A Brand Plucked From the Fire
Each One Win One • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 28 viewsThere are many different personalities in the church and therefore many different types of evangelism. Today we learn about a bold form of soul-winning.
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A woman was asked by a co-worker, “What is it like to be a Christian?”
The co-worker replied, “It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc., and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.”
It is not always
easy
or comfortable
when God cuts in
scoops yucky stuff out.
Today,
we study about
rapid conversions.
But first,
I said I would ask
about your list.
Who wrote 5 people
pray for each day?
Your list.
Think about people.
Stages of Conversion
Stages of Conversion
Review Chart
explain stages
Each person can
progress forward/backward
along the line at
different periods in life.
Each person may
progress rapidly
progress slowly.
During rapid progression
seeming to jump steps.
Our Job is to
Encourage next Step.
Some are tempted to
think of soul-winning as
1 person mentoring other
through every step.
This rarely happens.
Paul said:
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
Different people
involved in different
stages of conversion
for individuals life.
Lessons From Stages of Growth
Mentor Usually Involved
Focus on Next Stage
Conversions are typically
slow and methodical.
Last week we focused on
Christ’s method of
Friendship Evangelism.
Day-to-day ministry.
Sermon today
is focused on those
stories of rapid progression.
Sermon Today:
Paul
Philippian Jailer
The Thief on the Cross
Peter
Healing of Blind Man
Each story has a miraculous experience.
Some very bad...
Some very good...
Paul
Paul
Begin Story
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Paul is
in what stage?
-10
Highly antagonistic to Christianity.
He also is:
very “spiritual”
very passionate
following his convictions
highly respected.
Many people like this...
antagonistic to Christianity
living in alignment with personal values
not a hypocrite
anti-christian.
Muslim
Wicca
Unbeliever (“good person”)
Why?
poor upbringing
legalistic upbringing
life hardship
(angry at God).
Don’t write them off.
God loves passionate people.
Passionate for Satan.
Passionate for Christ
Hot or Cold.
Continue Story:
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
Lesson:
God usually reaches
people like this through
miraculous experiences.
Each story is similar
supernatural occurrence.
For your friends
passionate and antagonistic.
pray for supernatural experience.
I believe God
loves to answer
prayers like this.
Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Question:
This was a miracle
but for Paul,
was it a “good miracle?”
In other words,
did Paul’s life
get immediately better?
NOOO!!!
For many,
in this category
passionate and antagonistic
God answers our prayers
for the supernatural
by something negative.
This often involves
bad things!
My friend, “Jacob”
mostly antagonistic
Atheist
Agnostic
Anti a Loving Creator.
Very open to prayer
3 times in life:
Two Girls Left Him
Baby Dying
Marriage Issues.
Notice,
receptive to God
when bad things happen!!!
My prayer:
“Do whatever it take to save them.”
Even if it is
“negative”
“bad”
“consequences”
“pain”.
This is when
we are ready
to listen to change.
Paul’s story continues:
And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”
I mentioned that
conversions don’t happen
in a vacuum.
They virtually always
involved someone else
to mentor them
along the journey.
Ananias did not want
to go to Paul.
Scared
Anxious
Resentful.
God needed to
connect Paul with
body of Christ.
I don’t know who
Jesus has in your life.
You may not even like them.
Remember...
To them,
you are Ananias!
You are the one sent
to love them
mentor them
support them
lead them
toward Christ
and His body.
I met “Jack and Jill”
in a filthy mobile home.
Went to visit
non-active SDA family.
Jack and Jill dating
trouble youth.
Soon, found out
Jack was back in jail
on meth again.
While in jail,
clear minded
wanted different path
genuinely receptive
wanted to liv for God.
He would get out
be back in same group
back on meth.
Last interaction with them
had a baby
baby tested positive for
some drugs after birth.
Baby taken from them,
tried to re-connect family
too high to be parents.
They were almost converted
Jail
Child Protective Services
almost woke them up
through hardship.
I was ready
poised for support
addiction counseling
spiritual counseling
friendship
truth.
Last I knew
still meth addicts.
Let’s look at
different story.
Philippian Jailer
Philippian Jailer
Persecution of Paul and Silas
The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
How do you think
Paul and Silas felt?
Angry at God
Resentful
Upset at persecutors?
No!
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
Lesson:
People are watching us.
Especially during hardship.
and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
Once again,
conversion created by
supernatural experience.
Once again,
is the miracle
good or bad
for the jailer?
All of prisoners were
immediately loosed.
Prisoner is responsible
his life for their life
if they escape.
