Committed to the Lost Ussue #1

February 22, 2008 by PastorBob.

ISSUE #1 - An outreach ministry of Leominster Assembly of God

My sermon last Sunday morning was entitled “Love the Lost”. In that sermon, I read what I believe was Jesus’ answer to why we were not immediately taken into Heaven the moment we were saved:

Matthew 5:13-16 – “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

I do not believe that God left us here on earth after we were saved for ourselves since life in Heaven will be infinitely more wonderful than life here on earth. Rather, I believe He left us here to reach out in love to the multitudes of lost souls that still need to here the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We should love the lost because God the Father and Jesus love them so much that Jesus was willing to pay the horrible price of crucifixion. Jesus paid the full price for every sin that has ever or will ever be committed so that lost mankind could be saved and spend eternity in Heaven (John 3:16 / Hebrews 12:2 / Romans 5:7 & 8).

We should love the lost because the Bible commands us to love them (Galatians 5:22 / 1 John 4:8 / Matthew 5:44). We can love anybody if we let Jesus love them through us (Galatians 2:20).

We should reach out in love to the lost because the consequences of their not being saved are terrible. If a person dies without Christ, he will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment Seat of Christ. From there he will be thrown into the Lake of Fire where he will be tormented for eternity (Revelation 20:11-15).

We need to see people as God sees them. We see people as short or tall, rich or poor, black, white, red or yellow, popular or unpopular and so on. The successful people we know we see as wealthy, intelligent, popular, influential, beautiful, etc. God sees all people as either born again and headed for Heaven or lost and headed for the Lake of Fire. The Bible tells us that even the most successful people are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, naked, far from God, strangers, hopeless, condemned and spiritually dead (Revelation 3:17 / Ephesians 2:17 / Ephesians 2/12 / John 5:24).

Leominster Assembly of God provides many resources for reaching the lost for Christ including:

Amazing Love CDs and cassettes – Amazing Love is a clear, stirring presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ including an invitation to receive Jesus, a sinner’s prayer and instructions for growing in Christ. Amazing Love is a dramatic narration accompanied by a wonderful original music score and sound effects. Amazing Love CDs and cassettes are provided free of charge to all who will distribute them to the lost.

Gospel Explosion Services – These are dynamic, life-changing, evangelistic services that always include a clear Gospel message and an altar call. Flyers and/or tickets are available for distribution to your family, friends and acquaintances. Ground Zero, Master’s Commission from Pennsylvania will be featured at this Sunday evening’s Gospel Explosion service. This promises to be a lively exciting evening including stomp, drama and life-changing testimonies.

New Awakening Telephone Ministry – This is a clear Gospel Message presented 24/7 over the telephone. It includes a sinner’s prayer and an opportunity for callers to leave their name and address in order to receive a free Amazing Love CD. Professionally printed quality “calling cards” are available free of charge for distribution to anyone and everyone.

Alpha Course – This is a 12-week non-threatening, fun, proven study examining Jesus Christ and His teachings. Each session includes a 30-minute DVD teaching, a light meal, fellowship and small group discussions all in a casual, friendly atmosphere. The Alpha Course will be held in the church fellowship hall from 3:00 PM through 5:15 PM on Sunday afternoons starting on March 30. Brochures are available free of charge for distribution to your unsaved family, friends and acquaintances.

Effective Personal Soul Winning (EPSW) Class – This is a proven course in personal evangelism that my wife, Melinda, and I taught in over 250 churches throughout the United States with great results. Literally thousands of written testimonials attest to the fact that EPSW is easy-to-learn, easy-to-use and absolutely non-threatening. The goal of the course is to train, equip and motivate evangelical Christians to introduce their unsaved family, friends and acquaintances to Jesus. Because EPSW relies on the Holy Spirit to use willing Christians to reach the lost, there is no requirement on the part of the participants to memorize “canned” conversation or to demonstrate in front of the class. EPSW is held on Wednesday evenings starting at 6:30 in the triangle room which is just through the door on the right hand side of the altar area. There are still a few seats available for those who want to join the class that is currently in progress.

Evangelism and Spiritual Growth Resource Center – This is where you will find Amazing Love CDs, New Awakening Telephone Ministry “calling cards”, booklets, tracts and other materials for your personal spiritual growth or for distribution to your unsaved family, friends and acquaintances. The first three booklets are free. There is a nominal charge for additional booklets to cover our cost.

Personal Consultation – I am available to speak with you personally over the phone or in my office concerning how you might approach a family member, friend or acquaintance in order to lead them to Christ. If you have not already done so, I urge you to attend the Effective Personal Soul Winning Class. EPSW includes a great deal of information concerning ways to approach and reach the lost for Christ.

Meetings with the Unsaved – If you can arrange a meeting, I would be happy to meet with any of your family members, friends or acquaintances to discuss why they should and how they can be saved.

Pastor Bob Salliby

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