Lesson 3: When God calls and means you

Transcription

1 Fcused n seekers United in fellwship Cmmitted t discipleship Active in Training Tgether in Service Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu Lessn 3: When Gd calls and means yu Intrductin In lessn 1 f Mdule 3 we saw that Gd established the church in rder t spread the gd news f salvatin thrugh Jesus Christ. This missin is the reasn fr the existence f the Seventh day Adventist Church. Every single lcal church is called t accept this missin as their visin. In the secnd lessn we discvered a missin cncept that helps us t fulfil ur missin in accrdance t ur values. Gd s cmmissin / The visin fr the church: Winning suls fr Christ Based n the Bible Dependent n Christ Tday we want t lk clser at Gd s visin fr the Church. We can frmulate this as fllws: We exist in rder t bring the everlasting gspel in the cntext f the three angel s message t the peple f ur cmmunity, t serve them, and thus t reveal the character f Gd t them. Our churches are a place in which peple can meet Gd, grw in faith, and tgether fulfil Gd s cmmissin. Our cmmissin as a church is clear and very plainly frmulated. Nw we must take the next step by asking, Wh is actually called? Is it the pastr, evangelist, bible wrker, bk evangelist, and teachers? Of curse, they are called t carry ut the cmmissin. But when we lk at the New Testament we see that every fllwer f Jesus is called t spread the Gspel. The missin cncept that we discussed in ur last lessn can nly wrk when the members f the church are willing t put their heart int it and nt just leave the wrk up t the pastr. The missin, the visin, and the values apply nt nly t the wrldwide church, t unins, cnferences, and lcal churches but als t families and individuals. We must always remember that Gd calls us individually! Every Page 1

2 Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu Qute #1 Qute #2 Qute #3 Qute #4 Qute #5 Qute #6 Lay missin wrk fllwer f Jesus is called t pass n that which they themselves have received. This is a principle that is fundamental t the success f missin wrk. It is nt biblical fr the church members t lay back and let the leaders f the church d all f the wrk. A church where this happens cannt grw! In shrt, the great cmmissin can t succeed withut YOU! Gd s visin fr the church is Gd s visin fr YOU! Gd wants t reach lst peple thrugh YOU! What a wnderful privilege! What a wnderful respnsibility! Read hw Ellen White describes this. Every true disciple is brn int the kingdm f Gd as a missinary. He wh drinks f the living water becmes a funtain f life. The receiver becmes a giver. The grace f Christ in the sul is like a spring in the desert, welling up t refresh all, and making thse wh are ready t perish eager t drink f the water f life. (The Desire f Ages, p. 195) The Saviur's cmmissin t the disciples included all the believers. It includes all believers in Christ t the end f time. It is a fatal mistake t suppse that the wrk f saving suls depends alne n the rdained minister. All t whm the heavenly inspiratin has cme are put in trust with the gspel. All wh receive the life f Christ are rdained t wrk fr the salvatin f their fellw men. Fr this wrk the church was established, and all wh take upn themselves its sacred vws are thereby pledged t be c-wrkers with Christ. (The Desire f Ages, p. 822) It is Gd's plan that all wh embrace it shall becme missinaries. Nt nly men, but wmen and even children can engage in this wrk. Nne are excused. All have an influence, and that influence shuld be whlly fr the Master. Jesus has bught the race with his bld. We are his; and we have n right t say, I will nt d this r that; but we shuld inquire, Lrd, what wilt thu have me t d? and d it with a cheerful, willing heart. (Histrical Sketches, p. 151) Gd expects persnal service frm every ne t whm He has entrusted a knwledge f the truth fr this time. Nt all can g as missinaries t freign lands, but all can be hme missinaries in their families and neighbrhds. (Christian Service, p. 9) N sner des ne cme t Christ than there is brn in his heart a desire t make knwn t thers what a precius friend he has fund in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannt be shut up in his heart. If we are clthed with the righteusness f Christ and are filled with the jy f His indwelling Spirit, we shall nt be able t hld ur peace. (Steps t Christ, p. 78) There are thse wh fr a lifetime have prfessed t be acquainted with Christ, yet wh have never made a persnal effrt t bring even ne sul t the Saviur. They leave all the wrk fr the minister. He may be well qualified fr his calling, but he cannt d that which Gd has left fr the members f the church. (The Desire f Ages, p. 141) The gspel cmmissin is as clear; every believer is called t win thers t Jesus. The Seventh-day Adventist Church started as a laymen s missin mvement. We can bserve everywhere where the church is grwing that the members are actively wrking t spread the Gspel. They witness in everyday activities, give Bible studies, gather in small grups, and hld evangelism meetings. The pastrs train, supprt, and mtivate the church members t d the missin wrk. Page 2

