|
|
SOS Monthly Newsletter - June 2004Motivating the ChurchDear Christian friends, “There are only two things you can’t do in heaven that you can do on earth: sin, and witness to unbelievers. Which of these two do [do you] think Christ has left us here to do?” Pastor Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Church Over the years, I have found a major difference between those Christians who consistently witness and those who don't. Those who regularly witness -- almost without exception -- are very conscious of the reality of Heaven and Hell, and have an intense burden to save people from eternal torment in Hell. Those who rarely witness don't think very much about the fact that the unbelievers they encounter every day are heading for eternal torment. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, once wished that all his workers could spend 24 hours in Hell so that they would obtain the burden for souls needed for effective ministry. In Luke 16, the rich man suddenly developed that burden as he was tormented in Hell. He asked Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers "lest they also come into this place of torment." An experience of Hell's torment is sufficient to give even a wicked sinner a burden to evangelize the lost. While we cannot visit Hell, what we can do to develop a greater burden for souls is to spend time meditating on scriptures concerning God's judgment and eternal punishment. Sadly, most churches are preoccupied with their potlucks and other social activities while the world is going to Hell. Modern Christians face lots of pressure and need times of rest and relaxation. And married people need to spend time with their families. But we must find time in our busy lives to reach those who are headed for eternal torment in Hell. Few Christians are too busy to commit a few hours monthly to evangelism. Pastors can stir up their congregations by preaching regularly on the need for evangelism and the reality of Hell, praying continually for God to send forth laborers, starting some ongoing outreaches and setting an example by participating in them. The Greek word "ekballo," used in the expression "send forth laborers into his harvest" in Matthew 9:38, is used in the next verse for casting out demons. Apparently, it is as hard to get a Christian to witness as to drive out a demon. If you've ever tried casting out demons, you know how stubborn they are! In Acts 8, we are told that after the persecution led by Saul, the church was scattered throughout Judaea and Samaria. "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word" (v.4). It took persecution to force the church to do what Jesus had commanded them to do. We feel secure in our church buildings, but need to be cast out into the harvest field. Christians often tell me, "You have to have a special calling to witness like you do." But if you saw a child drowning in a swimming pool, would you think "I'm not called to be a lifeguard" or "I don't have any special training in lifesaving”? No, you would make every effort to save that child! Once you see the urgency of the task, the question of "calling" becomes irrelevant, even foolish. What is the difference between this drowning child and the people who are dying in their sins? For one thing, the child's situation is undeniably urgent. If the child is not rescued in a few minutes, he will die. There is no time to wait around wondering if someone else will rescue him. What about the unsaved person? Does he have plenty of time? That is the excuse many unbelievers use to postpone their decision regarding Jesus. Many say they'll turn to Jesus when they get older, not realizing they may die at any time, or will harden their heart as they continue to reject Him. If I don't witness to an unbeliever, perhaps someone else will later. On the other hand, this could be his last opportunity to be saved. My witness could make the difference between Heaven and Hell for him. This is an awesome responsibility. I could take this to an extreme and think I cannot let a single unbeliever walk by without trying to witness to him. If I did, I would become a nervous wreck. I cannot take upon myself the responsibility of saving the world singlehandedly. However, one rarely sees a Christian go to this extreme. The problem is that almost all Christians have gone to the opposite extreme they hardly ever speak with anyone about their eternal destiny. If you look for witnessing opportunities and regularly witness to people, I believe that God will use you to change the eternal destinies of at least a few people during your lifetime. I pray that God will use this teaching to open your eyes to the ways Satan seeks to keep you from witnessing, and that you will be given a renewed desire to witness for Jesus both in your everyday life and through special outreaches. Please pray with us that God will cast out