Define Christian – Planted by the Word takes us to how the Christian is fed and nourished. It’s all through the Word.
A man interviewed Martin Luther near the end of his life. Dr. Luther your work has dramatically changed the world including a paper shortage. People couldn’t get enough of reading about how God forgives people freely in Jesus. Monasteries were emptying. Indulgences weren’t being sold. People were reading a Bible that wasn’t in Latin. More importantly, when people went to sleep at night, they were a peace. Luther said he didn’t anything – the Word of God did all the work.
The only difference from the deserts of the western US and the lush – in comparison – landscapes of the east, like North Carolina, is the amount of rain. It’s not that there isn’t any life in the desert, it’s that those times are short because there’s maybe only five or six inches of rain a year, the rest of the time it’s dry. Just like those precious life-giving, life-bringing, drops of water in the desert – God’s word brings life.
This isn’t a maybe. God attaches a promise to it. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. I never have to wonder if this sermon “will be any good”. It doesn’t matter what I think. When I tell people that Jesus lived in their place and died in their place – when I say that all of their sin died with Jesus, they believe it. Just to be clear – not everyone will believe it. God never promised that. The goal of our outreach and evangelism is to give God glory. The sad truth is that some will reject the rains of the gospel. If that happens, should we stop talking?
NO! This is where we return to the Sower who – with a reckless abandon – throws the seeds of the gospel everywhere. Speak God’s word. Leave your children with a blessing every night. Share Scripture together. Why? We sure could use some rain. A parched sinful soul needs the refreshing waters of the gospel.
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s message taken from Matthew 10 – the third in our summer sermon series Define Christian – Planted by the Word.
Book(s): Isaiah
Series: Define Christian
Tag(s): evangelism
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg