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SOME REASONS WHY WE OFTEN MISS OUR OPPORTUNITIES IN EVANGELISM
Sermon notes
Sermon notes
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
A very practical message re:
witnessing/Christ.
Our Christian duty: 1:8
Our Christian duty: 1:8
Witness: truth/gospel Basic
facts and to apply the message.
Something definitely active.
Something definitely active.
Although text relates to Philip who held the office/evangelist (Acts 21:8/Ephesians 4:11) yet the chapter (v1/4) relates that the work/evangelism belongs to every single Christian.
Our passage relates
how Philip took/opportunity to witness/Christ: v26-30
I think v30 was very opportunistic.
It was a word fitly spoken. Worked!
See how smooth it
all went (v31) and the rest is glorious! (v37-39)
Answer me this: Do you take your opportunities/speak to lost souls?
Under God, do you try and create opportunities?
Or like me, do you manage to miss more than you take?
We want to tackle the reasons why that, under God, we might be able/overcome them and do what the Lord Jesus/saved to do: bear testimony/Him: Acts 20:24
5 main points to consider:
1) WE ARE SIMPLY NOT IN THE LOOK OUT FOR SOULS:
A/ Watch/souls appears/relation: oversight/church: Hebrews 13:17
Shepherd watching/flock i.e. anticipating trouble and preventing it.
Likewise in evangelism: Christians are to be ever looking for opportunities to witness.
Certainly Philip was (See Introduction)
Just come from active preaching (v25) and when directed, he went to Gaza (!) to look for souls.
B/ Philip knew: worth/soul (Mark 8:36)
Easily forgot.
So great a matter that we cannot think long upon it and so we can easily forget it.
We need therefore to meditate long/often upon Bible:
Turn to: 2 Corinthians 5:11 Greek literally rendered:
"Having known & knowing: terror/Lord
Keep it constant before us.
C/ Consider cost/Lord Jesus: Ephesians 1:7
Once we do this, then we will ever be willing to ensure that He shall see: travail/soul and be satisfied (Isaiah 53:11)
D/ Perhaps: our inactivity here is the symptom/deeper spiritual ill:
Are we too earthbound/thinking?
Cf. Paul: Philippians 1:21-23 Whatever, if not on the lookout/souls, then we are not likely to reach any.
2) WE FEEL OUR TOTAL INADEQUACY FOR THE WORK:
Perhaps we are spiritual and aware of danger/lost etc., but still we let opportunities go by.
Why? Feelings of total inadequacy etc.,
A/ Nothing new.
Best have felt it: Moses (Exodus 4:10) Solomon (1 Kings 3:7) Jeremiah (1:6) and Paul/soulwinner: 2 Corinthians 2:16
B/ Big fear we might entertain:
"If I try to witness, then I will say something wrong, blow it and bring the gospel in to disrepute."
Tackle this. It is true that zeal w/o knowledge is not good (Romans 10:2) See Galatians 4:18
Ans: Get knowledge. Not that hard!
Not being asked to preach an expository sermon, but just being asked to convey information.
Seeking an opening which (if needs be) others can exploit.
C/ If you had it all perfect, may be too good for God to use!
Always a danger! Qualifications: 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 Cp. Gideon
Without encouraging recklessness, remember God has often used sincere though ill equipped folk/past.
Not the norm. A sound mind will prepare etc., but don't pigeon hole God either.
Good verses/guide: 1 Corinthians 14:33/40
D/ Don't make this particular weakness an excuse.
Paul quoted 2 Corinthians 2:16 (as above) but also said:
"Our sufficiency is of God" (2 Corinthians 3:5)
3) WE ARE OFTEN ASHAMED OF THE LORD JESUS:
A/ If so, we have a spiritual problem. Far removed: Romans 1:16/Galatians 6:14
B/ My problem: Not ashamed/gospel, but I recoil thought of rejection on 1-1 basis.
Can cope with general rejection (Not hard in the FPC!) - I have myself fortified against it - but being rebuffed on a 1-1 basis fills me with dread.
Problem deeper?
Am I ashamed of Jesus?
If so, I ought not to be.
He was not ashamed of me even though He had every right/be: Hebrew 2:11
C/ Once proud Apostle could overcome it and so should we.
Paul got it all into perspective: Galatians 1:10 & again: 1 Thessalonians 2:4
In passage: Philip had every reason to feel inferior (v27) but he overcame it.
A greater had sent him (v26) & so us: Mark 16:15
4) WE LACK FAITH IN THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD:
A/ Doctrinally we don't. Fundamental. Practically: Seems we do.
B/ We might fear face/man, but can it not be that having raised matter/salvation. we might be in for a surprise?
Did Philip expect v28? or v31? or v34? Or v36?
Remember: God has an elect people whom He will bring through means/evangelism: Acts 13:48
How did they believe? Through evangelism. Through men who believed in the absolute power/Bible:
C/ Never pare down/message.
