Post by seth on Oct 2, 2009 13:58:32 GMT -5
We were at a local play area a while back, enjoying some fresh air and exercise with the children. These two boys who were a little older than our children were playing together and pretending to be super heroes or something. It was interesting..and violent! anyway, no big deal we just enjoyed each other. At one point I had to get my little son Silas and he was really interested in their style of play. So I was pretty close to these young men and I asked them what they were pretending to be and they said something about star wars and the names of the characters. So I asked them if they knew JESUS, and they looked at me really strange and said NO. I told them that He was the one who made the stars, and so on. Well, it was a reality check for me that we have at least 1 generation maybe two that really don't know who JESUS is. While in my truck today I listened to a preacher talk about making sure that we proclaim who Christ is before we have them look to the Cross to understand what He did there. This is so important for us to understand in the age we live in. Can we expect people to trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins all the while they might just be thinking he's just another Buddha, and they really don't know that He is actually GOD! If you read the accounts carefully about the criminals who died with the LORD you will realize that the one thing that the saved criminal realized was WHO was next to HIM.
Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
If JESUS was GOD then He has the power to forgive sins, and to save us and bring us to Father safely.
Spurgeon talks about preaching the word to bring people to salvation, and not making a special sermon just for the GOSPEL presentation. As if to say that you can preach from anywhere in the Bible and it will eventually lead to the cross. What about the Ethiopian Eunuch, the first question he asked Philip was Who is Isaiah talking about? I love what Phillip did after that.
Act 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Act 8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Act 8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
Act 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
Act 8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Act 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. [/b]
Paul the apostle mentions preaching Christ AND Him crucified.
1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
Let's tell people who JESUS is. Almost everyone wants to go to heaven, let's tell them about the one who will take them there. As D.L moody used to say, "what will you do with JESUS?"
Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
If JESUS was GOD then He has the power to forgive sins, and to save us and bring us to Father safely.
Spurgeon talks about preaching the word to bring people to salvation, and not making a special sermon just for the GOSPEL presentation. As if to say that you can preach from anywhere in the Bible and it will eventually lead to the cross. What about the Ethiopian Eunuch, the first question he asked Philip was Who is Isaiah talking about? I love what Phillip did after that.
Act 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Act 8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Act 8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
Act 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
Act 8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Act 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. [/b]
Paul the apostle mentions preaching Christ AND Him crucified.
1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
Let's tell people who JESUS is. Almost everyone wants to go to heaven, let's tell them about the one who will take them there. As D.L moody used to say, "what will you do with JESUS?"