I am getting ready to leave for Reserve! I love all the folks in Catron County! Please pray for my message this morning, “What Should We Do?”
My life verse, my calling from God Almighty: “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” -Acts 20:24
If you live in the Reserve, NM area I would love to see you this morning at 11am at the First Baptist Church!
We, the body of Christ have a lot of work to do! Amen!
Lee E. Thomas writes in his book, “Praying for the Lost” that about 1,836 people died as a result of Hurricane Katrina, which has been called the “worst natural disaster” to ever hit the United States. However, every 19 minutes that many souls perish without Christ. Natural disasters cannot be prevented but because of Calvary, God’s people can help prevent this continual spiritual disaster of souls dying without hope.
What should we do?
Why is the World full of evil?
Here are a few things I will touch on today bsaed on carrying out The Great Commission!
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts” Eph 4: 17, 18.
The Scriptures call the mind of the natural man “blinded” 2 Cor. 4:4, “depraved” Romans 1:28, “corrupt” 1 Tim. 6:5, and “unspiritual” Col. 2:18. The natural mind thinks from a humanistic, sin-debased viewpoint. The viewpoint of the flesh directs its thoughts. The sinful mind is under the control of Satan and can never please God because it concentrates on things of the world and not things of the Spirit. The natural mind walks the road of hopelessness and self-destruction.
Traveling on my knees from the book “Praying Effectively for the Lost” by Lee E. Thomas:
Last night I took a journey
to a land across the seas.
I didn’t go by ship or plane-
I traveled on my knees.
I saw so many people there
In bondage to their sin,
And Jesus told me I should go,
That there were souls to win.
But I said, “Jesus I can’t go
To lands across the seas.”
He answered quickly, “Yes, you can-
By traveling on your knees.”
He said, “You pray, I’ll meet the need.
You call, and I will hear.
It’s up to you to be concerned
For lost soul’s far and near.”
And so I did, I knelt in prayer,
Gave up some hours of ease,
And with the Savior by my side
I traveled on my knees.
As I prayed on, I saw souls saved
And twisted persons healed.
I saw God’s workers’ strength renewed
While laboring in the field.
I said, “Yes, Lord, I’ll take the job.
Your heart I want to please.
I’ll heed your call and swiftly go
By traveling on my knees.”
(Lundstrom 207-08)
Will you take the job?
Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:19
What should wse do? We MUST carry out The Great Commission! It is not a suggestion from Jesus, it is a command!
Here is a past post by Pastor Don Kimbro:
The Great Commission passages are the parting words of Jesus about the pressing matter on his heart of spreading the Good News to the nations. This is something the disciples were to inaugurate. It was something they were to be doing after he departed and they were to pass it along to others. These directions were the most important things on our Savior’s heart before he ascended into heaven. All of them had to do with the role of the church in every generation and the followers of Jesus to preach the gospel and to win souls to the kingdom of God. He invested that task to all who claimed his Lordship.
Here are the five statements:
1. Then on the eve of his ascension, while on the road to Emmaus with two of the disciples who later would make their way back to Jerusalem, he gave them these words which would become their message, “that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations” (Luke 24:44-49). Notice the emphasis on proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sin to all nations.
2. On the evening of resurrection day in Jerusalem, Jesus said, “as the Father has sent me, I also send you . . . Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22). Notice the emphasis on the Holy Spirit and sending.
3. Eight days later, also in Jerusalem, Jesus told them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation . . . and signs will accompany those who have believed” (Mark 16:15-17). Notice the emphasis on going into all the world and preaching the gospel.
4. The fourth time was one to two weeks later on a mountaintop in Galilee where Jesus gave this command, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them . . . and teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Notice the emphasis on making disciples of all nations and teaching.
5. The last meeting was immediately before his ascension at the Mount of Olives, which his disciples would witness, when he gave them his farewell mission statement, “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Notice the emphasis on the power of the Holy Spirit to witness.
Every true believer and every church that exists is commissioned to follow in the footsteps of the first disciples. We have been given our instructions. How are you and your church doing? My friends, the one that just closed it’s doors (and seventy-five other churches this past week in America) failed the test. People desperately need Christ. Pray for the harvest and pray for the churches.
I am so excited in the Lord to share with you today!
I pray I see you at FBC in Reserve this morning at 11am!
