Based on “The Reality of Hell” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 10/24-25/09,
Message #MB394; Daily Devotional #6 - “Heart for the Lost”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): During one of my last trips to New York City, the splendid weather allowed me and my sister to walk along the busy sidewalks. On one particular day, we were on a mission to eat lunch at a lovely restaurant which received nothing but praise from friends and acquaintances alike. We had one problem; we did not know how to get there from lower Manhattan. We asked a man on the street for directions. He provided directions, and we believed his word. Yet, after walking for fifteen minutes, my sister and I knew we were misguided and lost. At this crossroad, we asked a woman for directions. She kindly told us we were traveling in the wrong direction and gave us the correct directions. Then, she went even further and actually walked us to the restaurant. This was a selfless and kind gesture. Yes, at first we were traveling on the wrong road, but a thoughtful woman came beside us and helped us arrive at our final destination.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): As Christ followers, we must make sure we are receiving our directions from God and not from man. Many people do not understand God’s Truth and are misguided. When providing guidance to others, these people do not intentionally mislead others, but that is the end result. I am certain the man in New York did not intentionally give us wrong directions. But regardless of his intentions, the result was the same; my sister and I remained lost. In the spiritual world, we must remember that Satan’s desire is to lead us away from God and keep us lost. And when Satan deceives one person, his desire is that other people will listen to that person and ultimately be separated from God forever. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. (John 10:10) Satan exists. Hell exists. Satan does not want the world to believe in the realities of hell. Many think they are right with God, but they are not. Many think they are headed to heaven, but in reality, they are headed to hell. Just think of the common and accepted lies in today’s world. Satan’s lie: “You don’t need to believe in Jesus. You just have to be a good person and you will go to heaven.” God’s Truth: But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:21-24) Satan’s lie: “A loving God won’t send someone to hell.” God’s Truth: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) Satan’s lie: “There are many roads to heaven.” God’s Truth: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Satan’s lie: “In the end, all people worship the same God.” God’s Truth: Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous god. (Exodus 34:14)
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Think of the people in your life who are misguided, think they are going to heaven, but are headed to hell. That may sound harsh, but Jesus spoke of it. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:22-23) Our loving God does not want anyone to spend eternity in hell. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) That is exactly why He sent Jesus to the earth. We must lay down our lives and have a heart for the lost. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:10) Every day, Christ followers must be certain to be the influencers, rather than the influenced. We need to change our world, rather than have our world change us. This includes more than talking. What do we really need to do? We need to make sure our walk with God is authentic. We must pray to God and read His Word. We must pray for, look for, and expect open doors. God will provide open doors. Just like the woman helped me and my sister in New York City, we must be willing to come alongside the lost searching for answers, and walk with them. Answer their questions. Invite them to a service or small group. Invite them over for dinner. Let your life speak to them so they say, “You know what? I want what you have. What makes you different?” Then, you can share the Good News with them. This is what we need to do as Christ followers every day. And when a person accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, we have great reason to celebrate! ‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:24) Let’s change our world for the Kingdom of God!
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Romans 10:17
No comments:
Post a Comment