What is his plan?
Commit suicide.
Before public execution.
What happens next?
But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Why was he trembling?
Miraculous earthquake.
They were happy after beating.
They cared for their captor.
Lesson:
The miracle itself
does not convert the person.
They were converted by
discipleship of love
through the trial.
What were the next words
seemingly forced from lips”
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Jailer
Antagonistic toward God.
Converted by
miracle
loving example.
Greg’s conversion
Raised in church
that I pastored.
Left faith decade before.
Grandparents
Patriarchs of close family
spiritual leaders in family
finally dying in 90’s.
I did both funerals.
I made a call
during the funeral.
“Be ready for 2nd Coming.”
Greg, deeply convicted
during funeral lunch
came and talked with me.
Life was fun and games
Until staring death
in the face.
Next Story:
The Thief on the Cross
The Thief on the Cross
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Two thieves.
criminals
living without God.
One of them is
hardened in sin.
Other
good person
with bad friends.
Both of them
show their true colors
during the most
difficult time in their life.
They are experiencing
the death penalty
slow and painful
persecution by Romans.
Once again,
conversion occurs through
hardship and pain.
Once again,
because of example of
other person suffering with
peace and hope.
Lessons:
God coverts quickly
Those who are antagonistic
through supernatural events
often very negative ones
through loving compassionate
example during crisis.
Do you have
family
friend
co-worker.
You want to see saved.
Pray for Miracle
Pray for Pain.
Get ready
to experience some
pain yourself!!!
Next Story
Not Pain.
But Blessing!
Peter
Peter
Peter’s story is different
now we see
a conversion through
positive miracle.
And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”
Peter calls him: “Master”.
This clear.
He was already disciple.
He was already believer.
He was already follower.
But he was not
with Jesus full-time.
He was married.
He had a job.
He was still working.
Jesus was going
to call him to
be a disciple full-time.
This would take
a lot of faith.
What about his business?
What about his work?
What about his wife?
What about his bills?
How could he follow
Jesus full-time?
And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
Fishing in day.
Biggest catch
they had ever seen.
Clearly impossible!
Clearly a miracle!
Clearly God’s work!
What happens next?
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ... And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
Lesson:
God also performs
rapid conversions
through blessings
not just hardships.
Notice differences,
Peter was already
somewhat believer.
somewhat disciple.
somewhat committed.
In fact,
virtually all of the stories
in the Bible
I could think of.
If they were
rapid conversion
that came through blessings
usually someone
who already kind of believed.
Stories
Ethiopian Eunuch
Naaman
Numerous Healing Conversions
Paralytic
Lepers
Father of Demon Possess Child
Etc.
They all came
because they all
already kind of believed.
They experience
deeper conversion
through a blessing
rather than a curse.
But they already believed.
In the case of
those antagonistic
to the truth,
most conversions occur
through very bad situation.
Let’s review
one of the healing stories.
Story of friends conversion through blessing.
Healing of Blind Man
Healing of Blind Man
Story is about
a man born blind:
Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Suddenly able to see.
Never saw the face
of his healer - Jesus.
The man is
banned from worshiping
at the synagogue.
Jesus finds him.
To affirm his faith.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
This man was already
believer in God
blind and wanting healing
heard of Jesus and hoping.
He was not
antagonistic to truth.
He was converted
through blessing.
Even in case of healings
(conversion through blessing)
The blessing was preceded
by a terrible trial
(the illness).
Summary
Summary
Each story has a miraculous experience.
Some very bad...
Some very good...
For those who are
negative category
antagonistic, skeptical, apathetic
the miracle is usually bad.
As believers,
it is our job to pray
for God’s intervention
(good or bad).
We must be ready to act
when we see God moving.
God is in the business
of transforming lives.
Tina Miller
Asking the children in my Sunday School class, “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would I get into Heaven?” “NO”! the children all answered.
“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would I get into Heaven”? Again, the answer was “NO”!
Well,” I continued, “then how can I get to Heaven?” In the back of the room, a 5 yr. old boy shouted out, “You gotta be dead”!
It is true
you’ve got to die
spiritually to sin.
That takes great motivation.
Pray for you friends
to be motivated to die.
Appeal
Appeal
Make a list
intentional friendships
pray for each day!
What is our part?
Cultivate Friendship
Watch and Pray
For Divine intervention.
Be prepared to
be with them through
life changing moment
that is about to happen.
Life moments:
Bad:
A illness.
A family death.
Relationship issues.
Job Loss.
Financial Instability.
Good:
Pregnancy.
Neutral:
A move.
