“…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” ( 2 Peter 3:9)
“to seek and save those who are lost." (Lk. 19:10)
God’s great desire is that all of humanity would find salvation and forgiveness in Jesus. God has no other agenda. He has no other plan. This is why Jesus came. This is why He established the church, so that in every nation and in every neighborhood there would be a witness of the saving grace of Jesus.
The word “lost” is a term Jesus uses to describe someone who has not yet come to a point of faith and trust in Christ. They may be searching for truth but they are looking for it in all the wrong places.
As I think of those of us who are followers of Jesus, those of us who are his disciples…do we truly recognize that people around us are lost and without hope, unless they come to know Christ?
Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries….“The problem with Christians in America is we’re not concerned over lost people. We are not concerned enough to cry. He said, “A man and a woman will weep when their little pet gets run over in the street in front of their house, but that same couple has never wept one tear because their neighbor across the street is lost without Jesus. Something is wrong.”
He writes, “A woman will cry when her daughter walks down the aisle of a church to be married, but that same mother has never shed one tear because that same daughter has never been saved. Something is wrong.”
How do we do this? When you and I reach out to those in our families, and those in our workplace, and those we go to school with, and those in our neighborhood, and those little league families and say, “I want to tell you about Jesus. I want to tell you about the difference he has made in my life. I want you to come to church with me and see what God is doing. That’s how we reach lost people.
It’s important to understand how people are influenced to place their faith in Jesus. Studies have been done asking people, “what led you to faith in Christ?”
- 1% - evangelistic crusades
- 4% - church evangelistic programs
- 5% - walked into a church
- 8% - a pastor
- 76% through friends and relatives
In John 1:41 - When Jesus calls Andrew to follow and to be a disciple the bible says… “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ)."
Today’s Challenge: Write down the names of three family members or friends and commit to praying daily for their salvation. Ask God to give you the courage to invite them to church with you. Begin sharing with them the difference Jesus has made in your life. And let’s pray that God would help us sense the urgency of the gospel message.
Discussion Questions:
- What means did God use to bring you to salvation through Christ?
- Who is on your "list?"
- What steps are you taking to bring them to Christ?
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