3 Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu Is it clear that Jesus has called yu? What thughts and feelings d yu have when yu think abut this cmmissin? Why are we s inactive? Unfrtunately, the reality in mst f ur churches lks very different. Only a small minrity f church members are actively wrking t win suls fr Jesus. Of curse, the reasns why church members are nt invlved in sul winning are quite diverse: They have nt understd that Gd has called them individually t spread the Gspel and believe that the pastr is respnsible fr this. They wuld lve t tell thers abut Jesus but n ne has shwn them hw t d this. They are discuraged because they have nt been successful thus far. They are afraid they will be embarrassed r be rejected if they talk abut Jesus. They d nt believe that there are peple in their area that are hnestly searching fr Gd. They are afraid that they d nt have all the answers, that they will make mistakes and thus stand in the way f smene searching fr Gd. They are s verwhelmed by the challenges f life that they have n time r energy left ver t d missin wrk. They are nt sure f their salvatin, which hlds them back when it cmes t jyfully telling thers abut Jesus. They are leading a wrldly life and and dn t have a slid Christian, much less an Adventist identity. These reasns and many mre are what keep church members frm being active missinaries. Is ne f these reasns, r thers, preventing yu frm actively wrking t spread the gspel by ne f these r ther reasns. Page 3

4 Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu The questin arises, why shuld we invest ur time in winning peple t Jesus, in getting them t accept the Adventist message? Can t Gd reach the peple withut ur help? Des he really need us? These are gd questins that need slid answers. Let s lk at 7 biblical reasns fr evangelism. These will shw us clearly why Gd uses weak, flawed peple like us. 1 st Reasn Evangelism is Gd s way f reaching lst peple. Rmans 10:13-17 Jesus said abut himself: Fr the Sn f Man has cme t seek and t save that which was lst. (Luke 19:10) The Bible says very clearly that peple wh d nt have Jesus are lst and that their nly hpe is t accept him int their lives. Nr is there salvatin in any ther, fr there is n ther name under heaven given amng men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) In rder fr peple t be saved they must hear abut what Jesus has dne fr them. But hw shuld they hear abut this? Read what Paul says! Paul asks: Hw then shall they call n Him in whm they have nt believed? And hw shall they believe in Him f whm they have nt heard? Hw can peple accept Jesus when n ne preached the Gspel t them? The answer is clear: S faith cmes frm hearing, and hearing thrugh the wrd f Christ. Gd has rdained the preaching f the gspel t be his tl fr saving lst suls. Thrughut the Bible Gd used peple t bring thers t knw abut Him s that He culd save them. Des this mean that if we dn t tell peple abut Jesus that they will be lst? The answer t this questin has tw sides. On the ne side Gd gives every persn n this earth a fair chance t be saved. N ne will be punished because he lived in the wrng place at the wrng time and met the wrng peple. Gd des everything t reach his lst children. On the ther side it definitely makes a difference if the church fulfils its missin r nt. Peple s lives change when we pray fr them, serve them, and tell them abut the gd news f Jesus salvatin. When we let Jesus use us in this way it increases the chance that peple will decide t give their lives t Him. Evangelism makes a difference! The preaching f the gspel is Gd s way t save peple! Page 4

5 Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu Qute #7 There are many wh need the ministratin f lving Christian hearts. Many have gne dwn t ruin wh might have been saved if their neighbrs, cmmn men and wmen, had put frth persnal effrt fr them. Many are waiting t be persnally addressed. In the very family, the neighbrhd, the twn, where we live, there is wrk fr us t d as missinaries fr Christ. If we are Christians, this wrk will be ur delight. N sner is ne cnverted than there is brn within him a desire t make knwn t thers what a precius friend he has fund in Jesus. The saving and sanctifying truth cannt be shut up in his heart. (The Desire f Ages, p. 141) 2 nd Reasn Evangelism brings jy t the heart f Gd! Peple wh d nt knw Jesus weigh heavily n Gd s heart because He hlds His lst children clse t His heart. Every persn is special and He lves them with bundless lve. Hw great is his jy, when ne f His children returns t Him! Hw des Jesus describe this jy? Luke 15:7: Luke 15:10: Luke 15:20-24: The salvatin f Gd s children is a weight upn His heart and mre imprtant t Him than anything else. With fervur He wrks fr their return t Him. Thse wh d nt share this fervur fr evangelism and wrk fr the same gal d nt understand Gd. Is there a better way t shw Gd ur thankfulness fr what He has dne fr us than t give Him the jy f bringing lst suls t Him? This lve fr lst suls shuld be the drive behind ur missin wrk. Like the wrds frm Paul: Fr the lve f Christ cmpels us, (2. Crinthians 5:14). With His lve f peple in ur hearts we will win suls fr Jesus and prvide Gd with the greatest jy. 3 rd Reasn Evangelism lets us experience great experiences with Gd! Befre Jesus returned t heaven, he said t his disciples, But yu shall receive pwer when the Hly Spirit has cme upn yu; and yu shall be witnesses t Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and t the end f the earth. (Acts 1:8) The bk f Acts describes very clearly hw a believer can experience this pwer. As they wrked fr the salvatin f thers they experienced their wn mst beautiful experiences with Gd. When we wrk full heartedly fr the salvatin f thers, we are engaging in a wrk Page 5

