Sojourn Church TV – Preparing for the Harvest -How to Invite someone New to Church.
THIS WEEK WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THIS SERIES PREPARING FOR HARVEST.
REMEMBERING THAT THE HARVEST IS ALREADY RIPE…
TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO:
John 4
Acts 1
John 4
28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
Think about the fact that in both of these accounts, the disciples were off.
They were focused on physical food and not eternal food – (Jesus doing the will of the FATHER
THEY WERE FOCUSED ON RESTORING THE EARTHLY KINGDOM TO ISRAEL INSTEAD OF ESTABLISHING THE KINGDOM OG GOD THROUGHOUT THE EARTH..
IT IS JUST LIKE THE CHURCH TODAY FOCUSED ON THE WRONG STUFF –
GOD IS FOCUSED ON BRINGING HIS KINGDOM HERE ON EARTH.
HE ALSO SAID THAT IT IS HIS DESIRE THAT NO ONE WOULD PERISH
MATTHEW 5:14 SAYS THAT WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A CITY THAT IS SET ON A HILL CANNOT BE HIDDEN. NOR DO THEY LIGHT A LAMP AND PUT IT UNDER A BASKET BUT ON A LAMPSTAND, AND IT GIVES LIGHT TO ALL WHO ARE IN THE HOUSE. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.
MARK 16:15 – GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE. HE WHO BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED; BUT HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE WILL BE CONDEMNED.
LUKE 14:23 – THEN THE MASTER SAID TO THE SERVANT, “GO OUT INTO THE HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES, AND COMPEL (URGE) THEM TO COME IN, THAT MY HOUSE MAY BE FILLED.
ROMANS 10:13 B WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.
GOD IS ABOUT PEOPLE COMING OUT OF DARKNESS AND INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT –
BUT I REALIZE THAT THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR SOME OF US TO DO –
MY WIFE TELLS ME THAT SHE IS PRACTICAL –
HOW DO I DO PRACTICALLY EITHE SHARE MY FAITH OR INVITE SOMEONE TO CHURCH –
HERE ARE SOME PRACTICAL WAYS FOR YOU TO DO THIS –
IF YOU CAN REMEMBER THE 3 I’S OF HARVEST –
POINT 1. IDENTIFY – IDENTIFY SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW NEEDS TO HEAR THE GOSPEL MESSAGE OF THE KINGDOM.
JESUS WAS THE BEST AS THIS –
HE IDENTIFIED ALL OF HIS DISCIPLES
ZACHEOUS
THE WOMAN AT THE WELL
THE BLIND MAN WHOM HE SPIT ON THE GROUND AND MADE CLAY AND HEALED HIM –
TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS
POINT 2. INTERCEDE – PRAY FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED.
STAND IN THE GAP FOR THEM – I LOOKED FOR A MAN THAT WOULD STAND IN THE GAP.
THERE IS A GAP BETWEEN PEOPLE AND GOD. JESUS CLOSED THAT GAP WHEN HE WENT TO THE CROSS.
James 5:16 16 [j]Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, [k]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much
POINT 3. INVITE – INVITE SOMEONE TO CHURCH OR TO INVITE JESUS INTO THEIR HEART.
INITIATE A CONVERSATION AND LOOK FOR WAYS TO SLIP IN YOUR TESTIMONY.
EVERYONE HAS A STORY
THE BLIND MAN HAD THE SHORTEST TESTIMONY OF ALL. (I WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE)
I WAS LOST, BUT NOW I’M FOUND
I WAS BOUND, BUT NOW I AM FREE
WHAYEVER YOUR STORY WAS BEFORE YOU WERE SAVED IS YOUR TESTIMONY.
MY LIFE WAS A MESS BUT HE TURNED IT INTO A MESSAGE.
HE WILL TURN YOUR FAILURES INTO TREASURES
I HAVE SEEN HIM TURN PEOPLES TEARS AND FEARS INTO CHEERS.
YOUR CHAOS MOMENTS INTO KAIROS MOMENTS
YOUR TURMOIL INTO FRESH OIL
HE STILL TURNS ASHES IN BEAUTY
HE WILL TAKE YOUR HEAVINESS AND GIVE YOU A GARMENT OF PRAISE.
