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Introduction: 1.
Reports say that it began with a minor traffic accident
early one Saturday morning in August of 1995. It ended with the
body of Deletha Word, age 33, floating lifelessly in the Detroit
River. a.
Witnesses say three men stopped her car on a bridge, pulled
her out, and then pursued her until she was forced off the bridge
into the river below. b.
It was a horrible crime; as the story unfolded, another
grim reality came to light. All of this took place while more than
forty by-standers stood by and did nothing to save this poor
woman. c.
Yes, it is a story about barbarism. But it is also a story
about apathy. Nobody helped her. d.
If we had been there, would we have acted? Or, would we
have just stood by and watched? But we were not there; we had no
chance—no opportunity—to help her. 2.
This raises a question about the opportunities we do have.
Here are two indisputable facts: a.
Fact #1: Countless people around us are in grave danger.
The danger isn’t to their physical safety; it’s worse than
that. They are in danger of being separated from God forever. b.
Fact #2: God wants us to do something about this. 3.
But what can we do? Maybe there were some on that bridge
the day Deletha Word died who asked that same question. Perhaps
they wanted to help, but weren’t sure what to do. a.
This problem hinders the soul-winning efforts of many
Christians. They want to reach the lost, but they’re not sure
how to do it. “What do I do, what do I say to reach my
friends?” b.
Let us see four specific things, simple things that
everyone can do right now to reach the lost. c.
These things are simple, yet powerful. If every Christian
did these things, it would make a huge difference. They require
hardly any effort; they don’t demand a big commitment of time or
energy. You don’t have to have a lot of Bible knowledge or
communication skills. d.
These are simple things that every Christian can do, things
we should do every day, and if we will, it will make a big
difference in our efforts to reach the lost. What is required of
us is that we love God enough to obey Him, and love the lost
enough to take action to rescue them. The
Lesson: I.
Shine. A.
What does that mean? Let’s allow the scriptures to answer
that question, Matthew 5:13-16. 1.
When we live God’s way, we will be different from the
world. Our speech and moral values will be different because we
follow God. Our priorities will be different. We will react
differently to problems. We will have better relationships with
our spouses and kids. In all kinds of noticeable ways, people will
be able to see that we’re just not like everyone else. 2.
But note in this passage that Jesus wants us to stick out.
He wants the world to notice us. We are to be like a city on a
hill. He wants others not just to see that we are different, but
to see that His way is best. He wants our lives to draw lost
people to Him. 3.
Bottom line: He wants our lives to shine in a dark world,
reflecting the glory of Jesus. 4.
This is something we can do; this is the starting point if
we want to reach others: shine! B.
Here are some questions we need to ask: Does my life
reflect Jesus? Is my light shining, or have I been so contaminated
by sin that I’ve become like salt without flavor? Just being the
people God calls us to be helps shine the light that brings others
to Him. C.
While it is important to let our lights shine, that is not
the end of our responsibility to the lost. 1.
“I’ll just be a good person and lost people will come
to me wanting to know about Christ.” 2.
But that won’t work. Someone may see your good works, and
may even give God some of the credit—but never speak to you.
Someone has to speak first. That is you! III.
Speak. A.
One of the best ways to speak (and easiest) is to salt our
speech with references to God, our relationship with Him, and
about Him as the source of the good things in our lives. 1.
Don’t we naturally talk about things that are most
important to us: football, cars, etc.? 2.
For the disciple, the most important thing in his life is
his relationship with God. It makes sense that God should be in
our conversation: His book, His church, my brethren, etc. 3.
In fact, the only way to avoid that would be to
intentionally avoid mentioning those things, to hide who we are
and deny the Lord, Matthew 10:32-33. B.
Here are some things a disciple speaks: 1.
We speak about God’s word. You may find an interesting
passage with a relevant application in life (marriage, anger,
kids); share it with a friend at work; maybe they can use it. 2.
Give God the glory for good things in our lives. Try to
find ways to honor God when someone compliments you on your
marriage or kids or for some kindness shown. 3.
Let unbelievers know you are praying for them. We do that
all the time in our spiritual family, why not for those
outside--maybe a friend at work who is going through a crisis? 4.
Point hurting people to the comfort found in God’s word.
If someone is grieving, let them know God cares about our grief.
If a friend is worried about the future, point them to a passage
that teaches trust in God. Watch for people who are hurting; point
them to God. 5.
Speak positively about things that are going on in your
congregation, i.e. sermons you have heard, classes you attend,
gospel meetings, devotions, etc. 6.
Don’t hesitate to say simple things that show your
commitment to God: “Lord willing, I’ll see you tomorrow” or
“I can’t go that night, I have Bible study,” etc. C.
If spiritual things are important to us, it is only natural
that we would speak of them. But as we do, it will open doors of
opportunity. As we speak, let us invite others in these things
with us. IIIII.
Invite. A.
See Philip’s example as he speaks to Nathaniel, John
1:45-46. Philip speaks positively about Jesus. Nathaniel is
skeptical at first, so Philip says, “Come and see.” Let’s be
like Philip. 1.
As we talk positively about spiritual things, we need to
invite others to come and see. 2.
Invite them to spiritual activities which will give them an
opportunity to hear God’s word and to be with other Christians
and see the impact of God’s word in their lives. B.
Here are some specifics: 1.
Talk positively about a Bible class you’re attending;
invite them to come to class with you. 2.
Talk enthusiastically about worship services; invite them
to come and see for themselves. 3.
Be excited about a special series of lessons; invite them
to come and be part of the study. 4.
Talk up a teen devotional; invite friends to come. Studies
show that 25% of those
who do not attend church say they would come if someone invited
them. You are someone! 5.
You can create events to bring friends. Maybe a neighbor
has a son fighting in Iraq. Why not invite your neighbor, a few
Christians and other neighbors in your home for prayer? C.
We make special efforts to invite our neighbors to a gospel
meeting. Why make that same effort all the time? What would happen
if each member would invite just one person each week? IIIV.
Welcome. A.
Imagine this scenario: Edwin invites you to his house for a
meal. You arrive before he gets home. He comes in and doesn’t
speak to you, but spends ten minutes talking with my wife. He
plays with his kids until the meal is ready. When he comes into
the room, he stands with a frown that says, “That’s my
chair.” During dinner he talks only to his family. After the
meal, he goes off and watches a movie with his kids, leaving you
alone. After a while, you go home. B.
Tell me how you feel: “Edwin is rude. He doesn’t care
about me; I’ll never go back there.” C.
No one would treat a dinner guest that way. We treat dinner
guests with honor. Let’s be sure we treat our guests with honor.
We don’t want them to think we don’t care, or worse, that
their visit was an intrusion. We want them to feel welcome. That
takes effort from each of us. You may be the first person they
meet in the parking lot; the first person they see coming in the
door; the person sitting by them in class; or the person whose
seat they take in the auditorium. D.
Let’s treat them with the same respect with which we
would treat a guest in our homes. 1.
Let us introduce ourselves and tell them we’re glad they
came. 2.
Take a minute to see if you can discover what needs may
have brought them. 3.
Show them every courtesy; help them find a seat; in class,
give them materials. 4.
Follow the ten-minute rule. For the first 10 minutes after
service, visit with visitors. Conclusion: 1. I don’t know
what I would have done if I’d been on that bridge in Detroit.
But that’s not the question today. The question for me: What
will I do with the opportunities I do have to help the lost? 2. If you are here this morning and are not a Christian, let me tell you why we’re talking about this: Your soul has value! If your life is not right with God, we want to help you do something about it.
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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