laborers into the harvest fields of this world, including the San Francisco area. God has called this ministry to reach an area with five million people, yet we have but a handful of workers. I believe that God wants many more of you to join us on a regular basis. Satan does not want any of us to witness, and sadly, his efforts to stop us have been highly successful. All he has to do is whisper some excuse in our ear, and we think we have a good reason not to witness. A London prisoner once told a preacher, "Mister, if I believed this Gospel you say you believe, I'd crawl across England over broken glass to get the message out." People around us are dying and going to Hell. Over one person each second is entering eternity without Jesus. We need to do everything we can to save them. We have the Words of Life that can change the eternal destiny of those we meet. We need to use every hour we have left to reach as many as possible for Jesus. Will we keep silent or will we open our mouths? SOS-San Francisco June 18-26 year 25!SOS - San Francisco is an opportunity to get training and practical experience in evangelism. The hardest part is overcoming apathy and fear. Once you actually come to SOS, God will give you divine appointments to witness to people. He will give you the right words to speak to each person. The experience you get during SOS week will help you become a bolder and more effective witness for Jesus in your everyday life. Don’t miss this year’s SOS outreach. We have enclosed a registration form with this newsletter. This year we will again be meeting at Temple Baptist Church, 3355 19th Ave. (near Ocean), San Francisco. Contemporary Christian music pioneer Chuck Girard and veteran evangelist Scott Crawford will be ministering throughout the week. Registration begins on Friday June 18 at 6 PM. Meetings are scheduled daily except Sunday at 8 AM from June 19-26. If you live in the Bay Area and must work, you may join us at night and on weekends. Evangelism training will be provided throughout the week. We will be holding daily noon worship rallies in city parks, bringing the church to the street. Free housing is available during the outreach. Bring a sleeping bag and foam pad. If you prefer, we can send you information about inexpensive motels in the city. We will be serving breakfast and lunch from June 22-26. Youth under 18 need adult supervision. This outreach is an opportunity to bring the love of Jesus Christ to people who desperately need to know Him. If you can't afford the registration fee, come anyway. While we appreciate advanced registration, it is not required. This outreach is guaranteed to change your life -- and the lives of those you will reach for Jesus. On the StreetsOn April 16, we held our first outreach of the year at the SF Giants baseball park, now known as SBC Park. About 15,000 people heard about Jesus as they left the park, through our preaching, signs, and tracts. Many were not eager to hear the gospel. Still, we did have a few good conversations. Camille spoke with a young man who had seen The Passion and wanted to know why Jesus died. He knew very little about Jesus, but was wide open to the gospel message. I spoke with a backslidden Christian whose father is a missionary. He said he was glad we were there, and knew he needed to get right with God.
Coming EventsNote: Outreaches are subject to change. Call (510) 531-5325 or 541-9903 (cell phone) to confirm outreaches or for more information. Friday June 4, July 16, 23, 30 7:30-10 PM Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods. (Call for location). Sat. June 5, July 17, 31 12-5 PM San Francisco Outreach. (Call for location). Sat. July 24 12:30-4:30 PM Berkeley Outreach. Telegraph and Haste St. June 18-26 SOS-San Francisco (details above). Ministry News and NeedsThank you again for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. Please set aside the week of June 18 - 26 to attend this year's SOS-San Francisco outreach. Please pray for us as we prepare for this important outreach. Pray that God will provide our needs, guide us in planning the outreach, and bring many laborers to help in the harvest field during SOS week. Please pray for those whom we have witnessed to and those who have written us recently in response to tracts, including Brian (ex-Mormon pictured on page 1), Alegundo, Fred, Curtis, Monica, Denise, Judy, and Gary (SF), Peter (Berkeley), Hector (Oakland), Daniel (Corpus Christi, TX), and James (Florence, AZ prison). Our Tape of the Month is How to Reach a City. Every city should have at least one outreach a year in which Christians can join together to reach the lost in their community. Perhaps God wants you to help organize an outreach in your city. I hope to see many of you at SOS-San Francisco. Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum |
||||||||||||||||
| <<< Back To Newsletter Page |
|---|