Speak! Someone will listen! God is working in hearts as we think about sharing the Gospel! He prepares the way, for us to reach the lost, as we try to reason within ourselves what to say about His mercy. We know! We read His Word! In our hearts, His good news is there! Spit it out! Share the Word, show the Word, teach the Word! My pastor preached about this Sunday after returning from missions in foreign lands. The Gospel is not just for America, it is for the nations! God is preparing the way for us to share His Word! Tell of God's character, how man is sinful and lost and the sufficiency of Christ.
God's character:
God alone is good: Matt.19:17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments."
Luke 18:19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
God is spirit and light: John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
God is love: 1 John 4:8-10 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
God is eternal: Rev.4:8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"
God is immortal: 1 Tim.6:16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
God is holy: Ps.99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!
God is just, true, righteous, upright: Deut.32:4 NAS "The Rock ! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just ; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.
God is faithful: 1 Cor.10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Sinful man in need of a Savior: Romans 5:12-19 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 1 John 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 1 Tim.4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
Sufficiency of Christ:
Heb.9:22-28 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Col. 2:10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 2 Cor.:12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Heb.10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
The necessity of faith: Heb.11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
James 2:14-26 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"--and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Heb.11:1-3 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Eph.4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Faithful Lord, only You have the power to save! Your Word is true and will change the hardest heart!
Make the blind see Your glory! Open their eyes to Your mercy! Give them a clear understanding of Your Word! Open our mouths wide to share Your Word today! Break our hearts for the lost! Amen
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