REALITY CHECK

How to Lead Someone to Christ Part 1

 

Bruce Chant

PULSE / generation-j

24 May 2002

 

 

Our goal in 2002 is to…. MAKE ONE DISCIPLE (221 days to go).

 

 

Intro.

We are all commanded, as disciples, to make disciples of all Nations.

Matthew 28:19-20

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

We know the importance of being born again.

John 3:5

“Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”

 

Jesus Came to seek and save lost people

Luke 19:10

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

 

It is so important it is what Jesus left us with (the Great Commandment)

Acts 1:8

“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."

 

It is a huge part of being a Christian but one of the hardest, frightening, even dangerous things we are commanded to do.

Matthew 28:19 talks of:

 

No problem understanding and agreeing to these things. But what about the first thing: “go and make disciples”

 

 

Reasons Why Not.

And so there are many reasons why we don’t do it or at least faithfully obey and have a go at it.  If we understand these reasons we are more likely to face up to them and challenge them in our lives.

 

Strangely enough the reasons I am going to give you about why people don’t try to lead others to Christ are some of the same reasons why people don’t accept Christ.

(people are people – we are all human our natures are all flawed, there is nothing new under the sun)

 

1.            Fear.

Irrational or not people lack a trust in God.

They lack trust in what they are told, in what they believe, in what they think.

 

There is also fear of the unknown.

 

The fear of Man – what will people think (of me).

Proverbs 29:25 “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”  Let’s back up for a minute – what is the worst people can think of you? What is the worst they can do to you??

Compare this to the persecution in Indonesia.

 

This fear holds you bound – BUT if you trust in God he will keep you safe.

 

People need to know (both unsaved and saved) that God can totally be trusted.

 

Trust God and FEAR NOT (the bible tells us this 365 times)

 

2.            Pride.

You know what is right but care too much about your image or your self to submit to the truth and obey. E.g. my experience with the alter call; a struggle.

 

God opposes the Proud

James 4:6 “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Am I proud? No – yes actually I really am.

Humility is ultimately attractive – no one likes a know it all.

Part of this battle against Pride begins at the start of the spiritual birth – humbling yourself is necessary to come into God’s kingdom – you must acknowledge you can’t do it on your own.

But the process continues on & on – like tyres needing realignment we must continually humble ourselves too.

 

Pride before Destruction.

What happens if you don’t humble yourself? E.g. Zab Judah and Kostya Tzsyu.

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

To avoid wrath you need to humble yourself.

 

Learn to humble yourself & pinpoint pride.

If we are to get saved we must humble ourselves. If we are lead someone to get saved we must also.

3.            Lack of Belief

Some people just really don’t believe.

It maybe background, experiences, attitude or denial – the reasons are endless. But some people WON’T believe as a matter of CHOICE.

 

This is why Prayer is important – to supernaturally breakdown these barriers to belief.

 

Bible says you need to believe to be saved:

Acts 16:11 “They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household."”

 

Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

This is not a big ask to receive eternal life, freedom from condemnation and life more abundantly – and so we need to proclaim it!

 

Christians may say they believe. They are saved after all.

We may say we believe our family and friends will get saved – but what we really believe is shown by what we do, how we act.

 

If we don’t act towards seeing our friends and family saved – what do we really believe?  That God doesn’t care. That it’s too big for God. That it doesn’t work?

We need to assess our belief and pump our hearts and minds full of the word of God to confront the lies we are believing and Pray we will see breakthrough.

 

4.            Not For Me.

Being a Christian is not my thing. It may be ok for you but not for me thanks.
I’m spiritual but not into organized religion.

What people here are saying is I want to write my own cosmic rules. But how does that go when the universal laws apply to all of us (gravity, physics)
I want to be accountable ultimately to no-one. But we are all accountable to the law of the land.

I don’t trust anyone especially authority. Is God the same as your failed father?

I don’t want people telling me what to do This is a fact of life – bosses, parents, teachers.

E.g. Euthanasia – it is all about the rights of the individual. I look at it as the divine gift of life that is given by God that is higher than our given rights to hoose.

The world we live in wants a God that is answerable to them. I am God.

 

Don’t let the Christians be the same. We need God’s grace.

Christians will say it is not for me too.

I’m not called to be an evangelist. (here is segmenting again).

But a  Christian either is a christian or they are not – all the time or not at all.

If you are how can you hold back the center of your exisitence?

2 Corinthians 5:18 “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation”

 

Ministry of reconciliation – God’s business. It is delegated to you. Don’t be trapped into a “not me” lie – the remedy is you – give it a go!

 

 

5.            Apathy

We all live in comfortable worlds. We really don’t need anything. We have what we want and dream and work towards getting what we don’t yet have.

This is the materialistic way of life in Perth. Is my boat better than my next door neighbours? Who cares about working for all you can buy and all you can experience? E.g. Shuttleworth and N’Sync bloke now heading into space. The ultimate stick it up the Jones’ experience.

But don’t get caught in the trap:

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

 

This applies if you aren’t a believer and if you are.

People don’t get saved because they are blinded by the fact they have no need. If you are most concerned about whether or not your car will sell for the amount you want – how can you consider the perilous predicament of your soul before God. We are on two very different wave lengths.

This is why Christians must live practical and visual Christian lives – so that the world may know it is real and not in our head, our church, or our bible only.

If we do this we see the way the world really is – sick.

Celebrities no longer look glamorous – they look lost with loads of fame but nothing to offer.

Workmates no longer look cool and so together like I wish I was like them – they look lost and needing truth and direction.

Lecturers and Teacher and parents no longer have all the answers and our looking up to them is no longer enough, because their lives are broken and without answers.

Store up your treasure in heaven.

 

6.            Lack of Knowledge.

Hosea 4:6 “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge,  I also reject you as my priests;  because you have ignored the law of your God,  I also will ignore your children.”

 

Sometimes people just don’t understand. They don’t know that there is more to life than meets the eye. They don’t know that there is a God who is extending his arm of grace towards them.

 

And if people don’t know they don’t bother. People in the third world are worrying about where there next meal might come from – not about the federal budget or if the Eagles will win on the weekend. Because they don’t know.

 

Lack of knowledge will lead to big problems; lack of development, poverty, crime. If you live in a desert and not know survival skills you will die. If you don’t know the word of God and are ignorant of it – you will perish.

 

But ignorance is no excuse – eg the law. Truth is truth whether you know or not.

 

If you don’t know the word you can’t say the word. Not that you need a degree in bible because the best evangelizers are new Christians. But if you know  the word if it’s in you, you will do as it says and live it out.

 

 

We need to combat these barriers and fears with the Truth.

 

John 8:32

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

 

Part 2 (7 June): What is the Truth that people need to know and Tips on how to lead someone to Christ (ie close the deal).

 

PRAY: we need to see people saved. Bottom line.

Help us to love people. Help us to passionately love you Lord.

Light up our lives with action and things happening – testimonies.

Thank you God for taking a loving interest in us.

 

 

 

Back to www.hismethod.com/words/index.html

Return to www.generation-j.com