By Pastor John Mateos Ong
We have been chosen to be ambassadors of Christ. One of the ways that we can show love to others is by reaching out to them. Many Christians are sitting pretty. They tell themselves that they are doing fine, attending church on Sundays and being a part of a small group. But Jesus came to save us because He wanted to commission us.
Matthew 9:35-36 says “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus loved teaching so he taught everywhere, wherever His feet led Him. The word pastor actually came from the word “pastol” which means shepherd in English. The pastor is the shepherd of the church.
Do you ever see people who simply wander about, not knowing where they are going? Are we compassionate like Jesus? Do we make an effort to reach out to them? Do you wonder why Jesus did not take us to heaven the moment we received Him in our life? Because He still has a mission for us. So what did Jesus do? In Matthew 9:37, Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” How many of you have had answered prayers? Don’t you think it is time that we answer Jesus’ prayer too? We have the power to answer Jesus’ prayer with a yes. This is an invitation to regain our focus and set our eyes back into the harvest field.
This is urgent because:
1. Jesus is coming soon and we have limited time. These verses state this fact:
Rev. 3:11 “I am coming soon.”
Heb. 10:37 “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.”
James 5:9 “Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!”
1 Thess 5:2 “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.”
Mark 13:29 “In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door.”
Rev. 1:3 “God blesses the one who reads... for the time is near.”
Phil. 4:5 “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”
Luke 21:31 “...when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near.”
Rom. 13:11 “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”
1 John 2:18 “Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.”
1Peter 4:7 “The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.”
Recent news have been showing us that the end is near. The corona virus spreading everywhere, plagues in Africa, and vast number of camels dying in Saudi Arabia are signs of the times.
We have a 10/40 window. This direction, which shows 10 degrees latitude and 40 degrees longitude, is where 65% of people in the world live. And in this small area, 87% of those who are not yet evangelized are here. It is in these countries where Christians are most persecuted and martyred. In 2005, 171,000 Christians were killed and 200 million were tortured or imprisoned. In the world, we have a total of 190 countries. 131 of those countries have Christian hardship. The Philippines is in this 10/40 window. Maybe God put us here because we are called for more, to be missionaries. My prayer is that we will have a burden.
2. We are accountable for those around us. The more irritable people are around us, the more we should share to them so that they will change. One day, God will ask us what we did to those people who He surrounded us with.
Acts 20:26-27 “I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.”
Our job is to share the word of God. It is our responsibility to study how and share God’s word.
1 Cor. 9:16-17 “Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.” When we share the gospel, it is a command, God does not owe us anything.
Rom. 1:14-16 “For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” Some of us are ashamed to preach, we hide our Bibles in our bags in fear of what other people might say. Instead of saying to ourselves, “What if he does not believe me?”, we should say, “What if he believes me?”
3. Evangelism makes us grow spiritually.
Philemon 1:6 “And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.”
If you are not active in sharing your faith, then maybe you do not fully understand what you have received. Because the goodness of God will propel you to share it. Something good should not be kept inside of you.
Before Jesus left this world, He left a last word to His disciples. It is called the Great Commission. He gave them a mission. Matt 28:19-20 says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” This is the plan of God for the church to continue. He did not plan to reach everybody. His plan is just to disciple 12 people and told them to do the same things He did to them.
If you are having a difficult time reaching out to 10 people inside your church, what more if you are sent to the province, or mo so, to the world? We should be ready to be inconvenienced. Jesus died for you. What is a little sweat? We are messengers. Something that everybody needs. Why not bring God’s good news to them?
Seek. Go out into the world. Disciple. Wherever you are sent. Baptize. Declare to the whole world that you have found Jesus and will follow Him for the rest of your life. Teach. Obey all that Jesus has commanded you.2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” God is not slow in His promise. The only reason why He is not yet coming is because He wants everybody to come to repentance.
Seek. Go out into the world. Disciple. Wherever you are sent. Baptize. Declare to the whole world that you have found Jesus and will follow Him for the rest of your life. Teach. Obey all that Jesus has commanded you.2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” God is not slow in His promise. The only reason why He is not yet coming is because He wants everybody to come to repentance.
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