It's not your part of the work once the word has been delivered: 1 Corinthians 3:6
5): WE ARE EVER GETTING READY TO GET READY & NEVER GET READY:
A/ In other words: Just do it!
Pray for leadings (v26) & be determined to speak to someone every day.
Avoid: Matthew 20:6
B/ Better to do something (even if imperfect) than nothing. Redeem/time.
Go for it! God will not let His word return unto Him void (Isaiah 55:11).
Your labour will not be in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58)
THE END
Answer me this: Do you take your opportunities/speak to lost souls?
Under God, do you try and create opportunities?
Or like me, do you manage to miss more than you take?
We want to tackle the reasons why that, under God, we might be able/overcome them and do what the Lord Jesus/saved to do: bear testimony/Him: Acts 20:24
5 main points to consider:
1) WE ARE SIMPLY NOT IN THE LOOK OUT FOR SOULS:
A/ Watch/souls appears/relation: oversight/church: Hebrews 13:17
Shepherd watching/flock i.e. anticipating trouble and preventing it.
Likewise in evangelism: Christians are to be ever looking for opportunities to witness.
Certainly Philip was (See Introduction)
Just come from active preaching (v25) and when directed, he went to Gaza (!) to look for souls.
B/ Philip knew: worth/soul (Mark 8:36)
Easily forgot.
So great a matter that we cannot think long upon it and so we can easily forget it.
We need therefore to meditate long/often upon Bible:
Turn to: 2 Corinthians 5:11 Greek literally rendered:
"Having known & knowing: terror/Lord
Keep it constant before us.
C/ Consider cost/Lord Jesus: Ephesians 1:7
Once we do this, then we will ever be willing to ensure that He shall see: travail/soul and be satisfied (Isaiah 53:11)
D/ Perhaps: our inactivity here is the symptom/deeper spiritual ill:
Are we too earthbound/thinking?
Cf. Paul: Philippians 1:21-23 Whatever, if not on the lookout/souls, then we are not likely to reach any.
2) WE FEEL OUR TOTAL INADEQUACY FOR THE WORK:
Perhaps we are spiritual and aware of danger/lost etc., but still we let opportunities go by.
Why? Feelings of total inadequacy etc.,
A/ Nothing new.
Best have felt it: Moses (Exodus 4:10) Solomon (1 Kings 3:7) Jeremiah (1:6) and Paul/soulwinner: 2 Corinthians 2:16
B/ Big fear we might entertain:
"If I try to witness, then I will say something wrong, blow it and bring the gospel in to disrepute."
Tackle this. It is true that zeal w/o knowledge is not good (Romans 10:2) See Galatians 4:18
Ans: Get knowledge. Not that hard!
Not being asked to preach an expository sermon, but just being asked to convey information.
Seeking an opening which (if needs be) others can exploit.
C/ If you had it all perfect, may be too good for God to use!
Always a danger! Qualifications: 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 Cp. Gideon
Without encouraging recklessness, remember God has often used sincere though ill equipped folk/past.
Not the norm. A sound mind will prepare etc., but don't pigeon hole God either.
Good verses/guide: 1 Corinthians 14:33/40
D/ Don't make this particular weakness an excuse.
Paul quoted 2 Corinthians 2:16 (as above) but also said:
"Our sufficiency is of God" (2 Corinthians 3:5)
3) WE ARE OFTEN ASHAMED OF THE LORD JESUS:
A/ If so, we have a spiritual problem. Far removed: Romans 1:16/Galatians 6:14
B/ My problem: Not ashamed/gospel, but I recoil thought of rejection on 1-1 basis.
Can cope with general rejection (Not hard in the FPC!) - I have myself fortified against it - but being rebuffed on a 1-1 basis fills me with dread.
Problem deeper?
Am I ashamed of Jesus?
If so, I ought not to be.
He was not ashamed of me even though He had every right/be: Hebrew 2:11
C/ Once proud Apostle could overcome it and so should we.
Paul got it all into perspective: Galatians 1:10 & again: 1 Thessalonians 2:4
In passage: Philip had every reason to feel inferior (v27) but he overcame it.
A greater had sent him (v26) & so us: Mark 16:15
4) WE LACK FAITH IN THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD:
A/ Doctrinally we don't. Fundamental. Practically: Seems we do.
B/ We might fear face/man, but can it not be that having raised matter/salvation. we might be in for a surprise?
Did Philip expect v28? or v31? or v34? Or v36?
Remember: God has an elect people whom He will bring through means/evangelism: Acts 13:48
How did they believe? Through evangelism. Through men who believed in the absolute power/Bible:
C/ Never pare down/message.
It's not your part of the work once the word has been delivered: 1 Corinthians 3:6
5): WE ARE EVER GETTING READY TO GET READY & NEVER GET READY:
A/ In other words: Just do it!
Pray for leadings (v26) & be determined to speak to someone every day.
Avoid: Matthew 20:6
B/ Better to do something (even if imperfect) than nothing. Redeem/time.
Go for it! God will not let His word return unto Him void (Isaiah 55:11).
Your labour will not be in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58)
THE END
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