Friday: Further Thought – Jesus Bade Them “Follow Me”
Read Psalm 77:20, Hosea 11:4, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. Read Ellen G. White, “Teaching and Healing,” pages 139-146, and “Help in Daily Living,” pages 469, 470, in The Ministry of Healing; “ ‘This Man Receiveth Sinners,’ ” pages 185-197, and “ ‘Go Into the Highways and Hedges,’ ” pges 219-237, in Christ’s Object Lessons. There was a young man who loved the Lord and who wanted to tell others about Jesus. Articulate, charismatic, he was a powerful witness. People loved to hear him speak.
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
Yet, there was a constant problem: he was always afraid to ask people to make a commitment to Jesus. This surprised other church members, because in every other way he seemed so bold for the Lord, so willing to speak openly about his faith. Eventually, when asked about it, he gave the argument that we saw in Wednesday’s study that this was not his gift. He liked to sow seeds; he would leave it to others to reap the harvest. After a while, though, he confessed that, more than anything else, he was afraid of being rejected. He always felt a bit inadequate as a witness for the Lord (which is a good thing), and thus he was afraid that people would not make commitments to Jesus after he had asked them to do so. Others in the church explained to him that witnessing isn’t about us, but about Jesus. We are always going to be imperfect witnesses. Though we can prayerfully and lovingly point them to Jesus, we cannot play the role of the Holy Spirit, who alone can bring conviction and conversion. We, though, are to be the human conduits of the love of Christ to others.
Discussion Questions:
- What would you say to someone who said that he or she was afraid to ask others to make a commitment to Jesus?
- John 1:9 reads: “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (NKJV). How does this verse help us to understand that the Lord is seeking to reach every person with salvation?
- How friendly is your church to visitors? What could you do better in regard to how you deal with strangers who walk in the door?
- When was the last time someone off the street simply walked into your church? How did the church respond?
- In class, talk about your own conversion stories. How have you used them, or how could you use them to be a witness to others?
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Lord help me to be always obedient and follow you even when the path is difficult
You promise to be with us
Thank you Jesus
I have heard it said that a sermon is not complete unless the preacher has asked the audience to make a commitment? Do you agree?
Growing up going to an Adventist boarding school we often heard such a request and having been baptized at age 13 it felt to me that if I stood at "the call" I would be denying all those years that I had been committed to Jesus already, what do you think?
Shirley; I agree, I feel the more opportunities we have to publicly declare we love Jesus, the more people will answer that call...Royce
I think that every sermon should have a call for action. We recently had a minister who had an altar call at the end of every service and it degenerated in emotional meaninglessness in the long run. Calling people to give their hearts to Jesus is appropriate from time to time, but some of us need to be reminded that we need to get out into the field and do some work. I think too many of us are happy to talk about giving our hearts to Jesus but have little thought about the consequences.
Remember the Rich Yuppie that Jesus told to go and sell all he had and give it to the poor. That was too much action for him and he walked away. When we give our hearts to Jesus, it means that we are called to action. Sooner rather than later, the emotion of the moment must give way to the reality of interacting with people who need to see Jesus in your life. That is what salvation means.
Shirley, with regards to the last of your questions, I have felt similarly, and have not stood. Sometimes I think that people feel pressured (almost coerced) into standing and going forward, at such calls. But even when a person does not feel convicted, it can take real courage not to go with the crowd.
Although it depends on the specifics of the call doesn't it? I can agree that there are times when going forward can amount to a denial of God's work in us.
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With some there is a habit of continually laying the foundational principles of Christianity, even among people who have been in the church for 10, 20, 30, or more, years. In my view this approach is disastrous. The Bible teaches that we are to LEAVE the basics [not to forget, abandon, or ignore them, but to leave them,] and to go on to perfection. (Hebrews 6:1-2 KJV.) The Amplified Version puts it this way, "Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ...".
Stewart,
Yes, I have often pondered those verses. I suppose it is difficult for the Pastor when he has people at different stages in their walk with Jesus in the audience. In South Africa it is even more difficult when we only see the Pastor once a month because he has 2/3 other churches to visit. Which means at one church the sermons are preached by a variety of people with no real continuity of topic. I think that is why it is so important that we study our Sabbath School lessons and are able to discuss them at varying levels.
Before we accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, It was as if Satan had kidnapped us and we had Stockholm Syndrome (fell in love with the one who captured us). It continued that way until Jesus came to break the hold he, Satan, had on us, and He now, Jesus, bades us to "follow Him".
We have accept Jesus,, His teaching, His commands, and especially His love for mankind. If we are following His commands then we are to go "seek" them (those who realizes their lost condition) out and tell them the "story of redemption", how we were eternally lost and Jesus came to save us, the missing and He wants to spent eternity with them.
It's as if each of our faces are/were on a milk carton and when the Holy Spirit directs us and/or someone to that face we/they are to share the gospel. It's easy to give a tract, pray with people, but it's a bit more difficult to bid them to drop everything and follow Jesus. But we must follow where the Holy Spirit leads us, saying what He tells us to say, not fearing anything, or any man.
I have enjoyed these lessons. They have shown me what I am lacking and what I must do to share the gospel or experience the consequences of not doing so. My prayer is each person who studies these lessons and are compelled to follow God commands.
This song comes to mind in response to the question on commitment.
Every hour, every hour
Blessed Lord how much I need thee
Every hour, every hour
Saviour keep me every hour
We are imperfect beings prone to sin hence, staying focus in Christ requires us to rededicate our lives to him as often as we can. May the Lord help us.
Ohiz, That song, I need the every hour, is one that that has had meaning for many years and still does. We are prone to sinful failures that we cannot change without the help provided by a loving God.
We had a man who was drunk in our parking lot and one of our members invited him in. Everybody shook his hand and loved on him and invited him to stay for potluck dinner. The next week he came drunk and in his pajamas and everybody shook his hand and loved on him and told him how happy we were that he was there. The next week he came drunk again but at prayer request time he asked for prayer and said that we were the first church that hadn't thrown him out. four months later he was baptized and now has over nine months sober. If you say everyone is welcome in your church you better mean it. I mean REALLY mean it. This is how you love the world.