Go and Tell

One guy came to the door with an irritated expression. We had just woke him up and he had a bad headache. One lady had just been diagnosed with pneumonia. Another lady thanked us for coming. Yet another lady’s dog tried to bite me.

Overall, people were really nice (even the guy with the headache) and yes, we encountered lots of dogs. Only one of them tried to bite though. We handed out Easter flyers and invited folks to the program. Honestly we found houses that I didn’t know were there. And these were close to Branch.

We need to get out more.

“Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23, HCSB)

We need to get out into the hedges and highways and compel them to come in. Sure there will always be those who make you a promise and don’t show. There will be those who won’t commit to anything. But there are also some folks out there who are open to the things of God and they are hungry for something different.

We need to get out there and find them.

That is what a shepherd does. He goes and finds his sheep. Jesus often used that picture when he talked about His love for people. He looked out at the multitudes of people and he had compassion on them because they were like “sheep without a shepherd.” People are lost. They need Christ. We have an opportunity every day to share Christ in some way.

John R. Rice said it this way, “Winning souls means that we can take the Bible and show people that they are sinners, show people that according to the Scriptures God loves them, that Christ has died on the cross to pay for their sins, and that now all who honestly turn in their hearts to Christ for mercy and forgiveness may have everlasting life. And we can encourage them to make that heart decision that they run from sin and trust Christ to save them. So winning souls means getting the Gospel to people in such power of the Holy Spirit that they will be led to turn to Christ and be born again, be made children of God by the renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

Jesus gave us this command, “… Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:15–16, AV)

The question is not whether we should go or which of us should go. The question is will we go? We have been commanded to carry the Gospel to all people. It starts with the people living in your own house, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers and classmates and it extends to every man and every woman and every young person who is lost in your world today.

Will you allow yourself to feel that horrible fate that awaits those who are lost? Will you allow yourself to think about their hopelessness? Will you let yourself be touched by the feeling of their weaknesses?

Will you join me this week in praying that God will saturate your world with His presence? Will you join me in praying that God will give us opportunities to share Christ? Will you pray and ask God for His power to be a witness for Him? Let’s fill the house up!

Praying for a harvest!

Your Pastor,

Bro. Tim Hobbs