What Have You
Bought Into?

Up-Dated - Friday, April 04, 2014

Some have bought into a point of view which excuses their apathy towards the lost.  Liberal views attempt to ease the conscience, but they can never take away the responsibility.

Table of Contents
* God is going to save, who He is going to save
* If I don't witness to them, God will send someone
* God sees their interest, He will find a way to save them
* If they want to go to Hell, what can I do
* If they want to go to Heaven, someone will tell them
* If they are interested, they will ask when ready

1. God is going to save, who He is going to save

The Bible does mention predestination. 
But man is not predetermined to either Heaven or Hell.  Predestination is simply foreknowledge of what will happen.  It is not prior determination.

Romans 8:29  "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

The key word is "foreknow."  God knew ahead of time who would be saved and He did predestinate much for them.  But Salvation is totally up to the individual.

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2. If I don't witness to them, God will send someone

Mark 16:15  "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

God is sending everyone.  Me and You.  See #6 to see who the preachers are.

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3. God sees their interest, He will find a way to save them

God has already provided the means of salvation.  It is faith in Jesus Christ.  The problem is not finding a way.  The problem is imparting the way from a saved person to a lost one.  Are you willing to see to it that everyone you come in contact with gets to hear?

Some interject, "I am not a preacher."  See #6

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4. If they want to go to Hell, what can I do

Have compassion

 Luke 10:33  "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,"

The good Samaritan had compassion on the victim of assault and robbery.  If being beat up and robbed is worthy of compassion, how much more is an eternity in Hell.

Compassion makes a difference.

 Jude 1:22  "And of some have compassion, making a difference:"

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5. If they want to go to Heaven, someone will tell them

Everyone wants to go to Heaven.  Even the atheist, he just does not believe there is a Heaven.  The reason he does not believe is he has never seen a true believer. 

Are you a true believer?  If so, are you willing to tell the lost about Jesus Christ?

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6. If they are interested, they will ask when ready

Romans 10:14  "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

How can someone ask for something of which they know nothing ("They don't know, what they don't know)?  Someone must tell them salvation exists, that Jesus is the Saviour.

God is sending you and me to tell them.  We are the preacher (a preacher is a witness, not a sermonizer).

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7. An Illustration

A dear friend and former member of the church we pastored, relates this very effective story.

He was part of the invasion of Granada. His outfit was to covertly come ashore, commandeer a vehicle and meet the rest of the force at a predetermined destination. They were to spear head the coming attack.
Upon arriving on the shore, they discovered their radio had been lost and their heavy weapons. They now only had rifles and pistols.
They easily obtained an old truck and arrived at their place where they were staged to attack at a certain hour.
Our friend realized that it may not turn-out well for them for reasons mentioned above. He looked around at the others and saw the "questioning" in everyone's eyes. No one said a word.
Our friend then said, "Shouldn't we pray?" and he said that everyone verbally agreed. In his prayer he shared the Gospel and at the end made it plain how they could be saved.
What does this illustrate?
Many may want to be saved, but
* don't know it is available
* don't know to ask
* don't know who to ask
* don't know what to ask
* don't know how to get started
* don't know what the others are thinking
* don't ...
But when confronted with death, they all wanted to be saved. Many want to be saved even before death may be imminent. All that is needed is one person who is available at the moment (not someone to come later, that may be too late) to speak-up.
God has put you in some situations where you are the only one who can speak-up, the only one available. If you do not, their will be the blood of some poor people on your hands.

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G. Steven Andres
Psalms 45:17
Missionary Evangelist
Copyright - 1996 to 2010