6 Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu that is extremely imprtant t Gd. Gd is always speaking t the hearts f peple and directing circumstances t reach ut t them. When we decide t d missinary wrk, we are wrking tgether with Gd. We have the mst beautiful experiences as we let Him use us as His helping hands. Many yung peple yearn t be invlved in a cause that is challenging, that needs lts f talent, and that makes a real difference in the lives f ther peple. Nthing fits this prfile better than evangelism! 4 th Reasn Evangelism strengthens ur spiritual lives and blesses us. Qute #8 Qute #9 Qute #10 Qute #11 Qute #12 Qute #13 When we wrk fr the salvatin f thers ur wn faith is strengthened. We pray mre earnestly and study the Bible mre carefully. We lk away frm ur wn needs and lk t that which will bring thers t knw Him better. Thrugh this Gd changes us and gives us a much deeper spiritual experience. The mre we lve Jesus, the mre we will tell thers abut Him and the mre we talk abut Him the mre we will lve Him. This is truly a spiral f blessing! And the effrt t bless thers will react in blessings upn urselves. This was the purpse f Gd in giving us a part t act in the plan f redemptin. He has granted men the privilege f becming partakers f the divine nature and, in their turn, f diffusing blessings t their fellw men. This is the highest hnr, the greatest jy, that it is pssible fr Gd t bestw upn men. Thse wh thus becme participants in labrs f lve are brught nearest t their Creatr. (Steps t Christ, p. 79) Gd might have cmmitted the message f the gspel, and all the wrk f lving ministry, t the heavenly angels. He might have emplyed ther means fr accmplishing His purpse. But in His infinite lve He chse t make us c-wrkers with Himself, with Christ and the angels, that we might share the blessing, the jy, the spiritual uplifting, which results frm this unselfish ministry. (Steps t Christ, p. 79) Gd culd have reached His bject in saving sinners withut ur aid; but in rder fr us t develp a character like Christ's, we must share in His wrk. In rder t enter int His jy,--the jy f seeing suls redeemed by His sacrifice,--we must participate in His labrs fr their redemptin. (The Desire f Ages, p. 142) Every effrt made fr Christ will react in blessing upn urselves. If we use ur means fr His glry, He will give us mre. As we seek t win thers t Christ, bearing the burden f suls in ur prayers, ur wn hearts will thrb with the quickening influence f Gd's grace; ur wn affectins will glw with mre divine fervr; ur whle Christian life will be mre f a reality, mre earnest, mre prayerful. (Christ s Object Lessn, p. 354) If yu will g t wrk as Christ designs that His disciples shall, and win suls fr Him, yu will feel the need f a deeper experience and a greater knwledge in divine things, and will hunger and thirst after righteusness. Yu will plead with Gd, and yur faith will be strengthened, and yur sul will drink deeper drafts at the well f salvatin. Encuntering ppsitin and trials will drive yu t the Bible and prayer. Yu will grw in grace and the knwledge f Christ, and will develp a rich experience. (Steps t Christ, p. 80) He wh begins with a little knwledge, in a humble way, and tells what he knws, while seeking diligently fr further knwledge, will find the whle heavenly treasure awaiting his demand. The mre he seeks t impart light, the mre light he will receive. The mre ne tries t explain the wrd f Gd t thers, with a lve fr Page 6

