February 16, 2012

Friendship Evangelism

Romans 10:13-15 “[13] . . . Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” [14] How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? [15] And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

The good news of Jesus Christ needs feet. It needs to be embodied. It must evident in a person's life. And no one will know Christ unless we show Christ to them in our walk and talk. We need to bring the gospel closer to people. Getting close to people means we need to develop relationships with them. A better word for that is we need to be a friend.

If you want friends you've got to be friendly, that's what I'd like to talk about today, and I'd like to use an example from the Bible--Barnabas--a guy who was so friendly he earned the nickname encourager

I think that the life of Barnabas is a great example of what it truly means to be a friend to others. So we need to ask ourselves, “What was it about his life that earned him that friendly nickname?”

As we look at the snapshots of His life presented throughout the book of acts we'll discover a number of things that Barnabas did that truly demonstrate what friendship is all about.

• Sacrifices for Others

  Acts 4:36-37 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement); sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.

  This was at least one of the acts that earned Barnabas his name, He sold a property that belonged to him and gave the money to the church to care for its poorer members. That's putting teeth into your encouragement. And this is the foundation of what it means to be a real friend. It's the divider between fair weather friends and true friends. A genuine friend helps out even when it comes at great personal cost.

  “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)



• Seeks the Best in Others

  In Acts Chapter 9 we meet up with Barnabas again. A man named Saul had experienced a radical conversion, this man who once had persecuted and executed Christians had now become a Christian himself, but he was having a little trouble gaining acceptance among his former enemies.

  Acts 9:26-27 - When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.

  A true friend sees good in us that others can't. They encourage others by saying, “I believe in you”

  If we are going to be true friends we need to look for the best in others and stand with them when the rest of the world is jeering.

  Don't wait for your friend to ask for your help. Show some initiative. Make that phone call. Stop and talk with your friend. Press the issue if the situation is serious enough. Do what needs doing for your friend.

  Imitate God. He initiated His friendship toward us. He created us in His image. When we sinned and rebelled against Him, He sent His Son Jesus to pay for our sins. No one has ever been a better friend than Jesus!



• Be a Spiritual Influence on Others

  In Acts 11, news came to the Church leaders that revival had broken out in Antioch. The Apostles knew who to send down there to encourage the new believers.

  Acts 11:22-24 News of this [revival] reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

  Barnabas encourages the new believers in their faith; he was a strong spiritual example. This is an important aspect of friendship that’s often overlooked. The most important part of us as human beings is not our bodies, but our spirits. A friend who helps physically but doesn’t offer spiritual help--sharing the good news about Jesus, encouraging others to follow the Lord--that friend isn't really all that great of a friend.

  Barnabas was a true model of what a true Christian friend should be.

  But there's one friend in the Bible who demonstrates friendship in a way that makes Barnabas pale in comparison, That friend is Jesus Christ and he wants to be your friend today.

  Romans 5:6-8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Dino Miciano

Connecting People to God and to One Another – Matt. 22:37

March 2, 2011

Between a rock and a hard place

Special thanks to Sister Angie for setting the youth blog page! Per our discussion last Sunday, God chose Moses to lead the Israelites from the grasp of the ruthless Egyptian king. In the segment of the story where Moses requesting to Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go, Pharaoh was perversely unyielding to give in the Moses' request. Despite of the numerous attempts by Moses and Aaron to show the Pharaoh how more powerful God is,  the king's heart hardened even more. In Exodus 9:12, Why do you think God "hardened Pharaoh's heart"? What might this mean? What does this story say about the character of God?

February 13, 2010

TIRED AND CAN’T GO ON?

I read Luke 5: 1-20. But the verses 4-7 stood out the most. We are reminded that when we have worked, prayed, cried, and fasted for so long, Jesus will ask us to let your nets for a catch (again). And when we follow His command that is when we see His blessings overflow to a point that we would need another boat (so to speak) to carry it all. I just pray that during the praying and the fasting period, that we will not grow weary. The waiting for the answer seems to be the hardest for me. It is when the enemy whispers in my ear “God will not answer you, give up, and give up now.” Then it is time to seek for God’s strength and not ours. We will always fall short. But not when it’s God’s strength. I know, the Lord will answer and He always listens. But in His time, He will respond. So what do we do in the meantime? Here are some verses to help encourage us.

Lamentations 3: 25-26 “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him. It is good to wait quietly for the Salvation of the Lord.” Sometimes I don’t wait quietly. I find myself hurrying God to answer soon. I need to remember that it is always in God’s time. And His timing is perfect.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The Lord will never lead me astray. He never has and he never will. Like the good shepherd, the Lord will always protect me and keep me from harm. And when harm comes my way, He will scoop me up in His arms and protect me from my enemies.

Psalm 73: 26 “My flesh and my heart will fail. But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” I don’t know how many times I have failed myself and others. Yet, I continue to be stubborn and try to solve my problems through my strength. I have proven myself many times that I am not strong enough to tackle them. And when I think I am getting an upper hand on my problems, I realize that it was the Lord holding me up and keeping me strong.

Isaiah 39: 29, 31 “He gives strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak.” “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not go weary. They will walk and not be faint.”

Have you ever looked at your problem through a magnifying glass? It is so big that it begins to look like a giant. Then we begin to feel overwhelmed and defeated. I have, many times. And yet as soon as I surrender it to the Lord, the peace that cannot be explained by mere words starts to cover me. Then I feel that I begin to soar so high above my problems that it begins to look so tiny, almost unseen. When problems come my way, I need to use my magnifying glass on the Lord and His word instead of my problems. Then the Lord will be the giant and will trample over my enemies. Praise The Lord!!!!!

1 Corinthians 1:8 “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of the Lord Jesus.” The Lord never keeps me strong only for a moment. He always sees me through the ups and downs of my life. He is always present during times of sadness and happiness. His promise is to keep us strong to the end. Not just the end of a problem but until we meet Him.

Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious by anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God and the peace that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Bible never says Rejoice only when good things are happening in our lives. It says Rejoice always! (It even says it twice) The Bible also says not to be anxious about anything but in everything….The right combination is Prayer+ Petition+ Thanksgiving+ Presenting request to God=Peace that surpasses understanding will cover us through Christ Jesus.

 

Brenda P.