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Point 1. Why we evangelize
42{ec18911ebaac885324b4e3f6c11fecb9d160d8f820d2d62f42a002ab82d82037} of UK men are addicted to pornography.
Four in ten practising Christians in the UK say they have a ‘porn addiction’ and over 50{ec18911ebaac885324b4e3f6c11fecb9d160d8f820d2d62f42a002ab82d82037} admit viewing adult content online on a monthly basis. (Premier Christian magazine)
The stats:
30{ec18911ebaac885324b4e3f6c11fecb9d160d8f820d2d62f42a002ab82d82037} of Church leaders access pornography on the Internet more than once a month.
42{ec18911ebaac885324b4e3f6c11fecb9d160d8f820d2d62f42a002ab82d82037} of Christian men say they have a ‘porn addiction.’
90{ec18911ebaac885324b4e3f6c11fecb9d160d8f820d2d62f42a002ab82d82037} of Christians believe the Church does not adequately support those who struggle with pornography use.
75{ec18911ebaac885324b4e3f6c11fecb9d160d8f820d2d62f42a002ab82d82037} of Christian men view pornography on a monthly or less regular basis.
10{ec18911ebaac885324b4e3f6c11fecb9d160d8f820d2d62f42a002ab82d82037} of Christian men say they have paid for sex.
One in five women in England and Wales have experienced some type of sexual assault since the age of 16 (The Guardian 2018). Croydon is the rape capital.
There were 106,959 divorces of opposite-sex couples in 2016.
(Wiki)
62{ec18911ebaac885324b4e3f6c11fecb9d160d8f820d2d62f42a002ab82d82037} of families in Camden, London have no father. (The London Economic)
Of the 19 youths arrested in the Tottenham after the 2011 riots, only 2 had fathers.
Shall I go on?
Why do we evangelize?
We are the answer to the cries in Hell (In Hell and on Earth)
If the BBC could take their television cameras and staff to report to us the suffering in hell, perhaps we would be more active in saving the lost.
What is Hell? The total and complete absence of God.
Luke 16:24-31 says:
“So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to the, they will repent.’
He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’
His clothing was the best money could buy. Nike everything. When it came to himself, he spared no expense.
Even in torture, the rich man’s arrogance is seen. Who does he think he is that he could ask Lazarus to enter the tortures of hell to give him some relief? He assumes that Lazarus should still be low in the status department and he should be high. He is viewing the circumstances as if Lazarus is still covered in sores and he is covered in purple and fine linen. He still does not care about the poor and needy. He doesn’t say, please send Lazarus to the rest of those lying at my gate and warn them. He simply cares for his own. The rich caring for the rich and no one else!
His sin was not in having money; Abraham was a wealthy man. His sin was selfishness.
Lazarus is the only character in any of Jesus’ parables who is given a name. Lazarus is short for Eleazar, which means “He (whom) God helps.”
In the first-century Middle East, dogs are considered unclean, wild street dogs that scavenge the garbage and then nose around the poor man’s sores. It is not a picture of comfort but of abject misery.
“The rich man knows from personal experience that his family do not take seriously what the law and the prophets say. Something more is needed. The Bible isn’t enough for his family!!
Jesus is saying…stop closing your eyes to the truth you are given. The Bible is enough! Sorry – the jump to this sentence to the next sentence is too abrupt. You need to link your point to your evidence with your explanation but your explanation so far has gone in a different direction entirely to the describe how evil the rich man is (which is valid thing to get from the parable but doesn’t support your point about evangelism, since the evil man is encouraging people to evangelize his family. It’s almost like Jesus is saying not to evangelize because the Bible should have been enough for the rich man’s family. The point you want to make is there, but you need to explain it properly and not get diverted into another sermon.
People go to hell because they sin, they fail to be saved because no one tried to save them.
People are not in hell yet, but they are perishing.
Luke 13:5 says, “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
People not only go to hell, but without God their lives perish here on earth.
Marriages shrivel and perish.
Relationships within families shrivel and perish.
People shrivel and perish through alcohol, drugs, loneliness, bitterness.
Shouldn’t this be the place for the statistics you mention at the beginning? Or at least some of them?
Gratitude
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
How blessed are we!
We are born in a time when:
- The Bible is readily accessible
- The kingdom of God exists
Chosen out of so many. Wow! Chosen for a purpose
John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit –fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
- It was commanded by Jesus
Mathew 28:18-20 says, “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
It’s not the great suggestion. It’s the great commission.
- Sharing is caring but follow up is love
Acts 1:3 says, “after his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.”
Jesus followed up with the disciples, showing his unconditional love. They had all fallen away. Jesus had to give many convincing proofs. He had to follow up in order to restore them.
Point 2. Fruitlessness is not an option. We must evangelize
John 15:2 says “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
God is always pruning us to make us more fruitful.
Matthew 21:43 says, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”
The Jews had the kingdom taken away from them because they were selfish, enjoying the benefits of the love of God and his kingdom but not bringing others in to enjoy it.
They became selfish and self-righteous, talking about how godly they were and how ungodly others were.
Point 3. We must make the most of every opportunity. This is how we evangelize
Colossians 4:4-5 says, “Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”
Jesus is the ultimate example for taking away excuses for not evangelising and making the most of every opportunity.
Luke 23:39-43 says, “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ’”
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus was in pain, weak, exhausted, had already saved so many. He could have asked, why bother with one more? He could have said the thief did not deserve it.
Yet, he evangelized
We need to be honest. We all want more people to be saved and come to church, but the bit between meeting them as a stranger and getting them to church can be hard, daunting, scary, embarrassing. Nevertheless, we must push through.
We need to work at having good opening lines to say to strangers.
We need to make most of situations, put ourselves in social situations and plan for success.
We need to arrange times to meet up with others
We need to always get telephone numbers. If we don’t we are unlikely to ever see that person again. No number, no fruit
We need 2 weekly times to follow up.
Conclusion
Let’s get into accountability groups and set contact goals and set up evangelism times so we can bear fruit for the glory of God!