We know God cares about lost people - 2 Peter 3:9 says "God is patient...not wanting anyone to perish".
God is like a father, looking for lost kids. He wants people to come back to him.
What's your job? 2 Corinthians 5:20 says "We are Christ's ambassadors".
Ambassador = "someone chosen for an official, special mission"
An ambassador does his or her job when they deliver the message faithfully, and represent the ruler (usually a king) well. Do you do that?
The 10/40 Window: In the world, approximately half of the people are Christians. Half are not. Of the half that is not, about 97% live in an area of the world between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude, stretching through Southern Europe and Northern Africa, the Middle East, China and India. (Google "10/40 window" and you'll see a map).
Q: If most of the people in the world who don't know Jesus live in the 10/40 Window, what can I, in Carlsbad, CA, do?
A: Plenty! Even though most live "over there", there are people who don't know Jesus right here in our own country...community...and school.
You can reach out to lost people through friendships.
Luke 19 - Jesus befriended Zacchaeus. "I must stay at your house today." Zacchaeus was a despised man. But God's heart changed him. God doesn't want us to shun or avoid people who don't know him, but to share with them.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
April 18-19: Lost People Matter to God
What is it like to be LOST?
Is it more dangerous for someone to be lost and know they're lost, or lost and not know they're lost? Why? Actually can be more dangerous to be lost and not know it; you can be away from safety but think you're just fine.
When we're lost, often the people looking for us are more concerned than we are. We know where we are! And we don't have any idea of the danger we're in.
Today we start series on "The Lost World"
a. "lost" means they don't have a relationship with God; Jesus is not in their life
b. Not a word the church made up; "lost" is the word Jesus used
c. Lost people don't always know they're lost
If we believe that God is necessary to a person's survival...then we have a job to do! Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life...no one comes to the Father but through me."
God uses people to get his message out...because he cares very deeply about people who are lost - whether they know it or not.
Luke 15 - the Parable of the Lost Son - the Father rejoiced when the son came back.
Is it more dangerous for someone to be lost and know they're lost, or lost and not know they're lost? Why? Actually can be more dangerous to be lost and not know it; you can be away from safety but think you're just fine.
When we're lost, often the people looking for us are more concerned than we are. We know where we are! And we don't have any idea of the danger we're in.
Today we start series on "The Lost World"
a. "lost" means they don't have a relationship with God; Jesus is not in their life
b. Not a word the church made up; "lost" is the word Jesus used
c. Lost people don't always know they're lost
If we believe that God is necessary to a person's survival...then we have a job to do! Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life...no one comes to the Father but through me."
God uses people to get his message out...because he cares very deeply about people who are lost - whether they know it or not.
Luke 15 - the Parable of the Lost Son - the Father rejoiced when the son came back.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
April 11-12: The Meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus
John 20 - on the morning of the third day, the women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body and...it was missing! Some disciples thought it had been stolen, while others believed he'd risen from the dead.
But...if Jesus' body had still been in the tomb -
What would this have done to his disciples?
What would it have done to Christianity?
When someone makes a promise, you know they've delivered when they actually act on it.
My 9th grade English teacher forgave some work I didn't do. Without those points, I would have gotten a "C" for the quarter. Instead, by changing my score, I got an "A".
Q: When did I escape the penalty? When she adjusted my grade - kept her promise.
The resurrection matters because without it, we'd still be in our sins. God promised - and then he delivered
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 - some people believed that there was no resurrection. If they died before Jesus came back, there was no hope. Paul says - it's not that way. If we only think Jesus can benefit us while alive, because we don't believe we'll be raised to life, we have no faith at all!
Jesus brought benefits to people during his life -he befriended them, he healed their diseases, he raised the dead
He brings benefits to us while we're alive - he comforts us, he leads us, he teaches us
He will bring benefits to us after we die - we'll be raised back to life, just as he was
Sin caused death/God undid the power of sin by raising Jesus from the grave, the "firstfruits" (1 Cor. 15:20) of those who had died, and others will follow the same pattern.
This is what's called good news!
Three things we know because God raised Jesus from the dead:
1. Good and evil are not equally matched. Even death couldn't hold Jesus!
2. God has the power to raise the dead.
3. We have the hope of eternal life - that what God did in Jesus will be repeated in us!
But...if Jesus' body had still been in the tomb -
What would this have done to his disciples?
What would it have done to Christianity?
When someone makes a promise, you know they've delivered when they actually act on it.
My 9th grade English teacher forgave some work I didn't do. Without those points, I would have gotten a "C" for the quarter. Instead, by changing my score, I got an "A".
Q: When did I escape the penalty? When she adjusted my grade - kept her promise.
The resurrection matters because without it, we'd still be in our sins. God promised - and then he delivered
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 - some people believed that there was no resurrection. If they died before Jesus came back, there was no hope. Paul says - it's not that way. If we only think Jesus can benefit us while alive, because we don't believe we'll be raised to life, we have no faith at all!
Jesus brought benefits to people during his life -he befriended them, he healed their diseases, he raised the dead
He brings benefits to us while we're alive - he comforts us, he leads us, he teaches us
He will bring benefits to us after we die - we'll be raised back to life, just as he was
Sin caused death/God undid the power of sin by raising Jesus from the grave, the "firstfruits" (1 Cor. 15:20) of those who had died, and others will follow the same pattern.
This is what's called good news!
Three things we know because God raised Jesus from the dead:
1. Good and evil are not equally matched. Even death couldn't hold Jesus!
2. God has the power to raise the dead.
3. We have the hope of eternal life - that what God did in Jesus will be repeated in us!
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