IS REACHING PEOPLE A VALID CHURCH CONCERN?

From time to time a few church people conclude that a constant concern for people is unnecessary if not unwarranted. Granted that all emphasis should be kept in an appropriate balance, is it ever right to disavow a concern for people? Perhaps the following concepts would serve as a base for considering the question.

1. Unless God was mistaken in his own concern for people, WE
MUST reach out to people with the Gospel of Christ.
2. Unless God’s revelation of Himself in Christ was a meaningless
gesture, WE MUST reach out to people.
3. Unless Christ’s coming to save the lost was a divine tragedy, WE
MUST reach out to people.
4. Unless Jesus blundered when He created the church, WE MUST
reach out to people.
5. Unless the Great Commission is simply a mission impossible, WE
MUST reach out to people.
6. Unless the disciples misunderstood what Jesus told them to do, WE
MUST reach out to people.
7. Unless the early Christians were only misguided zealots, WE MUST
reach out to people.
8. Unless the New Testament is merely the history of a decadent
religion, WE MUST reach out to people.
9. Unless persons are no longer lost, WE MUST reach out to people.
10. Unless no one is presently in bondage to sin, WE MUST reach out
to people.
11. Unless witnessing is an exercise in futility, WE MUST reach out to
people.
12. Unless the Holy Spirit no longer regenerates the lost, WE MUST
reach out to people.
13. Unless the penalty for sin is no longer death, WE MUST reach out
to people.
14. Unless man’s sinful nature has been completely eradicated, WE
MUST reach out to people.
15. Unless the Gospel is no longer the Good News of Salvation, WE
MUST reach out to people.
16. Unless there is no longer any “joy in heaven over a sinner who
repents”, WE MUST reach out to people.
17. Unless Christ’s second coming has been cancelled, WE
MUST reach out to people.
18. Unless we are willing to face God empty handed, WE MUST reach
out to people.
19. Unless we have not personally experienced a saving faith in Christ,
WE MUST reach out to people.

ISN’T IT OBVIOUS THAT REACH PEOPLE MUST ALWAYS BE A VALID CHURCH CONCERN?



A SOUL-WINNER FOR JESUS

TEXT: I Corinthians 15:1-8
The Lord is counting on us being His soul-winners. He has no other plans!

I. THE CHRISTIAN IS THE LORD’S SOUL-WINNER. Acts 1:8; 2:32
A. Just before His ascension Jesus gave the command to go and tell others.
B. What had they witnessed that they could tell others?
C. The death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus!
II. THE CHRISTIAN IS TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS,
THE MASTER TEACHER. Revelation 1:5
A. In the Revelation of Jesus He is called “the Faithful Witness.”
B. As a faithful witness he taught others about life after death.
III. THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF
ISAIAH WHEN TELLING OTHERS.
Isaiah 55:4
A. It was prophesied of Jesus that He would be a witness to the peoples.
B. Isaiah spoke of Jesus 700 years before He came.
IV. THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD PREACH THE GOSPEL WHEN
TELLING OTHERS. I Corinthians 15:1-4
A. The Gospel message of the early church centered on Jesus.
B. Paul points to the relevance of the Gospel here.
V. THE CHRISTIAN IS TO SPEAK SOUND DOCTRINE. Titus 2:1, 15
A. Paul wanted Titus to preach sound doctrine.
B. What is included in the speaking of sound doctrine?
VI. THE CHRISTIAN IS TO SPEAK BOLDLY. Acts 5:29; 18:9
A. Our teaching must be done with boldness.
B. What a testimony! “As having been with Jesus”. Acts 4:13
VII. THE CHRISTIAN, SOUL-WINNER MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR
SOULS TO BE SAVED. Proverbs 14:25; James 5:19-20
A. The whole concept of being a soul winner means that we share Jesus.
B. The last words of James were on personal evangelism (James 5:19-20).