I Have Got to Get My Friend to Jesus (Evangelism)
What do I do with all those people who aren’t qualified to be on my dream team? You need to get them to Jesus. If we really believe there is a heaven and there really is a hell, and we really believe that people really are going to one place or the other, then could it be that God has placed these people in your life to lead them to Jesus? People who don’t have a relationship with Jesus probably have never met a Christian who cares enough to share the difference that Jesus has made in their life. We have got to get our friends to Jesus. How do I do that?
1. Live for Jesus in front of them. Don’t be a hypocrite who says you are a Christian, and then you can’t tell that you are by the way you talk or the way you act, or the way you treat other people. Live your life for God and realize that how you handle yourself is more powerful than any words you actually say. 2. Get in the habit of talking about spiritual things in front of these people. Share with them about what is going on in your church. Tell them about the fun stuff you are doing and share what you have learned about who God is and what He wants for our life. 3. Invite them to come to church with you. Introduce them to your student pastor when you get them here and introduce them to your other friends that go to church with you.
Let me ask you a question. Aren’t you glad someone told you about Jesus? A lady in Korea heard that there was going to be a Christian rally in a town several miles from where she lived. Even though she wasn’t a Christian, she was interested in learning more about Christ and decided to attend. She lived where there weren’t many vehicles, so she had to walk to the meeting. That night, after hearing the message of God’s love for her, she gave her life to Jesus.
As she walked home, she thought of her husband, who was not a Christian, and how he had been crippled for several years. When she entered the door to their home, her husband immediately knew there was something different about her. She excitedly told him how she gave her life to Christ. Upon hearing her story, he was anxious to go to the meeting the following night. The wife again could not find a ride, so she carried her husband on her back! That night when the invitation was given, she carried him to the altar, and he gave his life to the Lord. In the next year, she carried her husband on her back throughout the surrounding area so they could share with people about Christ. They led over 200 people to a relationship with God. Why did she do that? Because she had to get her friends to Jesus. Today you are going to read a story about four friends who had to get their crippled friend to Jesus. As you read the story, ask yourself: · What kind of sacrifice am I willing to make to be certain those I know spend eternity in Heaven? · How many conversations did you have with your friend about spiritual things in the past week, the past month, or the past year? · How many times did you pray for their salvation this past week?
When you really are somebody’s friend, your greatest desire for them is to have a loving relationship with God because Jesus is the only one who can satisfy their soul. There is nothing greater than to hear your friend say, “My life had no meaning and no purpose, but now I have a reason to live, and God used you to do it.” Think about this for a second. You are a Christian today because someone cared enough about your eternity to get you to Jesus. · They risked rejection and ridicule. · They gave up their time and invested in you.· They stepped out of their comfort zone because they cared more about your eternity than anything else. All around us are people who are lost who are in need of Christ. I pray that you will always be the kind of person who will do whatever it takes to rescue one more friend for all of eternity.
Read Mark 2:1-12 and answer the following questions.
1. Do you really believe there are a heaven and a hell, and people really are going to one place or the other?
2. If we believe that to be true, why don’t we talk about Jesus more to our friends?
3. Read the following verses. John 3:16-18 ESV says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” What does Jesus say happens to the person who does not believe in the Son of God?
Revelation 20:15 ESV “And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” What happens to the person whose name was not written in the book of life?
Matthew 25:46 ESV “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”How long will a person be punished for not trusting in Jesus?
4. Since there really is a hell, what do we need to do to rescue our friends from this awful place?
5. Write down the names of three friends you have who do not have a relationship with Jesus.
6. Those people will go to hell if we don’t attempt a rescue mission. What are you going to do about it?
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