Evangelism : The First Step in Reaching the Lost
Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville
The First Step in Reaching the Lost: the Need for Compassion
Introduction: When we hear the term “evangelism,” it often either stimulates fear or apathy. Fear comes from the thought that I must be able to teach someone or I need to talk to a stranger or in some places, I need to knock on doors. Apathy comes from the belief that participating in evangelism is limited to those who have the “gift” of talking to people about the Lord. I don’t have the gift, so I am exempted.
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* First, it is a mistake to limit reaching the lost to the above descriptions. Being a church that highlights saving souls includes a vast array of talents and work that includes every Christian. We will talk about how we can all play a part in another lesson.
* Second, participating in evangelistic efforts is not optional. It is a critical part of our identity and an expectation of Jesus. Genesis 12; Exodus 19:5-6 (more later).
* 2 Timothy 1:6-7 God did not give us a “spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
What is the first step in reaching the lost?
1. The Heart of Jesus Defines Compassion, Matthew 9:35-38
1. When we “see the crowds,” what are our typical responses?
1. Judgmental
2. Apathy
3. Is our first thought, this person needs the Lord?
2. How is seeing the crowds “harassed and helpless” different than how we see them? [We tend to see them “according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 5:16), thus better off than us—wealthy and without a care. Or, they got themselves into the mess they have created of their life.]
3. Therefore, what is Jesus seeing in the crowds to make him come to this conclusion?
2. How We See Ourselves Determines Compassion, Luke 7:36-50
1. Why didn’t Simon have compassion on the sinful woman?
1. He did not see the seriousness of his own sin and therefore the greatness of his forgiveness. When we do not feel our own sinfulness and the magnitude of Jesus offering his life for us, we cannot have compassion on others. Example: the Pharisees tended to seek the outwardly moral person to convert (Cf. Matthew 23:15).
2. There is a tendency to look down on those who seem to be “worse sinners” than what we have been. It is a great danger of those who have “grown up in the church” or have lived fairly moral lives.
2. Example: What made Paul the greatest of all “evangelists”? [1 Timothy 1:12-16]
3. The Extent of Compassion, Luke 10:25-37
1. Why would this Samaritan have compassion on a Jew (those that the Samaritans hated) who was beaten when a priest and Levite would not?
2. What did it take for the Samaritan to save the man who was beaten? Time, money, and sacrifice.
3. To love our neighbor is defined when we ask ourselves Jesus’ question: “Who was neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” Asked another way, “Who will be neighbor to those who have been enslaved by the devil?”
Berry Kercheville
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