Barnabas Bulletin ~ 0228
HAVE YOU A BURDEN FOR THE LOST?
We are living in days when the truth of the Christian Message is needed to be shared more than ever. Multitudes have never heard of Jesus and His love and power to save from the subtleties of sin. Christians are being persecuted more and more as the world tries to silence us from sharing the truth ~ the very truth that will set them free and bring them into a real and living relationship with the only Saviour of mankind, Jesus Christ.
In spite of the increasing opposition to our Message of Jesus Christ, our calling is to be living witnesses of Jesus to the very end of the earth. That is why we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit power so we can accomplish the purposes of God in these days (Acts 1:8). The purposes of God can never be fulfilled without the power of the Holy Spirit actively working within us. We need to be reminded that if a person is not born-again by the Holy Spirit, he/she cannot see nor enter the Kingdom of God. They are lost and heading for a Christless eternity where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (7 times this is recorded in the Bible: Matthew 8:12; Matthew 13:42, 50; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 24:51; Matthew 25:30; Luke 13:28). “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” (2 Peter 3:9-11, NKJV).
- We, too, should carry the same heart of Jesus with regards to winning the lost for Him.
THE IMPACT OF THE EARLY CHURCH
The Early Church Holy Spirit filled believers were very zealous in sharing the Message of Jesus Christ as mankind’s Saviour. They were so effective that thousands came to Jesus Christ (see Acts Chapters 2, 3 and 4). It was said of them: “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6). Their message was so powerful that thousands of lives were transformed as they went out in obedience to the Great Commission and preached that people should “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (see Acts 2:36-47 & Mark 16:15-20). What they achieved is an example of what can happen when God’s people are yielded to the Holy Spirit power and doing His will.
WHAT ABOUT US?
If we really believe the teachings of the Bible, then we will be actively involved in seeking to rescue people from a life of sinful living, ignorance of the truth of the love of Jesus Christ for them, and save them from an eternity in hell where there is continuous “weeping and gnashing of teeth” as a result of the burning fire they are in.
The question is:
- “How burdened are we to be used of God to win the lost to Jesus Christ today?”
- A true burden for the lost will motivate us to do something about it.
- All Christians need to be involved in the winning of the lost.
ONLY ONE WAY TO GOD
Jesus Christ is the only way to God (in spite of what many religions will tell you otherwise): “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone’. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12).
Only Jesus came to this earth to pay the supreme sacrifice for mankind’s sin. He took them to the cross, and by the shedding of His blood we are now made clean and free. It is not an automatic happening. We have to repent and ask Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sins and to come into our heart and life so we can live for Him from then on. When Jesus comes into our heart in reality, then we will yield our will to Him and seek that His will be done in our life. That means we will carry a real desire to see the lost sinners won to Jesus Christ in a very real and powerful way. He has given us the Great Commission to take His Message into all the world to share with “every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-20). We need to know that people believe and are saved as a result of what we tell them by our obeying what Jesus has taught us. When we listen to the Holy Spirit He will lead and guide us to the right people, to do the right thing, to be involved in winning the lost in the way that He tells us. We are not all preachers, but we are all to be actively involved. It may be by prayer support where your burden for the lost can be communicated to God. It may be by financial support of those who are actively involved in getting the Gospel out to the community, country and nations.
- Whatever way God has called you to be involved, make sure you are being obedient and expressing a genuine desire to see others won to Jesus in these days.
True Christianity is more than attending meetings. We are all called by God to be actively involved in reaching the lost for Jesus Christ. Make sure that you know what God has saved and chosen you for and to be. There is no greater fulfilment in this life than to know the will of God and to be doing it. Let us not be guilty of being a saved soul, but having a wasted life because we failed to heed the Message of Jesus Christ to every born-again, Holy Spirit filled believer. It is not too late to rise up and fulfil your destiny in Him. You can make an eternal difference in other peoples’ lives when you obey what Jesus has saved you for. Discover where you fit in God’s plan for you ~ and then Go for it! You will never regret doing the will of God. Love in Jesus ~ Rodney W. Francis.
Bible Readings: 2 Peter 3:1-18 Isaiah 6:1-9
Prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, It is such a privilege to be chosen by You to be Your Witness and Ambassador on the earth in this hour. Help me to keep my focus on You and Your purposes and not to be discouraged by what is happening in the world. Please help me to fulfil my calling in the best possible way, so others will come to know Your love in a real and powerful way too. I ask for a greater burden to see the lost saved. Fill me more and more with Your Holy Spirit so I can be a bold and shining witness to the truth of the Gospel that will cause others to know You are alive today to meet their every need. Praise You Jesus! I ask this in Jesus’ Name. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Amen.”
The Gospel Faith Messenger Ministry, New Zealand. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.