As we finished the series, we talked about the importance
of the assignment for all of us.
Sometimes we think that only certain people are gifted in spreading the
Gospel, but if that was true, Jesus wouldn’t tell ALL of us to do it. Living a Christ-like life can be just as
powerful as sitting down and sharing with someone. After joking last week about the grocery
store being a great opportunity to share the Gospel, I was at the store buying
curtain rods. There was a lady in front of me seemed to have miscalculated and
did not have enough money to pay for what she had gotten. I decided to say God bless you and pay for
the rest of her purchase (just a few bucks).
I later heard her talking to a friend about what had happened. No one who is a believer in Christ is exempt
from this assignment—we are to spread the Good News.
Many people feel that they need to hear from God before
they step out and speak into someone’s life. The reality is that you already
HAVE heard from him – Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15 show this. We don’t need
a special prompting, because the task has already been assigned! We should
always be on “green light” and being open to the Spirit if there is a “red
light.” We should “go always and listen to
the Spirit for when it’s time to stop.” (Acts
16:6 shows the Apostles doing this and obeying the “no” of the Spirit. When we do what the Word says, we are being
led by the Spirit. Sometimes we think we
are waiting for the perfect timing. There is no such thing (in the natural,
anyway). Ecclesiastes 11:4 says that he who considers the wind will never sow
and he who studies the clouds will never reap. The Word shows us that, when we
step out of our comfort zone and do what we know we should, God will then
direct us to do even more amazing things.
A great example is in Acts 8 with Philip. He is
traveling along and preaching the Word and seeing signs and wonders. There was
no specific direction to do so. He was simply doing what he knew he was
supposed to be doing. Many are being saved and healed. Miraculous signs draw people, but the Word of
God changes people. Then, in verse 26,
God gives him a specific instruction to go speak to an Ethiopian man sitting on
the side of the road, reading. It turns out that man was reading a scroll of
Isaiah 53 and did not understand it. When Philip explains it, the man is saved
and baptized. You see, when God leads you to someone, that someone is looking
for what you will share. He always leads you to success. Understand that, even
if the exchange you have does not appear to have led anywhere, if God directed
you and you were obedient, it was successful.
God sends you to success and victory.
We can be confident if we are following God’s leading.
Jesus further demonstrates the process in Matthew
10. He sends His disciples out with this direction – firstly, where to go and
not to go (again, setting them up for success). Next He told them what to say –
that the Kingdom of heaven was near (though now we are in it). Lastly, He told
them to heal, help and set people free. But, the important thing was the three
words He preceded the instructions with – “As you go…” Now, the disciples were setting out on a
purpose given by Him. So are you. We all have a purpose and plan that God has
for our lives. Some of us are in full-time ministry. Most are not. Either way,
as we go, we should remember to do these things. We should not get so focused
on our own lives that we forget that God is concerned with ministering to
others.
Jesus demonstrates this for us. His purpose was to
go to the cross. Along the way, He was led to minister to and heal many people.
He did not let His purpose distract Him from the things to do along the way,
but He still kept focused on His purpose.
Understand that, as Jesus Christ, He could have ministered to every
single person who crossed His path. But that was not His purpose here on earth.
He stayed focused on His purpose, yet was moved by the Spirit to minister to
certain people. That is what we need to do as well. We need to continually look at the people
around us as Jesus did – as those who NEED the love of the Gospel.
Remember, it’s not all about you. It is
not our responsibility to reach everyone, but it is our responsibility to reach
someone.
To listen to the entire sermon go to http://ahwatukeechurch.com/ and click on
online media. To learn more about Living
Word Ahwatukee, visit http://ahwatukeechurch.com/.
