa 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
If you read verse three, there is a commanded blessing for those who walk in unity.
I mentioned before what Jesus said that others will know we are truly His as we love one another.
God went to such incredible trouble and sacrifice to provide this message. How can we ignore the truth that He has commanded us to Go?
1Ti 2:4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
With the Jonathan Company, we never once had a unity problem. Never an argument! 7 distinct denominations truly practicing the Words of Jesus. We had a common salvation experience based on God’s Word. That made us family! We had one common goal, to rescue the perishing! To lift up the Name of Jesus as He draws all men unto Himself.
God gave us some practical items to follow that promote unity.
- Each one was to pray for all of the others! We didn’t come asking for prayer! I am not saying it is wrong to ask for prayer, but if I prayed for all 20 others, and each one prayed for me, in the end is the same result, but the difference was we were practicing esteeming one another above ourselves.
Php 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
*We got together and prayed before going out, and we did not go out until the Holy Spirit sent us with a Word.
We absolutely never came back empty handed! There is always a field that is ripe unto harvest.
Central Truths
- One Mediator Only One Name JESUS
1Ti 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”
Joh 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
*The sinless life of Jesus
1 Peter 2:22 “WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus is God! Emmanuel, God with us!
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Col 1:16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”His substitute death in our place
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1Pe 1:18 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”His bodily ressurection from the dead.
Rom 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”Repentance.
Mat 9:13 “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luk 24:47 “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
Act 11:18 “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
Act 26:20 “But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”
2Co 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
- Our salvation is based on our faith in the finished Work of Jesus on the Cross. Not by works, or our own good deeds or self righteousness. But by faith in the Good Work of Jesus and His Righteousness.
Eph 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Thank you for reading and commmeting!
If you realize you have not truly been born again, then read the scriptures and begin to follow Jesus. Confess your sins to Him and ask Him for Eternal life.
The Words of Jesus!
Joh 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
God bless!
Daddy William
