Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Evangelistic Resurgence

Scripture: Colossians 1:10c
bearing fruit in every good work

Insights: Yesterday we observed the moral rectitude of a life willfully sacrificed to the Lord. As we strive to know God’s will and His wisdom and understanding, we will have a true moral compass that governs our lives.  Today, we are introduced to another area in which our lives will dramatically change if we surrender our will to the will of the Father.  That area is in fruit bearing.  In other words, we will have an evangelistic zeal for sharing the good news with those lost and heading to a sinners hell.  Fanny Crosby’s hymn Rescue the Perishing vividly portrays the heart of one who has surrendered his will to the Lord and has pursued with vigor the knowledge of God’s will.  She wrote in the first verse of this hymn the following words, “Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying, Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; Weep o’er the erring one, Lift up the fallen, Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.”  The fourth verse is just as relevant at this juncture.  It reads, “Rescue the perishing, Duty demands it; Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide; Back to the narrow way Patiently win them, Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.”  Notice in this fourth verse that it is the Lord who provides the strength for one to share the gospel.  It is not our job to do the saving.  It is our job to do the telling and the Lord gives us the strength to do so when we pursue His will.  Even Jesus’ words regarding the churches evangelistic zeal are interesting.  He said in Matthew 9:36-38, “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  ‘Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”  It is interesting because Jesus’ concern does not seem to be that the lost won’t respond to the gospel, but rather that the church won’t go and share the gospel.  Our heart desiring to know the will of God, however, will propel us to go and share the gospel to our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and uttermost parts of the earth.  Beloved, share the good news of Jesus work on Calvary and His victory on resurrection Sunday.

Questions:
  1. Have you made it a practice to pray and ask God to give you opportunities to share the gospel?
  2. Is your life characterized by evangelistic zeal?
Prayer: Lord, I am so sorry I do not look with more intentional eyes for the lost.  Change my sight and let me see with Your eyes.  Father, grant me the opportunity to share my faith with someone this very week.  I know the fields are white unto harvest.  Let me Lord, be one of those workers.  Amen.

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