7 Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu suls, the plainer it becmes t himself. The mre we use ur knwledge and exercise ur pwers, the mre knwledge and pwer we shall have. (Christ s Object Lessns, p. 354) 5 th Reasn Evangelism brings us int cntact with peple wh are searching fr Gd. Qute #14 There are peple in ur areas that are earnestly searching fr Gd. Gd is wrking in their hearts, cnstantly drawing them t Himself. He wants t bring the church members wh have dedicated their lives t evangelism tgether with these peple. We can have a part and be amazed at hw Gd leads them in this way. These peple will becme ur sisters and brthers and grw clse t ur hearts. We will be the nes receiving a gift! There are many wh are reading the Scriptures wh cannt understand their true imprt. All ver the wrld men and wmen are lking wistfully t heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries g up frm suls lnging fr light, fr grace, fr the Hly Spirit. Many are n the verge f the kingdm, waiting nly t be gathered in. (The Acts f the Apstles, p. 109) 6 th Reasn Evangelism unites the church! Many think that we have t be in perfect harmny as a church befre we start t d evangelism. They believe that they have t slve the many prblems in the church befre they can begin t reach ut t thers. The prblem is that we have been spinning arund urselves fr far t lng and have nt cme ut f ur religius vrtex f spiritual lukewarmness. The answer is actually very simple thugh: When we take care f that which is clsest t Gd s heart, the salvatin f peple, then He will take care f ur prblems. When the church lks away frm itself and cncentrates n its missin then it will be united. Many pints f cnflict will disappear because there will be n mre time fr fighting. It is missin wrk that unites us! 7. Reasn Evangelism is Gd s way t finish His wrk n this earth. Qute # 15 Jesus will nly cme after every persn has heard the Gspel. In Jesus well knwn end-time speech He says, And this gspel f the kingdm will be preached in all the wrld as a witness t all the natins, and then the end will cme. (Matthew 24:14) There is s much pintless suffering that Gd sees every day in this wrld. Gd suffers with thse wh suffer. Gd, and the whle universe with Him, is lnging t end the last chapter f this suffering earth s histry. But Gd is waiting! What fr? Fr peple t hear the gspel and turn t Him. The Lrd is nt slack cncerning His prmise, as sme cunt slackness, but is lngsuffering tward us, nt willing that any shuld perish but that all shuld cme t repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) When we wrk t lead peple t knw Jesus we are helping Him t be able t cme again sn. Zeal fr Gd and His cause mved the disciples t bear witness t the gspel with mighty pwer. Shuld nt a like zeal fire ur hearts with a determinatin t tell the stry f redeeming lve, f Christ and Him crucified? It is the privilege f every Christian, nt nly t lk fr, but t hasten the cming f the Saviur. (The Acts f the Apstles, p. 600) Page 7

8 Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu Gd can and wants t use yu. Gd is gd! He shws us nt nly that we have a cmmissin t bring peple the gd news f salvatin but als why He wants t use us. Any ne f these reasns shuld be enugh t cnvince us that we shuld get t wrk. Which f these reasns mtivates yu the mst? Yur decisin Maybe yu have never experienced hw a persn thrugh yur witness has learned abut Jesus. Yu earnestly want t make leading thers t Jesus, giving them Bible studies, and preparing them fr baptism a part f yur daily life. The gd news is that Gd wants t make this pssible! Yu nly have t: Accept the great cmmissin persnally. Dedicate yur whle heart t this cmmissin and give him yur time, talents, and energy. Be willing t be trained in evangelism. If yu d these things, yu will experience hw Gd reaches peple thrugh yu and experience His blessing in such a way as He cannt give yu in any ther way. In the end yu will see that it is nt yu giving t Gd, but that He is giving t yu. Gd invites yu tday, t persnally accept his cmmissin and t dedicate yur life t this missin. What is yur answer t Gd! Page 8

9 Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu Bible study Please carefully read Mark 6:30-44 and make ntes abut the cntent, meaning, and the applicatin. Page 9

10 Mdule 3 / Lessn 3: When Gd calls yu and means yu In light f this tpic what has becme imprtant fr yu? What has Gd made clear t yu? What decisin(s) wuld yu like t make? What wuld yu like t share with Gd in prayer? Yur hmewrk fr this lessn 1. Wrk thrugh this lessn carefully and prayerfully. Mark the statements that are imprtant t yu and write yur answers in the spaces given. 2. Study the Bible passage at the end f this lessn! 3. The memry verses fr this lessn are fund in Marc 16: Write them wrd fr wrd n an index card and learn them by heart. 4. In the next cuple f days, speak with smene abut ne f the pints frm this lessn that persnally spke t yu and share with them what yu have learned! Page 10